Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan
Charcoal kappo with real international range.
Sumibikappo SHIROSAKA in Akasaka delivers charcoal-forward kappo cooking shaped by chef Hideki Ii's time cooking abroad in Sydney and New York. The result is a menu that pairs bincho-grilled wagyu and eel with caviar-topped uni and tuna — more creative range than most kappo rooms at this price tier. At ¥¥¥ with easy booking, it's a practical choice before the harder-to-access ¥¥¥¥ rooms on your Tokyo list.
If you want a single venue in Tokyo that combines kappo-style charcoal cooking with genuine international technique, Sumibikappo SHIROSAKA in Akasaka is the clearest answer. It sits a price tier below RyuGin and Harutaka, carries a 4.6 Google rating across 137 reviews, and delivers a menu format that reads as neither fully traditional kaiseki nor modern fusion — which is precisely the point. Book here if you want bincho charcoal-grilled wagyu and eel alongside caviar-topped uni and tuna, served by a chef whose cooking was shaped in Sydney and New York as much as in Tokyo. Skip it if you want the strict formality of a multi-Michelin kaiseki room.
Akasaka sits between the political weight of Nagatacho and the after-hours energy of Roppongi, and SHIROSAKA's position in this neighbourhood matters for timing. It draws a crowd that spans business diners finishing late and food-focused visitors who've already done the obvious tasting rooms. The atmosphere skews composed rather than loud — bincho charcoal cooking is by nature a slow, low-heat process, and the room takes on that rhythm. This is not a venue for a quick bite; plan for a full evening.
The cooking logic here is worth understanding before you book. Owner-chef Hideki Ii runs what the venue describes as sumibi kappo , charcoal-centred counter cooking where seasonal ingredients are grilled over bincho charcoal at low heat to draw out fragrance rather than impose it. That technique is the anchor, but the menu is structured with considerably more freedom than a traditional kappo sequence. A hassun platter might include spring rolls and roasted pork fillet alongside more expected Japanese elements. The Cold Tuna and Uni comes with gelatinised dashi and caviar , a dish that signals how Ii uses classical Japanese foundations and adds layers borrowed from his time cooking abroad. For food-focused visitors who've built itineraries around Kagurazaka Ishikawa or Azabu Kadowaki, SHIROSAKA offers a usefully different angle: less ceremony, more direct expression of the chef's accumulated reference points.
The meal structure moves through seafood appetisers, hassun, broiled seafood, charcoal grills of eel and wagyu, and finishes with handmade soba or rice in clay pots , the latter available on request. That last detail is worth noting: if you want the rice course, ask when you book or early in the meal. The bincho charcoal aroma carries through the meal as a consistent sensory thread rather than a single highlight, which makes the pacing feel cohesive even when individual dishes pull in different directions.
SHIROSAKA makes most sense mid-week in the evening, when Akasaka's business-district energy has settled and the room operates at its intended pace. Late-evening seatings suit the format well , kappo dining is designed to unfold slowly, and arriving after 8 PM puts you in step with how Tokyo's counter restaurants genuinely work. If you're planning a Japan trip that also takes in Gion Sasaki in Kyoto or HAJIME in Osaka, SHIROSAKA works well as a Tokyo opener rather than a closer , it calibrates your expectations for charcoal-forward cooking without the full weight of a top-tier kaiseki bill.
Seasonal ingredients drive the menu, so visiting in autumn or spring gives you the widest range of what Ii does well with the grill. Summer menus lean toward cold preparations and lighter seafood; winter brings richer wagyu and earthier courses. Hours are not confirmed in our database , contact the venue directly to confirm service times and late seating availability before planning around it.
Counter-format kappo is one of Tokyo's most reliable solo dining formats, and SHIROSAKA follows that pattern. A solo diner at the counter gets direct sight lines to the cooking and a natural opportunity to engage with the kitchen's rhythm. For groups of four or more, check on private or semi-private seating options when booking , the counter format works leading for two to three guests. If you're travelling with a larger group and want a comparable experience, Myojaku or Ginza Fukuju are worth comparing for group capacity.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy for SHIROSAKA. Phone and website details are not currently listed in our database , the most reliable route is through a hotel concierge if you're staying in Minato or Chiyoda, or via one of Tokyo's specialist reservation services. The address is 6 Chome-3-9 Akasaka, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0052. At ¥¥¥ pricing, this sits below the ¥¥¥¥ bracket of most comparable charcoal-focused tasting rooms in Tokyo, which partly explains the accessible booking window.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sumibikappo SHIROSAKA | Japanese (Kappo / Charcoal) | ¥¥¥ | Easy |
| RyuGin | Kaiseki | ¥¥¥¥ | Hard |
| Harutaka | Sushi | ¥¥¥¥ | Hard |
| Florilège | French | ¥¥¥ | Moderate |
For a broader view of where SHIROSAKA sits in Tokyo's dining options, see our full Tokyo restaurants guide. If you're building a wider Japan itinerary, Pearl covers akordu in Nara, Goh in Fukuoka, 1000 in Yokohama, and 6 in Okinawa. For classical Japanese cooking in Kyoto, Isshisoden Nakamura and Kashiwaya Osaka Senriyama are useful reference points. You can also browse our Tokyo hotels guide, Tokyo bars, Tokyo wineries, and Tokyo experiences.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sumibikappo SHIROSAKA | The chef’s gastronomic experience includes stints in Sydney and New York. The creative flair he acquired along the way finds expression in the imaginative freedom of his menu. Appetiser of sea urchin and tuna is paired with caviar. Hassun platters incorporate unique choices such as spring rolls and roasted pork fillet. Broiled seafood and grills of eel and wagyu are accented by the aroma of bincho charcoal. The meal wraps up with handmade soba or rice in clay pots available on request.; When overseas to sharpen his culinary senses, char-grilling caught owner-chef Hideki Ii’s attention. He cooks seasonal ingredients on low heat, using bincho charcoal for fragrance. He mixes modern culinary theory with traditional techniques, with flexible combinations of ingredients that show off his experience. A fine example is the Cold Tuna and Uni, served with gelatinised dashi and caviar. Ii’s deportment and style in the kitchen inspire confidence. | ¥¥¥ | — |
| Harutaka | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| RyuGin | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| L'Effervescence | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| HOMMAGE | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| Florilège | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | ¥¥¥ | — |
How Sumibikappo SHIROSAKA stacks up against the competition.
Book at least two to three weeks out, more if you're visiting on a Friday or Saturday evening. Phone and website details aren't currently listed in Pearl's database, so the most reliable route is through a hotel concierge or a dedicated Tokyo restaurant reservation service. Booking difficulty is rated Easy relative to Tokyo's harder-to-access kappo counters, but that rating assumes you have a Japanese-language contact point.
The menu is set by the kitchen, so ordering isn't the decision here — format is. The Cold Tuna and Uni with gelatinised dashi and caviar is the dish most closely associated with chef Hideki Ii's approach, and the bincho-grilled eel and wagyu are the clearest expression of the charcoal technique the restaurant is built around. If you want handmade soba or clay-pot rice to close the meal, request it when booking.
Yes — counter-format kappo is one of Tokyo's most practical solo dining formats, and SHIROSAKA follows that structure. A solo diner at the counter gets direct sight of the kitchen and the charcoal grill, which is where most of the interesting work happens. Solo diners willing to engage with the chef's pacing tend to get the most from this format.
At ¥¥¥, SHIROSAKA sits in Tokyo's mid-to-upper tier without reaching the flat-out expense of multi-Michelin destinations. For that price, you get a chef with documented international training in Sydney and New York, bincho charcoal technique applied to seasonal ingredients, and a menu with enough range — spring rolls in the hassun, caviar pairings — to feel considered rather than formulaic. It's a fair trade if kappo is the format you want.
Yes, if you're eating here specifically to follow chef Ii's seasonal progression from appetiser through to soba or clay-pot rice. The menu structure — sea urchin and tuna with caviar through to bincho-grilled eel and wagyu — is designed as a sequence, and eating piecemeal would undercut the logic of it. If you want à la carte flexibility, this format isn't the right fit.
The database doesn't confirm a formal dietary restriction policy, so this is worth clarifying at the time of booking. The menu is seafood and meat-forward, with bincho-grilled eel, wagyu, and sea urchin as core elements, which means significant modifications would alter the kitchen's intended structure. Communicate restrictions clearly when reserving, ideally through a Japanese-speaking contact.
Counter seating is the primary format at kappo restaurants like SHIROSAKA, so eating at the counter is the intended experience rather than a secondary option. The counter position gives you direct access to the kitchen and the bincho charcoal grill, which is the point. If you're hoping for a more separated, table-based experience, this format may not suit you.
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