Restaurant Hiromichi

Like a cat toying with a mouse, safe in the knowledge he's the one in control, chef Hiromichi Kodama applies a playfulness to his homely dishes and his restaurant, a tiny spot among the offices of southern Ebisu.

You will perhaps never have seen butter decorated with Okinawan sea grapes before, and it's not unknown for him to play Christmas songs, on repeat, during the summer. 

But that's a sign of Kodama's confidence. “He doesn't need to show off," says Robb Satterwhite, author and manager of Bento.com. "Many of his creations are surprisingly restrained, like his understated tomato gelee with scallops and an extremely subtle cheese amuse-bouche.

“He's not afraid of serving down-home fare like blood sausage and ris de veau to his appreciative customers." 

Kodama trained in France, developed his skills at a Michelin-starred kitchen in Akasaka and now serves food that you will remember.  

“Most spectacular of all is the smoked lamb component of the lamb-duo main course, something I like to call his ‘genuine show-stopper,’” says Satterwhite.