Tokyo

Nogizaka Shin/ Uno toki

乃木坂しん/ 鰻の刻

Curated by a chef and sommelier team, Nogizaka Shin brings together a beautiful pairing of Japanese flavors and wines. Its exquisite menu borrows ideas from the past like the abalone sashimi portrayed in Rosanjin calligraphy. Thoughtful and intricate, the cuisine here illustrates the essence of Japanese cuisine.

Nogizaka Shin opened in 2026 in a quiet neighborhood by Nogizaka Station near Roppongi and Aoyama. Led by Chef Shinji Ishida, a former chef at award-winning restaurants, and Yasuhide Tobita, a sommelier with experiences ranging from Japanese to French cuisine, it didn’t take long for gourmands to discover their excellent pairing menu. The restaurant was highly rated within a year of opening.

The renovation in 2023 gave the restaurant a new ambiance with its modern sukiya-style interior. Designed by Atelier ÈS, a Paris-based architectural firm headed by Shinku Noda and Eiji Kikkawa, the dining area combines traditional and contemporary elements. Ishida was most particular about the distance between the counter seats and the kitchen, to make sure guests could closely watch the food being prepared.

The beautiful wooden counter is made of a single piece of 300-year old Japanese cypress. The texture is unique with its surface full of lines and burls. While most Japanese restaurateurs prefer a clear surface, Tobita fell in love with this particular piece.

“Knots are the remains of trees where branches once grew, and are proof that the tree was alive,” he explains. “I felt like it symbolized who we are.”

During lunch time, the restaurant changes its name to Unotoki where the sous-chef, Yusaku Kawamura, serves a special eel kaiseki meal to just 10 guests a day. Ishida hopes to create more opportunities for young chefs to showcase their talent. In addition to the six counter seats, the restaurant also has two private rooms.

Thoughtful and intricate

"I wanted to craft a menu that captures the essence of Japanese cuisine," says Ishida. He’s gone back to studying old techniques and recipes, especially through literature and artwork from the 1950s. His summer signature dish, Mizugai, meaning water shellfish, mimics a recipe portrayed in one of Kitaoji Rosanjin’s calligraphy. Slices of black abalone sashimi, cucumber and myoga ginger float in cooling salt water.

Nogizaka Shin’s cuisine puts ingredients at center stage. Simple yet difficult, the cooking methods focus on bringing out the pure flavor of the produce. The dashi broth, which serves as the base of Japanese cuisine, is made from kombu seaweed and freshly-shaved bonito flakes. The stock is carefully extracted and seasoned with salt, light soy sauce and sake. As Ishida finishes making a fresh batch, the rich aroma fills the room.

Served in an antique Baccarat glass, the corn and sea urchin appetizer takes its inspiration from French cuisine. Underneath the sea urchin, pureed corn paste is layered on top of soft tofu. The dish lets you enjoy the different textures and flavors.

The day’s soup is pike conger eel where the fish meat is prepared with impressive knifework. Bathed in a fragrant dashi made of kombu and bonito, the rich broth seeps through your stomach. The grilled sweetfish also highlights the chef’s craftsmanship. The head is deep-fried, the meat grilled and the tail dried, the dish allows you to enjoy the whole dish.

Unotoki’s lunch menu serves traditional kaiseki. The meal begins with classic eel appetizers such as eel omelet roll and eel cucumber salad, followed by seasonal dishes such as Nogizaka Shin’s pumpkin with a smooth white vinegar sauce. The eel is grilled in Kansai style, served with white rice, soup, and pickles.

INGREIDIENTS
The fresh fish comes from Toyosu Market as well as vendors in Kyoto and Iwate. Ishida also likes to use the rich produce from his home of Tokushima, such as pike conger eel, bigfin reef squid, abalone and sudachi citrus. The kelp comes from Hokkaido, and the bonito flakes are from Makurazaki in Kagoshima Prefecture.

The special Amakusaai eels are raised in seawater. The flavor is close to wild eels, characterized by the rich fat and unique texture. The rice served at dinnertime is Hinohikari rice from Tokushima Prefecture, grown by one of Ishida’s relatives. The rice used for the eel menu at lunch time is Koshihikari rice grown in terraced fields in Fukushima Prefecture.

CHEF

Shinji Ishida

Shinji Ishida was born in Tokushima Prefecture in 1976. His grandfather was a carpenter, so from an early age he aspired to teach himself a trade. After graduating from culinary school, he joined a restaurant group where he worked at various locations for the next 15 years.

In Tokyo, he joined an award-winning Japanese restaurant in Ginza, where he was later appointed the head chef. In 2013, he moved to France to help open their Paris restaurant as sous chef. He returned to Japan in 2015.

He opened Nogizaka Shin in 2016 with Yasuhide Tobita, a sommelier with a range of knowledge from Japanese to French cuisine. Together, they worked on a refined Japanese menu with wine and sake pairings. The restaurant was quickly recognized for its excellence, winning high ratings from restaurant reviewers.

VISION
“Through our cuisine, I want to work to help people rediscover the charm of Japan,” Ishida says. “I also want to convey the importance of key ingredients that are essential to Japanese cuisine. We aim to offer a rich experience to our guests not only with the cuisine but also tableware, design and other traditional customs.”

WINE & SAKE

Yasuhide Tobita began his restaurant career working at an Italian restaurant in Tokyo. Thanks to his talent for languages, he went onto work at a number of top restaurants where he continued to build his knowledge about wine. Like Ishida, he moved to Paris for a few years to help launch a new restaurant. He’s received top-level awards for his work as a sommelier. At Nogizaka Shin, Tobita curates the wine list to complement the seasonal menu. He describes that Ishida’s cuisine goes well with wines that have a clean but also flavorful and solid note. He also stocks rare brands of sake, including those sourced from a liquor store in Fukui Prefecture.