Tokyo

Akasaka Ogino

赤坂おぎ乃

Devour the taste of each season and immerse yourself in Japanese traditions amid the warmth and welcome of Akasaka Ogino.

Akasaka Ogino is found on the first floor of an apartment building just steps from Akasaka Station. It is a bustling area, but calm and elegance await beyond the traditional shop curtain whose characters are those of the chef’s father, actor and artist Tsurutaro Kataoka. He also wrote the signboard sheltered behind glass at the shop front, and a large piece inside – a gift to his son upon the restaurant’s opening. It says Ichi Fuji, Ni Taka, San Nasu, meaning "First, Mount Fuji; Second, hawk; Third, eggplant. It has long been believed to be auspicious to dream of any of these things in your first dream of the new year, as Mount Fuji is Japan‘s tallest mountain, hawks are known for their sharp focus on a goal, and the Japanese for eggplant is a play on a word meaning accomplishment.

The straight single plank hinoki cypress counter seats seven guests with front-row seats for all the action on the chopping board and charcoal grill. The compact space boasts five apprentices who give the impression this is a great place to work. A female sous chef who accompanied Ogino from Koju when he went independent moves nimbly, supporting and communicating with the chef every step. Aromas waft toward guests from the open kitchen, whetting appetites for the delicate yet umami-rich dishes that emerge and adding a performance element to the dining experience.

A small Japanese flower arrangement is sent regularly by the daughter of a mushroom producer who supplies the restaurant. Having previously worked with Ogino, she has an intimate understanding of what is appropriate in this space. Little touches like this are instrumental in creating the style with which Ogino welcomes guests. The elegance is unmistakable, yet the feeling here is one of warmth and welcome. Take this chance to savor the flavors of Japan’s seasons and traditions in the comfortable atmosphere of Akasaka Ogino.

Flavors, aromas and stories of seasonal delicacies

Akasaka Ogino is Japanese cuisine with a monthly changing menu designed to delight guests with the flavors, aromas and stories of seasonal delicacies. Their presentations come together in front of guests or arrive as completed creations to wow with their intricacy and beauty. The course comprises two appetizers, followed by a lidded bowl dish with wonderful aromas, and then three types of sashimi. The raw fish is not simply cut and served; it is grilled over straw or charcoal or dressed in freshly toasted sesame. An intensely seasonal dish arrives just before the hassun, a key element of kaiseki cuisine. Grilled, fried and simmered dishes precede the final belly-filling rice dishes in a course that ends with refreshing fresh fruit.

Among the dishes at Ogino, the chef’s hassun showcasing blessings from the mountains and seas is always an exquisite expression of traditional culture. The season is deeply infused in every mouthful, inspired by the cultural festival or seasonal ritual of that moment. It all begins with New Year, followed by setsubun, the last day of winter. Spring follows with the Doll’s Festival, cherry blossom viewing, and Children's Day. June brings summer purification rites before the Tanabata Star Festival in July and August Bon Festival, honoring the spirits of ancestors. Moon viewing is a favorite part of autumn in Japan, then comes the Chrysanthemum Festival to pray for longevity, autumn winds and fallen leaves, and finally, shiwasu, that December season when you feel you are constantly rushing around. The tableware for the Obon season hassun is a bucket made by Echizen artisans that was formerly used to draw well water. On a bed of ice sits stonefish dressed in ponzu soy sauce, alongside pureed summer corn soup, Noto Peninsula mozuku seaweed, and juicy Shine Muscat grapes tossed in crushed tofu — each component the result of careful and time-consuming preparation. The abalone somen noodle dish, only available from June to August, is a specialty inherited from Ogino's mentor and former master, Chef Okuda. The cooling glass bowl holds slippery somen noodles, pureed abalone, accordion-cut steamed abalone and liver sauce. The masterpiece offers a chance to experience all the flavors and textures of the exquisite marine creature.

Chef Ogino personally selects the sake varieties to be enjoyed with the meal. Popular brands like Aramasa, Kokuryu and Juyondai sit alongside rare finds like Kyoto’s Zenri. The Burgundy wines are chosen for their affinity with Japanese cuisine.

INGREDIENTS
The seafood is supplied by expert fisherman Junichi Fujimoto from Ehime Prefecture. Special items like bigfin reef squid and sudachi citrus are shipped from Tokushima Prefecture wholesaler Takashima. Specially branded marine products include Aichi Prefecture Isshoku Unagi eel and ayu sweetfish from the pristine waters of Nagano's Tenryugawa.

For dashi – that indispensable element of Japanese cuisine – Ogino uses crisp, clean Rishiri kombu during hot summer months and switches to Makombu in the colder months for its deep, full-bodied umami. The katsuobushi flakes come from meaty bonito caught in Makurazaki, Kagoshima, which are subsequently dried and fermented by a specialist in Chiba. The blocks have dark red meat and are very dense and fragrant. The somen noodles are the highest grade Kamisugi variety from Nara Prefecture’s Miwa Yamamoto Somen shop, the mushrooms come from Gumma, and Koshihikari rice arrives from Minami-Uonuma in Niigata Prefecture.

CHEF

Satoshi Ogino

Satoshi Ogino was born in Tokyo in 1987. Despite having a celebrity father, Ogino chose the culinary world, having always loved food. During high school, he worked at a restaurant serving his favorite food — sushi. He wanted to become a sushi chef but was convinced his studies should focus first on learning Japanese culture. Ogino spent eight years training in Japanese cuisine at Arashiyama Kitcho in the picturesque Arashiyama district of Kyoto while also taking lessons in flower arrangement and tea ceremony. At age 25, Ogino returned to Tokyo to train under Chef Okuda at Ginza Koju for five years before being entrusted as head chef at the sister restaurant Okuda for two-and-a-half years. He opened Akasaka Ogino in March 2020, quickly earning high acclaim and being recognized in 2021 as a rising star among young chefs.

Ogino admits to getting easily bored but has found his match in Japanese cuisine, describing it as a road with no end. His approach to work today adopts an act he learned during his time at Koju and Okuda – tying a tie around his neck. A privilege limited to the head chef back then, he continues the tradition to signal his sincere approach to his work.

The youngest of three boys, the oldest also in the food industry and the second an artist, Ogino feels blessed to have chosen his own path and be doing what he loves. In 2023, he opened Wakan in Toranomon Hills, collaborating with his older brother on Japanese gelato flavors and Japanese sweets, like freshly baked dorayaki.

VISION
Ogino wishes to plant his roots here and grow the restaurant into a local favorite. He always turns his thoughts to creating a more comfortable space for guests. Should that mean relocating one day, Ogino would be certain to entrust the current space to an apprentice to continue serving guests while nurturing the next generation of chefs.

TABLEWARE

Tableware is one of Ogino’s loves. His ceramic sake cups are like an art collection, including creations by Makoto Yamaguchi from Yamaguchi Prefecture, Shiga Prefecture’s Katsunori Sawa, and Masatoshi Shimizu from Hyogo Prefecture. Ogino’s Edo Kiriko cut glass sake cups by Horiguchi Kiriko sit like jewels in a large personalized wooden box. Guests ordering sake, more typically referred to as nihonshu in Japan, are invited to choose their favorite from the box and savor its beauty as they sip on the delicious beverage within.