How the hell are you guys getting reservations here all the time???
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Yes please do tell! Also if any of the ftc regulars are interested in doing a buy out I would be interested.
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same
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Tried last year lol
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I haven’t tried since he got star 2 but at least with tock imo it was possible to get reservations. What’s worked for me has just been going in on a single instance, timing the page refresh to the second, and being flexible with dates.
If you hesitate, miss the timing for a second, or have an incorrect setting and need to back out you’re probably done, especially with star 2 being relatively recent. Go in and don’t even think about whether it’s a good day for you or not. Look for the first blue you see and get that click in. In fact, if you know weekdays can work for you it might be safer to prepare to aim for a weekday seating as they might be marginally easier to book. Just a guess for that last bit though.
I think with 2 stars he’s more likely to pull clientele from other areas so competition is just higher than ever. I remember when I went to somni right after they’d gotten star 2 a chef told me they’d had people fly out from New York as a result.
I’m not sure it’ll work anymore but you could also wait to see if anything opens up after the 10 minute tock timeout.
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Chef Brandon doesn’t do buyouts anymore. 
But I kinda understand. The ballers and their friends would be the only clientele ever eating there.
Addendum: Just read the email from Chef Go (thanks waffles)… Yep.
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new dishes for december:
sakazuki sake cup
seikogani okayu with uchiko and sotoko eggs
chef go makes a warm porridge out of some dashi, rice and the seikogani meat, eggs and kanimiso.
somebody mentioned this would make a great belt buckle
binchotan seared kinmedai, tosazu gelee, shiso blossoms
goma-ae - fuyu persimmons, roasted shiitake mushrooms
magochi tempura, eggplant, ankake
pretty rare to see this outside of japan
cucumber, turnip, myoga
and the rest of the best
ebi shinjo, matsutake
serving this as a first course is like hitting a lead off home run. outstanding.
anago and chestnut tempura
sujiko, yamaimo, yuzu zest, dashi
modori-katsuo
super fatty and crispy skin
sake steamed abalone, abalone stock cubes, abalone liver sauce, wasabi
owan - wild oregon matsutake, hamo, green yuzu
binchotan grilled hokkaido kinki, lotus root, sudachi
hokkaido uni tsukudani
nabe - amadai, matsutake, mizuna
karasumi
gohan - black cod saikyo yaki, mitsuba
x3
k & j orchards nashi pear, sake jelly
yuki-san’s wasanbon
matcha
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What’s the best season to go to Hayato?
I was thinking maybe summer so you get the best of both worlds in terms of produce and seafood. Looking back to your original July 2018 post you had spot prawns, abalone, tai sashmi, corn/scallop tempura, nogoduro and market peaches. But you could have easily had Harry’s Berries and some other amazing produce.
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6.5 bowls on my last trip there (3 weeks ago).
Autumn/Winter, IMHO. But heck, the real answer on the exam is: WHENEVER YOU CAN GET A SEAT.
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haha thats pretty much what I was thinking too. Beggars can’t be choosers.
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Maybe I had a lot of wine but I feel like we had four different teas yesterday and I was wired until 2am. But the tea is so damn delicious - Yuki is a pro. ha!
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Looking like sold out
Legs for days…
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gotta love winter, lots of brand new dishes for the new year. lobster, zuwaigani, tairagai, kobashira, ebi shinjo and duck are all 
(new) sakizuke - santa barbara spiny lobster seared over binchotan, lobster head dashi, lobster roe
(new) agemono - satsumaimo, kobashira
shabu shabu kue, tosazu gelee, shiso blossoms
hiro-san
(new) live zuwaigani grilled over binchotan
steamed body meat mixed with kanimiso
shinogi - anago oshizushi, sesame seed, salt, fresh wasabi
(new) owan - grilled amadai, somen, yuzu
sashimi - tai, tairagai, salt, soy sauce, wasabi, raw nori, myoga, ginger
sake steamed abalone, abalone stock cubes, abalone liver sauce, wasabi
binchotan grilled hokkaido kinki, binchotan roasted maui onion
(new) grilled-seared-simmered-steamed-smoked duck, kombu dashi simmered turnip, ankake, yuzu zest
(new) nabe - shiitake mushroom, tokyo negi, komatsuna, ebi shinjo
karasumi
gohan - buri, daikon
cucumber, myoga, turnip
I’m gonna need a bigger bowl
k&j orchards nashi pear, sake jelly
persimmon
yuki-san’s wasanbon
matcha
fin
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swag
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How many bowls of gohan this time?
First report I’ve seen where Hayato isn’t serving nodoguro?