Ginza Fujiyama is a kaiseki restaurant that opened up in Tokyo in March 2019. Subsequently (and after our meal there in November 2019), they acquired a * in the Michelin guide. Chef Takao Fujiyama was worked at Kodaiji Wakuden, a ** kaiseki restaurant in Kyoto, serving a few years as its head chef. Wakuden has had a long lineage of developing fine chefs, most famously Toshiro Ogata of Ogata fame, but also the chefs at Kiyama and Noguchi in Kyoto.
The cuisine leans toward more kaisai style, which means the flavors are more subtle and in line with Kyoto kaiseki restaurants than other Tokyo restaurants. The decor is also eminently Tokyo style, with the LOTR-style small doorways in the room. Apparently, Chef Fujiyama also imports his water from Kyoto for his dashi, among other things. He does not speak much English, but he was extremely friendly, and we were not the only foreigners dining there that evening.
We thought our meal here was spectacular, and my wife liked this meal the most of our 3 kaiseki meals during this trip. I don’t think he will have only * for long, but we will see.
A display of Taizagani or snow crab specifically from Taiza Harbor in the Kyotango area of Kyoto. I have only had taizagani previously at Kimoto. One unusual thing was that we ate crab at Fujiyama, but at the other two kaiseki restaurants, they were still serving fall courses (e.g., matsutake mushroom).
Started with the Sakezuki of Kyoto miso with Uni and Awabe
Seiko kani
Shirako soup with tofu This was their version of the quintessential Tokyo white miso soup and it was delicious and decadent.
Kanburi sashimi
Wife was minimizing raw fish so received cooked buri
Starting the prep of the taizagani
Raw crab legs about to be eaten
Soft tofu with pickled vegetables
The previously referenced Crab Legs cooked Shabu Shabu Style
Broth - unfortunately didn’t take notes, I believe this was tsubagai on this one but really nice
Crab sake (warm) @beefnoguy ever seen this before? It was interesting, but I thought at least a little gimmicky; it was mostly sake tasting with a little bit of crab broth if at all
Grilled taizagani leg
Grilled crab body with brain and ginseng
Soba with mushrooms and yamaimo
Karasumi
Now we had a choice of crab and egg with rice (basically an oyako don with crab) or crab soup, or both. We ordered one of each.
Pickles
Crab soup
Crab rice
This was fantastic!!
Chestnut (drool)
Passion fruit and persimmon
In all, the price was dear, but we each split a whole taiza crab, which I understand to be quite expensive, so we did get “value” for our money. Overall, this restaurant is a great addition to the Tokyo scene, and it is one of a few Kyoto style kaiseki restaurants (along with Miyasaka and Nanzenji Kyoto) that likely saves Tokyoites a 2-3 hour trip to Kyoto.