Sugalabo

Tokyo, Japan

• No.47 Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2019

Prepare for a mission, if you want to try chef Yosuke Suga's elegant Japanese and French fusion – a craft he learnt working with the late, great Joel Robuchon for 16 years. First, you need to find someone with a connection to the chef. Sugalabo, which has no set opening times and no online booking system, operates on 'Ichigensan okotowari', a traditional Japanese practice that translates as 'no first-time customers without an introduction'. You'll only get a space at the 20-seat counter or in the small dining room if you know and are introduced by a regular. With invite secured, the next challenge is finding the place. If you locate the Orange Coffee Café, Sugalabo is through a false wall inside. The effort is worth it. Inside, you'll find some of Tokyo's finest food with an omakase menu reflecting the micro-seasons that might include rice puff and Nagasaki bottarga; blue cheese and daikon feuilleté; Pacific saury with tomato confit; and the signature cured ham with curry rice.

Key Information

• Tasting menu from $433
• No set opening days
• 81 80 4665 6432
• Visit Sugalabo's Website

Location

1 Chome−11−1 0 Azabudai, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 106-0041