Yakumo Saryo is a kaiseki restaurant in Meguro, Tokyo, designed by Shinichiro Ogata, the designer and founder of studio Simplicity. He designed interiors for Aesop stores in Japan, so I had no doubt that this restaurant would have a beautiful space. Yakumo Saryo serves a traditional breakfast set in the morning and a kaiseki course for lunch. We came for lunch, but I would love to come back for breakfast one day! Dinner is by invitation only.
We arrived early for our lunch reservation, so we were taken to the tearoom for tea and sweets while we waited. As we were guided to the tearoom, we passed through a few spaces, all of which were minimally furnished, bright and airy, and filled with light from all the glass windows. The sabo room, in contrast, was dark and moodier, lit almost only by the bright daylight pouring in from the large window on one side of the wall. I loved how the window framed a view of the verdant trees outside.
A lady presented seasonal and beautiful wagashi, explaining the flavor profiles of each one. Knowing that lunch was soon, I picked three pieces for my boyfriend and I to share. We had a green bean and bamboo-flavored one; a miso-flavored piece shaped as a white flower; and a kinako-dusted mochi filled with bean paste. Each one was so delicious, especially with bowls of matcha. I love all kinds of teatime, so having wagashi and matcha here was by far a great highlight. I love how so much care goes into each of these morsels. The appreciation of nature is evident by the seasonal ingredients used and in how some of these are shaped to look like flowers and leaves. One day I hope to be able to learn how to make some!
For lunch, we got to taste a number of dishes, all of which I loved:
- First Course: vegetables and squid in a green bean sauce
- Second Course: sashimi
- Third Course: baby shrimp kakiage
- Fourth Course: broth with mountain vegetables, roasted fish, rice
- Fifth Course: wagyu beef stew, rice, pickles
- Dessert: a wagashi from the sabo!
All of the food was delicately prepared and provided a very filling but light multi-course meal. It was a lot of food, but everything was portioned well and light. I love this kind of food, which really lets the flavor of the ingredients shine through with just enough cooking to make those flavors the star of the show.
Service here was also just incredible. Japanese hospitality is already known to be the most polite, sincere, and welcoming, and this place was no exception. The people who attended to us had limited English, but it was more than enough to have fun, easy, and simple conversations about the food and Japanese culture. I will come back one day for sure.
Yakumo Saryo 八雲茶寮
yakumosaryo.jp/e
Reservations required in advance for breakfast and lunch.
Dinner by invitation only.
