Secluded in the luxuriant garden of hotel Chinzanso lies Mokushundo. This Showa era restaurant offers kaiseki cuisine grilled on lava stones coming from Mount Fuji. The setting is peaceful and you can rent small houses as private rooms, making it an ideal spot for a special date or occasion.
On evenings, you can choose between multiple set courses ranging from 7,400 to 18,500 yen. I went with the cheapest stone-grilled kaiseki course FUJI.
Soft cod roe tofu, salmon roe, green onions, starch sauce
Dinner started with a tofu dish. Even though it was good, I was not particularly impressed by it, and it could have used a bit more salmon roe. However, the starch sauce had an interesting texture, which I thought paired well with the firmness of the tofu.
Simmered white radish, flavored ground beef miso, yuzu citron, garnish
The simmered radish was very flavorful and the ground beef miso tasted wonderful.
Before moving on to the stone-grilled cuisine, I was served different flavorings to enjoy during the course of dinner. It included yuzu citrus pepper and white radish, sweet miso, wasabi, lemon, homemade ponzu, as well as salt and pepper.
Fish of the day, scallop, squid
The stone-grilled cuisine started with 3 types of seafood and vegetables. All were very fresh and beautifully presented. The ingredients were cooked directly onto the stone in front of me without oil or fat. The seafood was delicious, and the scallop was my favorite!
Japanese beef
Next came the meat. The beef was nicely marbled and literally melted in the mouth.
Lotus root, zucchini, eggplant, pork
The pork and vegetables were good, but nothing out of the ordinary.
Crab and white radish with vinegar, cucumber, carrot, chrysanthemums flower
I loved the crab and white radish! It was fresh, vinegary and a nice transition to the rice dish.
Rice with salmon roe, sea urchin and roast beef
My course included normal white rice, but when I glanced at the neighbor’s table, I got a little envious of their delicious looking rice dish. I asked for an upgrade and the kitchen staff was kind enough to accommodate for my request at an extra cost. This wonderful salmon roe, sea urchin and roast beef on rice was the highlight of the meal. The sea urchin was one of the best I have ever had.
Miso soup
It was served with a beautiful, colorful and flavorful miso soup.
Pumpkin cream, whipped cream, raspberry and dried fig
I finished on a very good note with a delicious pumpkin cream. The raspberry and the fig were a great addition to this subtle seasonal dessert.
Overall
I had a nice dinner at Mokushundo. The ingredients were all very fresh and it was entertaining to watch the staff prepare the food on the lava stone in front of me. However, I found the portions a bit small. If I had upgraded to a more expensive menu, I think I would have been more satisfied.
If you are looking for a different experience, Mokushundo is a nice restaurant. The quality of service is probably what I liked the most about dinner. If you are a big eater and have the budget for it, it is probably wise to choose one of the more expensive courses.
Bon Appétit Tokyo!
All the prices included in this article are excluding taxes (10%) and service charge (10%).
Mokushundo
Opening hours:
Lunch weekdays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm
Lunch weekends & holidays 11:30 am to 3 pm
Dinner 5 pm to 10 pm
Website: click here
Address: 10-8, Sekiguchi 2-chome, Bunkyo-ku, 112-8680 Tokyo, Japan
Telephone: 03-3943-1111
