Shingo Akikuni is greatest generally known as the chef at SHINGO, a one-Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant in Miami.
He grew up in Japan and returns yearly as a customer.
The fourth-generation sushi chef instructed CNBC Travel how he spends his time there.
The place he eats
Ginza Sushi Aoki
Akikuni’s first advice is the place he was educated as a chef. The restaurant — which was opened over 50 years ago — is led by a chef who “makes himself accessible for not solely locals, but additionally folks which might be visiting from overseas,” Akikuni mentioned by way of a translator.
Noda
For extra modern flavors, Akikuni recommends guests attempt fusion eating places run by cooks who had been educated in numerous components of the world. One such restaurant is Noda, which marries Japanese methods and components with French affect.
“Along with the cooking, he actually loves the wine pairing,” his translator instructed CNBC Journey.
Restaurant reservations are often remodeled the cellphone in Japan, Akikuni mentioned. To keep away from language obstacles, he recommends that vacationers make reservations by way of their resort concierge.
Toranomon Yokocho
Akikuni additionally suggests consuming at a Yokocho, an alleyway lined with road distributors and bars.
Toranomon Yokocho, a more moderen meals heart in Japan, is a contemporary tackle the Yokocho idea — though it’s arrange in a “good improvement,” he mentioned. Meals there goes past Japanese delicacies, and guests can “attempt slightly little bit of every little thing multi function place.”
The place he drinks
Good Music Bar
Akikuni recommends the vinyl music bar because it has an in depth file assortment and reside acts from Monday to Saturday. The bar has nice cocktails, a high-quality sound system and is large enough for teams of associates, he mentioned.
Good Music Bar, situated in Kita-Aoyama, has DJs that spin information, mentioned Akikuni.
Supply: Shingo Akikuni
Kasumicho Arashi
The hidden bar is thought for its fruit-based cocktails, Akikuni mentioned. It is tucked within the basement of a home within the residential space of Nishiazabu. The speakeasy incorporates “nice farm contemporary objects” in its menu, he mentioned.
The SG Membership
This one is owned by Shingo Gokan, whom Akikuni referred to as “one of the well-known bartenders of this era.” Gokan, who received the 2021 Industry Icon Award from the World’s 50 Greatest group, additionally owns a speakeasy, Sip & Guzzle, in New York Metropolis.
The bar, which “has been well-liked for a very long time,” has three distinctive flooring with completely different menus and a cigar room, Akikuni mentioned.
What he does
Tokyo presents many spots for sightseeing, and Akikuni’s favorites are the Meiji Jingu Shrine and the Toyosu Market.
Meiji Jingu Shrine
The shrine — arguably Tokyo’s most well-known — is a must-see, he mentioned. The shrine was in-built 1920 within the busy neighborhood of Shibuya.
“It is an ideal break from the hustle and bustle of the town,” he mentioned.
It is free to enter and lies inside a man-made forest. It opens round dawn and closes round sundown.
Toyosu Market
Akikuni mentioned he visits the Toyosu Fish Market each time he is in Tokyo. On the market — the most important in Japan, at round 4 million sq. toes — he sees the distributors and suppliers who inventory his Miami restaurant, he mentioned.
The early morning tuna public sale is a well-liked attraction there. Guests can poll for the prospect to view the public sale up shut, in keeping with Japan Nationwide Tourism Group’s web site. In January, a 608-pound bluefin tuna was sold for around $1.3 million dollars – the second-highest value paid for the reason that public sale started in 1999.
Chef Akikuni with a purveyor on the Toyosu Fish Market.
Supply: Shingo Akikuni
Guests who don’t win the lottery can nonetheless watch consumers bid for his or her selection from farther away, and likewise purchase some contemporary fish for breakfast after.
Toyosu Fish Market is called the “greatest on the earth,” however fewer folks know in regards to the Toyosu Fruit and Vegetable Market, Akikuni mentioned.
“Japanese folks usually are very devoted to no matter craft that they’ve,” he mentioned. “So if they seem to be a strawberry farmer, they’re attempting to develop the easiest strawberries.”
The place he retailers
Omotesando and Harajuku
Whereas the neighborhood of Ginza is house to many worldwide manufacturers, Akikuni recommends procuring on Omotesando or within the neighborhood of Harajuku as a substitute.
Each have shops that guests will “solely discover in Tokyo,” he mentioned.
Omotesando, known as the Champs Élysées of Tokyo, is an avenue with iconic Japanese trend homes like Comme des Garçons and Issey Miyake. It is also house to Omotesando Hills, a procuring advanced with greater than 130 retailers.
Harajuku, nevertheless, is thought for its subculture and quirky trend. Each areas are walkable and simple to discover, mentioned Akikuni, with classic retailers the place guests can choose up luxurious and classy items.
The place he stays
The Imperial Lodge and Aoyama Grand Tokyo
Akikuni prefers two inns in Tokyo, each of which provide completely different experiences.
The Imperial Lodge is near the Royal Palace. It opened in 1890 to welcome foreign visitors, in keeping with the resort’s web site.
The normal idea of Japanese hospitality — or “omotenashi” — is what attracts him to the resort, Akinkuni mentioned. It is like trying “into the previous of how the usual of hospitality was created” within the nation, he mentioned.
The modern Aoyama Grand Tokyo is an efficient possibility for procuring in Harajuku or Omotesando. It is near each neighborhoods and the meals is great, he mentioned.