A note on the words: kaiseki is the multi-course Japanese meal; koshitsu means a private room; shabu-shabu is meat swished briefly through hot broth; dashi the kelp-and-bonito stock everything is built on; kegani the hairy crab, small and sweet; kuroge wagyu the black-haired Japanese beef breed, and A4 a grade on the official beef scale; Inaniwa udon a thin, smooth wheat noodle from Akita; ryotei a traditional high-end restaurant. Prices are as of this writing (August 2026).
Koshitsu Washoku Higashiyama, Shinbashi branch, on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
I want to eat something good today as well. This is Hangover Meshi. This time, a business dinner: Koshitsu Washoku Higashiyama, the Shinbashi branch. Every seat appears to be in a private room, so no doubt the food will be of the smart sort. It belongs to the same group as Koshitsu Kaiseki Kitaoji, apparently. I thought I had heard the name somewhere, and yes — it is the ryotei-looking place next to the Prudential building in Akasaka.
The Shinbashi branch is right in front of Shinbashi station; take the lift to the eighth floor.
Step out of the lift and it is a calm Japanese-styled space. Made for entertaining, this.
“A pot each” kuroge wagyu sirloin dashi-shabu kaiseki, six dishes, 5,500 yen
“A pot each” kuroge wagyu sirloin dashi-shabu kaiseki (with crab in vinegar served in the shell, and so on; seven dishes), 6,600 yen
“A pot each” kuroge wagyu sirloin dashi-shabu kaiseki (with deep-fried crab in the shell, and so on; seven dishes), 7,700 yen
“A pot each” kuroge wagyu sirloin dashi-shabu kaiseki (with half a kegani crab in vinegar, and so on; seven dishes), 12,100 yen
This business of a pot each is a good idea. It suits a dinner like this.
The courses run from 5,500 to 12,100 yen. This time we splashed out and took the 12,100 yen.
Free-flow drinks can be added at 3,000 yen a head, so we asked for that too.
First, of course, beer.
The pot in front of you does raise the spirits.
The opening dish: black sesame tofu under a white miso sauce, dressed with yuzu peel, prawn simmered in soy, and rape blossom.
Rape blossom turns up in the supermarkets a lot lately. A thing of the season, and good.
The sashimi is sea bream and tuna.
The tuna is one slice of lean akami and one of the fattier sort. Kombu soy adds savour and makes it better still.
And already the main: shabu-shabu of wagyu sirloin.
You bring the pot up with the vegetables in it, swish the meat through briefly, wrap it around a vegetable, and eat.
There is something in the idea that A4 is about right for beef. The balance of fat and lean matters.
The dashi is well made, and with the vegetables the richness is cut back, which makes it very easy to eat.
Ah! Kegani crab.
A small one, but half a crab is a happy sight. Kegani has sweet, good meat.
Crab vinegar comes with it, set as a jelly.
In truth I prefer the crab plain to the crab with vinegar.
Everyone digs away at their crab in silence. Death to conversation.
And then, crab again.
Crab from end to end. This became the main event.
Inside is the filling of a crab cream croquette, thick with crab meat. A squeeze of lemon makes it easier to eat.
Slender Inaniwa udon. The broth is made with sea bream and soy milk.
The creaminess of the soy milk and the dashi in the broth are very good and easy to eat.
And dessert to finish.
A private room does keep the conversation going. A thoroughly relaxed space, every dish good, and I left well satisfied. A place built specifically for entertaining. I had always thought of Shinbashi as a jumble, but there are places like this in it too. Everyone does fall silent partway through, on account of the crab, but even allowing for that I thought it extremely well suited to a business dinner. I may use it again when something comes up.
Koshitsu Washoku Higashiyama, Shinbashi branch (Japanese cuisine / Shinbashi Station, Uchisaiwaicho Station, Shiodome Station)
Tabelog dinner rating ★★★☆☆ 3.4
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
