Tabelog ratingAca (アカ) is one of Tokyo's most acclaimed and difficult-to-book restaurants, a small counter where Chef Higashi-Azuma applies refined Spanish cooking techniques to peak-season Japanese ingredients. The heart of the kitchen is a charcoal fire, and the chef's mastery of it is a theme running through the entire omakase menu. The experience is intimate and theatrical, with most dishes finished directly in front of the guests.
Reviewers consistently praise two signature items: the tiny kohada (gizzard shad) bocadillo, a bite-sized sandwich often called the restaurant's 'calling card', and the spectacular paellas or caldosos. These rice dishes are finished at the counter with luxurious, seasonal ingredients like live crab, nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch), or a rich blend of uni and squid ink. Other frequently lauded dishes include a fugu shirako (pufferfish milt) ajillo and perfectly cooked wood-fired fish and steaks.
Criticism is rare and minor, focusing on the high price and the extreme difficulty of securing a reservation, with seats often allocated by lottery or to regular clients. A few diners have noted small service inconsistencies or a rare shell fragment in the rice, but praise for the food is nearly universal.
The omakase course is priced around ¥40,000, but the final bill often rises into the ¥60,000 to ¥80,000 per person range, especially with the generous wine pairings. One party of two recently reported a total of around ¥80,000 with wine. While expensive, diners who value technical precision and top-tier ingredients consider it excellent value for a destination meal.
- Booking: Reservations are mandatory and extremely difficult to obtain. Seats are typically released via an online lottery system or are reserved for regular patrons. Planning months in advance is essential.
- Getting There: A 3-minute walk from Mitsukoshimae Station (Ginza and Hanzomon lines), Exit A8.
- Payment: Credit cards (VISA, Master, JCB, AMEX, Diners) are accepted. Electronic money and QR code payments are not. A 10% service charge is added to the bill.
- Seating: The main dining area is an 8-seat counter. There is also one private room for up to 4 people.
- Age Restriction: None specified.
- Smoking: The entire restaurant is non-smoking.
- Parking: No parking available.
