The Kikuya Japanese restaurant opened Monday in the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo. (Christopher B. Stoltz / S&S)
The Kikuya Japanese restaurant opened Monday in the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo. (Christopher B. Stoltz / S&S)
The Kikuya Japanese restaurant has doubled its seating capacity and revamped its decor after more than a year spent on renovating and relocating. (Christopher B. Stoltz / S&S)
The New Sanno Hotel in downtown Tokyo has given its feature restaurant a little lift.
Kikuya, the Japanese dining establishment, was to hold its grand reopening Monday. The renovation and relocation took more than a year to complete.
The restaurant’s seating capacity doubled in size from 20 to 42, and it now offers three teppanyaki grills, including one that can be closed off and made into a private dining room.
A reflection pond and waterfall on the right-side wall add ambience to the setting, and New Sanno officials are touting a jazzed-up menu that offers old favorites mixed with new selections of sushi, tempura and Kaiseki Bento dishes, or Japanese meal boxes.
“It’s pretty nice,” said New Sanno food and beverage director Jim Gough. “The decor is 100 percent better than it was. We have three separate grills now instead of one. It allows for better flow of the restaurant.
“We want to give people more options and provide them a little experience in Japanese dining.”
Kaiseki dinners, which go for $49.50, must be ordered in advance to ensure quality, officials said — at least 48 hours before meals served between Wednesday and Sunday and 72 hours ahead of Monday and Tuesday evening service.
Teppanyaki courses range in price from $18.50 for boneless breast of chicken to $36.50 for twin lobster tails. Other selections include beef filet, sirloin steak, calamari, shrimp, salmon, tuna, sea bass and swordfish. Combination plates also are available.
Each teppanyaki dinner comes with sushi, scallops wrapped with bacon, miso soup, garden salad with Japanese dressing, Japanese pickles, grilled vegetables, steamed rice and Japanese green tea.
Tempura dinners are served in three varieties: boneless breast of chicken ($16.50), jumbo shrimp ($22.50) and vegetarian ($15.50). They include miso soup, garden salad with Japanese dressing, Japanese pickles, steamed rice and green tea. Combination plates are offered for $20.50.
Kikuya will be open daily from 5-10 p.m. Though not required, reservations are suggested. Patrons can make reservations at DSN 229-7151 or (03) 3440-7871, extension 7151.
“Please book ahead,” Gough said. “People who remember the old Kikuya’s know how well it’s received by our guests.”
