Robbie Swinnerton

Tokyo

Robbie Swinnerton: Food writer & Japan Times restaurant columnist. Spreading the word from 東京都 since 昭和55. https://t.co/sjHwxV7n4b…

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Articles

Tokyo's top bites - in a suburban mall food court

1 week ago | japantimes.co.jp | Robbie Swinnerton

Whether you’re cycling, canoeing, strolling, golfing or simply resting your eyes on the unaccustomed sight of open space and an actual horizon, Futako-Tamagawa has long been one of Tokyo’s best escape hatches. Now there’s an extra reason to direct your feet to that sunny side of the city. Or, actually, four reasons in one.
11 in Japan win Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant honors, but Gaggan is tops

2 months ago | japantimes.co.jp | Robbie Swinnerton

Gaggan Anand is back. The Kolkata-born, Bangkok-based, self-styled rebel chef’s eponymous restaurant, Gaggan, won the crown at the 2025 Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony held in Seoul on March 25. For Anand, this represents more than just a professional success. It is also vindication for his decision to walk away from the initial iteration of his restaurant — also called Gaggan — despite it having held top spot on the list for four consecutive years, from 2015 through 2019.
At Ventinove, Tuscan specialties taken to new heights - The Japan Times

2 months ago | japantimes.co.jp | Robbie Swinnerton

A former Italian favorite in Tokyo now enjoys a renaissance in a bucolic village in Gunma Prefecture.
At Ventinove, Tuscan specialties taken to new heights

2 months ago | japantimes.co.jp | Robbie Swinnerton

The road leading up to Ventinove is neither arduous nor particularly scenic. Climbing steadily from the western fringe of the Kanto Plain, you make your way through tidy, prosperous rural communities in the foothills of the mountains of central Gunma Prefecture until you arrive at Kawaba Village on the southern slope of Mount Hotaka. When you finally see woodlands, you know you’re really close. The upland air is clear and chilly as you step from your car.
Toyama’s finest seafood underpins Ebitei Bekkan’s return to greatness

Mar 1, 2025 | japantimes.co.jp | Robbie Swinnerton

There is much to take in as you settle into your seat in Ebitei Bekkan’s pristine second-floor dining room: the vivid grain of the wood on the counter and on the ceiling above; the gleaming lacquerware tray that marks your place; the vase with its single, fragile flower against the matte mud wall. In the narrow open kitchen, owner-chef Kentaro Mura is finalizing his preparations for the extensive meal that lies ahead.
Brothers’ local focus lifts Shintaku to Niigata’s highest rank

Feb 8, 2025 | japantimes.co.jp | Robbie Swinnerton

Silver linings are never guaranteed. When the Yamagai brothers saw their historic family restaurant consumed by flames in 2005, it is unlikely they ever envisaged it would rise from the ashes to become a beacon of gastronomy in their hometown in the far north of Niigata Prefecture. What they did know, however, was that they were dead set on rebuilding after the fire. And, more importantly, that they would take charge in the kitchen.
A meeting of Michelin minds at Tokyo's Sezanne

Oct 5, 2024 | japantimes.co.jp | Robbie Swinnerton

"Collaborations and four-hands dinners — we don't do these things too often."Chef Daniel Calvert doesn't mince words spelling out his stance on inviting other chefs to work with him in his kitchen. "The amount of requests we’ve had, we could be doing a pop-up every month. We say no to 99% of them, to be honest."
Oryouri Fujii: High-end Japanese cuisine in a picture-perfect Toyama setting

Aug 3, 2024 | japantimes.co.jp | Robbie Swinnerton

Location is everything, as the saying goes, when it comes to opening any restaurant. But for those serving traditional Japanese cuisine, the setting and surroundings are every bit as important. On all fronts, chef Hironori Fujii has his bases covered. His restaurant in the city of Toyama, Oryouri Fujii, sits close to one of Japan’s most fertile fishing grounds: Toyama Bay.
Tokiwa Sushi: Niigata sushi master with a hometown, locavore focus

Jul 20, 2024 | japantimes.co.jp | Robbie Swinnerton

With its 330-kilometer coastline along the Sea of Japan, Niigata Prefecture does not lack for premium seafood. Inland, the rice harvested from its fertile plains is revered nationwide. For sushi artisan Kosuke Kobayashi, everything he needs is on his doorstep. As the third-generation owner-chef of Tokiwa Sushi, Kobayashi is known not just for the quality of his hand-pressed nigiri sushi but also his strong support for local producers. His 10-seat counter draws connoisseurs from around the country.
6 Six: Innovative French fare from an Okinawan paradise

Jul 6, 2024 | japantimes.co.jp | Robbie Swinnerton

Another day of subtropical sunshine slips to its lazy conclusion. As the light drains from the sky, illuminations trace the 2-kilometer length of the low-slung bridge that curves toward the Okinawa mainland. It is a remarkable vista, one to store and treasure in your memory banks. But it is seriously rivaled by the meal that is unfolding on the table in front of you.