Ao (Tokyo, Tabelog Gold, Nov 2025)

Ao is a highly regarded restaurant located in Nishiazabu ran by Chef Minemura. Their menu is rooted in French cuisine but blends in Japanese style and places an enormous amount of care at the sourcing of ingredients. Chef Minemura likes to prepare things with minimal seasoning, letting the exquisite produce speak for itself. Ao opened in 2020 and managed to receive tabelog gold aware in 2023.

I received a notification of availability for Ao via Tableall, while initially hesistant at the ¥112,000 price tag, I decided to splurge and go ahead with the booking. They have 2 dinner sessions and I had booked to attend the first at 5pm, the meal duration was about 2 hours and 15 minutes. The counter spacing seats 8 and my session only had one local who booked last minute after a space opened up on the day. Arriving outside the restaurant, I'm greeted by the Chef and taken upstairs inside the restaurant, the decor is a mix of Japanese and western style. The long wooden counter is surrounded with marble counters giving it a modern kaiseki counter vibe with a cozy atmosphere. Chef Minemura and the sommelier both speak pretty good English, able to introduce the meal entirely in English and also giving some explanation to the techniques used as well. Service went really smooth, the team were pretty onto it and the chefs were largely focused on preparing the meal.

The tableall reservation includes the wine pairing or free flowing non alcoholic drinks but if you manage to book via Omakase then the wine pairing is optional. I don't usually go for wine pairings or alcohol at all but since I had splurged already I thought it would be a good opportunity to try something different. The pairings and dishes are in order of being served:

a. Henriot Cuvee Hemera 2018

1. Shinkei-jime (nerve processed) hamo consommé soup with matsutake – warm and umami rich flavour, can't go wrong with matsutake.

2. Chilled fedelini with Akoyagai and Oscietra Caviar – the caviar and oysters are delicious, easily best chilled pasta dish I've had all trip.

b. Domaine de Bellivière Vieilles Vignes Éparlès 2022

1. Charcoal grilled shinkei-jime sawara with a vinaigrette sauce made from two types of sake – The vinaigrette sauce is a flavour explosion which pairs nicely with the perfectly cooked sawara. Incredibly delicious.

c. Marcel Deiss Altenberg de Bergheim Grand Cru 2018

1. 3 year aged kitakari potato gratin with alba white truffle shavings – one of the highlights for me, the potato is aged in a cold environment for three years and it was like eating butter soft. With the truffles its just heavenly, one of the best potato dishes I've had in my life.

d. Bernard Dugat-Py Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 2012

1. Chargoal grilled lobster with bisque and freshly baked brioche – the lobster is lightly grilled giving a touch of smoky flavour, the bisque was the star for me however. Prepared over 6 hours using the head and shell, dipping the lobster in the bisque was incredible. The brioche was the perfect companion to the bisque. I couldn't get enough of it.

e. Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2017

1. Kegani risotto – not your ordinary risotto, the crab flavour just oozes out of each bite. We're given seaweed to wrap the risotto with and I immediately ask for another piece.

2. Pumpkin mousse – very concentrated pumpkin flavour, pumpkin is roasted slowly over several hours. Like hte other dishes no seasoning is used and its incredible how its just the pumpkin we're tasting.

3. Shinkei jime Kuromutsu served with Acqua pazza and wood ear mushroom – Skin is crispy and the flesh is flakey, the acqua pazza and wood ear mushroom create a delightful umami combination. While delicious probably one of the weaker dishes for me of the meal due to preference of fish cooking method.

4. Pomelo granita – nice palate cleanser before the beef dish.

f. Domaine Armand Rousseau Chambertin 2011

1. chargrilled 40 month old Tajima beef with maitake mushroom – beef is melt in my mouth juicy and the maitake compliments the meat really well. The sauce is made from the beef and helps reinforce the deliciousness of the beef. We are given salt to season as we like but it didn't need it.

g. Château d'Yquem 2013

1. Amane muskmelon – life changing melon in my opinion, its amazing how just a cut melon surprised me the most during an already incredible meal. Eating it felt like eating loaded jelly candies with the amount of juice it had inside. Just one melon would have to be over ¥20,000 by itself. I can not overstate how good the melon was

2. Japanese cacao ganache and jelly – sharp cacao flavour, enjoyed the different textures together

3. Hinai wild chicken egg and red sake ice cream – very rich yet light ice cream, milky sweetness with each bite yet no milk was used.

4. Choux and canelé – choux was extraordinary, canelé was good but not memorable. We're allowed to take home both but I couldn't wait to try the choux, the vanilla bean cream is exceptional.

The wine pairings were delightful as well, as someone whose not a wine drinker I thoroughly enjoyed each pairing.

While a bit hesitant and concerned about the price tag, I thought the meal was incredible and have no regrets with the cost. Ao blew me away with menu, I got to experience some of the best ingredients Japan has to offer prepared meticulously. The presentation is very plain but appearances were very deceiving and I wholeheartedly recommend Ao as a place to visit (but probably try to book via omakase for better value). One of the top meals of the trip for me, don't think I can forget it. The course design doesn't really change from what I've read online but the ingredients used may depending on what the local producers can supply so I will be saving my next visit for a special occasion.