Originally Posted by
offerendum
Europeans in the US normally get a cultural shock

I even know some who refuse to do fine dining in the US due to the fast experience.
I don't mind leisurely dining, but 3+ hours for a 7-course meal is really stretching it.
My Tokyo Michelin visits this time around:
-Ryo (1 star, unagi): incredibly good. The eel is cooked with such painstaking care and attention, and it is delicious. Mixed in are a few non-eel courses (e.g. tempura). Very pricey but love the food, love the vibe. The sake pairing was delicious.
-Sushi Shin (1 star, sushi): very good but not the best sushi I have had by any stretch. Some very delicious pieces (anago, uni, the infamous shirako), but others (shad, clam sashimi, tuna) seemed dry / not as fresh. Would be willing to revisit but a tad underwhelmed.
-Ginza Okuda (1 star, kaiseki): had a special New Year's Day tasting menu. Very good, particularly the Kobe beef. Kind of pricey given it was only 6-7 courses in total, but I would probably return nonetheless. I enjoyed the drink pairing, which included sake and wine. My wife's nonalcoholic pairing was arguably even better.
Next up for us will be Benu in SF in a couple weeks - really looking forward to that.