• 4
• A Japanese-style gem

We visited Itadakizen after spending a morning walking around nearby Maruyama Park. It was a cold winter day, and we were so happy to arrive in such a cozy and inviting little restaurant. I am an American who loves Japanese food, but being vegetarian, I often get to enjoy only a small range of it. So I was delighted by this restaurant. I probably would have given this restaurant a five-cow rating except that during the same week I had the pleasure to enjoy two vegetarian special-occasion meals that were specially prepared for me. This restaurant is good, but falls short compared to my friend's mom's cooking (as does most food). We were there for lunch, and there was a choice between two set menus. I'm not sure whether the food would exactly fit the definition of kaiseki-style (because I don't know exactly what the parameters are), but it's at least kaiseki-like: many small dishes, carefully prepared. All were good, and a couple were great. While I'm sure we could have found a cheaper lunch in the area, I thought the price was very reasonable for the value. The dining room is small and though the restaurant was mostly empty when we arrived, it was completely full by the time we left. We didn't plan to arrive slightly ahead of the lunch rush, but it turned out to be a good thing that we did. One last thing: the woman who served us mentioned that they are scouting locations for a new branch in San Francisco!