| Reflecting the great popularity of "Korea", in our restaurant review, we will pick up 2 Korean restaurants in a row. This time however, we would like to introduce a restaurant serving Korean Court dinner, so it's quite different from the previous one, which in all due respect serves us the great general dishes. Going down the alley in front of the Bishamonten temple on Kagurazaka street, you'll find the restaurant "Matsu-no-mi" finding it's foothold in the narrow path, looking just like a normal residence. When you open the door, you'll see an entrance that would be at place in any typical home, and after you take off your shoes and enter the house, you'll see a living room with four tables placed. The casual warmth and the at-home atmosphere of this restaurant make you feel that you are invited to a friend's house for a special dinner. Just 4 groups, for the accommodating four tables are the invited guests for the night.  The offered fare is just two courses of prix fixed menu, A and B, and both
are 5,000yen. For a first visit, a more standard course A may by preferable.
Both courses start with the congee of Matsu-no-mi (pine seed), which incidentally
is the name of the restaurant. The cloud white congee is faintly warm with
a smooth consistency of a soup, gentle nourishment for our stomachs, sheltering
it from the stimulating red peppers and the fat of the dishes that would
follow  afterwards. After the congee, Chijimi (Korean pancake including leeks and a lot of vegetables) is served. The surface is crispy and the inside is chewy, and again an abundance of roasted pine seeds scattered on top adds to its' aromatic flavor. Shortly following the Chijimi, deep-fried vegetables, shrimp and mushroom (similar to Japanese food "Tempura") are served, and Kimchi and Mizu-Kimchi (Korean pickles) that are served one after another, a quite uncommon experience for most Japanese  used to normal Korean fare. Then, a main dish of the course, Sam-ge-tan,
is served. Sam-ge-tan is a stew of a stuffed young chicken, stuffed with
rice and Korean ginseng carrot and various herbs. It is simmered for about
two hours by the pressure cooker, so the meat as well as the bones are
soft enough to be consumed. Surprisingly, the bones become soft like crunch
cookies. With the careful balance of nutritious chicken and herbs, this
stew is very nourishing. You could be satisfied enough at this point and
call it for the day, but  the meal continues. The final dish is "Kuzeru-han", where you
roll eight kinds of ingredients with a thin round crepe. This is served
with big dishes separated into nine blocks, which is impressive on it's
own, reminiscent of the graceful life in a Korean Court. No other restaurant in Tokyo besides "Matsu-no-mi" offers a Korean cuisine with such unique atmosphere and hospitality. It may take some effort to make a reservation with only four groups per night, but such a simple chore will be well rewarded here. Matsu-no-mi Tel. 03-3267-1519 4-2 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo [Access] About 8 minutes on foot from Iidabashi station, JR 7 minutes on foot from B3 Exit of Iidabashi station, Yurakucho Line, Subway 10 minutes on foot from Kagurazaka Station, Tozai Line, Subway  MAP |
)