If you've done much traveling you may know that many hotels not only provide a bedroom for you stay, but also boast tasty restaurants with a variety of unique dishes. The Hotel Nikko Tokyo located in Odaiba is one such place, and the cuisine served at their restaurant, called "Terrace On The Bay," is not only unique but includes local flavors mixed with recipes you won't find anywhere else.
Of course before you ever taste the food the first thing you notice about a restaurant is the atmosphere. I was immediately struck upon entering by the large windows that provide both nice natural lighting and great views of Tokyo Bay. Inside the restaurant itself there are a couple of lovely murals, along with large but subtle overhead lights, which for me gave the place a comfortable feel. Of course it's natural that upon entering you'll also notice the service, which was timely and respectful. The servers explained the menu clearly, and throughout the course of the meal even explained where some of the dishes come from, what ingredients were included and things of that nature. In today's society we're used to the more unattached way of doing things, so knowing where the food comes from and how it was prepared added to the experience for me.
Those points are all nice, but the real reason you go to a restaurant is for the food, and every dish I had was unquestionably delicious. I will say that the portions were much smaller than what I'm used to as an American, so you might want to be prepared for that if you like to eat a lot. There are multiple courses though, and personally I enjoy smaller portions broken up over various stages of the meal. However, trust me when I say that whatever might be lacking in quantity was made up for (and more) in quality. Every single dish had clearly been well thought out, each ingredient specially prepared, and each plate perfectly arranged. The meat was tender and juicy, with not even a hint of dryness to be found. Vegetables were full of flavor and maintained a perfect texture. From soup to dessert (and wow, both were amazing!) you can expect to be treated to a memorable eating experience.
Part of the reason for this great cuisine is that Terrace On The Bay uses recipes from a Japanese lady by the name Aya Murayama. Ms. Murayama is not only a professional chef, but also happens to be a successful triathlete. Thanks to this great combination, her recipes are both mouthwatering and at the same time healthy. Some recipes are also based on cooking from the Provence region of France, and while it may seem odd to think of mixing Japanese ingredients with French food, the result is sublime.
There's more I could say but in short, this was a wonderful dining experience that I'm glad I took the opportunity to enjoy. If you're in Tokyo and looking for something a little nicer with a pleasant environment and great food, I highly recommend the Terrace On The Bay restaurant in the Hotel Nikko Tokyo.
