Gastronomist Gugiyoshi Akiyama and GEMS Jingumae's favorite restaurant.

GEMS Jingumae, an urban commercial facility, opened near the Jingumae 6-chome intersection along Meiji-dori, not far from Shibuya Station. The landmark is the Champion Brand House Shibuya Tokyo, which occupies the floors from the first basement to the second floor above ground. The familiar brand logo and the stylish glass-walled facade are landmarks.

On the first floor of the building, there is an information panel that provides an overview of "GEMS Jingumae" and real-time availability at a glance. The design is intuitive, easy to read, and convenient.

A guide map showing the floor information of "GEMS Jingumae" and hip spots in the Jingumae area is also available. It is also recommended for those who are wondering which store to visit.

Our destination this time was the food stores on the 3rd through 10th floors, each with a luxurious one-floor store configuration and a fresh lineup of stores, most of which are new to the Jingumae area and new businesses. Our navigator, Mr. Akiyama, had little prior knowledge of the area, so he entered the store with great anticipation!

The first restaurant we visited was Sushi Restaurant Torahide on the third floor. This restaurant offers authentic Edomae-style sushi prepared by skilled chefs using fresh ingredients from all over Japan and fresh fish directly shipped from the Goto Islands and Odawara every day from Tsukiji-based wholesaler Mizune Suisan. The restaurant also offers an extensive lunch menu, and its relatively reasonable price is one of its main attractions.

Own Instagramand ... andOfficial page of Eating LogMr. Akiyama frequently provides information on gourmet food in various regions of Japan on such websites as "Gourmet Foods" and "Gourmet Foods". As an art director, he has designed packages and characters for numerous companies and advertisements, as well as CD jackets and photo books for famous artists. Mr. Akiyama has been nicknamed "the most gourmet foodie in the advertising world" and "a lunch specialist," and he also writes and publishes a series of food-related articles in a variety of media.

This is the restaurant that tickled the fancy of food connoisseur Mr. Akiyama. First, we asked him why he chose this restaurant.

I've always loved eating good food, and I've visited so many restaurants that I've become like a gourmet. (Laughs). I have my own rules, such as I can go to a sushi restaurant more than once in a day as long as it is a different restaurant, or I can go to the same restaurant as many times as I want on different days. So, since I have been in the mood to go to a sushi restaurant recently, this was my first choice.

This is the Anago no Ippon Sushi that comes as a set with the special nigiri. The meaty conger eel combined with our secret sauce is packed with flavor.

Akiyama's gourmet journey started with ramen noodles, but recently, perhaps due to his age, he has been gradually moving in a lighter direction. He was taken by an acquaintance to a sushi restaurant, where he discovered the true appeal of sushi, and this is what triggered his current "my boom. We asked Gugi what he particularly likes to eat.

I like all the basics, but I always eat tuna and sea urchin. I always have tuna and sea urchin. They are my staples, and I can tell what the restaurant is all about by the ingredients. If I leave it to the chef, I often ask for an additional order of torotaku. I've liked torotaku since it was still a rarity, so I'm relieved to find it here as well (laughs).

Mr. Akiyama quietly nodded his head and said, "Yes, it's delicious," as he tasted the restaurant's signature special nigiri. We also asked him about his own unyielding commitment to sushi.

First of all, it is an ironclad rule that the balance between the ingredients and the rice must be good. Surprisingly, people tend to overlook this, but the firmness and shape of the rice is quite important, and I am conscious of such details. Also, as a sushi restaurant, the atmosphere of the restaurant and the personality of the owner are also important. I think that is part of the performance.

Akiyama has more than 30,000 followers on his Instagram, where he uploads his own gourmet information every day. As an art director, Akiyama places great importance on visuals, even when it comes to food, and he is always conscious of the quality of his photos.

Mr. Akiyama is feeling moderately full after enjoying a variety of sumptuous nigirizushi and a bowl of salmon roe and salmon roe. Of the more than 30 sushi restaurants he has visited this year, what was Sushidokoro Torahide like for Mr. Akiyama? We asked him for his honest opinion as he took a break.

I like the fact that the neta is so big. I myself decide what kind of restaurant I want to go to based on the rice as well as the ingredients. I feel like I'm getting a good deal when the ingredients are this extravagant. I am also attracted to the fact that the building is a casual restaurant, but you can enjoy authentic nigirizushi. I think it can be recommended for young people and women. For example, it would be a good place for young couples to casually drop by and make their debut at the counter. For me personally, this time was lunch time, so next time I would like to come here for a drink in the evening.

Next came "Kushikatsu & Okonomiyaki Osaka Bar Naniwa" on the 4th floor, one floor above Sushi Restaurant Torahide. This is the first business model of a collaboration between a popular kushikatsu restaurant and a teppan-yaki restaurant in Osaka, the home of kushikatsu. The restaurant's signature dishes are creative kushikatsu (skewers) using seasonal ingredients from spring, summer, fall, and winter, and okonomiyaki served on miniature skillets.

As for the key to choosing this restaurant, he answered, "Sometimes I miss the sauce taste, and that is exactly what I had today (laughs). (Laughs)" This is a taste of Osaka that he does not usually eat that often. As a genuine city boy born in Akihabara, Tokyo, does that mean that Osaka's famous kushikatsu and okonomiyaki are not that close to his heart?

No, actually my mother ran an okonomiyaki restaurant in Akihabara for a while, so I guess I have a connection there (laughs). So I remember eating okonomiyaki a lot back then."

The okonomiyaki, handmade by staff who hail from Osaka and know the real taste, is exquisite. The okonomiyaki is served in a miniature skillet so that it is always hot and tasty.

Using a skillet-sized iron, which was originally created for the restaurant, Akiyama-san ate the okonomiyaki with a familiar hand. Akiyama, who has visited many teppan-yaki restaurants, said he had never seen okonomiyaki of this size and appearance before. We immediately asked him about the flavor.

It is fluffy to the palate and the seasoning is not too strong nor too light, just the right amount of salt. I think it will be a hit with people in the Kansai region as well as those in the Kanto region. In Kansai, it is customary to eat rice with okonomiyaki as a side dish, but this size makes me want to eat it with rice, too," he said, very satisfied with the nostalgic taste.

Next, we had another signature dish, assorted kushikatsu (skewers). The restaurant offers kushikatsu with three kinds of sauces, which are not allowed to be dipped twice, a rule that is unique to Osaka. In addition to the standard sauces, the restaurant offers a variety of sauces, including a French-style sauce that lives up to its name of "creative" and salt.

The visual appeal of the kushikatsu makes you want to take a picture of it before you eat it, and it will completely change the image you have of kushikatsu. I think women and small children will enjoy it. The taste is elegant, and most of the kushikatsu are bite-sized, so they are easy to eat. In particular, I had daikon radish in bouillon for the first time, and it was a new sensation and very tasty. I usually eat it with my favorite lemon sour, but it surely goes well with wine.

Kushikatsu & Okonomiyaki Osaka Bar Naniwa embodies a very Tokyo-like approach and mix of Osaka's famous okonomiyaki and kushikatsu themes. We asked Mr. Akiyama after dinner how satisfied he was with the restaurant.

The space is refined and pleasant, and the manager and other staff members have great personalities. I think it is important to come to a restaurant like this to be able to feel the humanity that is typical of Osaka. The taste is also perfect. In addition, the restaurant is stylish, which is perfect for this area, so I think it will be very popular. I myself would like to bring my colleagues and lunch companions here. If there are people who have never tried okonomiyaki or kushikatsu before, I would definitely recommend them to come here. It might also be good for wine lovers.

Other stores are as follows. The following is a list of "useful" stores that have never existed in Jingumae, and that can be used to satisfy your every itch. Please come and try them.