A few years ago, my wife and I visited Tokyo together for the first time in December. We’d arrived inbound from Chiang Mai, with a layover in Busan. It felt like travelling from summer to winter. By the time we had settled into the hotel, it was the early evening, so we searched for a restaurant to have dinner. We both felt weary, perhaps even on the verge of getting sick. The neighborhood felt like a mix of business and residential; it wasn’t in the middle of action like Ginza or Shibuya, so it was feeling sleepy.

After a couple of rejections, we finally stumbled upon a small restaurant called Hideyoshi. Working through our respective language barriers, we listened to the chef’s recommendations and made our orders. The meal was exactly what we needed. The standout was a vegetable soup, which my wife ordered. My own order was less clear and memorable, though I remember feeling much better after eating it. Neither of us got sick, and my wife believes it was because of the meal here. Aside from what sounded like a business dinner in another room, it was just us at Hideyoshi.

I rarely write Google Maps reviews, though I made the exception here in the hopes of swaying anyone on the fence to give the restaurant a try. I wrote, “​​This was one of the best dining experiences I’ve had all year. The food was literally mind bending; the simplest dishes taste incredibly soulful and well considered. The service is very accommodating and welcoming. I highly recommend this restaurant.”

Now, I know I tapped out that review on my phone myself, though if I were to read it now, I’d wonder if AI wrote it. If I were writing that today, I’d probably ask myself, as proof of experience, “Which dish was the outstanding one? What was your favorite and why?” Still, better a review than none, I suppose.

Hideyoshi has since closed down shop. There were many promotional changes I’d suggest to the restaurateurs (for example, what could we do to make it the first option other travellers considered? Are there no happy hour options it could offer for people working in the area, for a quick nip before the commute home? Could it do an event at the hotel we stayed at Etc.?), and it reminds me of the phrase, “Evolve or die.” Nothing is permanent. Even restaurants need to change with the times.