Address:

ANNIVERSARY BUILDING 1F
1-6-4 AZABU-JUBAN, MINATO-KU, TOKYO 106-0045

Phone: +813-6434-0652

I have never really written about a bar in my blog before but this ‘bar’ definitely deserves a place here. I’m not sure what to call this place really. A ‘bar’ doesn’t really suit it, but it does serve cocktails so technically it is a bar. Well anyway, Gen Yamamoto is amazing.
It’s a small bar in the Azabu-juban area that has only 8 seats and serves omakase cocktails. Omakase means, whatever the mixologist feels like serving you that very day. Gen Yamamoto uses the freshest ingredients from around Japan according to season.

There are two menus, six cocktails will cost you 6500 yen or 4 cocktails will cost you 4500 yen. I know…it sounds like a lot. But I recommend you go with the 6 cocktails. You won’t be disappointed.

Here is what I had.

The first drink was extremely refreshing. A mixture of a Japanese type of cherry tomato called aiko mixed with sochu or a Japanese spirit from Iki island, topped with chrysanthemum.

The second drink was a mixture of red pear from Hokkaido mixed with a spirit of leftover sake leaves. Absolutely delicious. I actually felt like this was all healthy. Like I was drinking a delicious juice. Not.

Next, the juice of two different types of grapes mixed with sweet potato sochu. Delicious!

The fourth drink was in a class of its own. I wish I could order this at any bar in the world. It is a mixture of nectarine from Nagano with rye based gin from Spain called Siderit. I’m a gin girl so I absolutely loved this one.

The fifth cocktail felt more like a dessert because you ate it with a spoon. This was a wonderful mixture of green ume (Japanese plum) mixed with Hakushu single malt whiskey. Amazing !.

It is only natural for Gen Yamamoto to save the best for last. And he definitely did. The last drink was the winner. It was a rather milky cocktail made from Ibaraki chestnuts mixed with dessert sake and topped with sencha (green tea). The perfect closing to the course.

Gen Yamamoto is a one man show. He mixes all his drinks himself and washes all his glasses himself. It is better to call around 3 pm when the bar opens for bookings. He won’t answer the phone in the evening.

I loved all the drinks so much that I booked another seating a few days later where Gen Yamamoto would make me a different set of cocktails. I decided to just relax and enjoy myself the second time around and not worry about writing for the blog. I really do recommend this little gem in Azabujuban. Let Gen Yamamoto surprise you.