Ningyocho Imahan

Imahan — what can you say about this place other than it’s the quintessential amazing Japanese-​style nabe restaurant! In my profile, I put that the sukiyaki and shabu shabu here are so good, that I’d have it for my last meal on earth!
There are many Imahan throughout Japan, but by far the best is its original location in Ningyocho, Tokyo. It’s in a nondescript building, that looks like a Japanese home. Most tourists would notice it on the street. Japanese, of course, notice the sign, with the characters 今半. Adjoining the building are two shops, one a butcher shop, selling some of the most expensive and best-​cuts of beef in Japan, and the other selling fried foods (ie. tempura, kushi-​age), bento boxes, and onigiri (rice balls).
The ambience in this place is amazing, and it truly represents Japanese service and hospitality. When you slide the soji screen door open and push past the noren (door curtain), you are immediately met by a hostess donning a kimono. She is so professional and friendly. You are invited into a private wa-​shitsu (Japanese style room with tatami mats and a tokonoma), either Japanese style (floor seating) or western-​style (in chairs). You sit, you are offered drinks that are poured for you. Each dish you order is presented as if art; your meals are cooked for you to ensure perfection of taste. That is Japanese hospitality at its best.
For this visit, I met with some old friends for a dinner of shabu shabu (Japanese-​style beef hot pot). We started with a number of appitizers done omakaze-​style (as the hostess wishes). I highly recommend this — the hostess chooses the best starters to accompany the meal. Some dishes had variations on tofu, various fish and vegetable dishes, and chicken. All were beautiful and had the most delicious taste. I can’t even describe the flavors I experienced!
As for the shabu shabu, this is probably the best in Japan. The hostess cooks the beef to perfection. We ordered the A5 Hidagyu this time. A rating is for the best quality of beef in Japan, with 5 being the highest rating. The beef is marbled in fat, and you can cut it literally with a butter knife. It was cooked to rare (which is the best way to eat it), and then dipped in a raw egg (very safe! salmonella poisoning is exceedingly rare in Japan!!). My mouth is watering just thinking of the meal!
For foreigners visiting Japan, it can be tough to find a place that they can feel comfortable taking in the culture and amazing food. The hostesses here are wonderful and understand that most visitors to Japan don’t know much about the culture. They are patient, and make it their personal duty to ensure you not only enjoy your meal, but the entire experience at Imahan.
Here’s the score:
Ambience/​Service: ⁵⁄₅
Food: ⁶⁄₅ (yes, better than perfect)
Price: ⁴⁄₅ really really expensive, but this is the best shabu shabu in Japan
Total: ⁵⁄₅. Eat at Imahan. You won’t regret it!