Tokyo

TACUBO Shirokanedai

Name: TACUBO Shirokanedai
Address: 4-19-21 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Shirokanedai, Tokyo
Telephone: NA
Price range: ¥26,500

TACUBO白金台

TACUBO Shirokanedai is the latest venture from Chef Daisuke Takubo, praised for his wood-fired Italian cuisine at the flagship restaurant in Daikanyama. Focusing on high-quality ingredients, the restaurant offers a seasonal tasting course for TABLEALL guests. As if transported to an old winery in rustic Italy, guests sit along a long communal table in a terracotta dining room, sharing delicious food and wine together. Here, the inviting setting is as memorable as the cuisine itself.

Opened in November 2024, TACUBO Shirokanedai is hidden in a building on Shirokanedai’s elegant Platinum Street. A cave-like stairway leads to the heavy door in the basement that opens into the gorgeous dining area. Inside, the walls and ceilings are rendered in warm terracotta. The long communal table glows with the soft flicker of candlelight, while tall arrangements of dried flowers run its length.

From the table, you can gaze at the impressive wine cellar that stretches across one side, and the open kitchen on the other, where the chefs prepare the dishes in the wood-fired oven. Served on beautiful tableware made by artist Kiyomi Kodama, the Italian recipes highlight the flavors of seasonal ingredients.

As if transported to an old winery in rustic Italy

While the original TACUBO focuses on a refined omakase experience, TACUBO Shirokanedai charms their guests with its à la carte offering. Here, TABLEALL guests can enjoy a tasting set of signature dishes such as capellini with tuna tartare on wood-grilled bread and Shiina beef sirloin steak, with an option to supplement from the à la carte menu.

TACUBO’s wood-fired Italian cuisine carries a classic sensibility, evoking a sense of nostalgia. The menu evolves with the seasons and includes around nine appetizers, ten pastas, four main courses and seven desserts to choose from. The dishes are typically designed for two but can be served in single potions upon request.

The pasta menu spans regional and textural variety with linguine, trofie, pici and garganelli among their many offerings. The signature cold capellini is served with a generous topping of Oscietra caviar and smoked white shrimp. The pasta is perfectly coiled, bringing together the rich flavor of the caviar and the smokiness of the shrimp. The pici amatriciana offers a comforting bite with the handmade pasta enveloped in the flavorful tomato sauce made with Lou Xiong bacon and spring onions.

The Yamayuki tuna tartare, served atop wood-grilled bread, highlights the high quality of the fish and the aroma of the charred toast. The tuna is sourced from Yamayuki, a top tuna vendor in Toyosu fish market. The conger eel fritters arrive crisp and golden, offset by a bright salad of spring onion and haar lemon that brings seasonal freshness to the plate. The wood-grilled Shiina beef sirloin is presented simply to let the chef’s technique speak for itself. The result is juicy, aromatic and perfectly seared.

The Earl Grey pudding is a lovely dessert with a layer of flavors. The soft pudding is fragrant and subtly spiced, with cardamom caramel sauce adding aromatic sweetness.

A dish from the cuisine at TACUBO Shirokanedai: As if transported to an old winery in rustic Italy #2

CHEF

Daisuke Takubo

Born in Ehime Prefecture in 1976, Takubo’s passion for food began in childhood, sparked by his fascination with cooking programs on TV. Initially drawn to traditional Japanese cuisine, his path shifted dramatically during a class at Tsuji Culinary Institute, where a taste of freshly made tomato sauce and al dente pasta captivated him. The experience was transformative, and he committed himself to the pursuit of Italian cuisine. After graduating, he began his professional journey at Romana, an Italian restaurant in his hometown, before moving to Tokyo to continue his training. He dedicated his time learning at various establishments including Al Solito Posto and Aroma Fresca in Minami-Aoyama.

At age 30, Takubo opened his first restaurant, Ristorantino Barca, in Hiroo. Four years later, he relocated and rebranded the restaurant as Aria Di Takubo in Ebisu. In 2016, he established TACUBO in Daikanyama, where his signature wood-grilled cuisine earned a loyal following. He has since launched DOLCE TACUBO, a dessert-focused outpost between Ebisu and Daikanyama, and DOLCE TACUBO CAFFE at Toranomon Station Tower. He has also embraced e-commerce to offer his products to a wider audience online.

Today, Takubo views his role less as a hands-on cook and more as a restaurateur and a mentor. His focus has shifted toward building a workplace that brings genuine fulfillment to his team. Guided by the belief that the well-being of his staff is fundamental to the success of the restaurant, he continues to grow his brand with a people-first philosophy.

VISION
Looking beyond the kitchen, Takubo is preparing for the next chapter of his journey: the creation of a winery and villa in Hokkaido. More than a personal ambition, this project is rooted in his long-term vision of sustainability. He hopes to provide a slower-paced workplace for his staff in Tokyo as they grow older, allowing them to continue working in the hospitality industry without the physical demands of an urban kitchen.

He is equally committed to cultivating the next generation of chefs. He encourages his younger team members to contribute actively to developing the menu, fostering an environment where creative ideas are heard and nurtured. His emphasis on mentorship and professional growth reflects a broader philosophy that a restaurant’s true strength lies in the people behind it.

WINE

Wine plays an essential role in the TACUBO dining experience. One of the restaurant’s most striking features is its expansive wine cellar, which spans an entire wall and holds approximately 2,000 bottles. The wine menu is overseen by two sommeliers—one specializing in French wines, the other in Italian. Wines are regularly transferred from the two TACUBO restaurants, allowing each location to benefit from the shared inventory.

The cellar features a number of rare and boutique labels, many of which are difficult to find elsewhere. In keeping with the restaurant’s à la carte format, there is no fixed pairing menu. Guests are invited to order by the glass or bottle, with the sommeliers to guide selections based on personal taste, offering a tailored experience for wine lovers of all levels.