Belgian-born Alain Selhorst first became obsessed with Japan in 1999. He then married a Japanese woman, dove headfirst into the local gastronomy and achieved his dream in 2017 by opening Yamato, a compact restaurant that feels like a Tokyo night shop. What will you find on the menu? Delicate vegetable, pork or duck gyoza; delightful fried tofu with mushrooms and ponzu sauce; thrilling okonomiyaki (pancakes made with green cabbage, flour, corn, konnyaku and tenkasu); and some truly incredible soba noodles in a very spicy curry sauce. To round out the meal? Vanilla ice cream drizzled in warm sake. // Juno Madre

FEELING THIRSTY? Sake is king here: try a Kobe-Tail cocktail made with tonic water, umeshu and yuzushu (€11), sparkling Sakura Masamune (€14), Nigori Ozeki (€20) and plum or yuzu sake with dessert (€14), or opt for some Japanese tea (€4.50).
PRICE: Gyoza €8 for four, appetizers €7-11, mains €17-23, desserts €4-13.