Nihonryori RyuGin, No. 33 on the San Pellogrino World's 50 Best Restaurants list, is headed by bad ass kaiseki chef Seiji Yamamoto. Kaiseki is Japan's traditional version of a multi-coursed dinner, which evolved from a family-style meal paired with sake, into a more modern desgustation of haute cuisine.
I'm finally heading to Japan next week, and it kills me that I won't be able to dine here. Apparently, if you're visiting from out of the country, most restaurants of this caliber require you to book reservations through your hotel concierge. Since I'm using AirBnB, this isn't possible. Other than that, I simply can't afford it. But that's okay, their website is full of mesmerizing content that has fulfilled much of my yearning.
Check out this fugu menu. (Pictures are on the left; scroll down.)
And these videos. I can spend a whole day just watching these videos over and over, and still fail to fathom what the hell is going on. The techniques are completely alien to me. This is a wholly different world of cooking. Beyond my grasp. It's aggravating to know I'll probably never be this good. This kind of cuisine requires Buddhist-level discipline. Much respect.