Before we usher out the Dragon and ring in the Snake, it's time to pause, look back and appreciate all the fine eating that Tokyo has provided this year. Gongs and rankings are meaningless in a city the size of Tokyo: How can anyone visit and compare more than a fraction of even the best restaurants? Here, though, are some of the places that thrilled — or at least caught the eye and taste buds — during 2012. Expect to read more about many of them in upcoming columns.

Among Japanese meals, two of the best I had all year were at Kagurazaka Ishikawa Master-chef Hideki Ishikawa is operating at peak capacity, with many bookings from abroad, now that gourmet tourism is rebounding strongly from last year's collapse. Even so, his cooking remains profound and flavorful, a benchmark for high-end kaiseki (traditional course meal) cuisine in the capital. (03) 5225-0173.

Zaiyu Hasegawa, one of the younger generation of Japanese chefs, has also been making a name for himself this year with his contemporary and often quirky take on traditional cuisine. Den, his intimate little restaurant in Kanda-Jinbocho, looks set to become a classic in no time. (03) 3222-3978.