Japanese God’s Wind at Kamikadze

If you’ve never been to Japan, you might still stereotypically think that the best chef-d’œuvre a japanese cuisine could offer are sushi! And there are plenty of places offering a variety of sushi selection in Vilnius for a Lithuanian taste.. (sometimes even so adapted, that you could get a sushi with pork and mayo!).

But can you imagine one day being transferred to a cozy japanese family kitchen, which offers so much more than a worldly  worshiped sushi-meal? do you remember a feeling when you’ve just came back to your mom’s, who is waiting for you with freshly prepared  meals that are so simple and warm, prepared with love and care and can never be a disappointment? You could experience this feeling more often, only that your “mom” welcoming you at the door would be a Japanese one 🙂

This secret tiny place established in the basement of a random multi-apartment building in the centre of Vilnius is called Kamikadze (Kamikadze) and it has nothing to do with a suicidal intentions, but gives reflections to a real origin of the word – “spirit wind” or “god’s wind”. It’s a great japanese family restaurant, run by lovely lithuanian-japanese family Keishi Yamauchi and his lithuanian wife Jurgita. The couple met in a discotheque in Tokyo (!), got married straight away and after more than a decade of living in Japan decided to move to Vilnius.  Little TV in the resto playing japanese disco music must bring a lot of romantic memories to the hosts and positive vibes to their customers.

Kamikadze is open only on weekdays, only for lunch and only for a limited amount of portions of fantastic real japanese home-made meals, therefore you need to follow the daily menu on Facebook (see the link above) and book a table in advance! But a visit is a must, if you want to taste that comfy “japanese mom’s” dish, realize how good a japanese-style prepared beef, pork or chicken could be, not to mention great fresh tuna, seafood (!) or  the classical sushi or sashimi! They have a selection of two hot meals for lunch every day combined with traditional miso soup.

The ingredients are carefully selected and you can see the whole making process live and the peace in the face of  Mr. Keishi making it is hypnotizing! You finish your meal with an iced natural green tea and you are happy to go! Feeling satisfied and thankful for the rest of the day. For that warm welcome, silence and an hour escape to your “japanese mom”.

PS. They also d private Ramen parties (trying this for sure!). P.S.S. The place is tiny enough, therefore be open and prepared to have lunch seated with a total stranger 🙂 Who knows – it might be a romantic rendez-vous…なるがままに！