Good lord and butter, this was the first shop that I’ve needed an Ochanomizu tag for?! Ah, I see, it’s because I wasn’t as good about location tagging when I was but a pup, and when I visited the Go! Go! Curry outlet right next door to this ramen chain in Ochanu, I just said […]
Month: May 2010
Carne, Monzen Nakacho
If you count the previous two posts, this was the third place in Monnaka that I’ve been thinking of going to for years and finally made it to all on the same evening. Like the other two, it was pretty disappointing. As a self-appointed restaurant-picking expert and all-around Monnaka booster, I don’t feel good about […]
Usataro, Monzennakacho （うさたろう）
Usataro is quite close to Monnaka crossing, on one of the southside streets. It has an appealing facade with big windows, lots of bottles, and red paint on most of the exposed surfaces. Looks like the kind of place that could be good even if it’s a bit formulaic. Why did it take me almost […]
Miyoshi, Monzen Nakacho (みよし)
Have you heard of Tatsumi Shindo, the odd little bricked pedestrian street near Monzennakacho crossing that holds a solid 20 counter-only izakayas and drinking holes? It should be fun, but it’s not, not so much. It’s the kind of place you want to love, but doesn’t feel at all welcoming. Still, I have a constant […]
Brasserie Paul Bocuse la Musee
Years I’ve meant to go to this place. Years. How long has it been open? Even before that I wanted to go there. Even before that. Why? It’s inside the museum, but more importantly it’s located on top of a giant inverted concrete cone in the lobby. If you sit near the edge, it’s sort […]
- bar
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Nashville, Ginza
After more visits than I care to admit to Rocky Top for live bluegrass, it was finally time to try one of the other Ginza country music live venues. Nashville is the obvious contender (there’s also one near Yurakucho called, enticingly enough, Banjo, but I’m not sure if they hav bands or not), but I had […]
- Ginza
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Mogami, Ginza （最上）
Until now, the only kushiage place I’ve really loved (or been to an appreciable number of times) has been Isomura. I’d probably still tell you to go there first for the funky country-style atmosphere, almost like a mix of American tacky country and Japanese farmhouse, and of course for the great fry at decent prices. […]
Hannariya, Nihonbashi (はんなりや)
It’s always a sad day when someone leaves a great firm like mine. It’s even worse when it’s one of the very few people that you can really count as a friend. I wanted to find something a little special for this lunch with Linji; Hannariya turned out to be really nice, but not that […]
- French
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Galerie Coupe Chou, Shinjuku
Have you read any of my rants about ‘old French’ in Tokyo? This is a term I coined soon after arriving in Japan, when I ate at Chartreuse in Roppongi. It refers to the abundant class of ‘first wave’ Japanese-French restaurants. These were opened by quirky guys who thought Europe was awesome 25 years ago and went […]
Xi’an, Kanda (西安)
Well, Ricky and I are in the same boat despite working for different companies now, and it’s nice to get together and rehash the situation. It’s even better when he throws out a great idea for a place to eat; thinking back, it seems like his good ideas are mostly Chinese. Crazy stuff though – […]