Saturday lunch with the kids. More precisely, ‘Saturday lunch where we take turns desperately trying to entertain the kids while our spouse eats ramen’. As usual I was naive. I thought if you got to a 97+-rated shop by 11:30, you’d be kinda safe. What did I think ‘safe’ meant? Because they don’t have a […]
Month: May 2016
McDonald’s, Akihabara
I’ve been accused before of over-posting, and commenting on a McDonald’s isn’t going to sway any opinions to the contrary. But to the contrary, you may well need to know about this. Because you can go to McDonald’s across from Yodobashi Camera in Akiba, buy a soda, go upstairs, and look out the window at […]
- Other treats
- ...
Touka, Arakicho (鯛塩そば 灯火)
“Daaaaaddy, ramen again?” said no kid ever. Especially not Catfish. All the times I’ve been in Arakicho, I never knew that the Tokyo Fire Museum and Toy Museum are both there. I have undoubtedly stood in front of the fire museum (I first met Common right across the street). Now I have been there. And I […]
Onyasai, Center Kita (しゃぶしゃぶ 温野菜)
Hard rain, high wind, two kids in a stroller, one asleep, dinner time, nowhere near home. That wasn’t the best planning ever. And that’s how you end up at chain restaurants. Which I don’t care about any more, because when you have an enormous private room like the one below, how can you care? I […]
Il Fait Jour, Shimoasao (イルフェジュール 本店)
You know I strive to bring you only the finest culinary experiences in the greater Hakusan area of Asao-ku. This is yet another of them. What the hell is this place doing here? It’s 15+ minutes to the nearest station by bus. I only found it while random-walking with a sleepy Catfish, who was passed […]
Fukutaro, Oshiage (福太郎 東京ソラマチ)
There we were, up in Oshiage to go up the Sky Tree for the first time. I’ve always avoided that stuff, it seems like a lot of waiting and paying to look out some windows, but I do love high-floor views, and how can you not go to the Sky Tree at least once? For […]
- coffee
- ...
Blue Bottle Coffee, Kiyosumi
We only go to the coolest places. Bringing up Catfish and Mrs P. right, as coffee snobs. Not that we are, but I like to take someone to surprising places. And since we were staying in Monnaka, and I keep hearing how hip it’s getting north of there, I thought we should check it out. […]
Arabashiri, Monzennakacho (居酒屋 あらばしり)
Well, where are we? I’ve come to the point in life, at least my Monnaka life, where I see slow change over time. And it’s all slow, this being Japan (at least until it goes hyper, like the new Shibuya buildings, or Shimokita). So when I go to a new place like this, I have […]
Nikuzushi, Monzen Nakacho (肉寿司 門前仲町)
This is a new one to the neighborhood, at least since last time I scouted. It was already pretty late, and a lot of stuff was closed or closing (or full, which is how my life continues not to include the experience of entering Shot Bar Funx). This place had the dual advantages of still […]
Yatsushita, Monzennakacho (和食 やつした)
It’s quirky, right? You stay down in southwest Tokyo, Kanagawa really, for 4 weeks, but something draws you back. Inexorably. Through mysterious circumstances we found ourselves staying for three nights in Monzennakacho, 2 minutes from where I used to live. Incidentally, I totally recommend this hotel. Amazing location, and the Japanese-style room was really sweet. […]