Boy, Woody and I have been talking about going to this place for months. Boy were we not impressed. That’s probably enough as a capsule review, and the lighting was bad so the pictures didn’t even come out so well. But I’ll soldier on. This picture’s pretty cool though, eh? Despite being quite a small […]
Author: Jon
Sweets Forest, Jiyugaoka
There’s an expression that says Sugamo is “Grandma’s Harajuku” because it’s packed with stores that sell granny pants and snacks and lifestyle goods for the old woman set. I like to think Jiyugaoka is “Housewife Harajuku” for related reasons – think about the concentration of middle-aged clothing, accessories, homewares and snacks, and you’ll know what […]
Cul de Sac, Kanda
I set out for Kanda with the express intention of going to Cul de Sac. I didn’t know that was the name at the time, but since it opened a few months ago I’ve been meaning to go. Paris would be better, but maybe not this time of year, and it’s far away. As the […]
- bar
- ...
Wall Street, Kayabacho
There isn’t much of interest to say about Wall Street except that…well, it’s in Kayabacho. When I worked in Roppongi it was my usual transfer point, so I used to transfer there all the time, and would sometimes just get off and walk home, looking for a place to eat along the way. Wall Street […]
- Other treats
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Matsumi Sushi (松海)
l You can see where a guy like me would be interested in a place like this, can’t you? Looks so old and beat down, but with a quiet pride… Anyway, that romantic claptrap gets you nowhere when the subject is fish, and inside was also a little dingy, with a mild fish-and-vinegar bouquet. While […]
- Kanda
- ...
Danbo Ramen, Kanda ()
Even as far back as, ooooh, 2006, I had concluded that Hakata ramen was my favorite. This was based on trips to Ippudo, when I didn’t even know that Ippudo was Hakata ramen, and thought the spicy pickles on the table were just a snack while you waited. (You put them in the soup. Along […]
- beer
- ...
Popeye, Ryogoku
Well, it comes down to this – I’ve waited until now to write about one of the best places in Tokyo. The WORLD, even! THE WORLD! Phew, this is off to an exciting start. If you like beer, you’ll agree with me. If not, skip the rest. These two guys probably knew what they were […]
- izakaya
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Honoka, Musashi Koyama (穂のか)
Why is it that I find so many places recently worthy of a Recommended tag? (For the record, it’s currently 138 places out of a total 850, and I find that ratio quite acceptable, especially when you consider that some of them are lunch recommendations) I like to think that it’s because I’m such a […]
Musashi Koyama Onsen, Musashi Koyama (武蔵小山温泉 清水湯)
Wait, what? Why did I never publish this post? It’s from a humid Sunday in July when Woody and I first encountered Honoka. As is often the case with him, he wanted to moisten his bird before wetting his whistle. That came out wrong, I mean he likes to go to hot springs before going […]
Wine and Grill Kazusa, Azabu Juban
Do you like that whole ‘private dining’ thing? Kazusa is practically unlabeled, with only a high second-story sign saying the name in stylized, half-unreadable script to let you know that the nondescript building on the quiet stretch of road south of Telebi Asahi is the right one. The door doesn’t open unless you know just […]