You know it’s not often that I double-post places – it means I really like them. I really like Fukahama. When readers Kwong and Hachi came to town (and this was not a short trip by any means) and suggested we meet, I quickly thought of Fukahama as a place that does really well at […]
Monzennakacho
Tori Ton, Monzen Nakacho
As a second choice to take The Peacocks, this was a bit more gritty than Koto (most things would be, in truth). I’ve seen Tori Ton for years without going in – maybe it was the 3-foot high doorway that put me off? Turns out they can open a full-size door to let you out […]
Puerta, Monzennakacho
Frequently, I rhapsodize about the joys of Monzennakacho. I don’t get a kickback from the town council, I assure you. Quite the opposite in fact…do you know how local taxes work in Japan?! For a place that has so many low-end Japanese establishments, Monnaka has a surprising number of European options too. One thing that […]
Pivoine, Monzennakacho
Friday I took the day off from work to get legalized again – as they say, it’s no fun being an illegal alien, and I’m not interested in deportation. But getting legal doesn’t take very long, and the weather and my spirits were both so good that I wanted to do something nice. There are […]
Fukuden, Monzennakacho (ふく田)
As I write this, Fukuden is the #2 izakaya on Tabelog’s Tokyo rankings, which cover a metropolitan area stretching from Kamakura in the south to Ome in the west, Funabashi in the east to Kasukabe in the north. It’s also the 58th-ranked restaurant overall, which is not a bad feat considering that there are almost […]
Okada, Monzennakacho
Today’s interesting point is this: Japanese culture is different. Thank you for reading. No, I kid, I kid. But I’ve read a bunch of things recently talking about ‘recession food’ and how restaurants are opening or at least restyling in simpler, humbler ways. Japan has had a bit of this too, but with a unique […]
Koukaibou, Fukagawa (Monzennakacho)
Somehow I’ve been craving ramen recently but unable to make myself eat it for lunch – despite the abundant options in the area of the office, especially in Kanda. So here it is Saturday, it’s great to be alive and not at work, and I’ve invited some noodles to help me celebrate with a bowl […]
Ikada, Monzen Nakacho (いかだ)
After the minor debacle of the grumpy grandma, I felt a little burned, but also a little hungry. Ever the glutton for punishment (see prior comments about needing to search to find those hidden diamonds), another sign piqued my interest. Ikada was equally a bit scary – a very normal izakaya on a very small […]
Gojusuzu, Monzennakacho (五十鈴)
Smarting from the poor picking I’d done on Izuro several minutes before and in need of something to redeem my honor (as well as better food), Gojusuzu seemed like a good pick. Again in the near southeast quadrant of Monnaka crossing, it had a pleasantly shabby outlook and a bunch of people inside. No particular […]
Gabrier, Monzennakacho (ガブリエ)
Beer!!!!!!Yeah, definitely looking forward to tomorrow so I can let this motif go. Gabrier opened a couple months ago in the restaurant street north of Eitai dori – if you remember where there use to be a kinda long, narrow Italian place, with Ivy growing on the front, close to S&S izakaya and the main […]