Long post ahead, watch out. OK? OK. Let’s begin. As begin so many of my best posts (or rather, my worst posts but best memories), The Woodsman was eager to take me to his ‘local’, i.e. the izakaya down the street from his wooded compound in the forests of Kawasaki. The whole family went along […]
sake
Echizenya, Kiyosumi Shirakawa
Heavens, how many times have I bemoaned the lack of availability of 720ml bottles of really excellent sake? Yes, far too many times (internally if not in writing or verbally). Well, look no further. It turns out the alley-like space squeezed in next to a Sankus a few blocks from my apartment has an astounding […]
- Kanda
- ...
Mimasuya, Kanda (みますや)
There’s no way you can not love a neighborhood institution, especially when it’s been going since Meiji 38 (1906, methinks), and especially when the neighborhood is Kanda? Even the most casual reader should know how fond I am of Kanda as a lunch destination; it’s something about the way just enough glimpses of the area’s former […]
- Other treats
- ...
Tanakaya, Mejiro
Sure, I feel just a touch guilty posting a post that’s only about a liquor store. But I did buy something there, and I will consume it, so I hope you’ll agree it’s fare gayme (squire). Besides which, it must be the best liquor store in Tokyo. Or Japan. It’s a payle shadow of the […]
- izakaya
- ...
Tsugaru, Kashiwa (つがる)
Well, Tsugaru looked great on the web. Maybe it’s the photos they used, but I expected a lot from this place. It turned out well in the end. But first, I was disappointed when I stopped by in the afternoon before opening – the exterior is tiny, plain, and very much in keeping with its […]
- Other treats
- ...
Yataichi, Kashiwa (やたいち、柏)
Quirky is pretty much always good in Japan, especially when the quirk focuses on food and drinks. I wasn’t sure about Yataichi based on what I could see on the interwebz, but it’s a real winner in person. The quirk starts with the door, which is no more than 4 feet high and will have […]
- izakaya
- ...
Kanae, Shinjuku Sanchome
Y’know, I keep saying I’ve had enough of sake for a while, but I keep going back to the well. Also, in the same way that I always want to start off with raw fish at an izakaya, I kinda like Japanese food on weeknights, foreign food for a fancier Saturday night. Must be getting old since these […]
- Ginza
- ...
Uzuki, Ginza (うづき)
I sure do complain a lot, don’t I? Well, at least I eat a lot, so there’s usually something to talk about. The thing that reminded me that I complain too much is that I was going to complain about people who say they have ‘culinary adventures’. Going to a restaurant and paying money to […]
- beer
- ...
Kura Kura, Kanda (蔵くら)
After a dining fail at di Andoh, the work party I was in took a turn towards KK. I’ve walked by this place, oh, at least a hundred times, and also seen it on maps during my various sake searches. I didn’t take it that seriously because I rarely have an opportunity to go to […]
- izakaya
- ...
Asahi, Kasai (ろばた旭、葛西)
After leaving Uogokoro, I felt like the night was young. I had neither eaten nor drunk much, and more to the point I hadn’t found any funny people to hang out with. The closest was the really rough looking party down the counter who were talking about me until I mentioned that I could understand […]