After mixed feelings at Konakara, Woodchips and I were keen to try another venue. I attracted a lot of laughter for my preparedness (when I went to Otsuka before by myself, I made a map showing the 5 likeliest places, and I had it with me tonight too), but I also knew exactly how […]
Other treats
- izakaya
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Konakara, Otsuka (こなから)
Well well, we check another off the list of ‘Tokyo’s greatest sake pubs’. This was decent, just uninspiring and a bit expensive. Having been to a good sampling now, I can safely say that the ‘Gauntner list’ was written around 10 years ago, and that the 10 recommended drinking outlets on there no longer apply […]
- Ginza
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Karaku sushi, Ginza (鮨 からく)
It was raining this morning, which is an appropriately depressing way to come back to work after a great weekend in Kyoto, and it popped into my head that rainy days are good to pop down to Ginza for lunch. This isn’t strictly true, and it wasn’t even raining by the time I got there, […]
- French
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Douze Gout, Kyoto
Have you had this happen? You go somewhere a bit old-fashioned and traditional, like Kyoto, and spend a long weekend being old-fashioned and eating traditional food. By the end of it, you feel like you could murder a burger. It leads you to think things like “European food for lunch.” Silly me, I was a […]
- Kyoto
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Tsunoki sake, Nishiki market, Kyoto (津之喜酒舗)
Nishiki Market, ‘Kyoto’s Kitchen’. Or if you ask a local, ‘kitschy Kyoto’ and “locals get their food at supermarkets nowadays”. Way fun to walk around in any case – touristy stuff is fun when you’re a tourist. It’s true that you can sense the tourist veneer on everything, but that’s not a big deal. Embrace it. Also, […]
- izakaya
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Sakagawa, Kyoto (阪川)
Ahhh, Sakagawa. How do I feel about you? Bruised, perhaps. Not cheated, but worked hard… Gion at night is absolute magic. You should see it. The cobbled streets, unremitting stretches of old buildings, lanterns marking places you’re never going to be allowed in to, and odd twists that leave you confused as soon as you […]
- Kyoto
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Kasagiya, Kyoto (かさぎ屋)
If you were only going to eat old-fashioned Japanese-style tea and sweets once, this would be the place. It’s not because there’s anything marvelous about the food or drink. It’s because there are so few places where you can duck off an insanely picturesque street (Ninenzaka, near Kiyomizu Temple) and immediately enter another, quieter world. […]
- Kyoto
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Shimogamo Jinja, Kyoto
I think most travel sites aren’t very helpful, but it’s pretty easy to upload a few pictures per temple. Consider these a teaser to help you decide where to go. Also, they’ll all be on the map (once I get the map fixed). “Check back frequently for updates,” as they say when they’re not really […]
- Kyoto
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Kamo Mitarashi Chaya, Kyoto (加茂みたらし茶屋（亀屋粟義))
Love was in the air as we walked down to Shimogamo shrine. Seriously, this is a sweet picture, isn’t it? And despite, or perhaps because of, a volumific but uninspiring luncheon, we were more than willing to eat more. Especially given our love of sweets, and generic desire to eat mitarashi dango while in Kyoto. […]
- Kyoto
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Suehiro, Kyoto (末広)
You’ve gotta eat, and as we walked around the Kitayama / Kamigamo area, things evolved into lunch time. Passing this little place sequestered in a small street, the smell of soup stock was overpowering and sorta bewitching. Inside was very ‘timeslip’, as we say here in Japan. Time had definitely slipped for the two women […]