It’s an ill-advised wind, my friends, one that blows in from Kanda. It blows you down little alleys like this and into shops that aren’t likely to be very good. There’s a certain romance to seeking out hidden gems, but this is Tokyo. Depending on your reckoning there are 9 to 50 million people, and […]
Other treats
- coffee
- ...
Cafe BRiO, Kanda (カフェ ブリオ)
Broken record, all this stuff about how I look at places and never go to them. Here’s another one. I’ll spare you. Pretty sure I got a takeout coffee here with Koala one time, but never wrote it up. It’s right out in the open – you almost can’t go to west-side Kanda without going […]
- Kanda
- ...
Pure Yakiniku, Kanda (焼肉 ぴゅあ)
Right across the street from Eiki sushi, this gets the same distinction – one of the most-walked-by places I’ve never visited. That all changed for the better today when Todd and Tucker were the guinea pigs for yet another expedition to Kanda and a new place. Not that we ate guinea pigs. It’s all meat […]
- Italian
- ...
Rio, Kanda
Aaaaah, how many times have I written this review? “Average quality European-influenced owner-chef-style restaurant where too much Japanese influence has crept in over time and standards have crept down.” Too bad, because the door looks nice. This is exactly the kind of place my team would go for a work dinner. Looking at the food […]
Momosaku, Asakusa (百作)
After dinner at the very tasty and historic Otafuku, it was time to stroll around Asakusa. For those young readers just learning about the Rolling Stones and Beatles, this little shop seems to be inspired by the Midnight Rambler and Piggies. But it has nothing to do with Pink Floyd, which you’re not old enough […]
Izumiya no Kura, Kanda (神田和泉屋乃坐)
Well, I went to yet another incredible guitar store in Ochanu after work. And after that, I walked around a little. I successfully resisted the urge to visit the mighty Takaban, but when I walked down a tiny alley and saw this place, with not even much of a sign, and that name.. The paper lantern […]
Hobos Guitars, Ochanomizu
Even from a seasoned walker-around and inveterate observer, Tokyo manages to hide things. For instance, through this little doorway and down the stairs must be one of the best acoustic guitar shops I’ve ever seen, and it’s right around the corner from Woodman (which is possibly better, and includes banjers and mannolins and steel gitars […]
- Kanda
- ...
Eiki sushi, Kanda (えい輝)
It’s a measure of both the popularity and, I like to think, the inferiority of sushi in foreign countries. Waddap asked if we could go to a ‘sushi-type place’ today on his last day of visiting from London, and was suitably amazed by Eiki. Nothing wrong with that – it was one of the best sushi […]
- Chinese
- ...
Yunrin, Awajicho (神田 雲林)
In a funny little corner between Kanda, Akiba and Ochanomizu is this triangle holding a bunch of preserved buildings (like the famous Yabu and Matsuya sobas, but also an inscrutable chicken sukiyaki specialist, monkfish stew house Isegen, and a lovely sweets cafe), but also a good Italian, and even a well-rated Chinese. It’s a good lunch meeting point for […]
- izakaya
- ...
Mifune, Kanda (三船)
Mmmmm, so appetizing. Why ever did I pass on this place? No, I was having one of those indecisive days where I just walk around by myself for exercise, and eventually pick a place for a quick lunch before getting back to the office. The dining landscape has shifted a bit in Kanda; in fact […]