As soon as I saw the hyotan, I said “Aw hell, it’s Konakara.” Not that this was a bad thing; there are only a few branches, and in fact the one I’ve been to (Shin Maru) is a branch as well, while the original store is small and popular – full when I’ve called, enforced […]
Other treats
Hantejiya, Yurakucho (韓豚屋 有楽町店)
Y’know, ages ago I stopped in to another branch of this Korean pork-BBQ specialist chain for lunch (where I had cold vegetarian noodles, but hey). I regretted not being able to bring you a picture of the sign, a big internally-lit cartoon pig head that shoots steam from its nostrils. I don’t regret that any […]
- Kanda
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Unasho, Kanda (うな正)
I know, I know, I swore off places worthy of the ‘sad’ tag last year. This was an accident. It was really late, and I was discombobulated by a bit of stomach distress, and it must have become mental distress, because I started thinking that eel on rice would settle things down. Not so much. […]
French Dining, Kagurazaka
It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a whole community of Tokyo-based friends and casual acquaintances to provide a steady supply of places for me to try for lunch… Today’s pick comes as possibly the last installment in the recent Kagurazaka bistro series (there are only a few candidates left, and they’re […]
Murakamiya, Sendai (村上屋餅店)
Japanese regional specialties are fraught – so many, so dull. I’m not even sure if zunda mochi are much of a specialty. Maybe we just thought they were famous because they occupied two whole pages in the travel magazine we bought in advance? Even if it was just a monthly promotion, it’s a good regional […]
- Other treats
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Shuan ramen, Sendai (宗庵)
Oh hell, I felt all clever picking out this ramen place from the massive covered shopping streets west of Sendai Station (In various segments, the street is called ‘Clis Road’ or ‘Happina Road’ or something else.). Turns out that: 1. It’s tsukemen. 2. It’s from Chiba. Oopsie. Well, I picked it because it looked tasty, […]
Gaga Onsen, Zao (峩々温泉,蔵王,宮城)
Snow, snow, snow. I don’t ski. I don’t snowbo. I don’t skate (on anything). Snowshoeing, icefishing, no. Truth is, I don’t like being cold. (Or hungry, as you may have noticed.) But I love seeing snow through a clear window from the comfort of a warm room. And as I learned many years ago, an […]
Yamabukitei, Shiroishi (やまぶき亭)
Once I heard an expression in Japanese that translated as “1,000 regional specialties, none of them good.” I’ve mentioned to a lot of people since then, and no one has ever heard it before. I mention it (again) now in the hope that some will verify it. If you’re at all a regular reader here, […]
- izakaya
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Tarafuku, Sendai (いろり酒場 たら福)
Leaving our date with tongue, we were forcibly reminded of our dietary wants. Where would one get soba that was not a traditional noodle of Japan? And in any case, we ignored that crap and headed right back to a warm and welcoming place that we saw when on recon patrol before dinner. We should […]
Kotora, Sendai (仔虎)
So you go up to Sendai, and what’s it famous for? Well, of course there’s Matsushima Bay, but after half a day of getting up there, poking around, and getting back, you’re left with plenty of time. The other thing that’s famous in Sendai is beef. Specifically, beef tongue. Now, you can get tongue in […]