Hard rain, high wind, two kids in a stroller, one asleep, dinner time, nowhere near home. That wasn’t the best planning ever. And that’s how you end up at chain restaurants. Which I don’t care about any more, because when you have an enormous private room like the one below, how can you care? I […]
dinner
Arabashiri, Monzennakacho (居酒屋 あらばしり)
Well, where are we? I’ve come to the point in life, at least my Monnaka life, where I see slow change over time. And it’s all slow, this being Japan (at least until it goes hyper, like the new Shibuya buildings, or Shimokita). So when I go to a new place like this, I have […]
Nikuzushi, Monzen Nakacho (肉寿司 門前仲町)
This is a new one to the neighborhood, at least since last time I scouted. It was already pretty late, and a lot of stuff was closed or closing (or full, which is how my life continues not to include the experience of entering Shot Bar Funx). This place had the dual advantages of still […]
Yatsushita, Monzennakacho (和食 やつした)
It’s quirky, right? You stay down in southwest Tokyo, Kanagawa really, for 4 weeks, but something draws you back. Inexorably. Through mysterious circumstances we found ourselves staying for three nights in Monzennakacho, 2 minutes from where I used to live. Incidentally, I totally recommend this hotel. Amazing location, and the Japanese-style room was really sweet. […]
- Other treats
- ...
Kurazushi, Center Minami (くら寿司 )
With all the professional work I’ve been doing on McDonald’s recently (it’s complicated), it’s interesting to visit the McDonald’s of sushi. I don’t say that lightly – Kurazushi has something like 250 stores, including 10 in the US (all California except Plano, which is good if we ever have to move to Dallas because the […]
- izakaya
- ...
Soregashi, Gotanda (酒場 それがし)
Soregashi is known to many…or at least to my circle of hardened fellow travelers and explorers. It showed up on my list of potential things to do in greater Meguro, and then when I realized it was on Woodrow’s list from a few years ago, the deal was closed. I met up with You, who […]
- izakaya
- ...
Fuon, Meguro (風音)
I got all excited when I learned I was going to be working in Meguro for two weeks. I say ‘learned’ like I didn’t bust my hump to arrange it… but as soon as it was finalized, the ol’ obsessive habits kicked in and I was busily cataloguing every izakaya, ramen, and romantic European restaurant […]
- izakaya
- ...
Kei, Gakugei Daigaku (日本酒専門店 圭)
The Bird and I had a very quiet time at Ametsuchi. I was thinking even before we started there of going for a second place on this evening, and the atmosphere and first couple dishes confirmed it. By the end I was positively itchy to finish our hike from Meguro to Gakuegeidai and see about […]
- izakaya
- ...
Ametsuchi, Gakugei Daigaku (あめつち)
Sometimes the whole universe is contained in a single sesame seed. This isn’t one of those times. But it’s cool. It’s all good, baby. You’d think that the name of this place was about the rain and the soil, and the produce that they produce, but if you looked a little more you might start […]
- Other treats
- ...
Bikkuri Sushi, Shin Yurigaoka (びっくり寿司 新百合ケ丘店)
I’ll just get this joke out of the way up front: “This place is surprisingly good!” Did you get that? Didja? Huh? This particular branch in Shinyuri is a funny one of the 12 in the chain because it closes earliest (10:30, not 4 AM like many of them) and it offers delivery. It also […]