It’s so tempting to make this another place-that-shall-not-be-named…but you oughta know about it. Not that the Suikos need any more business – Woodworth and I tried and failed several times to make bookings before finally firming our spines and locking it in 2 weeks out. Where did I find it? Not the cover of Tokyojin, on […]
dinner
Senmatsu, Monzen Nakacho (千松)
Late at night, and the mean streets of Monzen Nakacho are steaming. Positively malevolent, isn’t it? Yeah, not really. One of the greatest things about Japan is how safe it is. The steam here is just because it was a little wet, and the new paving was still hot. There’s always road construction going on […]
- Other treats
- ...
Dai San Harumi Sushi, Shinbashi (第三春美鮨)
First sentences of reviews of top sushi places should include the words ‘hidden’ or ‘unassuming’ (or if you’re an American writer, please use the phrase ‘sushi joint’. And if you’re reviewing Kyubei, please include “more money than sense” also.). Look, I worked them in! Dai San Harumi is fairly described as a top place with […]
- Italian
- ...
Biodinamico, Shibuya
Between drinking beers at Craftheads and eating dinner at the exclusive, highly-regarded Biodinamico, we stopped off at this hip bike shop to look at their vintage and rebuilt fixed gear specimens. Only after a while did we realize that it’s actually a design firm, and we were kinda standing in their lobby while they tried […]
- izakaya
- ...
Waraku, Tama Plaza (居酒屋和楽)
Part 3 in ‘dining in our the suburbs’ series saw everyone back in Tama Plaza, this time going to the izakaya most highly recommended by my colleague You. The chef worked at the Imperial Hotel years ago and brought back a bunch of that training, which shows up in his food. It’s quite traditional from […]
- izakaya
- ...
Higashitei, Tokyo (東亭, 八重洲)
This alley has a certain draw for me, and hopefully for you too. Since the time I wandered into a place here with Ding (in fact, the sign you see in the top right of the shot is that place), I’ve been wondering if there were other places of equal quaintness and quality. There may […]
Tamamura, Monzennakacho (多万村)
Like the nearby Uotei (and I mean “15 feet away”), the tiny back-alley kappo Tamamura shows both the blessing and the curse of this style of restaurant. It’s casually elegant, it’s quiet, it’s friendly in a restrained way, they always seem to have a table, the food is always excellent, and it’s never cheap. At least they’re nice […]
- Italian
- ...
Picasso, New York
As mentioned previously, the diversity of New York is startling. This is a bare-bones pizza place serving American-style Italian food prepared by Puerto Ricans, named after a Spaniard who lived in France and is most famous for not being an asshole. The name made you think it was going to be some kinda hoity-toity Spanish […]
2 West, New York
If Print. was the hotel restaurant that breaks the rule by not being average (and of course by not being associated with the hotel in any way except co-location), 2 West at the Ritz Carlton in Battery Park was another data point on the trendline. Nothing wrong in particular, just that the food was bulky […]
Print., New York
Thank goodness I can say with a clear conscience that Print. is a great restaurant. Cuz works there (except on this, her night off, when she squired Mom and Dad and me), and they gave us all manner of compage, but I’d be happy going here any time. It’s in Hells Kitsch, which may make […]