Ginza is hard. If you’re at all price-sensitive, you’re likely to be disappointed by the quality level of places. Italian is the same way for me. But The Wagon is largely a winner, and it has an associated restaurant in Azabu Juban that’s open just as late as the Ginza branch (well after midnight). My […]
dinner
- izakaya
- ...
Kappore, Kamata (加帆礼,蒲田)
When Blondie was starting to get big, the band had a press campaing under the heading “Blondie is a group!” This was meant to combat the no-doubt common perception that Debbie Harry was named Blondie, and that the guys in the band were just there to back her up. I mention this only because I […]
Asashichi, Monzen Nakacho (浅七)
This one was a recommendation from The Woodsman, and I’ve been thinking of trying it for several weeks (since he mentioned it, really). After working late on…stuff…and not feeling like going home yet, I thought I’d stop in and see what was happening. Woods described it as something like ‘a quiet place to drink sake […]
- izakaya
- ...
Hina, Takasaki (雛)
Really, I walked around Takasaki exhaustively. If you go, I don’t think you need to do much research. Aside from these three, the other place to try is called Sawa, and is quite close to the station. But the third (and final, yes) place I visited on this night was at the far north end […]
Yasube, Takasaki (安兵衛)
Some of my favorite restaurants ever have been recommendations from local people (I’m thinking in particular of Hida Takayama’s Sakana, which was recommended by the owner of a pottery store). I wanted to hit as many places as possible in Takasaki, so I left the first establishment after 1 drink and 2 dishes. This oden […]
- izakaya
- ...
Machiya, Takasaki (待家)
So I was wandering around Takasaki in the afternoon, and I saw this quaint old store with a big (unreadable) banner outside, but it looked like it wasn’t really selling anything. Then I noticed the sign over the banner that said “Malt’s beer sold here” and I thought, hot damn, this place has beer! That […]
- French
- ...
Bordeaux Cellar, Omotesando
Proving yet again that there’s a whole world of restaurants out there in Tokyo that you haven’t heard of, and may even have walked by without noticing, or with ignoring, but would be pleasantly pleased with if you gave them a chance. Bordeaux cellar is hidden in plane site at the bottom of a nondescript […]
- French
- ...
Tableaux, Daikanyama
As a public service, I meant to post a comment that plenty of tables were available at all the major hotels for New Year’s Eve dinners. Seriously – I decided at the last minute (30th) that I wanted to go somewhere glamorous and started calling. Park Hyatt, Penninsula, Shangri-La and others all had tables for […]
- izakaya
- ...
Miharukoma, Ikebukuro (三春駒)
I made some early New Year’s resolutions for 2010, and they were as follows: 1. Drink more sake, especially in izakayas that specialize in it 2. Drink more champagne, especially RM or ‘grower’ champagne (grape to bottle by one firm, as opposed to the NM model adhered to by all the famous names) 3. Drink […]
Brasserie Yoshi, Ginza
Ginza is a hard neighborhood for the casual diner or eager bar hopper who’s not on an expense account. It’s easy to wander into a place (well, easy if you’re not scared to see what’s behind Door Number 3) and find that they have a solid seating charge plus healthy drink and service fees. Still, […]