There’s a set of people who apparently spend a fair part of their time and money going to the world’s best restaurants. I don’t aspire to be one of them, because it’s so damn expensive, but I do enjoy reading their reviews and seeing the pictures. In that spirit, here’s what it was like to […]
dinner
Uomatsu, Monzennakacho
Post-ice cream, pre-dinner snack? Check. Uomatsu opens at 3 PM on Sundays, and is always full when I walk by at night. Has to be something going on there. They specialize in cheap, fresh seafood, cooked ‘beach style’ on the red charcoal grills that sit on every table. For lunch they advertise the ‘one coin’ […]
- izakaya
- ...
Torafuku, Futako Tamagawa (寅福)
Hey, what a nice izakaya! I’ve been reading lately, on various bulletin boards, the posts from people who come to Japan for ‘culinary adventure’ trips. This means they try to eat at Sukiyabashi Jiro and Sushi Mizutani, Ryugin, and then branch out to Japanese soul food like ramen, izakaya, okonomiyaki, etc. There seems to be […]
Tsukudaya, Monzennakacho (寿司割烹佃屋)
OK, so it was probably a mistake to go out for a little dinner, alone, two days after the new year. But it was Friday night, I didn’t feel like sitting around home any more, and plenty of places were open. Despite the length of time I’ve lived in Monnaka, there are still plenty of […]
- Asakusa
- ...
Sake no Daimasu Wine Kan, Asakusa
Wow, there’s not a lot to do in Asakusa on New Year’s. I thought all the junk vendors on Nakamise Dori would stay open all night, but they were closing up around 8. There were an amazing number of yatai around and behind the temple, but we all know what they sell. Walking around a […]
- Other treats
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Santa, Shinjuku (三太)
Today’s a cooking day (though with a little less chicken and a little more attention to food safety, thank you very much), but I was reminded of something and thought I’d fire off a quick and gratuitous post. Last time my parents came to Japan (Hi Mom! Hi Dad!), we were nearly stuck in Nikko […]
Murasaki Takumi No Tsukemen, Monzennakacho （紫匠乃)
A new tsukemen place opened in Monnaka a while back. In fact, I have a feeling it’s going on 2 years, but time moves more slowly for us 江戸っ子. I’ve thought many times about going, but never pulled it together. Partly it’s the plethora of other options in the dining paradise that is Monnaka, and […]
Tucano’s, Shibuya (Shi-Boo-Yah!)
I was asked several times during this end-of-an-era team dinner if I was going to remember everything the next day. And I remember now exactly what I said I was going to remember when asked: MEAT. That’s not very original, but we don’t claim or strive to be original every day, folks. It’s not original […]
Tatsumi, Monzennakacho (竜味、辰巳新道)
My friends, I believe this to be the first review of this establishment since the world began. Or at least in the 3 months since the place opened. Located near the northern end of Tatsumi Shindo (picture shamelessly lifted from another blog), the charming, slightly decrepit, and frankly fairly daunting brick alley near the Monnaka […]
Sushi Yata, Monzennakacho (すし やた， 牡丹)
This place is closed, and the chef has opened his own place here. But you know, after I went to the place described below a few times, I really soured on the experience because he was a creepy dude and an aggressive biller. Now he’s recreated it, at a much higher price point. Anyway, the […]