I’m a little unsure what Uotei is supposed to be – izakaya? Sushi? Just a fish specialist? [As the first of many asides that I assume I’ll write soon, I’ve spent most of the last 4 years thinking it was called Sakana Tei, and only just learned from the web page that it’s actually Uotei. […]
dinner
Hyakumi, Monzennakacho
Well, sometimes you just have to lash out and try a new place. This little odenya is in the category of things I’ve walked by a number of times in Monnaka’s dining alleys south of Eitai Dori without seriously considering going in. For some reason last night was it! Basically a counter, I think with […]
- French
- ...
Reims Yanagidate, Aoyama
It’s cool when you ask for a glass of champagne to start things off and the waiter says ‘white or rose, sir?’ I suppose you might expect that when the restaurant is named after the capital of Champagne (and still a word that my crappy French accent can’t negotiate). But it still set a nice […]
Italian Café Marinara, Monzennakacho
Hey, what kind of place is this? Oh, right. Marinara has been on my ‘occasional visit’ list since I moved to Monnaka, and recently was about the 4th time (which would mean yearly visits!). It’s a long time between visits for two reasons – there are an awful lot of Italian places in Monnaka, and […]
- beer
- ...
Antwerp Six, Yurakucho
Once, several years ago, I tried to go to this Spain Bar called Pero in far-west Ginza, really more Yurakucho. This was before Spain bars got all mysteriously popular (which to me remains a mysterious phenomenon). I was puzzled to see when I got there that it was full, and while putting my name on […]
Fukahama, Monzennakacho (Fukagawa)
Right up on the list of ‘best surprises that month’ (maybe sometime around mid-late-05?) was this kaiseki-styled place that I wandered in to by myself after work. It’s really out-of-the-way – first because it’s in Monzennakacho, second because it’s actually almost 10 minutes from the station (going north, the boring direction), third because it’s down […]
Genpin Fugu, Ryogoku (and other locations)
What do you do when you’ve had fugu only once before, but your companion says “I really love fugu. Let’s eat fugu.”? That’s right men, you find a fugu place. Even if you think it’s boring and less than tasty. Even if you know you’ll be criticized as having ‘foreign’ tastes that aren’t ‘subtle’ enough […]
- Ginza
- ...
Shichirinya , Ginza
Everyone’s got their own thing. Recently my friend has been bugging me to stop going to so many French places and go to some equally-high-quality yakiniku. So I did. And here it is. Shichirinya has 4 shops around the Ginza area, three all the way over on the Yurakucho / Shinbashi side and a fourth […]
Pivoine, Monzennakacho (Botan)
Periodically I walk randomly around my neighborhood, especially the streets I don’t often go to, hoping that some new little place will have popped up. One night in February I was doing just that and, several blocks south of the minor shopping street that marks the southern boundary of town, saw a new place that […]
Aux Gourmands, Azabudai (Roppongi / Juban)
I had actually seen this place from the street one time after going to cosplay karaoke (a once-in-a-lifetime experience, as I like to say) but only realized that when I arrived for dinner. It’s slightly hard to find, down a small street and up some stairs, but worthwhile! The food was great, the atmosphere cozy, […]