Hmmm, this is shaping up to be a New Year’s celebration week of mediocre lunches. At least it matches the excitement we all feel to be back at work. A diligent reader and good friend mentioned this place a long time ago, and today I finally tried it while doing some other errands in Kanda. […]
lower-mid-price
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Sanuki Chaya Udon, Tokyo (讃岐茶屋 八重洲店)
Sometimes I go on about how much you can get done in an hour when you work somewhere as convenient as Otemachi, but this is really it – for today’s lunch, in 45 minutes I walked through Tokyo station, bought train vouchers (from a ticket shop, major routes are 7-8% cheaper as long as it’s non-holiday […]
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Yanakasou ramen, Hirai (やなか草)
Another day off, another long bike ride with noodles in the middle (spoiler alert: the next two days are going to look the same). This time was up to Hirai, a northeastern neighborhood that has a highly-rated French restaurant I wanted to see in person. It’s a bit odd to go up there by bike, […]
- izakaya
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Yuwaeru, Kuramae (蔵前 結わえる)
As many of you know, December 24th is the most romantic night of the year in Japan. It’s the night when all good men should be taking their women to fancy dinners, which are typically lobster, beef and truffles at horrendous prices. I am against this (cooking dinner is a better demonstration, no?). Braving the […]
- izakaya
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Kyomachiya, Shin Yurigaoka (京町家)
Here be dragons. The wild spaces of Kanagawa are inhabited by all manner of hulking buildings and commuting dwarves. Falling into a need to journey out here to meet someone is surely my punishment for raising an eyebrow at Common’s choice of dwelling (if you’ve forgotten, Glenn, that’s you. Let’s get together next year!) – […]
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Ore no Sora ramen, Takadanobaba (俺の空)
So this place is called ‘My Sky’, named after a comic book series. I prefer to think it’s called “My Emptiness” and is about the chef’s unquenchable need to deliver the perfect ramen. Or cook pigs. Or something. Thing is, I can sort of see where he’s coming from. At some points in my life, […]
- Kanda
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Iroha Sushi, Kanda (いろは鮨)
This was sort of a standout lunch – not really recommended, just all manner of surprises. Everyone has walked by the place since it’s right in the middle of the Kanda west-side shotengai. I’ve avoided it for years now because it looked like it would be cheap and tired. OMG, I’ve worked in Otemachi for yearS now. […]
Tonkou ramen, Kiyosumi Shirakawa (焼き豚ラーメン 東煌)
In retrospect, not the brightest thing, an early lunch of ramen before Thanksgiving dinner. But it was early enough, and I didn’t even eat it all. Which is not a good sign, no. Most times when I jog, I’ll go through Kiyosumi Shirakawa one way or another. I always see this place, and the wooden […]
Line curry, Nihonbashi (らいん)
Fresh fish! Arriving tonight! Caught off the coast of Tokyo! Eat raw kawagahi, with sauce made from its liver! There are a few puzzling signs like this outside Line, which is famous in my company as ‘that curry place where the waitress used to work in our main branch’. I’m guessing the name is Line […]
Brasserie Saint Martin, Kagurazaka
Today’s trip to Kagurazaka with You let us inspect this ‘American beef’ themed subway train. Every one of the posters hanging down the center aisle showed an ‘American steak’. This is the ‘New York steak’ – looks to me like a piece of seared wagyu with chopped tomatoes and onions. This has nothing to do with New […]