Well, I’m all tired out today and can’t work up any concept for today’s post. On the other hand, I was really impressed with Kitchen Ishigaki (KI; I like to think it means ‘rock oyster’, but the kanji doesn’t appear anywhere) and would recommend it to you for lunch if it weren’t a good 10-minute […]
lunch
Da Paulo, Marunouchi
Many’s the time I’ve been mistaken, and many times confused. And many’s the time I’ve thought of having lunch at Da Paulo, but all the seats were being used. Today Linji and I were luckier. Being 1:30 had something to do with it. Da Paulo turned out to be pretty good, but less exciting than […]
- Other treats
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Sagami, Tokyo (さがみ)
The second floor of Tokyo Station has its own personality – a bit flabby, graying at the temples, and somewhat grumpy. However it’s also a solid source of big dining hall-style places with big trays of mixed food. Once in a while it’s OK. Today was one of those days, and I visited with Zoner […]
- Other treats
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Keisuke Gaiden Ramen, Tokyo (けいすけ外伝)
Ramen fever gripped me as I left the office today, and it was late enough that I figured the lines would be gone down at Tokyo Station’s Ramen Street. No. Still, with a few minutes of patience I was able to work my way up the pecking order and try another place. I say ‘pecking […]
- French
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Bistro Marsanne, Kanda
Hey hey, drop what you’re doing and go to this place for lunch! I was really impressed. It seems to be worth a ‘top 10’ mention for area lunch options, although it would be worth another visit to confirm. Maybe next year… Lunch today was with Ding, who hasn’t slept all week (full time job […]
- Chinese
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Rontan, Awajicho (弄堂）
Does this name really mean ‘play room’? I was shut out of the famous tonkatsu place I tried to go to (any hole-in-the-wall place that still has a line at 1:45 must be pretty good), found another closed-for-the-day place that looked nice, and ended up throwing in the towel at this gyoza specialist. Which doesn’t serve […]
Vin Rouge Vin Blanc, Marunouchi
Based on the plastic-impregnated green paper tablecloths and the yoshoku-ish menu, I expected this to be another box ticked on Shin Maru’s 5th floor (and that decor is a bit declasse for the location, although the prices aren’t). It was a bit better than that, with some nice simulacra of foreign foods falling comfortably under […]
- Otemachi
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Kassen Ichiba, Otemachi
I know what you’re thinking – you already went to a Kassen Ichiba in Otemachi under the tracks, on [ ], with Volleyball. You’re so right. But they’ve closed that branch, and anyway they always had this other one. The food was distressingly similar. They offer two basic things – raw fish or fried goods. […]
The Grill Room, New York
When a place describes itself as ‘sumptuously understated’, you get a good idea what you’re in for. And the Grill Room doesn’t disappoint. It’s expensive, lame, and a little tacky. Still, for a business lunch in World Financial Center, it delivers on the criticial ‘location’ dimension, and that may be enough. The view of the river is […]
Izzy and Nat’s, New York (Battery Park)
A great deli is one of the world’s great pleasures. Izzy and Nate’s is a little puzzling to me (the classic-sounding Hebe deli names coupled with the largely Latino staff, but I think that’s a NY thing or maybe just a US thing emergent in the 9+ years since I left, and yes I’m licensed […]