Again braving the crappy weather, Zone and I headed down to Shin Maru (again) but tried a different floor. We got off the elevator at 6, where I was reminded that that’s the floor with only a few restaurants (including Salt, my Australian colleagues are no doubt thinking), and headed up to 7. This is […]
lunch
Shodoten, Otemachi (小洞天)
These small chains are funny. There’s one around the Monzen Nakacho Metro area called ‘Fuu’ (虎) that I saw so many times I convinced myself it was a big chain, but it’s just that the four shops are all concentrated within a couple blocks. There are some more around Otemachi, evidently including this Shodoten place, […]
- Other treats
- ...
Nihon Sakari, Tokyo
I’ve seen the Nihon Sakari logo on any number of restaurants over the years (there I go sounding all faux-old again) but never figured out its significance. I had sorta decided as my working hypothesis that it was some kind of ‘we take pride in our Japanese stuff’ symbol. Now I learn that while the […]
Sakura no Mi, Maebashi
So many things in Japan are just wrong…like the talk show that I’m watching while I wait for my yakisoba here in beautiful downtown Maebashi. They seem to be doing ‘weird body facts’, and had a guy trying to eat udon while standing on his head in front of an xray machine so they could […]
Ohmiya, Marunouchi (新丸５階)
My friends, we are indeed on a tear with Shin Maru. I’m finding the walk down there from the office sorta pleasant, and the shot of mid-day glamor is most welcome when the rest of the day is a monotony of worn carpet, uncomfortable chair, and interminable passage of time. Ohmiya delivered a strange and […]
Bastide de Crillon, Otemachi (オアゾ５階)
“Crillon’s Castle”, or words to that effect, is tucked high in a mountain aerie where only eagles and brave or foolhardy men tread. Errr, flap and alight. And peck. Or something. Actually it’s just on Oazo’s 5th floor next to Amalfi Moderna, and its tablecloths share the same slightly vomitous shade of green. I was […]
Tenpachi, Tokyo (天ぱち, 東京駅キッチンストリート)
Tenpachi only gives out half-size business cards, so I’ll keep this brief. So I had lunch with Gita, who doesn’t eat animals (fish are OK) and we went to Kitchen Street in Tokyo Station. Something about that place makes me eat fried food; I would have been tempted by the beef-focused places if not for […]
E’tavola, Otemachi
Much to the delight of colleagues, I still haven’t been to the same place twice in Marunouchi for lunch. OK, I’m more delighted about this than anyone else. Most people think it’s funny but a little…obsessive? Yup. Today was a ladies-in-black lunch, as Ponkan, Ponyo and Koala were all in mourning due to the fact […]
Urizun, Marunouchi (うりずん、新丸５階)
On a tear with the Shin Marus these days, aren’t we? In response to a recent conversation with one of our most dedicated and fatherly readers, I counted the actual number of restaurants. Minus the ‘specialty shops’ and coffee places and supermarkets and dedicated bars, Shin Maru alone has 4 restaurants in the basement, 1 […]
Cita Cita, Marunouchi (丸ビル５階)
How many Citas does it take to screw in a light bulb? How many dollars will it take to save Citabank? Hopefully it’s only 2, because the Soho Restaurant Group has only one outlet of this marque (the group also includes Roy’s, Xen and other Roppongi Hillz dwellerz). On a dark and rainy day when […]