A funny thing about Tokyo – doesn’t matter where you are, no matter how small the station or how little you’ve previously known about it. There’s always a good chance that somebody has opened up their dream restaurant there, be it an izakaya, bistro, trattoria or food truck. But usually it’s an izakaya. Hanya occupies […]
mid-price
- Other treats
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69 ‘n’ Roll One ramen, Machida
This place was mentioned on Ramen Adventures, and since we were already planning to poke around Machida for a few hours, it seemed like a good idea. It also seemed like it was easy enough to find from the station, so I didn’t memorize the directions or bring a map. Don’t make that mistake, unless […]
Dobro, Kyobashi
First off, Dad, don’t get all excited. This has nothing to do with resonator guitars, except in the most glancing way. You’ll remember, I’m sure, that the Dopyera brothers were from Slovakia? And ‘dobro’ means ‘good’ in their quaint native tongue, or else it’s just a contraction of ‘DOpyera BROthers’? Well, this is a Croatian […]
Bistro La Poupee, Ningyocho
How did I end up at this place? I’ll be up front about it – I looked at the map and picked an area I’d never been to. This dense area north of Nihonbashi (broadly Ningyocho, but well outside the more interesting area) has a lot of small offices with a few restaurants sprinkled through […]
- Other treats
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Yasube ramen, Akasaka (やすべえ)
Dieting is hard. You tell yourself that you’re going to be all Japanese – just a few drinks, some nibbles to go with, then home to bed – but in reality you end up acting more Japanese – a few drinks, some nibbles to go with, then a bowl of noodles with fatty pork soup […]
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Dajare, Akasaka (駄洒落)
Seemingly ages ago, I went to Akasaka for dinner. If you’re an overly-careful reader, you might remember that I scouted the neighborhood before dinner and found a place that looked likely – their shtick being ‘comparing pure-rice sake’. If you’re a reader who actually uses the site as god intended it, to find places to […]
Comme Ca Cafe, Shinjuku
I find myself in the curious position, dear readers, of wanting to recommend a place that really irritated me even while I had a good time. Cafe Comme Ca has a LOT of things going against it, but the cakes are incredibly beautiful and taste pretty good too. Strike 1 – it’s a clothing-branded […]
Grill Chateau, Yaesu
Ye’ll find this elegant chateau down a narrow alley in Yaesu, the east side of Tokyo station. The crennelations and gothic woodwork are particularly striking against the backdrop of small, worn buildings that populate the rest of the region. As you cross the expansive drawbridge, you’ll be heralded by a row of trumpeters in livery, […]
Yamagoya Ramen, Kiyosumi Shirakawa (山小屋、清澄白川)
Years ago I visited Yamagoya and pronounced it ‘undistinguished’. On the other hand, I didn’t have a clue about ramen. Now I can tell you with a little more certainty that it’s a decent Fukuoka-style ramen. The most notable things about it weren’t in the bowl – both were out in the room. First, as […]
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Penguin Seafood World, Shinjuku
If you were walking down the street in Shinjuku, casting your eyes up so as not to miss any good places that were hiding away on upper floors, and you saw a sign with a pair of penguins happily vacationing far from their native clime, what would you think? Perhaps not “Hey, this place has […]