Not to be confused with the other Kichijoji Mishima (美しま), a kaiseki restaurant, this Mishima offers a variety of semi-Spanish food, stick-roasted items, cheap wine, laid-back service, and a general good-time atmosphere. The small inside area, practically hidden behind the bar, is sorta modern and a little clubby; the outdoor tables are glass-and-steel; there’s a […]
mid-price
- Ginza
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Banyuls, Ginza
My friends, I am genuinely excited to inform both of you that I have found something that shatters two of my previously-held notions: 1. Spain bars have boring, ordinary food (and the food in Spain had better be better by next month, or there’ll be hell to pay) and 2. The Aux Amis group tends […]
Bridd, Kanda (ブリッド)
This place was under renovation for a while, and opened several weeks back. It’s pretty stylish, winey and Italian-looking (with a healthy side of roasted bird), which marks it as part of a new guard of Kanda places (c.f. Chailly, which, if truth be told, is the only other place I can think of in […]
Momi & Toy’s, Minami Sunamachi
As usual for any mall trip (all three I’ve had in Japan!), lunch is inevitably followed by dessert. Options are pretty sparse at Sunamo, but crepe-and-bubble-tea place Momi & Toy’s had the advantages of being cute and having no line, as opposed to its competitor across the food court, the aptly named “8 Days a […]
Konokara, Marunouchi (このから,新丸５)
OK, OK, I’m converted. I like oden now. I no longer think they’re a bland, monotonous blot on the Japanese culinary landscape. In fact, next time I have visitors, I’m taking them to the truly charming-looking head store of this truly charming branch in Shin Maru. Many’s the time I’ve walked by, and over time […]
Cafe Heimat, Otemachi
The basement of my favoritely-named ‘Nihon Building’ (I love the banality) contains all sort of sad little places. Here’s another one, to go with a sad rainy day. Rainy days, Mondays and anorexia always get me down. It’s a good thing today is Tuesday even though it’s the first day of the week. Things start […]
Marvelous Cream, Yurakucho
After any good lunch, one needs a good ice cream. This place has been lightly on the radar for a while, but is out of the way by my usual standards, being on the far side of Yurakucho (practically in Hibya Park). It’s the same concept as Coldstone Creamery but…well, I’m not that sure what’s […]
Enoteca – The Lounge, Marunouchi (Yurakucho)
Do you like wine? It’s OK either way, but if you do, I think you must have been to or at least heard of the Enoteca chain. With 30 locations nationwide to serve you and 12 just in Tokyo (my favorites are the Tokyo Station’s specialty ‘champagne and half-bottles’ shop and the Marunouchi ‘Lounge’ shop […]
- Asakusa
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Tsunezushi, Asakusa (常寿司)
There are few things better than getting buried in an old neighborhood and popping randomly in to a nice place to eat. No? In Tokyo there are whole magazines devoted to this peculiar pastime, but all you really need is a train pass and a good nose for restaurants. I love trying to interpret the […]
Pagliaccio, Marunouchi
This, I like to think, is the Olive Garden done for Tokyo. I know we already have Saizeriya and Popola Mama, but how else should you describe it when a chain specializing in Chinese restaurants (which I love, btw – tantanmen and gyoza) branches out into Italian? The difference, as you’ll be expecting, is that […]