Sant Pau, Nihonbashi

You know Sant Pau, right? If you don’t know that it’s a Spanish 3-star restaurant, and one of the few 3-stars worldwide headed by a female chef, then you probably know it as the fancy place nestled in behind Nihonbashi Coredo. As Volleyball and I confirmed today on our special “Holy Cow We Survived a […]

Waffle Cafe Y, Asakusa

Waffles and wine, wine and waffles. Sign of the times – by day we serve waffles, at night we convert to a Spanish restaurant. Y has the advantage of being one of only a few restaurants just off the Kappabashi restaurant-supply strip, in addition to the obvious advantages of being new (18 months), pleasant and […]

Puerta, Monzennakacho

Frequently, I rhapsodize about the joys of Monzennakacho. I don’t get a kickback from the town council, I assure you. Quite the opposite in fact…do you know how local taxes work in Japan?! For a place that has so many low-end Japanese establishments, Monnaka has a surprising number of European options too. One thing that […]

Mardi Gras, Ginza

Once in a while everyone comes to a point in their life where they visit a famous restaurant. Mardi Gras is a famous restaurant in Tokyo, being as the chef left another famous restaurant, Grape Gumbo, to set out on his own. I’ve seen it featured in various ‘celebrity chef’ features in Tokyo Calendar et […]

Barcelona, Pitman

As you may know, Pitman has never been much of a culinary destination. In fact I don’t think it’s ever been much of a destination at all, for anything. Nor would I say it’s the kind of place where people base themselves for convenient access to other towns (or Philadelphia). I’d characterize it more as […]

Mishima, Kichijoji

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 […]