I was out on a mission this afternoon – go to guitar stores, have ramen, urban-hike Tokyo, find an early-opener izakaya with Sunday hours, and get drunk. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, BY GUM. The guitar stores were in Shin Okubo today (Korea town, also interestingly invaded these days by people whose provenance causes them to open spice […]
Takadanobaba
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Manaita, Takadanobaba (真菜板, 高田馬場)
After not really having much fun at Shimomiya, and not even being able to drown our sorrows due to the ordering difficulties and overall stylistic incompatibility, Bird and I were desperate to go somewhere else. Since we were up for whatever, the conversation went like this: “Hey, there was another place I attached my eye […]
Banh Mi Sandwich, Takadanobaba (バインミー☆サンドイッチ)
Aha, you’d think from the name that this was a lunch truck making Vietnamese sandwiches, but it is in fact an actual store, jammed (sandwiched?) into a space small enough to fit into a truck. And cleverly named for its product. No tom-foolery here, no-siree. The most encouraging thing about it is the bread ovens. I […]
- Other treats
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Ore no Sora ramen, Takadanobaba (俺の空)
So this place is called ‘My Sky’, named after a comic book series. I prefer to think it’s called “My Emptiness” and is about the chef’s unquenchable need to deliver the perfect ramen. Or cook pigs. Or something. Thing is, I can sort of see where he’s coming from. At some points in my life, […]
- Other treats
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Takatora ramen, Takadanobaba (麺屋武蔵 鷹虎)
Wh…wh…what what? Is this the second day in row for tonkotsu-gyokai ramen in Takadanobaba? Why yes. Yes it is. Today I had a run and a small breakfast to prepare. I also accidentally waited until about 2:30 to eat. I just figured, as long as I’m here, I might take advantage of the proximity of […]
- Other treats
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Watanabe ramen, Takadanobaba (渡辺)
It was a day of disgruntlement. The morning started off weak at work, and by lunch I was ready to pack it in – which in EOITwJ-land means “Have an extravagant lunch”. That can come in many forms, like a long course, or a big burger, or a distant location…in this case a small street […]
- Other treats
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Ganko ramen, Takadanobaba (がんこ)
If you’re willing to make a good effort, and you’re a little relaxed about time, you can go all sorts of places for lunch. Like Baba, home of 100 ramen shops and various college girls in costume. What’s up, sailor? Walk up toward Waseda, going with the flow of kids on their way to school. […]
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Junren Ramen, Takadanobaba (純連)
Really great weather today, and with no particular responsibilities I decided to wander through the Okubo guitar stores (as well as the little street of Halal food stores, did you know that was there? Opposite the station exit, jog to the left.). The way to Okubo for me involves changing trains in Takadanobaba (or walking […]
- bar
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Blue Drag, Takadanobaba
Takadanobaba, as we previously learned, is a funky sort of student-low end town, with tons of ramen and other down-market specialties. On the other hand, it also features several live music venues, and I went to one of them on Saturday. It’s well worth checking out if you’re at all into the style of music […]
- bistro
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Cafe Vignoble, Takadanobaba
A few days around the house and I was mildly bored. Since there are a nearly-endless series of neighborhoods to explore, and no time like the present to get started, I did a quick search on the Interwebs and then went to Takadanobaba. I don’t know how the name came about, but the ‘high field’ […]