Ishikawa Tei is a somewhat-famous French bistro in lower Kanda (just the other side of the river from Otemachi). It’s reputed to offer the #1 tastiest-valuest lunch in the area. That’s why there was still a line outside when I tried to go at 1:45 (lunch hours are 11 – 2).
Around the corner, I was drawn in by another place displaying a similar flag. Sure, compared to Le Tricolor the red was a little washed out, and the blue had taken on a greenish cast, and the stripes went the wrong way…but it was a flag nonetheless, so I went in.
Za Tandoor is your basic concrete-floor, hole-in-the-wall Indian place, with a less than enviable location. They’ve made some efforts to spruce it up with wall hangings and various colorful items, and it was nice and warm – my glasses fogged right up as soon as I stepped in! The staff is all Indian (I think; some of them looked confusingly Japanese but spoke something else among themselves), which some people regard as a good thing. Actually, I guess I’m one of them. It’s like Thai; the pure Japanese palate doesn’t get it right.
Lunch sets start at the bargain Y750 for 1 curry, naan or rice (actually I think it’s and, if you’re keeping score), salad and plain sweet (thin) lassi. I had the veg curry and the dreaded keema (Y1050). I dread keema because I have a feeling it’s nothing like what an Indian would regard as keema… Both of the curries were surprisingly good – like, totally spiced out, maaaan – and the naan, while clearly reheated rather than slapped on the wall of the tandoor while I waited, was fine too. I would go back here again, the next time I get turned away from Ishikawatei (which does indeed look good).
Attention big eaters: these guys want to be your friends. At night they have a special – all you can eat from their special menu (4 curry varieties, 4 naan varieties, a bunch of other things) and all you can drink from beer, wine, spirits: Men Y3500, Women Y3000.
And a big shout-out to anyone who thinks this post is unneccesary because the place is so plain and so far away from anything: y’all are all a buncha haterz. Hate tha game, not tha playa.
That’s so awesome…a different price for men and women. Shouldn’t that be illegal or something?
Hello Anonymous, and welcome back.
I’d like to remind you that all action on this blog takes place in Tokyo, which is in Japan, where gender discrimination is not only welcomed, but encouraged. And anyway, women are so little, they naturally eat less than men!