My locational skills are a bit off. I always assumed Tokyo Station was in Tokyo, but this place is practically in the station, and its address is Marunouchi. Ah well. If I say ‘Tokyo’, I think you know I mean ‘really close to the station’. That’s why we’re friends, right?
The RC stands for Rose and Crown, a Tokyo chain of English-style pubs much like Hub – just a decent, smoky place to have a pint (although I think R&C has more food and a bit more attention to atmosphere, with flocked wallpaper and weekend roasts to woo Englishmen). Why this is a ‘tavern’ escapes me (as does its location, 1 minute’s walk from the Yaesu branch of R&C), but it’s a bit more modern and spare than I expect from a chain like this. It was also really smoky at lunch; seemed like it was a popular destination for those activities, and I was the only person not indulging.
The lunch menu is basic and yoshoku-y – ‘rice plate’ (curry), ‘meat plate’ (chicken cutlet) and the like. I had the chicken cutlet, which was as big as advertised (a whole breast, butterflied and fried, I think, but it could have been two breasts together if they were small – either way, nearly too much chicken). The sauce was thick and rich, it came with rice to help you fill up (oog), and there was a choice of beverage after. Pleasantly, there was also a ‘salad plate’ included (they do like using plates, don’t they?), and this had some lettuce and a scoop of mixed curried beans. Nice.