Regional foods are celebrated in Japan and the best place to explore these in Tokyo are at “antenna shops”. At these shops you will find artisan sake and shochu (distilled spirit), miso, pickles, sweets, crackers, and at some shops, seafood and meat products. Near Shinjuku station is the Miyazaki prefecture antenna shop. The shops are…
Year: 2009
Ukai Toriyama in Takao
On the outskirts of Tokyo in the shadows of Mount Takao (Takao-san) is Toriyama. Part of the famous Ukai chain of restaurants, is a garden filled with private rooms for a meal based on grilled chicken kaiseki. This is a dining experience that is worth the trip out to Hachioji, about an hour from Tokyo…
Michael Pollan in the New York Times magazine
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/10/11/magazine/20091011-foodrules.html Click through to number 12 for my food rule. It helped guide me while living in Japan and I try to apply the same rules wherever I am in the world.
Shinjuku – Saiseisakaba Standing Bar for Offal
Hormone ryori, also called naizo, have been very popular in Tokyo. Here you can eat different offal and innards of cows and pigs.
Kappabashi – Pottery at Dengama
Near the Asakusa temple district is Kappabashi, an area where chefs and restaurateurs come to buy anything they need to set up shop. Open to the general public, it is a great destination for anyone who likes to cook at home. It is an easy area to navigate as most of the shops line a…
Gotta Go – Nihonbashi Yukari
I am often asked for restaurant suggestions in Tokyo. There is one restaurant that I recommend time and time again. Chef Kimio Nonaga of Nihonbashi Yukari was the 2002 Iron Chef winner, and the trophy is displayed when you first walk in. I love this restaurant for lunch or dinner. For a multi-course kaiseki dinner…
Food Sake Tokyo 