Eggg Café

@eggg_kokubunji is famous for fluffy pancakes but we also love the omuraisu. This one with tender beef cheeks and a demi-glace sauce. The knife 🔪 is full so it’s hard to cut into the omelette on top of the ketchup rice. If you’re curious to try the pancakes this is a great spot. The café…

Natsuno

My favorite shop for #chopsticks in #Tokyo. @ginzanatsuno has a colorful selection of chopsticks🥢, chopstick rests, and some tableware in the heart of #Ginza. I have collected several pieces from here over the years and they all brighten up each meal. Ginza NatsunoChūō-ku, Ginza 6-7-4

Kunio

Shio ramen and a tsukemen with a wonton dipping sauce. Plus a side order of chashu gohan, rice topped simply with sliced chashu pork with a splash of a sweet soy sauce. We have tried to dine here but there is always a line. As it’s raining today my brilliant child said, we should go…

Fuji Lunch

Our local yōshoku restaurant, Fuji Lunch, has Western-style dishes like karaagé fried chicken, croquettes, hamba-gu (more like meatloaf than a hamburger), and fried cutlets. Behind the counter an elderly couple are choreographed in their movements depending on which orders they were filling. Auntie kept busy topping a large plate with julienned cabbage, lettuce, cucumbers, and…

Salon Sabou

My favorite #karaage #friedchicken lunch in #Ginza. The boneless fried chicken is dressed with a light sweet soy sauce. Diners select three side dishes and white rice or a heartier hatsuga genmai rice (🌾 supplemental ¥220). The line is often long at noon but on Monday it was short. Staff said Mondays tend to have…

Ochazuké

Ochazuké is a simple and quick light meal or snack. We keep Nagatanien ochazuké packs in our pantry. I love the hot soup over rice with uméboshi, tsukémono pickles, and grilled fish like salmon. Shredded cooked salmon is sold in a jar. The fish is salted so it’s shelf stable and sold at room temperature….

Kanekoya

Fabulous tempura lunch in Kichijōji at Kanekoya. Went at 10:45 a.m. and there was already a line in front of the shop. The restaurant opens at 11:00 a.m. and we were lucky to get in at the first seating. When we left the queue was looong. Kanekoya serves a simple tempura donburi, rice bowl topped…

Awa

Cool new bar at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo, The Rendez-Vous AWA. In the main lobby. Brightly lit and spacious. Awa means bubbles in Japanese and the beverage list includes many bobbly beverages. Imperial Hotel TokyoChiyoda-ku, Uchisaiwaichō 1-1-1 https://www.imperialhotel.co.jp/e/tokyo/restaurant/awa/

Hachioji Craft Sake

Tokyo’s newest sake brewery, Hachiōji Shuzō, opened in October of last year. Fun to sample two of their brews, both delicious. I hope to go back, without my kid, so I have time to ask more questions. At the moment the brewery is only open Friday – Sunday.  It is only a five-minute walk from…

Gargantua

Hōjicha cake from Gargantua bakery at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo near Yurakuchō Station. Studded with chestnuts and black beans the cake is not too sweet, something common with most Japanese baked goods. I love the presentation in the yellow furoshiki cloth. The colorful summer vegetable tart at Gargantua is almost too beautiful to eat. Gargantua…

Kikugawa Unagi

Nagoya-style unagi is called hitsumabushi. The grilled freshwater eel is eaten three ways. 1. as it is 2. with yakumi green onions, wasabi, and nori 3. with yakumi and a broth Hitsumabushi is a fun contrast to the Tokyo style which is grilled unagi over a bed of rice, a luxurious meal. Kikugawa is a…

Tim Ho Wan

Finally made it to @timhowanjapan in #Yurakucho. This #dimsum shop offers spring rolls that shatter when bit into. Loved the signature pork buns that have a crunchy sweet shell like melon pan. The steamed #gyoza also oishii with a spicy sauce. I need to go back with a girlfriend so I can try more dishes….

Soup Pasta

Ivo Homes Pasta 🍝 in Shinjuku. I ordered the most popular dish but was underwhelmed. It’s a soup pasta so the sauce overwhelms the spaghetti. It’s a popular restaurant near Isetan. The restaurant is chaotic and busy at lunchtime. Maybe I will give one of the other shops in Shibuya or Shinagawa a chance. To…