Taimeiken

Taimeiken is a famous yoshoku restaurant known for its omuraisu omelette over a ketchup seasoned rice. The Tampopo omuraisu comes from the Juzo Itami movie Tampopo and it is said this is the recipe that was used in Tampopo. The menu is long and includes beef stew (looks amazing), hayashi rice – like a beef…

Tempura Tsunahachi

Tsunahachi つな八 is a historic tempura shop in Shinjuku. This year it celebrates 100 years. I love the branch at Shinjuku Takashimaya as it’s brightly lit and conveniently located near the station. The main shop has an old retro feel to it, which is also cool. At Takashimaya we requested counter seats and could wait…

Sake Tasting

I’m often asked about where to learn about sake in Tokyo. We recently had a great class in Tokyo with Aaron of at @sakestudio.tokyo.  We tried seven different sakes over four courses with themes. Small bites are paired with the nihonshu.  It was fascinating to explore sake at different temperatures, sake from the same brewery made…

Izakaya Hiro

Hiro in Nakameguro is a fun evening with chef Satoshi. Just say omakase (it’s not only for sushi) and leave it up to Satoshi san to create a menu of small plates paired with sake. So much to love here. The relaxed environment, good music, and mix of dishes and sake. Spring represented in fresh…