Excited to have been tapped by Travel + Leisure Asia to pen a piece on eating in Japan. Great working with my editor, Veronica Inveen, to share with readers insider tips, having worked at both the Park Hyatt Tokyo and Takashimaya, and as the author of Food Sake Tokyo on dining out in Nippon. I hope you can…
Category: depachika
Tokyo Market Tours
It’s been an exciting year for market tours for Food Sake Tokyo. With the border finally open and inbound tourists at its highest numbers I’ve been very busy. Thank you so very much. I am grateful to my kind and witty clients. I learn so much from them as I share Japanese cuisine and food…
Ginza Sweets
If you have a sweet tooth think about spending an afternoon in the Ginza area carefully perusing sweets shops – both Western and Japanese. Here is a list of boutiques and shops featuring cakes, gelato, roasted sweet potatoes, cookies, and more. If you have limited time I would spend most of my time at Ginza…
Anzu Tonkatsu
Excellent tonkatsu at Anzu in the Ginza Mitsukoshi department store. Department store restaurants often have English menus and are kid-friendly. All-you-can-eat salad and refills on rice. The katsu curry here is a dark spicy curry. Ginza Mitsukoshi restaurant floor 11th floor Anzu Chūō-ku, Ginza 4-6-16 https://anzu-brand.com
Inari Zushi
Inari zushi is sushi made with deep-fried tōfu. Often these are packets that are stuffed with vinegared rice. There is a new style at #Ginza #Matsuya #depachika called at a shop called @tsukijitenko that makes inari zushi from @matsuyama_age. Matsuyama agé is fried tōfu that is dried so it is shelf stable. The fried tōfu…
Mai Mai Onigiri
Onigiri meals are the most comforting. The onigiri at Mai Mai are made with zakkokumai rice rich with grains, beans, seeds, and millets. Nutritious. Rich texture. There was a variety of about two dozen fillings. All tempting. I went with cream cheese and shio kombu which I will start making at home. We often make…
TKG Raw Egg 🥚 Over Rice
Raw eggs over a bowl of rice is a popular breakfast in Japan. TKG (tamago kake gohan) is the nickname for raw egg over rice. At Ginza Matsuya there was a pop-up of gourmet eggs for TKG. Japan Tamago Kake Gohan Lab has a selection with tasting notes for each egg. Six eggs for 900…
Savory Unagi
Ikebukuro Tobu is Tokyo’s largest depachika with over 200 food stalls. The depachika is spread out over two floors and two buildings, and is worth a careful peruse. The restaurant floors on the upper five floors of the department store offers tempura, tonkatsu, sushi, unagi, and much more. The restaurant floors are packed on weekends,…
Simmered Pork Belly Curry Pan
Ikebukuro Tobu is Tokyo’s largest depachika. While exploring it recently we came across what is one of Tokyo’s great curry pans, bread filled with curry and deep-fried. This one caught my eye as it is called 豚の角煮カレーパン buta no kakuni kare-pan, simmered pork belly curry bread. The bread is studded with shards of bread that when…
Sushi Chain to Put on Your Radar
Living in Tokyo it’s good to have a few sushi chain on your radar, especially if you are parents and dining out with kids. Some popular sushiya on the budget side include Midori Sushi, Sushi Zanmai, Sushiro, Choshi Maru, and Kurazushi. One to know about is Uoriki, which is not only a sushiya, but also…
Focaccia and Ciabatta in Tokyo
My favorite Italian bakery in the city is Peck, which is only found at Takashimaya, both in Nihonbashi and Shinjuku, as well as at the shops in the suburbs. Peck is a gourmet shop in Milano that dates back to 1883. The selection includes Italian cheeses, cured meats, pastas, olive oils, and other pantry staples….
I’ll Have What Phil’s Having
It all started a little over a year ago. An email from a producer in New York City wanting to know if we would help with the filming of a new food show for PBS. The program would travel around the world with Phil Rosenthal. I was more than happy to help and was lucky…
Chikalicious NY Dough’ssant in Tokyo
For a limited time, Chikalicious NY dough’ssant is available at Ginza Matsuya. I still have yet to try a Cronut, but today while walking through Ginza Matsuya I saw what I thought was a Cronut. There are a few shops making these in Tokyo. The only one that I have liked until now is The…
Depachika Fruit Sweets
The muskmelons that go for hundreds of dollars exists in Japan. If you go to a fancy restaurant, like Sukiyabashi Jiro, you may get it for dessert. I should say, if you are lucky and have a nice friend who treats you to dinner at Sukiyabashi Jiro. The muskmelon is amazing. Aromatic, juicy, and tender,…
Tokyo Food Guide
photo by Olen Peterson We can demystify Tsukiji Market, the world’s largest seafood market, and introduce you to a new sushi neta, like kinmedai (splendid alfonsino) that is pink, slightly sweet, and is succulent. Introduce you to a wide variety of Japanese pickles. Lead you to a special bar where cocktails are made with seasonal fruit and…
Tokyo Station Car Bento
I love shopping for bentō boxes. Bentō are convenient meals, be it for a picnic, while traveling on a train, or when I am too rushed to put a meal together. Japanese schools are now on their summer holidays and Tokyo station is busier than usual with travelers. Inside of Tokyo station there are several…
Hanami 101
Each spring cherry trees around Tokyo blossom while friends, families, and co-workers gather under the blossoms to enjoy the ritual of hanami. If you are lucky to be in Tokyo this week, it is the quintessential Japanese experience. A few tips on how to best enjoy hanami. Most essential is to pick up a bentō. The best place…
Tokyo Foodie Tips
What can a foodie do to prepare for their trip to Tokyo? I get asked this question often and have put together a list of my recommendations here: 1. Pick up my book, Food Sake Tokyo, published by The Little Bookroom. The first half of the book covers the basics of Japanese food and beverages….
Popular Omiyage – Baumkuchen
This photo of baumkuchen comes from the Juchheim website. Baumkuchen is a very popular omiyage, or gift, in Japan. It can be found at all depachika. This German cake is made of thin layers of cake that are baked onto a spool. At first sight the cake is a delight on the eyes as the…
Osechi Ryori at Depachika おせち料理
Osechi ryori is food made to eat the first days of the New Year. The photo above is of osechi ryori I made two years ago (I made most of it, I am still not confident to make kuromame). Here is a list of just some of the popular items in osechi ryori: Kazunoko (herring roe)…
Food Gifts – Omiyage from Tokyo 東京のお土産
Omiyage most often describes gifts that you pick up while traveling that you bring back to your family, friends, and colleagues. For example, on a trip to Kyoto I may select some local jizake or wagashi for friends. For my colleagues at work I may pick up a box of yatsuhashi, a popular confectionary that Kyoto is known for….
Hokkaido Food Festival at Odakyu in Shinjuku
Starting today through Tuesday, September 13th, Odakyu at Shinjuku station (nishi guchi or west exit) will host a food festival highlighting the food of Japan’s northernmost prefecture, Hokkaido. As a two-week event, vendors will change on the second week starting on Wednesday, September 7th, giving customers a chance to come back next week for new…
Top Ten Depachika in Tokyo 東京のデパ地下
Working at the sake section of the depachika in Nihonbashi Takashimaya was loads of fun. As a sommelier it was my job to sell wine but my responsibilities also included selling sake, shochu, and other spirits. Who wouldn’t love to be surrounded by amazing food all day long? My breaks were spent carefully perusing the floor for new items….
Okinawa Fair at Shinjuku Isetan めんそ〜れ〜大沖縄展
Shinjuku Isetan will hold a Okinawa Festival, including many local foods and awamori, shochu made from Thai rice, from Wednesday, July 27th to Monday, August 1st. The event closes at 6 p.m. on the final day and is held on the 6th floor of the main building. This is a great opportunity to try Okinawan…
Where do Tokyoites Shop for Food?
So where do Tokyoites do their grocery shopping? There are large supermarkets, like Ito Yokado, Daiei, or Seiyu (a subsidiary of Walmart) but these require a lot of space so are usually found a bit out of the city. There is an Ito Yokado a few stops from Tokyo station on the Tozai line at…
Indagare Interview – Culinary Tokyo: Restaurants Not To Miss
This interview appeared a while back but I wanted to share it for its information on some of my top recommendations for foodies visiting Tokyo. Born in Japan and raised in the United States, Yukari Pratt Sakamoto, the author of the soon-to-be-released Food Sake Tokyo (Little Bookroom, $29.95), is a true Tokyo food insider. Here, she shares her favorite restaurants,…
Tokyo Sweet Trends
Chef David Myers from Los Angeles has created a buzz with his square-shaped chiffon cake in flavors such as yuzu and mattcha or Earl Grey and raspberry. His patisseries can be found at SOLA in Ginza Mitsukoshi’s depachika. SOLA Chuo-ku, Ginza 4-6-16, Mitsukoshi B2 03-3562-1111 http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130101/13115875/
Hanami Bento for Sakura Viewing 花見弁当
If you are planning on viewing cherry blossoms don’t go without a spring bento box and a drink. Working at Takashimaya it was an education to see the seasonal food prepared in bento boxes. The above box is from Minokichi, a historic Kyoto kaiseki restaurant. The current chef is the tenth generation. The restaurant dates…
Hokkaido Food Fair at Keio in Shinjuku
An insider’s tip when visiting department stores is not to limit yourself to the basement’s depachika. Inquire at the concierge if there is a special food event on the event floor, usually the top floor. Today through April 12th at Keio in Shinjuku the food of Hokkaido is featured on the 7th floor. Hokkaido is…
Tokyo Do’s and Don’t’s
Do visit a depachika, the epicurean food floors in the basement of major department stores. My favorites are Takashimaya (both in Nihonbashi and Shinjuku), Isetan in Shinjuku, Mitsukoshi in Ginza, Tokyu Toyokoten in Shibuya, and Tobu in Ikebukuro. An incredible variety of food is exquisitely presented. In particular, be sure to check out the wagashi…
New Depachika at Ginza Mitsukoshi
Ginza Mitsukoshi has a new depachika, the renewal completed in September, 2010. Several restaurants as well have been updated so be sure to also go to the 11th and 12th floors. The rooftop has also has a grassy terrace so be sure to head up to the top floor if the weather is good. Located…
Foodie’s Guide to Tokyo Part 1/2
This article which first appeared in Metropolis magazine highlights do not miss spots in Tokyo for foodies. http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/674/localflavors.asp (text follows) We are spoiled rotten here in Tokyo. The food-savvy consumers of Japan have raised the bar for the dining culture to a level found in only a few cities throughout the world. Here are my…
Dining at Depachika
Depachika, the amazing epicurean basement food halls of department stores have small eat-in counters. These are perfect for solo diners or for customers with limited time. This article originally appeared in Metropolis magazine and highlights some of the best dining options in depachika. http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/648/localflavors.asp (text follows) We all have our fantasies, and mine involves food….
An Insider’s Guide to Depachika
This is the first article I wrote for Metropolis magazine and it is one of my favorites to this day. It is based on my experience working at Takashimaya’s depachika in Nihonbashi. http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/535/dining.asp (text follows) It goes without saying that Japan is a paradise for any foodie. This is the country where cows are indulged…
Food Sake Tokyo 