I am a big fan of Rose Bakery. An English bakery that first opened in Paris and is now dotting Tokyo. This casual cafe has a large delicatessen-style refrigerator in each shop that showcases the colorful salads and baked goods. While the cakes and sweets are tempting, I am always come here for the salads….
Category: Ginza 銀座
Ginza Kagari Ramen
Kagari Ramen My favorite ramen l is Kagari in Ginza. I wake up the next day licking my lips. The shop does a tori paitan, creamy chicken ramen. This is perfect for those of you who don’t eat pork. 🙂 I come here mostly for the thick, rich soup made with lots of chicken fat. The…
Ginza Lunch – Hachidaime Gihey 銀座米料亭 八代目儀兵衛
At home we cook our rice in a donabe (ceramic pot). It is much faster to cook the rice in the donabe than it is in a rice cooker. Better yet, if you can cook it properly, the donabe will give you a nice okoge, charred crust. A Kyoto restaurant that specializes in rice that has a small restaurant…
Sukiyabashi Jiro and Masuhiro Yamamoto
Jiro Ono, master chef and owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro recently celebrated his 89th birthday. Yesterday it was announced that the Japanese government is awarding him with a special honor for his contributions and hard work as a sushi craftsman. Today there was a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan and here are…
Hanamaru Summer Udon Salad
It’s that time of year again. The weather is warming up and restaurants are starting their summer menu. Japanese restaurants, even fast food chain restaurants, offer menus that change throughout the year. This time of year many restaurants offer lighter fare, often featuring salad greens and generous vegetables. Each year I look forward to the…
Japanese Kissaten – Ginza Tsubakiya
Some twenty years ago friends brought me to this coffee shop in Ginza. It was my first time in one of these classic kissaten 喫茶店 (coffee shop). I had no idea that such places existed. It felt as if we had stepped back in time. The coffee was (and still is) expensive, but one could order…
Best Steak in Tokyo – Dons de la Nature
The assignment came from my boss in London, to seek out and eat the best steak in Tokyo. Tough assignment from Chowzter, but Shinji and I were up to the challenge. We were surprised when we called Dons de la Nature and got in within a few days. Seems that this restaurant is not yet…
Ginza Vomero – Italian Lunch in the Shadows of the Kabukiza
Just behind the mammoth Kabukiza theater in Ginza is an energetic Italian pizzeria and trattoria, Vomero. The welcome is warm and there is a lot of activity in the open kitchen, especially around the wood-burning pizza oven. The 1,580 JPY lunch course menu starts off with an appetizer plate of salad and some small bites…
Gotta Get – Hiroshima Lemosco
I am addicted to a product called Yuzusco, a yuzu and Tobasco like sauce that is great for pizza, pasta, eggs, you name it. Was thrilled when I cam across this Lemosco at the Hiroshima Antenna Shop in Ginza. It is very similar to the Yuzusco, but lighter in flavor. Sometimes the Yuzusco can be…
Ginza New Castle Curry
New Castle Curry in Ginza was a great little spot for a bowl of spicy curry topped with an over-easy egg. When I last went, while researching my book, Food Sake Tokyo, it was a second-generation shop in an old, wooden building in the glamorous Ginza district. While shiny new buildings were built up around…
Ginza Maru 銀座圓
In a recent New York Times Op-Ed, Gwen Robinson mentions a newly opened restaurant in Ginza that serves traditional Japanese lunches for only $10. She doesn’t mention the name of the restaurant in the article, but does talk about the chef, Keiji Mori, so with some research, in both English and Japanese, I found Ginza…
Sukiyabashi Jirō
Jeffrey Merrihue, Jirō Ono, Yukari Sakamoto My journey to Sukiyabashi Jirō started almost a year ago. Last February I was contacted by the Chowzter website to be the Tokyo Chowzter. I was happy to join this amazing team of chowzters and helped to suggest my favorite spots in Tokyo here. Chowzter will help you in…
Ginza Sake no Ana 銀座酒の穴
Some of my clients are interested in learning a bit about saké during their visit to Tokyo. However, finding somewhere in Tokyo that serves a wide selection of saké during lunch is challenging. Most of the tours we offer start at Tsukiji Market which is of course only takes place in the morning. Sake no…
Sushi on Sunday in Tokyo
*** updated 2016 November As Tsukiji Market is closed on Sundays many sushi restaurants also take the opportunity to give the staff a day off. That doesn’t mean that sushi isn’t eaten on Sundays in Tokyo. There are several places to look to for sushi on Sunday and national holidays. Check out hotels, department stores,…
Antenna Shops in Ginza
updated 25 September 2017 If you are looking for jizake or shochu from a small producer or an artisanal miso the first place to check out are the antenna shops. Markets that specialize in regional products, usually from a specific prefecture. The Okinawa antenna shop in Ginza has a huge selection of awamori and the Miyazaki antenna shop…
Maguronald まぐろナルド
With an awesome name like Maguronald, which sounds an awful like lot McDonald’s when pronounced in Japanese, this is definitely worth checking out. Maguro, or of course, tuna, is the specialty of this small 20 seat restaurant in Ginza. It is open for lunch and dinner and closed on Sunday and holidays. And affordable, budget…
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….
Restaurants in Ginza on Sunday
The Ginza district is a popular destination on Sundays for shoppers and browsers. I love Ginza’s restaurants, but surprisingly, many are closed on Sundays, notably the restaurants that rely on Tsukiji Market for fresh seafood. Here is my shortlist of restaurants that are open on Sundays in Ginza. If all else fails, then head to…
What and Where to Eat in Tokyo
Updated May, 2016 I often am asked for restaurant suggestions in Tokyo. Wow. Where does one begin? The food is amazing, from the high end kaiseki restaurants and sushi counters to the neighborhood ramen shop or izakaya. Even on a budget it is very easy to eat well in Tokyo. Let me put here just…
Higashiya Ginza
For traditional Japanese confectionaries there is Toraya, which is one of Japan’s most famous shops with locations around Tokyo. A modern confectionary shop that I love is Higashiya in Ginza. I first met the folks from Higashiya at a food event where I was pouring dessert wine from Coco Farm and Winery. The Higashiya team…
Support Tohoku – Kessenuma Shop in Ginza
Antenna shops showcase food and other products from a certain area, usually a prefecture in Japan. I love to shop at antenna shops for hard-t0-find shochu, sake, regional seafood, and other items like miso. It is a good place to pick up omiyage for friends, or things for yourself. Recently in Ginza, across the street from…
Sake no Ana: Best Place for Tasting Sake for Lunch in Tokyo – Part 2/2
Sake no Ana 酒の穴 Chuo-ku, Ginza 3-5-8 03-3567-1133 3. Juyondai Honjozo 十四代 本醸造 Premium sake, very hard to purchase retail. Often sold at much higher prices on E-bay (Sakamoto-san, the sake sommelier said that the bottle we had would go for 10,000 JPY even though the retail price is only about 2,500 JPY.) From Yamagata prefecture. http://www.yukinosake.com/juyondai.html (sake brewery site in Japanese)…
Sake no Ana: Best Place for Tasting Sake for Lunch in Tokyo – Part 1/2
Sake no Ana 酒の穴 Chuo-ku, Ginza 3-5-8 03-3567-1133 There are many wonderful izakaya in Tokyo, however finding one that is open for lunch is a challenge. I was in particular looking for an izakaya with a wide variety of sake by the glass that is open for lunch. All of my favorites, including Sasagin and Takara…
Update – Fukumitsuya in Ginza has closed
In Food Sake Tokyo on page 182 I have listed Ginza Fukumitsuya (Chuo-ku, Ginza 5-5-8) as a sake shop worth checking out. Unfortunately they have closed their doors as of July 31, 2011. It is so sad to see special shops like this shut their doors. FYI, the other shop listed in Food Sake Tokyo…
Digging into an Ice Cold Kakigori
On summer visits to Japan as a child my favorite sweets were kakigori topped with milk. Only when I grew up did I realize that it wasn’t milk but it was sweetened condensed milk. No better way to cool down in the Tokyo heat than a bowl of shaved ice topped with a sweet syrup….
Roma Pizza in Tokyo
Napoletana pizza are not the only type of pizzas tempting diners in Tokyo. Roma pizzas, with a thinner and thus crispier crust, are also popular and authentic versions too are available in the city. Pizzeria Romana Gianicolo Minato-ku, Azabu Juban 2-8-8, Watanabe Bldg. B1 03-6435-2080 11:30 – 14:30; 18:00 – 22:30 closed Monday http://www.gianicolo.jp/ Pizzeria…
Ginza Harutaka 銀座青空
Chef Harutaka developed his skills with 12 years at Sukiyabashi Jiro. This sushi restaurant is popular with top chefs in the city. Sit at the counter and watch the young, talented and soft-spoken chef as he handles the seasonal seafood with care and deft. Part of the delight in dining here is taking in the…
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/
Ginza New Castle Curry ニューキャッスル – CLOSED
So sad to say that this is now closed. We will miss you New Castle. New Castle ニューキャッスル Chuo-ku, Ginza 2-3-1 03-3561-2929 11:00 – 21:00 (Saturdays until 17:00) Closed Sundays and holidays No website An old style curry shop, in an old building in a very modern part of town, catches your eye. The shop…
Ginza Kyubey 銀座久兵衛
Ginza Kyubey 銀座久兵衛 Chuo-ku, Ginza 8-7-6 03-3571-6523 11:30 – 13:30, 17-21:45 closed Sunday and holidays http://www.kyubey.jp/index_e.html (English) Kyubey Sushi, is famous as a top-class sushi restaurant in the city. It is so popular that it often turned away customers. To accommodate everyone they have opened a bekkan (annex) across the street. They are accustomed to…
Okinawa Washita Shop in Ginza 沖縄わしたショップ
Okinawa Washita Antenna Shop 沖縄わしたショップ Chuo-ku, Ginza 1-3-9 03-3535-6991 10:00 – 19:00, no holidays http://www.washita.co.jp/info/shop/ginza/index.html (Japanese) The Okinawa Washita Shop in Ginza may be one of the most unique antenna shops in the city due to the unique food and beverage culture of Okinawa. The cuisine of the southernmost islands of Japan is very different…
Ginza Takumi 銀座たくみ
Takumi たくみ Chuo-ku, Ginza 8-4-2 03-3571-2017 11:00 – 19:00 (closed Sunday & holidays) http://www.ginza-takumi.co.jp/ (Japanese) Pottery and other crafts are showcased in this two-story shop on the outskirts of Ginza. There is daily use pottery with reasonable prices starting at 1,000 JPY. The shop features a wide variety of pottery including Mashiko, Tanba, and…
Bunmeido in Ginza for Castella and Coffee 文明堂
Bunmeido 文明堂 Chuo-ku, Ginza 5-7-10 中央区銀座5-7-10 03-3574-0002 11:00 – 21:00, no holidays http://www.bunmeido.com/ (Japanese) The original Bunmeido shop in Nagasaki and has been making castella cakes since 1900. On the main street, Ginza Dori, sits a large coffee shop with a two-story stained glass wall that look more appropriate for a church. Bunmeido is known…
Cha Ginza 茶銀座
Cha Ginza 茶銀座 Chuo-ku, Ginza 5-5-6 03-3571-1211 11:00 – 19:00 (closed most Mondays, check website) http://www.uogashi-meicha.co.jp/shop_01.html (Japanese) This cool, sleek modern building dedicated to tea in the heart of Ginza, this shop definitely draws the attention of passersby with its glass façade and long, narrow counter on the first floor. Uogashi Meicha has a shop…
Ginza Toraya 銀座とらや
Toraya is a purveyor to the Imperial Family and its rich history can be dated back to the 1600s. The signature item at Toraya is the yokan cakes wrapped in bamboo leaves. This is considered one of the top shops for wagashi, in particular, the yokan. The yokan comes in several flavors including azuki, mattcha,…
CLOSED – Fukumitsuya Sake Shop in Ginza 福光屋
Sadly, this gorgeous shop has closed. Fukumitsuya is a sake shop representing a brewery from Kanazawa that opened in 1625. Rest your feet at the small tasting bar and try a few before purchasing. The bottles are stored in small box refrigerators in the back of the shop, as all good quality sake should be….
Yamagata Antenna Shop in Ginza – Oishii Yamagata Plaza おいしい山形プラザ
The Yamagata antenna shop, Oishii Yamagata Plaza in Ginza is home to chef Masayuki Okuda’s restaurant, San-Dan-Delo (see post below). It is also one of my favorite antenna shops in the city due to the variety of products available. Yamagata has some of my favorite foods, cherries, La Furansu pears, pork, wagyu, rice, sake, and…
Yamagata San-Dan-Delo ヤマガタ サンダンデロ
Yamagata San-Dan-Delo was featured in Food & Wine’s Tokyo City Guide 2011. Yamagata’s abundant natural resources produce seafood from both the Japan Sea and rivers, wagyu and pork, rice, and produce. Chef Masayuki Okuda’s Italian restaurant in Yamagata, Al-che-cciano became a destination restaurant with diners traveling from around the country to dine there. Al-che-cciano is…
Setouchi Ryori Suminoe 瀬戸内料理すみのえ
Setouchi Ryori Suminoe was featured in Food & Wine’s Tokyo City Guide in the May 2011 issue. The fourth generation chef, Yasufumi Ootani, from a Hiroshima ryokan (traditional guest house), Suminoe Ryokan, has opened a restaurant in Tokyo. Seafood is flown in daily from the Setonaikai area (inland Sea of Japan). Sazae (turban shell) grilled…
Ginza Ibuki 銀座一二岐
Ginza Ibuki is one of the restaurants in the current issue of Food & Wine’s Tokyo City Guide 2011. Chef Sadahisa Yoshizawa trained for eight years in Kyoto before breaking out on his own. The seafood of Kochi prefecture is featured in this intimate restaurant. The signature dish is seared katsuo (bonito) garnished with thinly…
Food & Wine’s Tokyo City Guide 2011
My favorite writing assignment each year is the Tokyo Go List for Food & Wine magazine (the current May issue). This year focuses on three restaurants in the notable Ginza shopping district that features cuisine from three different prefectures in Japan. The chefs at each of these places are all getting a lot of press…
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…
Cheap Eats in Ginza – 2/2
The slightly spicy curry served at this nostalgic mom-and-pop shop has long been a neighborhood favorite. The small wooden building looks out of place among Ginza’s designer boutiques and department stores, and the cooking is simple as well: one curry served in four sizes, each named after a station on the Keihin-Tohoku line. The handwritten…
Cheap Eats in Ginza – 1/2
This article first appeared in Metropolis magazine on May 13, 2010. Some of my favorite cheap eats in Ginza. With shops like Forever 21 and H&M recently opening on Ginza’s main drag, the neighborhood is beginning to shed its reputation as a jet-setter’s playground. Yet budget-conscious diners have long known that the area is home…
Tempura in Tokyo
Seafood and vegetables covered in a thin, crispy batter is one food that is, I believe, best eaten outside than at home. It is hard to recreate this dish at home, even for a chef. This article from Metropolis magazine highlights some of my favorite shops in Tokyo for tempura including Kondo, Mikawa, Daikokuya, Tenya,…
Chocolate Shops in Tokyo
Chocoholics should be warned that Tokyo abounds with chocolate shops. Here are just a tiny few of what tempts customers. This article first appeared in Metropolis magazine. http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/619/localflavors.asp (text follows) One of my New Year’s resolutions was to find a man who was rich, sweet and most important, who would satisfy me. But I had…
Ginza Eats
Some good restaurants in Ginza from an article that originally appeared in Metropolis. http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/628/localflavors.asp (text follows) All that glitters in Ginza is not the jewels at Harry Winston. With Tsukiji fish market on one side and downscale Shinbashi on the other, Ginza sets itself apart. Nihonbashi and Omotesando are enjoying revivals of late, but Ginza…
Food & Wine Magazine’s 2009 Tokyo Go List
My contribution to Food & Wine magazine’s 2009 Go List for Tokyo: Japanese chefs are dictating the world’s dining trends with their fierce devotion to seasonality and respect for aesthetics. GINZA HARUTAKA Chef Harutaka Takahashi may have a Michelin-starred resume, but he isn’t showy. He turns exceptional seafood into perfect sashimi and sushi in a simple space…
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 