An exciting newcomer to the Tokyo food scene is Viola, serving traditional Japanese cuisine. The homestyle dishes are served kaiseki style, in courses. Dashi, the basic umami rich stock, is at the core of many of the dishes. The elegant simplicity of the dishes are a testament to the quality of the cooking. It’s no…
Category: restaurants
Shinjuku Soba
I was walking in a new part of Shinjuku and happened upon a nice soba restaurant. On the menu was a black soba made from black beans, black rice, black sesame seeds, and buckwheat. It is a seasonal menu item. Tip: always inquire if there is a seasonal soba. Fumotoya is in the basement of…
Ginza Tempura
Only $6.75 (¥920) for this vegetable tempura donburi rice bowl at Hageten. The menu includes ramen. Hageten is in the heart of Ginza. Ginza 5-6-7 Some of my clients like the restaurant so much they return during their stay in Tokyo. 🥰
Koko Head Cafe
Chef Lee Anne Wong has brought her Hawaii Koko Head Cafe to Tokyo. In Hawaii it is a popular brunch café. What’s unique about Koko Head Cafe Tokyo is that it’s also open for dinner. In Hawaii it’s a brunch restaurant so closes in the afternoon. So stop by later in the day for a…
Tsukiji Toritoh
The tori jūbako at Tsukiji Toritoh. A bed of rice topped with ground chicken with a kick of ginger, bonjiri – the fatty part from the chicken, chicken liver, and chicken with a sweet teriyaki sauce. A small plate of pickles because the meal needed vegetables. 🙂 Toritoh started in 1907. Toritoh Chūō-ku, Tsukiji 4-10-18…
Le Pain Quotidien Roppongi
When I lived in Brussels my local bakery was Le Pain Quotidien. I loved sitting at the wooden communal table sharing jars of jam and nutella with the other diners. The ham and Gruyere cheese omelette with a side salad and bread is a nice start to the day. The bakery has three jams and…
Kyobashi Isehiro Yakitori
Not far from Tokyo Station is one of my go-to yakitori shops. Isehiro has been grilling chicken skewers for over one hundred years (est. 1921). The tsukune chicken balls, my favorite in the city, have a meaty texture. Isehiro calls these dango on their menu. When I worked at Takashimaya depachika down the street I…
Metropolis magazine for restaurants, trends, and new openings.
I have returned to writing for Metropolis magazine. Here you’ll find restaurant reviews and monthly columns on new restaurants and food trends in Tokyo. Here is a link to my pieces: https://metropolisjapan.com/author/ysakamoto/ Thank you for following Food Sake Tokyo. We are still offering market tours in Tokyo.
Beacon Brunch – closed
** Updated Dec 2016 – sadly Beacon has closed. A new shop, Crista, has opened in the same space, also by the same owner and chef. Brunch at Beacon is a taste of America in Tokyo. David Chiddo works his magic at this urban chophouse located between Shibuya and Omotesando. I picked Beacon for Sunday…
Urban BBQ Smokehouse by TY Harbor
BBQ and sauces Chef David Chiddo of the TY Harbor group has several successful restaurants in the city including Cicada and Beacon. His most recent shop, Smokehouse, is an urban barbecue with a great list of craft beers, both domestic and from the USA, as well as one of the city’s best selection of American…
Narisawa
My friend, Jeffrey Merrihue, the founder of Chowzter, was in town recently to film a documentary on chef Yoshihiro Narisawa. Jeffrey followed chef Narisawa on a fishing expedition, a very cool imperial duck hunting adventure, and foraging in the woods. The end of his week of filming was a lunch at Narisawa and I was…
2014 Tokyo Michelin Guide
Michelin has announced its updated guide for 2014 for Tokyo, Yokohama, and the Shonan area. Last year Michelin, in alliance with Gurunavi, has stopped printing the book and putting it online for free. So, here you go, the 2014 Tokyo Michelin Guide.
Ten Udon Shops in Tokyo
Udon noodles are everywhere I look. TV programs, food magazines, and newspapers are all covering the different types of udon noodles, ways of eating it, and where to go in Tokyo. My fall back restaurant has always been the chain store Hanamaru. Mainly because it was close to where I was working, it’s cheap, and…
Shibuya Hikarie
Shibuya’s newest addition to the skyline is Hikarie. The restaurants are on floors six and seven. Lots of interesting spots including Umauma Ramen from Hakata serving hitoguchi (bite-size) gyoza and skewered and grilled chicken skin alongside ramen. Kashiwa for okonomiyaki and teppanyaki. Sendai’s famous Rikyu for grilled gyutan (beef tongue), Maisen tonkatsu, and much more….
Bills at Tokyu Plaza Omohara
Opening April 18th is Bill Grangers newest restaurant bills in Tokyu Plaza Omohara. What a brilliant naming for this corner that sits between Omotesando and Harajuku. The old Gap building for anyone who is familiar with this crossing. The entrance on the corner of Omotesando and Meiji Dori is big and will naturally bring in…
Karaage at Ranman Shokudo in Ebisu
Japanese fried chicken, karaage, to me is so much better than American fried chicken because it is usually boneless and is always tender. Karaage is usually marinated in sake and some other seasonings before being deep-fried. The sake helps to tenderize the meat. I am recipe testing karaage for Postmark Chef in the USA and…
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…
Japan Times Review – Hosokawa Soba in Ryogoku
Robbie Swinnerton introduces Hosokawa Soba in Ryogoku. This soba-ya looks like it worth the trip across the Sumidagawa.
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…
Napoletana Pizza in Tokyo
Perhaps the best place to get a really great pizza outside of Italy is not New York City but in Tokyo. The website for the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana lists thirty-five authentic Napoletana pizzerias in Japan. Many of the pizzaiolos have apprenticed in Italy, bake their pizzas in wood burning ovens, and do an outstanding job…
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