Marukin まるきん Taito-ku, Higashi Ueno 2-19-1 台東区東上野2-19-1 Tel. 03-3832-4549 http://www.kimchi-marukin.com/ (Japanese) Daiichi Bussan 第一物産 Taito-ku, Higashi Ueno 2-15-5 台東区東上野2-15-5 Tel. 03-3831-1323 http://www.d1b.jp/ (Japanese) Konan Foods コーナンフーズ Taito-ku, Higashi Ueno 2-15-5 台東区東上野2-15-5 Tel. 03-3831-2017 no website The handful of shops here specialize in handmade kimchi, meats for cooking at home, and ingredients for cooking Korean food…
Category: restaurants
Kimchi Yokocho キムチ横丁 1/2
Kimchi Yokocho キムチ横丁 http://panda.starfleet.ac/~kaeru/kimuti/kimuti.html On the other side of the tracks is an area called Kimchi Yokocho. In an area of a few blocks is a concentration of shops and restaurants specializing in Korean food. There is a much larger area filled with Korean supermarkets, restaurants, and shops near Shinjuku near the Shin-Okubo station on…
Ippudo Ramen in Ameyoko アメ横の一風堂
Ippudo Ramen 一風堂 Taito-ku, Ueno 3-17-5 Tel. 03-5807-2772 11:00 – 3:00 (no holidays) http://www.ippudo.com/index.html (Japanese) Ippudo started as a small shop with only 10 seats at a counter in 1985 and now has locations throughout Japan and even in New York City. Ippudo is famous for its tonkotsu ramen. Very thin noodles that still have…
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…
Ningyocho Imahan 人形町今半
Ningyocho Imahan 人形町今半 Chuo-ku, Nihonbashi Ningyocho 2-9-12 中央区日本橋人形町2-9-12 Tel. 03-3666-7006 11:00 – 22:00, no holidays http://www.imahan.com/e-guide/ningyocho_shop.html (English) Ningyocho Imahan is a branch of the Asakusa shop that opened in 1952. Imahan is synonymous with sukiyaki, shabu-shabu, and grilled wagyu steak. The large two-story red building with black tile roof sits on the corner. The entrance…
Tamahide in Ningyocho 人形町の玉ひで
Tamahide 玉ひで Chuo-ku, Nihonbashi Ningyocho 1-17-10 中央区日本橋人形町1-17-10 Tel. 03-3668-7651 11:30 – 13:00, 17:00 – 22:00, Saturday 16:00 – 21:00 closed Sunday and holidays http://www.tamahide.co.jp/ (Japanese) Tamahide will be easy to find as there is a perpetual line out the front door. The large white building looks like a castle with the large stones surrounding its…
Hiyama in Ningyocho for Wagyu 人形町の日山
Hiyama is renowned for its wagyu for sukiyaki, shabu shabu, or for steaks. Next door to the restaurant is a retail shop selling the gorgeously marbled Japanese beef. Pricey, but worth having once in your life. Hiyama 日山 Chuo-ku, Nihonbashi Ningyocho 2-5-1 中央区日本橋人形町2-5-1 Tel. 03-3666-5257 Monday – Saturday, 11:30 – 14:00, 17:00 – 21:00; closed…
Kizushi in Ningyocho 人形町の㐂寿司
Kizushi 㐂寿司 Chuo-ku, Nihonbashi Ningyocho 2-7-13 中央区日本橋人形町2-7-13 Tel. 03-3666-1682 11:45 – 14:30, 17:00 – 21:30 (Monday – Friday) 11:45 – 21:00 (Saturday) closed Sunday and holidays no website Opened in 1924, this third generation sushi shop feels as though time as stopped. The third generation owner works with his sons, fourth generation, behind the counter. This…
Tokyo Bargain Dining – Katsukura Tonkatsu in Shinjuku 新宿のかつくら
In Shinjuku Times Square Building are several restaurant floors. Katsukura for tonkatsu on the 14th floor. Not every tonkatsu restaurant serves the tonkatsu with a mortar and pestle and toasted sesame seeds. Grind the seeds, releasing the aroma of the sesame seeds, and add tonkatsu sauce and then dress your tonkatsu. And the pork, breaded…
Ebisu Itchome Horumon 恵比寿一丁目ホルモン for Offal Cuisine
Ebisu Itchome Horumon is a few minutes’ walk from Ebisu station. Gas grills are on each table with a strong exhaust pipe over each grill. Our first course was a rich liver sashimi, very intense in flavor. It is garnished with sesame oil and salt. A variety of innards to grill. Other tables that had…
Shinjuku Hormone for Offal Cuisine
Shinjuku Hormone 新宿ホルモン Shinjuku-ku, Shinjuku 3-12-3 新宿区新宿3-12-3 Tel. 03-3353-4129 Hours: 17:00 – 24:00, no holidays http://www.ishii-world.jp/brand/motsu/shinjuku-horumon/shinjukuhoru/ (Japanese) Shinjuku Horumon and Saiseisakaba are part of a chain of restaurants managed by Ishii Group. They are the specialists in naizo, evident by the top quality products they serve, their knowledgeable staff and the wide variety of items…
Saiseisakaba for Offal Ryori 再生酒場新宿三丁目
Saiseisakaba 再生酒場 Shinjuku 3-7-3, Marunaka Building 1st floor 新宿区新宿３−７−３ Tel. 03-3354-4829 17:00 – 24:00, no holidays http://www.ishii-world.jp/brand/motsu/nihonsaisei/shinjuku3/ (Japanese) On the back streets of Shinjuku Sanchome is this friendly tachinomi (standing bar). Designed with Showa era items so it feels like stepping back in time. The shop features grilled innards but you can have some items…
Kaiseki at Tsukiji Tamura つきぢ田村
Tsukiji Tamura つきぢ田村 Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 2-12-11 中央区築地2-12-11 Tel. 03-3541-2591 11:30 – 15:00, 17:00 – 22:00, Monday – Friday 11:30 – 22:00, weekend and holidays http://www.tsukiji-tamura.com A few blocks away from the market, Tsukiji Tamura is a top destination for kaiseki cuisine by third generation chef Takashi Tamura. His father, Teruaki Takashi has penned a book…
Tokyo Bargain Dining
Elaine Louie, who is a fellow author at The Little Bookroom, has penned this great article for the New York Times on cheap eats in Tokyo. Here is her book on Cheap Eats in London: http://www.littlebookroom.com/savoirfare.html
Tokyo Cheap Eats – Kanda Yabu Soba
UPDATE: Kanda Yabu Soba caught on fire on February 19, 2013. 40 customers and employees were in the restaurant during dinner service when the fire was noticed. Everyone was safely evacuated. A spokesperson for Kanda Yabu Soba has said on NHK news the following day that the restaurant hopes to reopen in six months. If…
Tokyo Bargain Dining – Maisen Tonkatsu in Omotesando まい泉とんかつ
If you have not had tonkatsu in Japan you probably have not experienced the juicy pork cutlet with the crispy panko breaded. This served up with a hot bowl of rice and a large haystack of julienned cabbage does not disappoint. Season the cabbage and pork with some tonkatsu dressing, a dark, sweet, thick sauce…
Travel – Gero Onsen’s Shimura 下呂温泉の志むら
One of my favorite places in all of Japan is Gero Onsen in Gifu prefecture, in the heart of the Japanese Alps. I first came to know Gero Onsen through a friend, Leif Hagen, who was an English teacher there. Leif introduced me to Hiroko Sensei who is pictured here. On our honeymoon Shinji and…
Tokyo Cheap Eats – Tsukiji Market’s Yoshinoya
Yoshinoya is a popular fast-food chain famous for its gyudon, thin slices of beef cooked with onions and a sweet soy sauce are ladled over a bowl of rice. A branch of Yoshinoya is in New York City on 42nd Street. The first shop in the chain dates back to 1899 and was located near…
Tokyo Cheap Eats – Oedo Kaitenzushi 大江戸回転寿し
As a fishmonger, Shinji is always craving sushi. There are many ranks of restaurants, even within the kaitenzushi (revolving sushi). Ooedo Kaitenzushi came highly recommended for its variety of fresh fish at a reasonable price. Ooedo has several locations throughout the city. This one is near Okachimashi, just south of Ueno station and near the…
ACCJ Journal Restaurant Review – Nihonbashi Yukari
My first restaurant review for the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan Journal on my favorite kaiseki restaurant, Nihonbashi Yukari. http://accjjournal.com/nihonbashi-yukari/ (text follows) If it’s good enough for the emperor, it’s good enough for me. Third generation Kimio Nonaga of Nihonbashi Yukari recently catered an event at the Imperial Palace for a meeting between the…
Tokyo Bargain Dining – Nihonbashi Yukari
I am often queried for good but affordable restaurants in Tokyo. One of my favorites for lunch is Nihonbashi Yukari with 2002 Iron Chef winner Kimio Nonaga. The basic lunch starts at about 2,000 JPY (around $20 USD). If you want to splurge, the Yukari bento, an uspcale bento, is about 3,675 JPY (about $35…
Offal Cuisine (Naizo or Hormone Ryori)
One unique cuisine that is a must-try for adventurous foodies is offal cuisine. This article which first appeared in Metropolis magazine includes several popular restaurants in Tokyo for naizo ryori. http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/785/localflavors.asp (text follows) Tokyo’s horumon boom has been going strong for two years now—and shows no signs of letting up. Horumon ryori, a.k.a. naizo, ranges…
Foodie’s Guide to Tokyo Part 2/2
In this article that first appeared in Metropolis magazine I highlight some of my favorite restaurants in Tokyo. http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/675/localflavors.asp (text follows) Some days, I pinch myself while exploring Tokyo. Am I really spoiled with all of these places to indulge myself? And just when I think it can’t get any better, I happen upon a…
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,…
Tachinomi in Shinbashi, Nihonbashi, and Hatchobori 立ち飲み
Tachinomi, or standing bars, offer drinks and small bites often at bargain prices. In this article, which fist appeared in Metropolis magazine, Alex Vega and I visit popular tachinomi in Shinbashi, Nihonbashi, and Hatchobori. http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/668/localflavors.asp (text follows) In a country famous for its reserved populace, tachinomiya are among the few places where it’s easy to…
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….
Tokyo Ramen Shops
Tokyo is filled with many ramen shops. Finding a good one is not hard, but knowing which ones to go to is always a huge help. My favorite ramen shop is Ivan Ramen in Setagaya-ku. When I penned this piece for Metropolis Ivan Ramen was not open yet so would definitely include it in a…
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’s Tokyo Go List 2007
Food & Wine’s Tokyo Go List for 2007. http://www.foodandwine.com/golist/2007/asia/japan/tokyo/
Donburi Rice Bowls
Donburi are one dish rice bowls. Large servings of rice topped with seafood, meat, or vegetables. Here are some of my favorite places to go for donburi in Tokyo. This article originally appeared in Metropolis magazine. The photo above was a donburi that Shinji made with maguro (tuna) marinated in soy sauce, mirin, and sake…
Food & Wine Tokyo Go List 2008
Food & Wine magazine’s Go List for Tokyo in 2008. It includes some of my favorites like Nihonbashi Yukari, Nihonryori Ryugin, and Ginza Harutaka both with star chefs, Kimio Nonaga, Seiji Yamamoto, and Harutaka Takahashi. http://www.foodandwine.com/golist/2008/asia
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…
B Kyu Gourmet – Cheap Eats in Tokyo B級グルメ
Here are some of my favorite restaurants that won’t break the bank. This article first appeared in Metropolis on November 5, 2009. http://metropolis.co.jp/dining/local-flavors/the-b-list/ The most sought-after tables in recession-hit Tokyo can be found at so-called B-kyu gurume restaurants. These eateries typically specialize in a single cuisine—soba or tonkatsu, for example—served in simple settings without the lacquerware…
Food & Wine Go List 2009 for Tokyo
I am often asked for my recommendations for my favorite restaurants in the city. Here is my contribution to Food & Wine’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. For more great restaurants, check out our guide to the…
Nihonbashi Yukari 日本橋ゆかり
One of my favorite restaurants in Tokyo is Nihonbashi Yukari. It is just a coincidence that it is called Yukari. It is not a coincidence that I worked at Takashimaya in Nihonbashi, just a few blocks from this oasis. Nihonbashi Yukari is a kaiseki restaurant serving seasonal cuisine. Chef Nonaga was the 2002 Iron Chef…
Ukai Toriyama in Takao
On the outskirts of Tokyo in the shadows of Mount Takao (Takao-san) is Toriyama. Part of the famous Ukai chain of restaurants, is a garden filled with private rooms for a meal based on grilled chicken kaiseki. This is a dining experience that is worth the trip out to Hachioji, about an hour from Tokyo…
Shinjuku – Saiseisakaba Standing Bar for Offal
Hormone ryori, also called naizo, have been very popular in Tokyo. Here you can eat different offal and innards of cows and pigs.
Gotta Go – Nihonbashi Yukari
I am often asked for restaurant suggestions in Tokyo. There is one restaurant that I recommend time and time again. Chef Kimio Nonaga of Nihonbashi Yukari was the 2002 Iron Chef winner, and the trophy is displayed when you first walk in. I love this restaurant for lunch or dinner. For a multi-course kaiseki dinner…
Food Sake Tokyo 