Fluffy shaved ice over vanilla ice cream and coffee jelly. The soft shards are dressed with sweetened condensed milk and topped with an intense espresso. At Shimokitazawa Ballon d’Essai Latte Art. Only ¥850 ($5.50). Coffee jelly is my go to order at a new cafe. It was hot today and the kakigōri caught my eye….
Category: Tokyo
Prime Sake
Delighted to finally meet @betsyandrews. We connected at Haneda Airport. No better place to chat than at the new @prime_sake #nihonshu bar at Terminal Three. Interesting concept, especially when you read the saké 🍶 menu. No mention of junmaishu or polishing terms like ginjō. Menu of saké-friendly small bites like smoked cheese and daikon pickles…
Azabudai Hills
The newer Azabudai Hills mall is filled with shops and restaurants. Sushi, tonkatsu, soba, cafes, and a supermarket. It’s hard to explore in one visit. So many tempting meals. Enjoyed a diavolo spicy pizza at Risto Pizza, the high end restaurant by chef Giuseppe Errichielli. I was told the more casual restaurant is at Napoli Sta…
Tamlapin
So excited to finally make it to Tamlapin @tamlapin_botan in Monzennakacho. A hipster bakery starting at 7:30 a.m. in the morning that turns into a cool bar in the afternoon after 3 p.m. The wines are all from Hokkaido. I enjoyed a fruity @chitosewinery Kerner with the plate of small bites and ten pieces of…
Shichiroca
Onigiri Shichiroca is a quiet sliver of a shop for onigiri. 🍙 Open for #japanesebreakfast from 7:30 a.m. 🥰 Only two seats if you’re interested in the morning set. Today the daily rice ball was tori soboro ground chicken in a sweet soy sauce. I added a simmered anago sea eel for the second #omusubi….
Sankouin
Shōjin ryōri, vegetarian Buddhist cuisine, has a rich history in the Japanese food culture. One of my favorite places to try it is at Sankouin temple in Koganei. The temple was founded in 1934 and is in a quiet residential part of Western Tokyo, north of Musashi Koganei Station on the Chūō line. There is…
Shikajika
Onigiri breakfast at Shikajika inside of Tachikawa Station. The rice is cooked in a donabe pot. The restaurant specializes in set meals based around rice including karaage fried chicken, grilled salmon, or simmered pork belly. There is an intriguing wagyū hitsuma bushi of thin slices of marbled wagyū beef over a bed of hot rice….
Yomoda Soba
Yomoda Soba is a casual stand-and-slurp soba shop with branches in Tokyo. A bowl of noodles topped with tempura is only about 620 yen ($4). There are a variety of tempura toppings including shrimp, squid, or julienned onions. What Yomoda Soba is also famous for is the Indian curry. A spicy curry with a small…
Mandegan
Mandegan is cool and casual sake/wine bar in Shibuya. It is by the brilliant Kotaro Hayashi san of the eponymous izakaya Kotaro, which just celebrated its 13th-anniversary. Mandegan opens at 4 p.m. and is a great spot to stop by for a few small bites and glasses of sake or wine. The menu includes some…
Park Hyatt Tokyo
The Park Hyatt Tokyo Appreciation Night was an evening for friends of the hotel to gather before it closes for refurbishments. A fabulous and luxurious fete including champagne, caviar, Japanese whisky, sushi, wagyu beef, and so much more. As a sommelier at the New York Grill and Bar I was humbled to see some former…
Park Hyatt Tokyo
Bidding farewell to the iconic @parkhyatttokyo. All the more famous since Lost in Translation was filmed here. I am hoping the penthouse New York Grill and Bar won’t change too much. Remember there was a big brouhaha about the lobby of the Okura Hotel? In the end after the refurbishment the lobby hadn’t changed too…
Yoku Moku
My go-to omiyage gift for friends is Yoku Moku cigares packed in its signature tin boxes. Starting today through June 14th Yoku Moku has a limited edition matcha cigare with matcha chocolate inside. The sweets are sold in every department store and I believe at both Haneda and Narita airports (last time I checked). The…
New York Grill
The infamous Park Hyatt Tokyo will be closing temporarily starting May 7th, 2024. The hotel will undergo a full refurbishment. The hotel is 30 years old. I went for one last lunch at the timeless New York Grill and Bar. It is one of Tokyo’s top steakhouses. The lunch is a luxurious buffet for appetizers…
Negishi
Gyūtan grilled beef tongue is a local dish from #Sendai in the northern #Tohoku area. #Negishi is a chain here in #Tokyo. This one in the subterranean halls of #Kanda Station. Only ¥1,300 ($8.50). The rice is mugimeshi, rice cooked with barley. Tororo, grated mountain potato with raw egg, is a slippery topping for the…
Train Travel Tips
Train travel in Japan is a fun part of holidays. We enjoy eating and drinking while on the shinkansen. We did our routine of picking a bentō at #EkibenyaMatsuri. One of Tokyo’s famous coffee ☕️ shops, Sarutahiko Coffee, has a branch near one of the shinkansen entrances. It’s a popular shop and may have a…
Eggg Café
@eggg_kokubunji is famous for fluffy pancakes but we also love the omuraisu. This one with tender beef cheeks and a demi-glace sauce. The knife 🔪 is full so it’s hard to cut into the omelette on top of the ketchup rice. If you’re curious to try the pancakes this is a great spot. The café…
Natsuno
My favorite shop for #chopsticks in #Tokyo. @ginzanatsuno has a colorful selection of chopsticks🥢, chopstick rests, and some tableware in the heart of #Ginza. I have collected several pieces from here over the years and they all brighten up each meal. Ginza NatsunoChūō-ku, Ginza 6-7-4
Kunio
Shio ramen and a tsukemen with a wonton dipping sauce. Plus a side order of chashu gohan, rice topped simply with sliced chashu pork with a splash of a sweet soy sauce. We have tried to dine here but there is always a line. As it’s raining today my brilliant child said, we should go…
Fuji Lunch
Our local yōshoku restaurant, Fuji Lunch, has Western-style dishes like karaagé fried chicken, croquettes, hamba-gu (more like meatloaf than a hamburger), and fried cutlets. Behind the counter an elderly couple are choreographed in their movements depending on which orders they were filling. Auntie kept busy topping a large plate with julienned cabbage, lettuce, cucumbers, and…
Salon Sabou
My favorite #karaage #friedchicken lunch in #Ginza. The boneless fried chicken is dressed with a light sweet soy sauce. Diners select three side dishes and white rice or a heartier hatsuga genmai rice (🌾 supplemental ¥220). The line is often long at noon but on Monday it was short. Staff said Mondays tend to have…
Ochazuké
Ochazuké is a simple and quick light meal or snack. We keep Nagatanien ochazuké packs in our pantry. I love the hot soup over rice with uméboshi, tsukémono pickles, and grilled fish like salmon. Shredded cooked salmon is sold in a jar. The fish is salted so it’s shelf stable and sold at room temperature….
Kanekoya
Fabulous tempura lunch in Kichijōji at Kanekoya. Went at 10:45 a.m. and there was already a line in front of the shop. The restaurant opens at 11:00 a.m. and we were lucky to get in at the first seating. When we left the queue was looong. Kanekoya serves a simple tempura donburi, rice bowl topped…
Awa
Cool new bar at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo, The Rendez-Vous AWA. In the main lobby. Brightly lit and spacious. Awa means bubbles in Japanese and the beverage list includes many bobbly beverages. Imperial Hotel TokyoChiyoda-ku, Uchisaiwaichō 1-1-1 https://www.imperialhotel.co.jp/e/tokyo/restaurant/awa/
Hachioji Craft Sake
Tokyo’s newest sake brewery, Hachiōji Shuzō, opened in October of last year. Fun to sample two of their brews, both delicious. I hope to go back, without my kid, so I have time to ask more questions. At the moment the brewery is only open Friday – Sunday. It is only a five-minute walk from…
Gargantua
Hōjicha cake from Gargantua bakery at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo near Yurakuchō Station. Studded with chestnuts and black beans the cake is not too sweet, something common with most Japanese baked goods. I love the presentation in the yellow furoshiki cloth. The colorful summer vegetable tart at Gargantua is almost too beautiful to eat. Gargantua…
Kikugawa Unagi
Nagoya-style unagi is called hitsumabushi. The grilled freshwater eel is eaten three ways. 1. as it is 2. with yakumi green onions, wasabi, and nori 3. with yakumi and a broth Hitsumabushi is a fun contrast to the Tokyo style which is grilled unagi over a bed of rice, a luxurious meal. Kikugawa is a…
Tim Ho Wan
Finally made it to @timhowanjapan in #Yurakucho. This #dimsum shop offers spring rolls that shatter when bit into. Loved the signature pork buns that have a crunchy sweet shell like melon pan. The steamed #gyoza also oishii with a spicy sauce. I need to go back with a girlfriend so I can try more dishes….
Soup Pasta
Ivo Homes Pasta 🍝 in Shinjuku. I ordered the most popular dish but was underwhelmed. It’s a soup pasta so the sauce overwhelms the spaghetti. It’s a popular restaurant near Isetan. The restaurant is chaotic and busy at lunchtime. Maybe I will give one of the other shops in Shibuya or Shinagawa a chance. To…
RF1
Colorful salads, bentō, and sets with wine- or beer-friendly small bites are offered at RF1. The chicken salad and some of the bentōs are marketed as including “half day’s worth of nourishing vegetables” in the meal. An antipasto set includes cured ham, cheese, quiche, and roasted vegetables. Sausages, shrimp ajillo, corn cream croquette, caponata, and fried…
Berg
My go-to breakfast at #Shinjuku Station @berg_shinjuku_tokyo. Love this morning set for a bargain ¥429 ($2.85). Open from 7:00 a.m. and it’s a popular shop with those in the know. Several Johnny Cash songs played in the background. A clash of cultures: kissaten, American music, and German meats. If you’re not an early riser come…
Kakeru
Fabulous flight of coffee drinks at @koffee_mameya_kakeru. Fascinating to see many expressions of the same bean. Some highlights include the milk-steeped coffee and a milk-steeped coffee mixed with a cacao vinegar that is strained through a paper filter separating the whey from the curds. Sweets are paired with the coffee including a cassis stollen with…
Kashiwaya
Kashiwaya is a kaiseki restaurant on a quiet back street in Nihonbashi. The multi-course meal is rich with seasonal ingredients. Chef Yoshiyuki Kashiwabara was a chef in both San Francisco and in Singapore for over two decades. Both he and his wife speak English and can help answer questions about the dishes and it’s a very…
Fujie Labo
Onigiri breakfast at Fujie Labo at Tachikawa Station. The brightly lit cafe is part of the Yamamotoyama family, Tokyo’s oldest tea shop which dates back 330 years. Two onigiri with a cup of tea, hot or cold, for only 500 yen ($3.50) is the morning set from 7:00 – 10:30 a.m. I picked gyu shigure,…
Tsukiji Peppers Cafe
Te-chan, Tetsuya Iwase, of @tsukijipepperscafe. Peppers Cafe is on a quiet side street. Te-chan’s main business is spices. He used to live in Pittsburgh and speaks fluent English. Peppers Cafe is a channel for him to share fresh black peppers cured in salt. The peppers have a soft texture with a little crunch. Delicious on…
Tonki
Tonki tonkatsu pork cutlets. This branch is in Kokubunji which is much easier to get into than the Meguro restaurant. The tonkatsu is very different as it isn’t covered with the shards of panko. My friend cooked at the Meguro restaurant. As I recall the pork was dipped in egg, flour, egg, then a fine…
Wazaya
Wafu pasta, Italian dishes with Japanese ingredients, is always a comforting meal. Here scallops and Japanese mushrooms eringi, kikurage, and shimeji in an uni cream sauce. Here at Pasta Wazaya near Mitaka Station on the JR Chuo line. It is in the area of Inokashira Koen park and the Ghibli Museum. The menu is long….
Ginza Hangetsu
Ginza Hangetsu double curry 🍛 of coffee pork and ginger chicken with turmeric rice. Perfumed with fresh spices. Sliver of a shop on a quiet Ginza backstreet. Friendly staff and an English menu. Excellent value at ¥1,200 ($8). Ginza HangetsuChūō-ku, Ginza 6-4-15
Ehōmaki
Today in Japan is Setsubun, the last day before Risshun, the first day of spring in the old Japanese calendar. While homes first day of spring in the old Japanese calendar. While homes with kids will throw dried soybeans at someone wearing a devil’s mask chanting “out with the demons, in with good fortune”. If…
Akomeya
Akomeya is a fabulous shop to stock up on pantry staples, rice, condiments, and tableware. There are a few branches at Nihonbashi Takashimaya, Shibuya, and Shinjuku. The main shop in Kagurazaka is organized over two floors and includes a restaurant. The beautiful space was designed by architect Kengo Kuma. Bookmark @akomeya_tokyo if you love cooking…
abats Charcuterie
Mind blown by the impressive line up of charcuterie at Kagurazaka abats charcuterie. Worth the journey across town. Pate de Campagne, duck and almond saucisson, truffle liver mousse, and pork rillettes. I will recreate a French bistro at home with Bricolage dinkel bread of spelt, pumpkin and sesame seeds. Bon appetit! abats Shinjuku-ku, Yamabukicho 332 …
Nagasaki Antenna Shop
Antenna shops are stores the features food and crafts representing one of Japan’s 47 prefectures. These are fantastic sources for hyper-local products and some also offer travel information if you’re visiting a prefecture. We love researching local train and bus schedules, museum exhibits, and find out about kyōdo ryōri local dishes. Some of the antenna…
Oden
It’s been cold in Tokyo and we had hot pots three times this week. Buta shabu shabu, imoni of taro root, beef, and vegetables, and oden, a hot pot of fish cakes. The style of oden we did was based on the fish cakes of the Hokuriku region including Toyama and Ishikawa. The colorful tai…
Mitaka Vegan
On a quiet residential street about five minutes from Mitaka Station is Hitokokyū. The vegetarian restaurant has a nutritious set lunch with main dish options like carrot croquette, vegetarian gyōza potstickers, and kurumabu wheat gluten cutlets. Diners pick either genmai brown rice or a kōso genmai, fermented brown rice with azuki beans. The meal is…
Kanda Maasha
Cool, quiet kissaten Maasha offers this bargain morning set for a ridiculous ¥450 ($3). Only a few of us sipping coffee. In reading a sports newspaper, one on his phone, the third tapping away at his laptop. The only distraction is when a hit from the 80s comes on and I stop writing so I…
Teishoku Shokudo
Teishoku is a set meal which can be a main dish, fish, meat, or vegetables, rice, miso soup, and pickles. The prices are very reasonable and the setting is casual. On a Sunday night Darumaya was busy with solo male diners. Lots of older men, probably single, coming in to get nourished. They are in…
Torpet Bakery
In #Tokyo we are spoiled for #bakeries. Love the #cardamom and #cinnamon buns at @torpet_bakery. A short walk from #Mitakadai Station in #Kodaira. The bakery is currently doing a pop up at Shinjuku Isetan department store. These are lovely #fika for #tea. 🥰 If I had to pick one I would choose the enticing cardamom…
Kazuya Izakaya
Kazuya izakaya specializes in seafood dishes. These casual drinking pubs are great spots to try seasonal seafood including sashimi. Shirako cod milt and ankimo monkfish liver also winter dishes that pair well with saké. Staff are friendly and a night out is very affordable. All of this for less than 14,000 yen ($100) which includes…
Kissa Streamer
Kissa Streamer is on a quiet back street of Nihonbashi. The kissaten coffee shop dates back 50 years. It has been brought back to life by the famous Streamer coffee company. I love the vibe here. The interior is a traditional kissaten. Low-backed wooden chairs, tables closer to the floor, and warm lighting. But the…
Tsuruya Yoshinobu
A truly unique experience is to watch a shokunin artist create a wagashi traditional confectionary right in front of you at Tsuruya Yoshinobu in Nihonbashi. This style of wagashi, called nerikiri, is made with a malleable white bean paste. The master works very quickly in creating these edible works of art. Guests are seated at…
Food Sake Tokyo 