Delightful #teishoku set lunch at #Nishiogikubo Shōan Bunko. Grouper katsu (breaded and deep-fried), ten different vegetables, miso soup, and rice from Hinata Yamazaki san. Dessert was cheese cake with salt and iced coffee. A nice way to forget about the heat and humidity which is hitting Tokyo at the moment. It’s also the lovely tableware…
Category: Tokyo
Hoshino
The udon noodles at Hoshino in Nihonbashi are mocchiri chewy. The Sanuki style of handmade udon noodles is a popular lunch spot. I usually get chilled noodles with a splash of soy sauce or in a chilled dashi broth. The meal is rounded out with vegetable tempura – maitake mushrooms, onions, sweet potato, and Satsuma…
Ueshima
The morning sets at Ueshima Kissaten. The coffee shops are quiet spots to enjoy coffee or get some work done. I love the small fresh salad, thick toast and egg dishes. The Toranomon shop plays jazz in the background. Japanese kissaten coffee shops often have morning sets of coffee and toast and a boiled egg,…
Zingaro
Nakano Broadway is ground zero for Japanese pop culture, particularly anime and manga. Artist Takashi Murakami has reopened his cafe Coffee Zingaro hidden away in the back of the building on the second floor. It’s a throwback to the 80s with the music and the tables which are also games like Donkey Kong that can…
Tuna Pasta
Japanese-style pastas are a great fusion food of Japan and Italy. This simple one is made with spaghetti, a can of tuna, yuzu koshō a paste made from green chili peppers, salt, and yuzu peel, that comes together with Sakura Kaneyo dashi jōyu. The soy sauce bottle contains a dried and smoked filet of skipjack…
Kugutsusō
Kugutsusō kissaten in Kichijōji is famous for its two year dry-aged coffee beans and spicy curry. The nel drip coffee is smooth. This is the morning set with thick toast, salad, and strawberry jam. I love the interior of the basement coffee shop. It feels like a cave. The wooden menu and salt and pepper…
Ajitaka
The lightest shaved ice 🍧 I have ever had. This one topped with a kabocha squash mousse with a hint of rum. The ice is made with spring water from Shinshū. The cafe is five minutes from Mitaka Station on the Chūō line. It is not far from the #GhibliMuseum. Strawberry and mango kakigōri from…
Kissaten Breakfast
Kissaten morning at Kanda Hobnob. Coffee, cucumber and tomato sando, two eggs and ham for a ridiculous 600 yen ($4.25). Quiet coffee shop on a side street. Hobnob also has a big menu that includes spaghetti, omu raisu (ketchup flavored rice topped with an omelet), and curry rice. It was hard to choose something for…
Harunaya
Just north of Ogikubo Station on Kyōkai Dōri shotengai street is Harunaya wagashi shop. The small shop has a colorful selection of Japanese confectionaries. This time of year the seasonal selection includes 青梅 aoumé, a green apricot shaped mochi filled with shiro an white bean paste and tart green apricot. The other traditional sweet is…
Woodberry Coffee
Woodberry Coffee is an excellent spot for coffee, salads, grilled cheese, and more. Woodbury has a few branches in Tokyo including in Shibuya. The Ogikubo branch is big with seating on three floors, including the rooftop. The Buddha Bowl salad includes quinoa, chickpeas, and a beet hummus. Woodberry Coffee Suginami-ku, Momoi 1-2-2 https://woodberrycoffee.com #foodsaketokyo #foodsakeogikubo…
Pelican Café
Pelican Bakery near Kappabashi is famous for its white bread. Pelican has a café for toast and sandwiches. The ham katsu sando is a thick slice of ham that is breaded and deep-fried. The katsu is covered with a thick sweet sauce. Potato salad and carrot soup to round out the meal. Popular shop, so…
Onigiri
Excellent onigiri shop Konga in the basement of the Akasaka Biz Tower. The cook apprenticed at the famous Otsuka Bongo onigiri 🍙 shop. Free refill of miso soup. 🥰 It is located near Akasaka Station. Follow the signs for Akasaka Biz Tower. Konga has opened a branch at Haneda Airport. I highly recommend this new…
Ikebukuro Tempura
Yamami is a fun tempura restaurant in Ikebukuro in the Sunshine Building. The shop is from Fukuoka so on the table are two classic condiments, mentaiko – spicy pollack roe, and karashi takana – a pickled green. The condiments are all-you-can eat. The tempura is brought to the table after it comes out of the…
Hotaka Kissaten
Hotaka kissaten at Ochanomizu Station opened in 1955. I love the velvet forest green booths and dark wood. The coffee here is very smooth. A simple toast, margarine, and orange marmalade is the morning menu. On a recent rainy morning the shop was quiet. A few solo customers reading a book and newspaper. I got…
Onigiri
The famous onigiri (or omusubi) restaurant Bongo has opened a sister shop in Shinjuku called Manma @onigiri_manma. We loved the onigiri. Mentaiko & cream cheese. Seasoned meat with a soy sauce-cured egg. Grilled salmon & sujiko salmon roe. My favorite was the bacon & cheese. The only side dishes are miso soup and tsukemono pickles….
Cheese Toast
Cheese toast at Dixans Patisserie et Café in Kanda, a short walk from Suidōbashi Station (and the Niwa Hotel). I have many clients staying at the Niwa Hotel. I hear such good things about the property. Great staff, nice rooms, and centrally located. It’s a good value hotel. Rates this week look to be about…
Bricolage Bakery
Avocado 🥑 toast at #Roppongi#Bricolage. My favorite bread in Tokyo is the dinkel (sp?) with grains. There is also a branch in #Shibuya #Tokyu #depachika. If the weather is good the outdoor seating is lovely. With owner and chef Namae Shinobu, one of Japan’s great chefs!
Corn Rice
Adding corn to a pot of rice with some seasonings is one of my favorite versions of takikomi gohan. Cooking ingredients with the rice is a technique called taki komi gohan. The seasoning for today was saké and dashi jōyu from Sakura Kaneyo. In the katsuobushi seasoned soy sauce bottle is a dried and smoked…
Kissa Royal
The morning set at Kissa Royal, only 650 yen ($4.75), includes coffee, toast, an egg, and a cabbage salad. Kissa is short for kissaten – the old school coffee shops. I love having breakfast at kissaten. Sometimes it is as simple as a piece of toast, boiled egg, and coffee. The shop was quiet. On…
Kyoto Incense
Kyoto Shoyeido has been making incense since 1705. The shop has a wide variety of products including non-burning sachets, that are not lit with a fire but that can be carried in a bag or used as a bookmark. I put a small sachet in my business card holder which infuses the cards. Incense culture…
Kyoto Shuiro
Near #HeianJinguShrine is a fantastic new shop and restaurant, Shuiro @shuiro_eatandcraft. There is a nice selection of tableware and kitchenware displayed in a brightly lit space. I love that it is open for breakfast. Stop by before or after an early visit to Heian Jingu Shrine which opens at 6:00 a.m. I recommend visiting the…
Chef Michael Anthony
Always a thrill to have a conversation with chefs. This time it was with chef Michael Anthony who is in Tokyo with a special Gramercy Tavern menu at Union Square Tokyo in Roppongi Midtown. Union Square Tokyo is in the Roppongi Midtown building. It’s a popular restaurant and was busy at lunchtime with a mix…
Kaiseki Kashiwaya
Kashiwaya is a small kaiseki restaurant on the quiet back streets of Nihonbashi. Chef Yoshiyuki Kashiwabara was the chef for ambassadors at Japanese consulates overseas. He moved back to Japan and it’s exciting to see him open his own restaurant. Here are some photos from a recent dinner there. Kaiseki are seasonal small dishes. Chef…
Jingoro
Local noodle shop for handmade udon and soba. This hearty serving of thick Musashino style udon and soba is less than $6. Jingoro 甚五郎 Tōkyō-to, Kokubunji-shi, Honchō 3-12-2 http://www.jingo6.com/sp/menu.html
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. 🥰
bread, espresso &
bread, espresso & is an excellent bakery with several branches including Omotesando and this café in Shibuya at Miyashita Park on the second floor. Breakfast morning set here includes cheesy toasts, including one with truffles, or this cheese omelet with salad. It was busy on a recent weekday morning open from 8:00 a.m. Popular shop…
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…
Bagel Breakfast
I was so excited at this cheap breakfast I spilled the coffee. Only 450 yen ($3.40) and it includes the coffee. Today’s bagel was kokutō or black sugar. The boiled egg comes with a bit of salt that is wrapped up in paper. I almost missed it at first as the paper package is so…
Tokyo Station Onigiri
The ongiri lunch I had yesterday was so good that I went back today. The onigiri is made with rice that is used for making saké, also called sakamai. The onigiri rice changed, today it was Asahimai. I selected mentaiko and tuna mayo, like a tuna salad. The other option was okaka, katsuobushi with soy…
Kyōto Pasta
While on the road in Japan I start to crave non-Japanese food. In #Kyōto we had a lovely #pasta meal using Kyōto ingredients. #Pontoiru is located in the Kyōto Station building #Porta on the 11th floor. The menu is quite big, but it was easy to go with the half-and-half sets. Two bowls of pasta…
Kyoto Daiki Suisan Sushi
When in doubt about where to eat my kid loves to request kaitenzushi, conveyor belt sushi. We ended up at Daiki Suisan @daikisuisan at the basement of the Kyoto Tower building when other restaurants in the area had super long lines. The Japanese love to eat at 12 noon. Daiki was good for kaitenzushi. A…
Osaka Lamu Supermarket
One of my favorite things to do while visiting new cities anywhere in the world is to seek out local supermarkets. Especially in Japan. Not big chains that I also have in Tokyo but local markets. In Osaka we checked out the mega discount Lamu. Outside of the supermarket this branch was selling six takoyaki…
Osaka Aloft Dojima
Aloft in the Marriott chain has a hotel in Osaka in Dojima. It’s a short walk from Osaka station. There is an underground mall that takes you about 50 steps from the front door of the hotel. It helped as it was raining on our departure day from Osaka so the underground passage was helpful….
Osaka Horai 551
One of my favorite Osaka rituals is to dine at Horai 551, a popular casual Chinese restaurant. The butaman pork buns are handmade. These are also sold to-go and are often brought back as omiyage gifts for family and friends. The menu selection is lean but includes many of the greatest hits including sweet and…
Tokyo Tips
Some articles and videos that may help you plan your time in Tokyo. Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/tips/visiting-tokyo-heres-how-ride-train-like-local/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/japan/tokyo-local-guide/?nid=btw_navbar_cities https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/japan/nihonbashi-neighborhood-tokyo/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/japan/monzennakacho-monnaka-neighborhood-tokyo/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/japan/nishi-ogikubo-neighborhood-tokyo/ AFAR: https://www.afar.com/magazine/how-traveling-in-japan-has-changed https://www.afar.com/magazine/traditional-japanese-food Eater: https://www.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-tokyo-japan Saveur: https://www.saveur.com/travel-guide-tokyo/ Condé Nast Traveler: https://www.cntraveler.com/sponsored/story/an-insiders-take-on-tokyos-best-foodie-finds Tokyo Weekender: https://www.tokyoweekender.com/author/yukari-sakamoto/ Metropolis for articles on restaurants, trends and tips for Tokyo: https://metropolisjapan.com/author/ysakamoto/ http://punchdrink.com/articles/this-is-what-tokyo-tastes-like/…
Easy Curry
We love curry in Japan. Most often we make it from scratch, but I do keep pre-cooked curry packs in our home for rainy days. These simply need to be cooked in the pack in hot water – usually for about 5-7 minutes. To cook in the microwave I open the pack and move the…
Cafe Haiti
Café Haiti has been serving dry curry since 1974. The shop is located in a basement mall near Shinjuku Station called Subnade. Cafe Haiti specializes in coffee and this dry curry dish. The curry is made with minced meat and finely chopped vegetables and is rich with spices. It is served over a bed of…
Muji Diner
Simple lunch at the Ginza Muji shokudō diner in the basement of the Ginza MUJI shop and hotel. The special set lunch this week is all about soybeans. Okinawan style yushi dōfu which is like a soup made from tōfu, ganmo fried tōfu, and unohana made from tōfu lees (okara). The rice, Yamagata Yukiwakamaru, was…
Unafuji Unagi
Unagi donburi at Unafuji in the new Midtown Yaesu building near Tokyo Station. The unagi is butterflied in the store, by a handsome fishmonger, behind a window. The fresh water eel is skewered is grilled over charcoal, glazed with a kabayaki sweet soy sauce, and served over a bowl of rice. Unafuji also serves a…
Sustainable Tuna
A tuna sushi meal that is made with farmed tuna from Kinki University. The fatty tuna is lean with a soft texture. There are only two restaurants in Japan that the whole menu is based on farmed seafood from Kinki University. Not just tuna, but also sea bream, yellowtail, and a hybrid of yellowtail and…
Yakisoba
Easy to cook Japanese food using supermarket products series. Yakisoba, stir-fried noodles, are a simple dish to make at home. We love the Maru-chan @maruchan_inc noodles that are sold in packs of three and include a powdered seasoning sauce. The noodles are delicious on its own, but most of the time we add pork and…
Vegetable Bentō
Met a girlfriend for lunch after eight years. We picked up noriben, nori bentō, from the basement of the Ginza Six department store and headed to the roof. I was so excited to try the vegetable version. Maitaké (hen of the wood mushrooms) tempura, yamaimo (mountain potato) and renkon (lotus root) is grated to a…
Renoir Kissaten
Renoir is a kissaten chain with branches throughout Tokyo. The morning set starts at only 60 yen (45 cents) on top of the price of a drink for a thick slice of toast, soup, and a hard boiled egg. Coffee starts at 730 yen ($5.50). The special sando morning set includes a teriyaki chicken sandwich…
Sakura Soba
Sakura are blossoming all over Tokyo. One of my go-to soba shops Akatsukian at Ginza Mitsukoshi is serving sakura soba that is made with the leaves from the cherry tree. Only ten servings are made daily so go early. The seasonal soba is only for two weeks, March 15-28. The meal started with saké in…
Tsukiji Nakagawaya
I love the pickles at Tsukiji Nakagawaya tsukemono shop. Nakagawaya has an amazing space near the entrance to the market – and across the aisle from Sushi Zanmai. There is a colorful selection of Japanese pickles including: misozuké – miso nukazuké – rice bran Narazuké – sake lees bettarazuké – daikon pickled in kōji, a…
Kaoriya Soba
Had a fantastic soba meal at Ebisu Kaoriya. Started with a flight of saké. Included a half-order of dashimaki tamago savory omelet, soba yaki miso, and tsukemono pickles. All very good. My favorite is always the miso with buckwheat groats. This one included julienned ginger. These three dishes are lovely with the nihonshu. The otameshi…
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…
Ochazuké
I am enjoying my #FoodSakeTokyo market tours so much. I love demystifying Japanese cuisine. Just last week I did a local supermarket tour with a client who has moved to Tokyo. We walked through her local supermarket introducing ingredients and products she can use in her daily life. She lived in Japan before so is…
Food Sake Tokyo 