Kacto in Kyoto is a newer restaurant in Kyoto that is located on the Kamogawa River. Kacto is part of the Tysons and Company group which has fabulous restaurants in Tokyo like Cicada, Ivy Place, and T.Y. Harbor. Chef David Chiddo oversees all of these kitchens. I had a short break from work so only…
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…
Chicken Izakaya
Chicken from Miyazaki prefecture is the theme of this casual izakaya chain called Tsukada Nōjō. Each meal starts with fresh vegetables and a miso dipping sauce – free refills of the miso! Woo hoo. Potato salad, charcoal-grilled chicken with a salty yuzu koshō, spring rolls, gyōza pot stickers stuffed into chicken wings, and fried chicken…
Matcha Latte
Thick matcha 🍵 poured over 🥛 milk is intense and delicious. Kikuya Chaho tea shop is a short walk from Kōriyama Station in Fukushima. Matcha latte is a reverse import from overseas. It’s also sold at Tsukiji Market at Matcha Stand Maruni. Kinako roasted soybean flour and kuromitsu black sugar syrup is like a caramel…
Bandai Atami Onsen in Fukushima
For Golden Week holidays we explored Fukushima in the Tōhoku region in northern Japan. On the first day we took the shinkansen to Kōriyama. Kōriyama is only one hour and fifteen minutes by shinkansen. Tourist information staff is very helpful. There is also an exhibit of local products by D&Department. A good reminder of products…
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…
Kyoto Poco Kissaten
Near Kyōto station is Poco kissaten. I picked it for breakfast as it was open from 6:00 a.m. The morning sando set is a bargain 650 yen ($5) and includes a cup of coffee. The sliver of a shop is in a retro building in a part of the city that is being completely rebuilt…
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…
Osaka Dotonbori
Dotonbori area in Osaka is a great part of the city to visit. It’s along a river and at night the city lights up. Jyuu en pan is a hot pancake like bread that is filled with cheese. It is shaped like a ten yen coin, hence the name jyuu en (ten yen) pan (bread)….
Osaka Kushikatsu
Kushi katsu 串かつ is a popular local dish in Osaka. Vegetables, meat, and seafood are skewered, breaded, and deep-fried. Kushi means skewer and katsu comes from the word cutlets for anything breaded and deep-fried. Kushi katsu is traditionally served with a sauce that is sweet and salty. Rampuya is a charming kushikatsu shop near the…
Osaka Tenjinbashi
I have family in Osaka and love visiting for seeing my loved ones, but also for the fun food culture. Osaka has many shōtengai shopping arcades, many of them covered, so even if it’s raining a visit won’t be dampened. Many of these arcades have street food. Tip – don’t eat and walk. Purchase your…
Osaka Onyado Nono
I am a big fan of the Onyado Nono hotel chain for it’s simple Japanese-style rooms, hot springs including an outdoor rotenburo, and free bowl of ramen at night. This branch is between Kitahama and Yodoyabashi stations in Ōsaka. Onyado Nono is part of the Dormy Inn chain. Members of their app can get free…
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…
Tokyo Edition Toranomon
I love the small luxury of having breakfast at nice hotels in Tokyo. The avocado toast at The Tokyo Edition hotel in Kamiyachō. Smashed avocado over grainy toast with two poached eggs. The Blue Room at The Edition is on the 31st floor. From my window seat I watch as people make their way to…
Handmade Soba
Koharu Biyori @koharubiyori.kokubunji in Kokubunji serves handmade soba noodles, onigiri, and a colorful variety of osōzai seasonal side dishes. It’s the restaurant to go to when we want to eat nourishing dishes. Broccoli with udo – a spring vegetable, squid, liver, and kabocha squash with raisins and walnuts. The rice is topped with ground pork…
Pizza Marumo
2023 October update. Pizza Marumo was just voted top ten pizzeria in the world by the Best Chef Awards. Pizza Marumo opened near Ebisu station in December of 2022. The pizza crust is delicate and with a high amount of water making it light. The menu of pizzas is also quite extensive. Hard to choose…
Nihonbashi La Fresa Kissaten
Finally made time to visit this historic kissaten old school coffee shop. This tuna sandwich morning set, with a boiled egg, salad, and fresh strawberries comes with a cup of siphon coffee is a bargain 550 yen ($4). Seriously, one of the best values in Tokyo. The regular customer who sat next to me got…
City Bakery
The deli plate at @citybakeryjapan. Only 990 yen ($7). There is also selection of breads, both sweet and savory. Many of my clients say that they feel like they are not getting enough vegetables when visiting Japan. So this is one option to get one’s fill of vegetables. Sadly City Bakery has closed in New York…
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…
Sakura Mochi
This time of year we are starting to see the early blossoming sakura cherry blossoms. The wagashi confectionary shops are starting to offer sakura mochi. There are many variations. Ginza Akebono’s sakura mochi is a sweet azuki red bean paste surrounded by a thin cherry colored pancake wrapped in an edible salted cherry tree leaf…
Amanoya Tamago Sando
Aiste Miseviciute of Luxeat introduced me to Amanoya tamago sando in Azabu Jūban. I visited the shop with her and she placed orders for their saké cake to bring back home as omiyage gifts. https://www.luxeat.com/ The egg sandwich is not the Tokyo style of boiled eggs with mayonnaise but the Kansai style of dashimaki tamago,…
Izakaya 101 Yama-chan
Yama-chan is a kid-friendly izakaya chain that specializes in tebasaki chicken wings. We went for an early dinner and there were about a half dozen kids, elementary age and younger in the restaurant with their families. The menu is filled with photos so just point if you don’t read Japanese. The drinks menu includes beer,…
Yamamotoyama Tea and Nori
When I worked at Nihonbashi Takashimaya twenty-some years ago I loved exploring the neighborhood. Lunch breaks. After work. Nihonbashi in the 17th Century was the merchants district of Tokyo, called Edo in those days. The first seafood market was here, before it moved to Tsukiji. Shops were concentrated here near the fish market. To this…
Chirashizushi and Inarizushi
Today is Girls Day, Hina Matsuri in Japan. A festival that families with young girls celebrate. Many homes will eat chirashi zushi, scattered sushi, this evening. Wagashi traditional confectionary sweets are also part of the festivities. We don’t have a girl at home, but are happy to enjoy sushi. Supermarkets and depachika are filled with…
Tsukiji Hoshino Coffee
My go-to Tsukiji coffee shop is Turret Coffee. Recently had a client who drinks tea so went instead to Hoshino Coffee. The morning service options includes coffee with a ham and cheese #toast for ¥730 ($5.40). The kissaten overlooks the main Tsukiji intersection. https://www.hoshinocoffee.com Tsukiji 4-7-5 Hoshino Coffee is located next to the Tokyo Sushi…
$3 Soba Noodles
It’s not unusual to find soba shops inside of stations in Japan. Many of them are tachigui stand-and-slurp styles as these are very quick meals. This shop, Irorian Kiraku, is in Yotsuya station. This shop had seats. Only 420 yen ($3) for a bowl of noodles for the morning special. sansai mountain vegetables wakamé sea…
Food Sake Tokyo 