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…
Tag: cheap eats
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
Ginza Vomero Pizza
The lunch set at Ginza Vomero is a selection of pastas and pizzas, appetizer plate, and coffee. A great value at ¥1430 ($10.50). Vomero is located behind the Kabukiza theater. It is between Tsukiji and the main Ginza shopping street. Vomero is a popular restaurant so avoid the main noon dining time. Several vegetarian options….
Okonomiyaki and Monjayaki
Okonomiyaki is the savory pancake that Osaka is famous for. The Tokyo version is called monjayaki and it’s the style I prefer. Not as much flour in the batter so parts of it are crispier. Konaya is a chain of restaurants where most diners do an all-you-can-eat plan. On weekends 1880 for 90 minutes ($14)….
Taiwan Dumplings in Kichijōji
Taiwanese food is trendy in Japan. In Kichijōji is an addictive roasted dumpling filled with beef and pepper (I think it was beef) at Roryu Koshi Mochi. The meat is highly seasoned with spices and pepper. The leeks are sweet and I think the dough was a little sweet. The dumplings are cooked like Indian…
Shinbashi Oniyanma Udon
Bowl of cold handmade udon noodles topped with tempura of chicken and chikuwa grilled fish cake at Shinbashi Oniyanma. Oniyanma is from Shikoku known for udon noodles. We’re lucky to have this in Tokyo. This casual tachigui stand-and-eat shop is near Shinbashi station. There is a vending machine in front of the shop. This is…
Okutama Tamagoyaki Omelet
Ranway near Okutama station in Western Tokyo serves dashimaki tamago made with so much dashi that the savory omelet is juicy. The menu is simple. Select from three types of eggs. We did ukokkei (Gallus gallus) red junglefowl chicken eggs (1,700 yen) and the white eggs (1,300 yen). The ukokkei set lunch comes with a…
Odamusubi Breakfast in Shinjuku Station
新宿駅のおにぎりモーニング。 Onigiri breakfast at Shinjuku station. Odamusubi is part of Odakyu department store. Diners have a selection of onigiri filled with tart umeboshi, pickled takana greens, spicy mentaiko cod roe, and more. The breakfast is rounded out with three small dishes and miso soup. I love that some of the onigiri is made with rice…
Nihonbashi Takashimaya Katsukichi Fried Oysters
My favorite fried oysters, kaki furai, in Tokyo is at Katsukichi. Katsukichi puts a few oysters in each fried oyster (at least two, maybe three or even four). A bit unwieldy at first, as I am used to eating much smaller ones, but it’s so delicious. I also love Katsukichi because diners can select white…
Kokubunji Tonki Tonkatsu
Tonki is a famous tonkatsu shop in Meguro, which dates back to 1961. It has a sister shop in Kokubunji, on the Chūō line, about 20 minutes west of Shinjuku. There was a line in front of the shop when we arrived, but not nearly as long as the lines I have experienced at the…
Shibuya Woodbury Coffee
Avocado toast at Woodbury Coffee located between Shibuya and Ebisu stations. Excellent espresso. Diners choose between a light or dark roast. Busy produce shop nearby. Branches in Daikanyama, Yoga, Gakugei Daigaku, and Ogikubo. My friend tells me the salads are delicious. Grateful to my friends for putting this on my radar. They love it so…
Avocado Udon at a Produce Shop
The avocado 🥑 udon 🍜 at Higashi-Ginza Daitsune. Daitsune is a produce shop, so expectations are high for good quality vegetables at this noodle shop on a quiet back street in Higashi-Ginza. Popular with local office workers it can get busy. There is a table out in front of the shop (or there was when…
Onsen Spas, Books, and Chilling Out
Some weekends we spend half a day chilling out at onsen hot springs. It’s relaxing to soak in the warm waters, especially rotenburo outdoor hot springs with the cold breeze in the air. There are several types of hot springs to try. Ryusenji no Yu is a chain of hot springs centers. It’s like a…
Tsukiji Gyūdon at Kitsuneya
Kitsuneya at #Tsukiji Market is famous for offal (horumon in Japanese). The sliver of a shop also has a delicious #gyūdon, #beef #donburi #rice bowl. Napa cabbage #tsukemono pickles rounds out the meal. The leaves are squeezed into a tight bundle. Sprinkle with shichimi seven spice. Peel away the cabbage in layers. Kitsuneya is super…
Tokyo Station Aroma Kissaten
Aroma is a kissaten in the underground Yaechika mall at Tokyo Station. It is on the Yaesu side of Tokyo Station. Yae short for Yaesu and chika for basement. Aroma’s morning set is a bargain 600 yen ($4.50). Coffee, boiled egg, thick cut toast, butter, jam, and azuki sweet red bean paste. The siphon coffee…
Saito’s Coffee Kissaten
Saito’s Coffee has been in business since 1948 (Showa 23). On a quiet back street between Kanda Station and Mitsukoshi department store. Before work the kissaten coffee shop was quiet. Most of the customers walked in for a cup of hand drip coffee for a bargain 250 yen ($1.90). To sit down inside away from…
Salmon and Ikura Rice at Tsukiji
Delicious start to the day at Tsukiji Tadokoro Shokuhin, a fish roe specialty shop. The eat-in counter has rice and pasta dishes with ikura (salmon roe), tarako and mentaiko (both from pollack roe). There is also onigiri or omusubi rice balls stuffed with roe for take-away. This is rice sauteed in butter and soy sauce…
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…
Kaitenzushi Haneda Ichiba at Tokyo Station
Haneda Ichiba is a kaitenzushi conveyor belt sushi inside of Tokyo Station. The company sends seafood directly from the fisherman to their restaurants. Fresh seafood at a better price as the product does not go through Toyosu Market. It’s a fun shop. Perfect on this day as I was with my kid. https://hanedaichiba.com
Fried Chicken in Matsumoto
Fried chicken at Shizuka near Matsumoto Castle. Sanzokuyaki 山賊焼 fried chicken is a local specialty in Matsumoto, Nagano. I love fried chicken and this one was crispy and juicy. Shizuka is an izakaya traditional Japanese pub. In the evening nihonshu flows and there is a long list of saké-friendly small bites like basashi horse sashimi,…
Matsumoto Kissa Senzu Wagashi
Kissa Senzu serves modern and traditional wagashi sweets inside of the historic Kaiundo confectionary shop, opened in 1884 in Matsumoto. Monaka, a crispy wafer is served with a flight of three types of red beans (smooth, chunky, and whole). A fun way to compare the textures. Dorayaki of two small pancakes stuffed with sweet anko…
Metoba Soba in Matsumoto
Metoba is a soba shop on the Metoba river that flows through Matsumoto in Nagano. Nagano is famous for its harvest of buckwheat grains for soba. I asked if there were any local dishes we could try and was recommended the soba pancake called soba usuyaki (literally thin and grilled). A bit thinner than Western-style…
Tachikawa Rainbow Spice Curry
Rainbow Spice, just one minute from Tachikawa station’s South exit, is sliver of a shop. Seven counter seats overlooking an itsy-bitsy kitchen. Rainbow Spice makes the curries from scratch and doesn’t use flour but yogurt as a thickener. This lunch was a double curry of a pork vindaloo, tart from wine vinegar with tender meat,…
Matsumoto cohiludo Oyaki
We are visiting Matsumoto in Nagano for winter holidays. One of our first stops was at the charming cohiludo café. It is on the main street leading to Matsumoto Castle from the station. Oyaki are stuffed dumplings, a local dish from Nagano prefecture. My favorite is the Nozawana, a mustard green leaf – also a…
Onigiri at Tokyo Station
Onigiri, also called omusubi, #Japanesebreakfast at #TokyoStation Honnoriya. I was craving roe so picked mentaiko spicy pollack roe and ikura salmon roe. Include miso soup with carrots, spinach, and fried tōfu. Diners select from one of @marukome_family’s four miso flavors. I chose sea bream which was oishii delicious. There is a small eat-in section and…
Tonki Tonkatsu
Old school #tonkatsu in a #Ginza basement. Grated daikon and ponzu is recommended by the shop and was delicious. #Tonjiru #miso soup of pork and vegetables. とん㐂 #Tonki Chūō-just, Ginza 6-5-15
Salmon Ikura Pasta
Starting the day with #salmon and #ikura #pasta at #Tsukiji Market Tadokoro Shokuhin. Buttered noodles makes this lip-smacking good. They have the same dish with buttered rice! https://www.tsukiji.or.jp/english/shoplist/cat-a/cat-3/086/
Mikado Kissaten Hot Dog Breakfast
The morning hot dog set at Mikado kissaten in Nihonbashi. Mikado has been roasting coffee beans and serving coffee since 1948. The shop is also famous for its mocha soft serve. Service here is very kind. Tokyo-to, Chūō-ku, Nihonbashi Muromachi 1-6-7 https://mikado-coffee.com
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…
Parlour Kimuraya Kissaten
The morning coffee set at Kimuraya kissaten in the Shinbashi Building near Shinbashi station. Thick toast, boiled egg, and coffee for 490 yen ($3.50). I added a salad and was tickled. Fun presentation – and pineapples! I love these retro coffee shops. The music playing was from when I lived in Japan in the 80s…
Dinner after Ben Fiddich
Just around the corner from Bar Ben Fiddich on a quiet pedestrian side street is a local tonkatsu-ya, Tonchinkan 豚珍館。The assistant bartender at Ben Fiddich had recommended it for “good tonkatsu and bad service”. He also warned us that there most likely would be a line. We didn’t see a line when we turned the…
Yakisoba Temple
Jimbocho’s Mikasa is a temple to yakisoba, even the noodles are made from scratch here. Yakisoba is a humble dish. Noodles stir-fried with vegetables and a protein and seasoned with a sauce or salt and dusted with aonori, an aromatic sea vegetable. It’s a messy dish and is not photogenic, but would win a congeniality contest as…
Soba-ya Amongst the Love Hotels
Fukudaya is a traditional soba-ya on a narrow pedestrian street in the love hotel area on the Shibuya backstreets. The clientele is smart, ranging from fashionable youth to elderly warmly welcomed as regulars. The soba is light and the serving size is generous. Just minutes from the station on the 2nd floor above a 7-11. The…
Omusubi Gonbei
Rice balls, onigiri or omusubi, may be Japan’s greatest comfort food. I wrote about onigiri for a column on Japanese breakfast in Tokyo for The Japan Times. Omusubi Gonbei is a short walk from Shibuya station. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2016/09/02/food/onigiri-japans-perfect-morning-meal/#.WBqdxeF96Cc Omusubi Gonbei おむすび権米衛 Shibuya-ku, Shibuya 1-7-3 渋谷区渋谷1-7-3 03-3498-2556 opens 8 a.m., weekdays, 9 a.m. weekends and holidays http://www.omusubi-gonbei.com/shoplist/tokyo/shibuya/aoyama.html
Meruhenk Sandwiches
Japanese sandwiches are my go-to meal when I am on the run, even before onigiri rice balls. Meruhen is my favorite sandwich shop and if I am not near one, then some of the convenience stores like 7-11, Lawson, or Family Mart, also has great sandwiches. The sandwiches are built on crustless pain de mie (white bread)….
Food Sake Tokyo 