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…
Tag: restaurants
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…
Pizza Marumo
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 as there are so many options including tomato, cheese, cream, and even mayonnaise based pizzas. https://pizza-marumo.com/menu.html This is the…
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…
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)….
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…
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…
The Origins of Katsu Curry
Katsu curry, tonkatsu pork cutlet with curry rice, originated at Grill Swiss in Ginza. Lunch starts with a small salad and an asari clam and bacon soup. The dark brown curry is made with minced pork and beef is rich with spices and is topped with tonkatsu (1,540 JPY or about $12). On this day…
Food Sake Tokyo 