My eating life in Tokyo

Nice izakaya chain in Akasaka

2013-05-17T00:11:00.002+09:00

Izakaya is a kind of gastropub in Japan where young and old enjoy drinking and eating reasonably. The number of izakaya is more than stars in Japan, and it is difficult even for Japanese which one we should choose for drinking party. Generally, most of izakayas are averagely good, but we can't make big mistake. If we select bad one, we are seen as "incapable" in socializing:) The other day, I chose an Akasaka (赤坂) branch of "Banya (番屋)", an izakaya chain and it was unexpectedly good.

Entrance of "Banya"

Corridor

Private room

Sesame tofu with sea urchin

Sashimi platter

Shabu shabu

Salad

Fish cake

Tempura

Udon

Strawberry sorbet

Banya comprises only private rooms so that we can concentrate on talking within own group. This is a very good point. The interior is modern and the atmosphere is stable because of dark lighting. Sometimes, there are less clean izakayas, but cleanness of Banya was high. Food quality was above than this kind of big chain izakayas. Sesame tofu and sashimi platter were delicate enough. Shabu shabu using pork was also tasty. Acceptance!

The variety of drinking menu might be average as an izakaya. But within JPY5,000, you can enjoy the set meal (see the above pictures) and all-you-can-drink for 2 hours at night. Access of Akasaka branch is good. Only 1 minute from Tokyo Metro Akasaka Station. If you face difficulty to choose an izakaya chain, Banya might be one option. My rating is 2.9 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

Banya Akasaka (番屋赤坂)　http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g036902/

Flavorful and nutritious Chinese dishes of Hotel Okura

2013-05-09T22:55:00.002+09:00

Hotel Okura (ホテルオークラ) is one of the best hotel brands in Japan, whose head hotel is located in Toranomon (虎ノ門). As Okura is a bit far from any metro/subway stations, as a hidden spot in the center of Tokyo, political/business meetings are often held. The possibility of seeing celebrities is high. I like Okura’s stable and sophisticated service, but to be honest, their facilities are quite old. This point is a bit regrettable.

Lobby of Hotel Okura Tokyo

Entrance of "Tokarin"

Inside

Table setting

Cold starter

Shark's fin soup

Deep fried spring rolls

Fried squid with seasonal vegetables

Fried pork with sweet vinegar

Fried rice with shrimp, meat and vegetables

Sesame dumplings

Almond jelly

The other day, I had a chance to visit their Chinese restaurant called “Tokarin (桃花林)” at lunch time. The interior is gorgeous with Chinese furniture. In contrast to the silent outside, most of the tables were occupied by customers. The service was definitely nice. Staff smoothly served dishes as we requested. Lunch set meal we ordered was JPY4,400 including 10% service charge per person, which might be a bit expensive for lunch.

But we could be fully satisfied with the nice meal. Every dish was delicious. Of course, any chemical seasoning is not used. Rich bouillon made by variety of ingredients was the basis of the good taste. The taste was very gentle but rich as a whole. I liked soup of shark’s fin, deep-fried spring rolls, and sesame dumplings, particularly. The balance of the course was favorable. My rating is 4 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

Hotel Okura (ホテルオークラ) http://www.hotelokura.co.jp/tokyo/

Tokarin (桃花林) http://www.hotelokura.co.jp/tokyo/restaurant/list/tohkalin/

Kushiage tasting in a traditional building in Nezu

2013-05-07T23:09:00.000+09:00

Han-tei (はん亭) is a kind of landmark of Nezu (根津). Most of traditional wooden buildings in Tokyo were burnt during the Great Kanto earthquake and the World War II, but Han-tei's building constructed in Meiji era has been fortunately survived. It is nowadays designated as a tangible cultural asset. In the traditional Japanese-style building, we can enjoy "kushiage", fried vegetables, seafood and meat on skewer.

Han-tei (tangible cultural asset)

Inside (wall)

Ground floor of "Han-Tei"

Amuse

Fried shrimp and fried ginger with meat

Fried sweetfish and fried broad bean

Marinated horse mackerel

Fried tofu and fried beef

Fried scallop and fried mushroom

Soupy rice with laver, pickles and miso soup

Almond pudding with mango sauce

Han-tei always prepares 36 seasonal ingredients for kushiage. The first set is six skewers of six different ingredients. If you want to taste more, you can order additionally by one skewer. Actually, their kushiage is very sophisticated and delicious. Each fresh ingredient is carefully cooked before making it fry. Everything is fried, but we can continually eat without getting tired and feeling heavy stomach. Fresh cabbage, carrot and cucumber are also served with kushiage for refreshing the mouth.

If you never experience kushiage, I recommend you to go Han-tei. The price is a bit above than ordinary kushiage restaurants/shops. The lunch set meal we ordered was JPY3,700 on weekend. But beside kusgiage, even small amuse and soupy rice were tasty. My rating is 3.5 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

Han-tei (はん亭) http://www.hantei.co.jp/nedu.html

Ordinary cakes of a cake chain

2013-05-07T21:33:00.001+09:00

BOUL' MICH (ブールミッシュ) is a Japanese confectionery company which has started since 1973. Nowadays there are their cake shops all over Japan, mostly in department stores. But the price setting is not so high. Each fresh cake costs around JPY400. BOUL'MICH is a homey and friendly cake chain.

Mousse of mascarpone with orange and passion fruits

Milk pudding with earl gray flavor

Same as the image, the taste is also average. There is no specific feature of their cakes, but simply good. Not for special occasion, but for moments you want to treat yourself, buying cakes of BOUL'MICH might be suitable. My rating is 2.4 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

BOUL' MICH (ブールミッシュ) http://www.boulmich.co.jp/top.html

A French restaurant newly opened in Nezu

2013-05-02T22:57:00.001+09:00

Just close to the exit No. 2 of the Nezu metro station (根津駅), a French restaurant named "un petit tour (アンプティトゥール)" has been newly opened since one or two month ago. Previously, there was a casual (and a bit shabby) izakaya at the same place, but now the interior has been renovated very much. The restaurant is small, but its atmosphere is moderately formal. Not a casual bistro.

Entrance of "un petit tour"

Inside

Amuse (meat patty)

Rye bread

Salmon carupaccio

Soup

Cod Saute

Grilled chicken

Assorted dessert

Coffee

Lunch set meal is available from JPY2,650 per person. Not large variety of selection in the menus. There were only two options in each category. For this kind of small restaurant, preparing many selections might be risky in terms of business.

The taste was above than that of bistros but below than good restaurants. Delicate but not so impressive like a superb restaurant. But I could imagine the chef of the restaurant would be a gentle person as I noticed some kind of sensitivity in each dish. If the price is a little bit less expensive, we could be more satisfied. My rating is 2.9 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

un petit tour (アンプティトゥール) http://un-petit-tour.net/index

Popular Japanese hamburger chain

2013-04-29T20:04:00.000+09:00

MOS BURGER (モスバーガー) is a popular Japanese hamburger chain which does business in Japan and Asia. We call it just as "MOS (モス)" and MOS is intermediate between cheep mega chains like MacDonald's and hamburger specialty shops whose burger is more than JPY1,000. MOS's shop is like a cozy cafe. Interior is light and clean.

MOS BURGER

Inside

Salad and clam chowder

Mos cheese burger and onion ring and french fry

MOS's burgers are from JPY320 to JPY500. They stick to "Japaneseness" and there are also "rice burgers" in their products. We can eat just-made hamburgers after ordering. Taste is generally gentle as food additive is not used. Their quality control on food security is high, and we can enjoy their products in relief. They use domestic ingredients and disclose the names of producers on each item. If you travel to Japan, you can try MOS as an experience in Japan! My rating is 2.6 out of 5. Gochiso-samamdeshita!

MOS BURGER (モスバーガー) http://www.mos.co.jp/index.php

Local sushi shop near Ryokan SAWANOYA in Yanaka

2013-04-29T00:44:00.000+09:00

On a small street in Yanaka (谷中), I found a small sushi shop that I haven't entered yet. I also noticed only English menu is displayed in front of the shop. The shop is "Yaguruma (八車)" ran by an edokko sushi master. According to him, as Yaguruma is close to a Japanese-style ryokan called "Sawanoya(澤の屋)" which is popular among overseas travelers, he has opportunities to receive foreign customers. Rather, there was no Japanese menu:)

Entrance of "Yaguruma"

Tuna rolled sushi

Flatfish and tuna

Flatfish, tuna and squid

Shell

Sea urchin, scallop, salmon caviar and rolled egg

Pickles

The shop is small, but very clean. Many sushi ingredients are well prepared in the show-case of the counter. If we order, the edokko master served sushi so quickly that we had to hurry eating (actually, edokko is famous as impatient...). The ingredients are not so bad, but sushi is a bit old-fashioned. Whether good or bad, the taste would be good on average. No specific feature.

The most superior set at lunch time costs JPY2,800 per person.The price setting is normal. If you want to enjoy local atmosphere with classic sushi, you may choose this sushi shop. For better sushi, there might be other options...My rating is 2.5 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita! 　

Tofu izakaya in Shibuya

2013-04-28T23:37:00.001+09:00

A drinking party was held at an izakaya whose specialty is tofu, soybean curd in Shibuya (渋谷). I visited this izakaya named "SORANO (空野)" for the first time in more than 5 years, but it is well maintained and still popular. Its Japanese modern architecture makes the atmosphere good. It might be suitable even for date. As tofu is healthy, women who care about weight might be happy.

Entrance of SORANO

Corridor

Japanese-style private room

Amuse

Salad

Grilled tofu with sweet miso paste

Tofu is made just in front of us.

Just made tofu!

Grilled chicken

Fried tofu

Rice with dried tofu

Soy milk cheese cake

In spite of the chain izakaya, dishes are moderately delicate and tasty.Grilled tofu with sweet miso paste was yummy. Demonstration of making tofu in front of us was also nice. But the portion was a bit small....you know, tofu itself is light that we cannot easily be full. Accordingly, even after eating a set meal, I couldn't be so much full. If you are big eater, you may need to go to a hamburger shop.

Considering the price, we may have no choice. A set meal including all-you-can-drink costs JPY4,500 per person for two hours. Service by young staff is good. My rating is 2.7 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

SORANO (空野) http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g775401/

Japanese curry named Indian curry

2013-04-22T21:50:00.000+09:00

A famous Japanese curry chain of Osaka has a branch in TOKIA (トキア) in Marunouchi (丸の内) since eight years ago. The name is "Indian Curry (インディアンカレー)" and its symbol is an Indian man with a white turban and white beard.Maybe more than 60 years ago, when curry was just becoming a national food of Japan, the shop owner used the image of India which is the origin of curry. (But in reality, I think most Indian people don't put turban except Sikhs.)

Indian Curry in TOKIA

Cabbage pickles

Curry and rice!

The shop's name is Indian Curry, but they offer Japanese-style curry and rice. The curry uses beef, spices, various vegetables, and fruits. The taste is unique and different from ordinary Japanese curry. Sweet but very hot. The complex harmony can be addictive. We can't experience this specific taste other than here. In spite of this hot flavor, I could eat it up as it is delicious.

A curry and rice costs JPY730. Service is very quick. In few minutes, the meal is served. My rating is 3.5 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

Indian Curry (インディアンカレー) http://www.indiancurry.jp/

TOKIA (トキア)　http://www.marunouchi.com/tokia/

Soft pancake of bills Odaiba

2013-04-21T01:36:00.001+09:00

When going for a drive, we tend to go Odaiba (お台場) because atmosphere is nice with the Tokyo Bay and there are many malls having large parking. The other day, I tried pancake of "bills (ビルズ)" at DECKS Tokyo beach (デックス東京ビーチ). Bills is a diner started in Sydney, whose pancake using ricotta cheese is very popular. There are four branches in/around Tokyo and there are always long queues for tasting the pancake.

Rainbow Bridge

DECKS Tokyo Beach

Bills Odaiba

Porgy carupaccio with avocado and grapefruit

Fried pork with herbs and watermelon

Bills' specialty "Ricotta pancake"

As I didn't want to wait, we visited around 22pm and easily enter without reservation. The interior is woody modern and nice lighting made the atmosphere good. Through the window, we can see the beautiful Rainbow Bridge. The selection of menu is not so wide.The price is approx. JPY1,500 for each dish.

The taste was much better than expectation.They use fruits with dishes and the combination was very fresh and tasty. A main dish of fried pork with various herbs and watermelon was impressive. The taste of Juicy pork was well balanced with refreshing watermelon.

Their specialty of "ricotta pancake" was definitely wonderful. Soft and airy texture. Rich taste with ricotta cheese. The balance of sweetness and saltiness was good, created by pancake, honey batter, maple syrup and banana. I am fully convinced for the long lines. My rating is 3.8 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

bills (ビルズ) https://bills-jp.net/
DECKS Tokyo beach (デックス東京ビーチ) http://www.odaiba-decks.com/

Nice Japanese lunch in an underground private room in Toranomon

2013-04-18T23:57:00.000+09:00

As written repeatedly, Toranomon (虎ノ門)-Kasumigaseki (霞が関) is a barren area of good restaurants. In particular, we have few restaurants sophisticated enough for treating someone in a bit formal atmosphere. Against this, a Japanese restaurant called "Okiagari-Koboshi (起き上がり小法師)" is one of the better selections here. Though the restaurant is located underground in a building, it consists of only beautiful private rooms. Every female staff puts kimono.

Entrance decorated with seasonal flowers

A private room in Okiagari-Koboshi

Amuse

Shokado bento (dishes in a black-lacquered box)

Rice, miso soup and pickles

Soy milk cheese cake

Coffee

Dishes are delicate. The taste in reality is more than the above pictures:) Shokado-bendo (松花堂弁当), Japanese traditional bento in a black-lacquered box which contains several main- and side-dishes are JPY2,420 per person at lunch time. Each item such as sashimi, tempura, grilled fish, etc. was cooked carefully and differently so that we could enjoy at once.

Service is on time and it is quite suitable for business lunch. Walls between private rooms might be thick. We can enjoy our conversation in a calm environment. Having such a short break during the work is quite refreshing that we can get energy for afternoon work. My rating is 3.2 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

(起き上がり小法師) http://r.gnavi.co.jp/p392100/

An elegant house French restaurant in Aoyama

2013-04-18T00:09:00.003+09:00

A farewell party was held at a house French restaurant named "Manoir d' Inno (マノワールディノ) " in the silent residential area of Aoyama (青山). The house is a bit old semi-Japanese and western style building with a beautiful garden. The restaurant itself is very calm and relaxing. Maybe only matured adults visit. It's like a socializing place for (rich) adults. Behavior of service staff is also elegant.

Gate of "Manoir d' Inno"

Inside

Mousse of broad beans with caviar

Jelly of seafood

Grilled white fish with rich girolle sauce

Grapefruit sorbet

Grilled lamb with red wine sauce

Berry salad with passion fruit sauce

Coffee

Petite fours

Dishes are tasty as expected. Traditional and orthodox style of French dishes which use butter, rich cream, etc. These items are not good for health if we eat much daily, but it is also true they make the taste more delicious and give impact. A fish dish with girolle and cream sauce was superb. Good aroma of girolle and rich sauce were very impressive.

But the composition of dishes are well planned. After the heavy two main dishes, dessert was very light: berry salad with passion fruit sauce. The balance is nice and I didn't feel heavy stomach. I also enjoyed seeing beautiful plate of each dish. This high investment makes customers more pleasant. Dinner can be available from JPY8,400 and 10% service charge. My rating is 4 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

Manoir d' Inno (マノワールディノ) http://www.manoirdinno.com/

Famous cake shop having security guard in Ueno-sakuragi

2013-04-17T00:20:00.003+09:00

In Ueno-Sakuragi (上野桜木) whose meaning is "Ueno's cherry threes", there is a small but very famous cake shop called "Patissier Inamura Shozho(パティシェイナムラショウゾウ)." Around the shop, there are many cherry tress as the name suggests. There are always long queues in front of the shop and security guards manage the lines. You would be surprised to see many people waiting suddenly in a calm resident area.

Patissier Inamura Shozo

Specialty "strawberry rolled cake"

"Savarin"

Another specialty "Mont Blanc-Ueno Mountain "

"Momoka", cake of champagne and peach

But everyone would understand the reason once you taste the cakes of Inamura Shozo. Perfect. Very sophisticated and delicious. His cakes are at higher level even compared to other famous cake shops. One of his specialty is strawberry rolled cake and the appearance is quite normal. But I can't find this impressive taste other than Inamura Shozo.

Mr. Inamura's professionalism is also very impressive. In spite of his fame, whenever I go, he always still makes cakes with other staff. He could widen his business more, but he maintains only this shop and chocolate shop (see previous visit). Not so commercial. Also, the price is maintained reasonable at around JPY500. My rating is definitely perfect: 5 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

Patissier Inamura Shozho(パティシェイナムラショウゾウ) http://www.inamura.jp/

Sushi chain opened for 24 hours

2013-04-16T00:29:00.000+09:00

One of the mega sushi chains in Tokyo is "Sushi Zanmai (すしざんまい)" that you can find every amusement center in Tokyo. Sushi Zanmai is also famous that they made the top bid for the first tuna of 2013 and the price was surprisingly more than million dollar just for one tuna! But their value is fully equivalent to their fame.

Sushi Zanmai (you can easily find this display everywhere.)

Sushi counter

Tuna!!

Variety of sushi

Miso soup with clam

Their sushis are delicious enough for their reasonable price. One piece can be available from JPY100. Particularly, I recommend tuna to taste. Of course, considering the price, frozen tuna is used but the quality is high. Their frozen technique might be high. On the other hand, expensive sushi items seem second best. Tasting orthodox sushis would be correct. But I am convinced you can be satisfied!

Many of their branches are opened for 24 hours. Even you are alone, easy to enter. Staff members are cheerful and trained well generally. Even if their English is not good, you can order what you want to eat by seeing the full picture menus. My rating is 3 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

Sushi Zanmai (すしざんまい) http://www.kiyomura.co.jp/

Finally...bought a tablet

2013-04-14T22:58:00.001+09:00

Our life is surrounded by many digital devices, isn't it? In my case, I have...a customized desk top, several laptops, a smart phone, several portable music and game players, etc. and couldn't find necessity for tablet at all. However...just "having" this kind of new item might be meaningful to follow the trend. Finally, I bought a "Xperia Tablet Z" of SONY which has been just newly sold since yesterday (actually it is exciting to buy something on the first day)!

SONY's Xperia Tablet Z

What I like of this Xperia is the world's thinnest tablet at this moment and the stylish design. Sensitivity and motion are very nice. Most of all, very light. No stress. I thought tablet might be extra as mentioned above, but in reality, it is...good! Checking the web on the sofa is nicer than expected.

Recently, I also received a digital book device called "kobo" of Rakuten (楽天) free of charge. The size is just middle between smart phone and usual tablet. The screen color is white and black for eyes so that we could read long. It might be good, but, in this case, I still prefer real books. Paperback books in Japan are already compact and easy to carry. It would take more time for me to fully use this book device. Maybe if I get much older, reading with bigger font might be convenient:)

Xperia Tablet Z http://www.sony.jp/tablet/xperia/Z/

kobo http://www.rakuten.ne.jp/gold/rakuten24-kobo/ereaders/koboglo/?scid=wi_kb_top_header_tab_ereaders

Great Udon in an old Japanese storehouse in Nezu

2013-04-12T00:00:00.001+09:00

In Nezu (根津), we have a popular udon restaurant called "Kamachiku (釜竹)" which is famous for long queues. A landmark of Kamachiku located in the residential area is an old Japanese storehouse used for the restaurant. The interior is Japanese modern style. Good atmosphere. Though we have to sit together with unknown people, we have no choice for great udon.

Kamachiku (using an old Japanese storehouse)

Inner garden of Kamachiku

Inside (storehouse area)

Sesame tofu

vegetable tempura

Grilled cod fish in Western Kyoto style

Seasonings for udon

Udon

Price is reasonable. Their several types of udon cost around JPY900 while other side dishes are around JPY600. Set meal is available from JPY2,000(two-days prior reservation is necessary). In spite of the reasonable price, every dish is cooked in a very careful manner and, of course, delicious. In particular, their famous Udon is wonderful!

I understand the long queues. We can enjoy the thick and moderately chewy texture in the mouth. Hot udon soup made of bonito bouillon is sophisticated. Not salty and drinkable. The udon portion is big, but we can continue eating adding various seasoning such as chopped leak, ginger, crunchy tempura, etc. Self-adjustment is enjoyable:) My rating is 4 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

Kamachiku (釜竹) http://www.kamachiku.com/

My favorite "famires", Royal Host

2013-04-11T01:09:00.001+09:00

Family restaurants, namely diners are called as "famires (ファミレス)" here and loved by young and old. Many of them are opened for 24 hours and we can easily find everywhere in Japan. At any hand, convenient, reasonable and tasty! The variety of selection is quite wide. Generally, Japanese including yoshoku, Chinese, Italian and American dishes are available. One of my bests is "Royal Host (ロイヤルホスト)!!"

Royal Host

Inside of Royal Host

Carrot mousse

Onion gratin soup

Fried shrimp

Seafood cream pilaf

Clubhouse sandwich

Royal Host is originated in Fukuoka (福岡), the biggest city in Kyusyu (九州) and now develops their business all over Japan. Royal Host is a bit high-ranked one among famires. Even so, price is reasonable. Main dishes are around JPY1,000 and side dishes are about JPY500. Small dream of childhood can come true here that we order anything without checking price. Taste is more than the price. Especially, yoshoku is very nice. Recommendable!

We can stay as long as possible. People spend time freely. Some are chatting long and others are sometimes studying. It's like a public space where we can order nice meals. I can always enjoy Royal Host very much:) My rating is 4 out of 5 (actually, I am very impressed by their high performance compared to the price). Gochiso-samadeshita!

Royal Host (ロイヤルホスト) http://www.royalhost.jp/index.php

Gone with the wind...but

2013-04-09T23:27:00.001+09:00

Strong wind on last weekend made cherry blossoms be fallen...sad. I look forward to seeing another beautiful cherry next year. Currently, another type of cherry called "yae-zakura" has been in full bloom.

Gone with the wind....someiyoshino

Yae-zakura

Gorgeous!

While usual cherry called "someiyoshino" is elegant and noble, yae-zakura is gorgeous and pretty. Japanese generally prefer someiyoshino, its ephemeral and modest figure. But yae-zakura is also lovely. Their vivid pink blossoms cheers us up very much. Look up flowers if you walk outside:)

Dream-Japanese restaurant of childhood

2013-04-08T22:59:00.000+09:00

When I was just around six or seven year's old, a rich friend of my parents brought me to a gorgeous Japanese restaurant called "Seryna (瀬里奈)" in Roppongi (六本木) and we tasted very delicious shabu shabu there. Wonderful experience. The name of the restaurant was deeply craved into my memories then. Now, I am surprised to know the fact that I am matured enough to visit Seryna by myself...

Entrance plate of Ginza Seryna

Inside of Seryna

Table setting

Amuse (Blowfish jelly and crab salad with avocado)

Sashimi (shrimp and tuna)

Japanese-style boiled vegetable

Fried scallop

Wagyu beef steak

Japanese sake

Rice and miso soup

Rare cheese cake and tea

This time, I went to a Ginza (銀座) branch which is located on the underground of Tiffany's. Staff putting kimono welcomes customers. The atmosphere is formal that rich elderly people enjoyed lunch on weekend. Maybe on weekday, this restaurant would be mostly used for business entertaining. The lunch we ate was JPY5,775 per person with additional 10% service charge (I forgot to take a picture of one dish).

The taste was of course...nice...but moderate for expensive Japanese restaurants. Tender Japanese wagyu beef steak was exceptionally impressive, but except that, I couldn't be touched by other dishes like when I was a child. Miso soup was just like the one I cook at home. My taste sense might be improved? Mixed feeling. Maybe next time, I would try shabu shabu there! My rating is 3.2 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

Seryna (瀬里奈) http://www.seryna.co.jp/index.html

Delicious Chinese dishes at Hotel New Otani

2013-04-07T23:41:00.002+09:00

A bit gorgeous diner at a Chinese restaurant named "Taikan En (タイカンエン)" of Hotel New Otani (ホテルニューオータニ) in Akasaka (赤坂) for celebrating the birthday of my loved one. On Saturday, tables were fully occupied in this luxury restaurant. Staff seemed so busy, but thankfully, they reserved a window seat for us to see the beautiful Tokyo Tower.

Hotel New Otani

Lobby of Hotel New Otani

Entrance of Taikan En

Inside of Taikan En

Toast with sparkling wine

Amuse

Chinese rice wine

Stewed shark's fin

Fried shrimp, scallop and spring vegetables

Beijing duck rolled by rice crepe

Fried beef with mushrooms

Fried rice and soup of white cloud ear mushroom

Pudding, custard ban and fruit

Happy Birthday!

Dinner was superb. Very delicate and delicious. Definitely high-rank Chinese dishes. Strong spices or seasoning are not used and oil is less used. Rich bouillon carefully made of each ingredients are used for tasting. The taste was gentle but very impressive. I don't have any idea how they can make such a wonderful taste for stewed shark's fin and soup of white cloud ear mushroom. Thanks to less oil, no heavy stomach feeling. Rather, we felt our heath was improved:)

The taste was perfect. The service was moderate for this kind of posh restaurant. The number of staff was likely fewer compared with that of customers. The price is of course high. The set meal we ordered was JPY15,750 per person and 10% service charge is added. I could be satisfied with the wonderful taste. My rating is 4.2 out of 5. Goshiso-samadeshita!

Taikan En (タイカンエン) http://www.newotani.co.jp/tokyo/restaurant/taikanen/index.html

Casual French in Kasumigaseki

2013-04-04T00:59:00.000+09:00

Lunch at a French restaurant called "Keyaki (けやき)" just near the office. The restaurant is located on the 35th floor of Kasumigaseki Building (霞が関ビル), but the view is moderate as many office buildings cut off the view (depending on seats). The atmosphere is subdued and suitable for business lunch.

Entrance decorated with cherry blossoms

Inside of "Keyaki"

Soup, salad and breads

Main dish (grilled canard and grilled porgy)

Rolled cake with strawberry

Coffee

Lunch set meal for women is JPY1,600 including soup, salad, two main dishes, dessert and coffee. Men have to pay additionally JPY300 and only one main dish is served. They may appeal it as reverse discrimination:). Considering the location, the price must be reasonable, though the taste is moderate. Without too much expectation, this restaurant might be convenient for some meeting. My rating for this lunch is 2.5 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

Keyaki (けやき) http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g215001/

Nice Italian on an alley in Kagurazaka

2013-04-02T00:41:00.001+09:00

The backstreet of Kagurazaka (神楽坂) consists of a lot of small alleys and there are numerous nice cafes, restaurants and bars. On an alley, I found a nice Italian restaurant called "KAGURAAKA STAGIONE (神楽坂スタジオーネ)." It was a good surprise to know there is an Italian restaurant on the 5th floor in a Japanese-style building. Very cool.

Gate of a building comprising six restaurants

Entrance of "KAGURAZAKA STAGIONE" (5th floor)

Inside

Starter and a glass of champagne

Pizza Margherita

Pasta with beef ragout

Red wine

Grilled porgy with clam and champagne sauce

Grilled pork with basil sauce

Assorted dessert

Cappuccino

As the atmosphere is chic, I hadn't so much expected the quality of dish, but it was not true. Every dish was delicate and delicious. Naples style pizza was very nice. Pizza dough was chewy texture and well burnt in a stone oven. Fresh tomato sauce was juicy. Combination with mozzarella cheese was perfect!

Pasta with beef ragout was rich. On the contrary, main dishes of fish and meat were cooked lightly with nice flavored sauces so that we could eat up. Good calculation. I was very satisfied with their lunch set meal. The set meal we had costs JPY3,300 per person. Value for money. A male sommelier carefully recommended wine based on my preference. My rating for the lunch is 4 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

KAGURAAKA STAGIONE (神楽坂スタジオーネ) http://kagurasta.kaga-ya.com/

Local yakitori and Kamameshi izakaya in Nezu

2013-04-01T00:26:00.003+09:00

Along the Shinobazu Street (不忍通り) near the Nezu Metro Station (根津駅), there is a local yakitori and kamameshi izakaya named "Matsuyoshi (松好)" which has opened for 40 years. Yakitori is a Japanese skewered chicken and kamameshi is a traditional Japanese rice dish with many ingredients cooked in an iron pot called "kama." In Matsuyoshi, we can enjoy casual Japanese dishes including their specialties of yakitori and kamameshi.

Matsuyoshi

Inside of Matsuyoshi

Beer and tea

Yakitori and skewered vegetables

Salad

Japanese fried chicken (karaage)

Steamed clam

Fried tofu with bouillon soup

Kamameshi

Though Matsuyoshi is a old local and casual izakaya, the interior is chic. BGM is jazz and decorating paints are of Klimt. Maybe because of the chef's preference. A little bit dark lighting makes us relaxed. Menu is reasonable. Most of them are below than JPY1,000 except kamameshi costs around JPY1,500.

The taste is nice. In spite of the price, frozen foods are not used. Every dish is cooked carefully. Spices are less used and the taste is generally gentle and mild like a taste at home. Kamameshi is recommendable. Tasty. Good bouillon of chicken, seafood and vegetables are well macerated into rice. My rating is 3 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

Matsuyoshi (松好)　http://r.gnavi.co.jp/6181628/

Cherry blossoms!!

2013-03-30T20:17:00.003+09:00

Cherry blossoms have been in full bloom in Tokyo since last weekend. This is the best moment of spring. We have been looking forward to it after cold winter. In Japan, every weather forecast reports carefully about when cherry will be in full bloom one-two month prior. And if the full-bloom news are reported, people rush to see cherry blossoms. In particular, we love cherry-viewing party which is eating and drinking under cherry trees. It may look curious for people other than Japanese, but enjoyable:)

Cherry blossoms in the Ueno Park

Many cherry trees around the Shinobazu Pond

Cherry blossoms along the Shinobazu Pond

So beautiful!

Cherry blossoms in the University of Tokyo

Night cherry with Kaneiji Temple in the Ueno Park

Night cherry in the Sotobori Park in Yotsuya

Cherry blossoms at a bridge in Yotsuya

Illuminated cherry in the Sotobori Park in Yotsuya

So happy to see beautiful cherry. The white and light pink flowers are so noble and elegant. The cherry tells us that spring has come and everything will start anew. Seeing such cherry, we could forget any sorrow and gain energy to go forward.

Cherry's life is so short. They will be gone in few days. I really miss them and wish them to stay more. On the other hand, I also love such ephemeral beauty. It's like a life. So short and so valuable. I hope everyone enjoys the cherry blossoms in this spring!

Casual sushi in Toranomon

2013-03-30T01:10:00.001+09:00

Kasumigaseki (霞が関)-Toranomon (虎ノ門) area is a barren area of good restaurants. Maybe because it is a business district and close to other nice areas like Ginza, Akasaka, etc. So, if we want to have sushi at lunch time, we always face difficulty. There are many reasonable sushi restaurants there, but they are not so good. Some of them are old and small that women hesitate to enter. But recently, I found a moderate one for this area.

Entrance of Sushi Araku

Lunch set

Miso soup

The one I tried with colleagues was "Sushi Araku(鮨あら久)", located on the first floor of a building of a few minutes walk away from the Metro Toranomon Station. Lunch sushi set costs around JPY2,500, whichh is 2.5 times higher than average lunch budget. But in my experience, sushi more than average generally costs at least JPY2,000 for lunch.

Fishes for sushi were good and well prepared. In particular, tuna and salmon caviar were delicious. But sushi rice was not so sophisticated. Rice is a bit solid, that hinder blending the taste of rice and fish together. Close but no cigar. My rating is 2.8 out of 5. Even so, it is a nice finding in Toranomon! Gochiso-samadeshita!

Sushi Araku(鮨あら久)　http://r.gnavi.co.jp/5364475/