Delicious sukiyaki with excellent service at Ningyo-cho Imahan

Imahan (今半) is a representative sukiyaki/shabu shabu restaurant in Japan. It was established in Asakusa in 1895, and nowadays split up into four different companies; Imahan Bekkan (今半別館), Asakusa Imahan (浅草今半), Ningyo-cho Imahan (人形町今半) and Yoyogi Imahan (代々木今半).　When I had a lunch with a friend and her family from Norway, we went to Ningyo-cho Imahan in Ueno-hirokoji (上野広小路), and it was excellent!

Corridor to private rooms in Ningyo-cho Imahan

Japanese-style private room

Starter

Sashimi

Wagyu beef for sukiyaki

Vegetables for sukiyaki

Rice, miso soup, pickles and sauce

Experienced staff cooks sukiyaki just in front.  

Good smell and sound!

Green tea ice cream and bean cake

As you see the above photos, explanation is not necessary. Wagyu beef was very sweet, tender and melt in the mouth. (Sukiyaki sauce is a bit strong as "eddoko taste".) Moreover, their service was excellent. For instance, they kindly prepared big cushions and blankets for babies in advance. When a staff noticed Friend's husband didn't eat sashimi (he was not used to raw fish), they suddenly changed the dish and served crispy tempura without charge.

Thanks to them, we had a good time. The above sukiyaki set meal at lunch costs JPY5,000 per person. Not inexpensive, but appropriate to taste sukiyaki at this kind of good restaurant. My rating is 4.1 out of 5. Gochiso-samadehsita!

Ningyo-cho Imahan (人形町今半) http://www.imahan.com/

Belgian chocolate cakes available at department stores

WITTAMER (ヴィタメール), a royal warrant chocolate shop in Belgium has its branches at department stores in Japan. Their products are made by a Japanese confectionery company and accordingly, we could enjoy the Belgian taste at reasonable price (this kind of licence business is quite popular here as business cooperation).    

Rouge chocolat 

WITTAMER

As someone thought, chocolate cakes are good. Taste of chocolate is varied. A chocolate cake named "WITAMMER" has several different chocolate layer and the harmony creates nice taste and texture. As most of the parts are mousse, it is not so heavy as appearance. One piece of cake costs around JPY500. My rating is 3.7 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

WITTAMER (ヴィタメール)　http://www.wittamer.jp/ 

Gourmet burger near god of safe delivery in Ningyocho

The most popular place in Tokyo for praying smooth delivery is Suitengu shrine (水天宮), located in Ningyocho(人形町). Each god has each specialty. Now the shrine is closed for refurbished but its temporary shrine opens nearby cause expecting mothers wish to visit before their childbirth (I also did!). Near the temporary shrine. there is a famous hamburger shop called "BROZERS' (ブラザーズ)", one of the originals of gourmet burger. 

  

Temporary Suitengu shrine, god of safe delivery

BROZERS' in Ningyocho

Inside

Avocado cheese burger and Perrier

BROZERS' is not on the big street, but the vivid red colored shop is eye-catching in Ningyocho which has many old companies and restaurants. Interior is like an american diner in 60 or 70s. Standard hamburger costs JPY1,000 and avocado cheese burger costs JPY1,300. French fries, onion rings and pickled are served together. 

Their hamburger is tasty, indeed. Especially, hamburg made of only beef is big, juicy and delicious. According to their HP, wagyu beef oil is added for making the taste better. Combination with fresh lettuce and rich avocado is wonderful. On the other hand, tasting for avocado burger seems only salt and pepper and not so strong (BBQ sauce is used for other burgers). If ketchup and mustard is used for the remaining 1/3, we could enjoy the change of tasting and eat up smoothly. My rating is 3.7 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

BROZERS' (ブラザーズ)  http://brozers.co.jp/   

Popular local unagi (eel) restaurant in Sendagi

When I visited a colleague's new nice condominium near Yanaka-Ginza shopping street (谷中銀座商店街), we went to a popular local unagi (eel) restaurant called "Inageya (稲毛屋)" in Sendagi (千駄木). Inageya is classified into izakaya restaurant which offers unagi as well as attractive side dishes and variety of Japanese sake. As they offer Japanese eels and expensive sake like Jyu-yondai (十四代) at reasonable price, tables are often full by reservation particularly at night.  

Inageya in Sendagi

Second floor (consists of Japanese-style price rooms)

Lunch unagi set meal 

Surprisingly, unagi bowl is available from JPY1,380 at lunch. Usually, it costs at least JPY2,500 or 3,000 in Tokyo. The reason why they could sell unagi reasonably seems size of unagi. Small! (of course, if you pay more, the portion becomes bigger.) Even I couldn't be full...but the taste was superb! Char-grilled unagi has nice burnt aroma. Crispy outside and fluffy inside. I agree to the popularity. I'd like to revisit at night for tasting sake eating delicious unagi and side dishes. 

If you have small budget for lunch, or, you hesitate to taste unagi for the first time, Inageya is recommendable as trial. Even though you can't get full, you can go to the Yanaka-Ginza shopping street to buy snacks at stalls there. My rating for Inageya is 3.8 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

Inageya (稲毛屋)

http://www006.upp.so-net.ne.jp/inageya/

http://r.gnavi.co.jp/a661000/lang/en/   

Nice pasta restaurant at Ginza Mitsukoshi

On the 11th floor of Ginza Mitsukoshi Annex (銀座三越 新館 see previous visit), there is a restaurant named "SESTO SENSO (セストセンソ)" specializing pasta and antipasto. Mr. Hidemasa Yamamoto, a Japanese famous chef who served as an executive chef of inaugural dinners of US President Reagan, Bush and Clinton and of Mandarin Oriental Tokyo produces this restaurant. However, different from the image, variety of tasty fresh pasta are available in a casual atmosphere at reasonable price. 

SESTO SENSO

Inside

Focaccia and a glass of white wine (chardonnay)

Starter

Squid ink pasta 

Carbonara with crab

Grilled porgy

Grilled wagyu beef

Ice cake with peach compote

Cafe

The taste is modern and light, but robust. Their specialty, fresh pasta was definitely tasty. Squid ink pasta was chewy and delicious. Main dishes of both fish and beef were also good. Set menu is available at lunch time at JPY1,580, 1,980 and 3,280 (the above photos are of JPY3,280). Service is quick. Baby is also welcomed. My rating is 3.7 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

SESTO SENSO (セストセンソ) http://www.ginzadining.com/restaurant/detail/sestosenso/index.html 

Relaxing chain cafe specializing egg dishes

When I went shopping to Kinshicho (錦糸町) to buy baby items with family, I found a chain cafe named "Salon Tamago to Watashi (サロン　卵と私)" in TERMINA, a shopping mall attached to the JR Kinshicho Station. "Tamago to Watashi" means "egg and I" (strange name...:)) and this restaurant offers dishes using egg such as omelette, pancake, souffle, etc. Though I hadn't expected at all, the dishes were good! 

"Salon Tamago to Watashi"

Inside

Souffle pancake

cafe

Baked souffle rice omelette 

Their specialty is souffle or pancake and omelette using souffle. Both of the souffle-typed pancake(JPY530) and rice omelette(JPY1,030) were light like mousse and melted in the mouth shortly. Very favorable texture. The taste was stably good as a chain cafe. Particularly, combination of the hot pancake and whipped cream, butter and maple syrup was superb! 

Their sofa seats are cozy and relaxing. The price is inexpensive. The dishes were nice. I'd like to visit again when I have chance. For having a short break, this cafe featuring egg dishes might be a good option. My rating is 3.5 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

Salon Tamago to Watashi (サロン　卵と私)

Famous tendon (tempura bowl) since 1887 in Asakusa

Just besides the Senso-ji Temple (浅草寺) in Asakusa (浅草), there is a famous tendon (tempura bowl) restaurant named "Daikokuya (大黒家)" which has started since 1887. Daikokuya itself is like a sightseeing spot which gathers many tourists because of the long history and the fame. People always make a long queue. When I went there on weekend, 20 people were still waiting around 3 o'clock (the below photo was taken around 4pm, between lunch and dinner. Few people were waiting.)

Daikokuya

Basic tendon

Most people ordered basic tendon at JPY1,550, rice topped with tempura of a prawn, a white fish and a mixed vegetable. The feature of their tempura is being deep-fried only by rich sesame oil and strong flavor sauce over tempura. This is good and distinctive. On the other hand, their old fashioned  tempura is non-crispy deep fry batter which I found it less tasty. Tempura served by professional should be always crispy! The taste is not bad, but the texture is not good. 126 years ago, it might be very tasty. It is beautiful to maintain their traditions, but at the same time, innovation is also necessary for the next 100 years. My rating is 2.3 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

Daikokuya (大黒家) http://www.tempura.co.jp/