Small Turkish restaurant in Yushima

When I took a walk pushing a baby buggy, I found a Turkish restaurant newly opened in Yushima (湯島). The restaurant is "MARMARIS (マーマリス)", which reasonably serve lunch available from JPY800 including small salad, soup, main dish and chai.  

MARMARIS

Inside

Salad and tomato soup

Kebab plate

EFES beer

Musakka plate

Chai

The taste is good, but in principle, the tasting is mild using less seasoning and spice so that Japanese could easily try. If the rice is not just a normal steamed one, but a Turkish pilav, it would be much better and more authentic. Turkish staff is kind. (particularly for children!) My rating is 2.5 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

MARMARIS (マーマリス)　http://www.marmaris.jp/

Trattoria in Yushima whose big appeal is grilled meat

You may not notice this small and underground trattoria named "CARNELLINA (カルネリーナ)" in Yushima (湯島). Their signboard is small and inside is invisible...I hesitated to go down the stairs... but it was a good new finding! Not only the taste, but also the price...! Weekday lunch is available from JPY900 (starter and pasta). If you want to have grilled meat, it is JPY900, worth for paying.

Trattoria CARNELLINA 

Home-made ham and patty

Flan of foie gras (specialty) and focaccia

Spaghetti with tomato and mozalrella

Spaghetti with common mussel and dried mullet roe

Grilled canard with berry sauce (JPY900)

Espresso (JPY100)

They effectively cook ingre salt and seasoning, and the taste is very sharp. Spaghetti was really good. Also, their meat! Both cold and grilled meat were nice. Look at the beautiful grilled canard! The outside is burnt and the inside is rose. Considering the price, the quality of meat may not be so high, but chef's skill makes it delicious. My rating is 4.2 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita! 

CARNELLINA (カルネリーナ) http://hitosara.com/0006041056/   

Good Japanese restaurant in TOTENKO Ueno

TOTENKO (東天紅) also has a Japanese restaurant inside. The restaurant is "Kaientei (海燕亭)." On a weekend before the renewal, I had a chance to visit it for dinner and also found it a nice restaurant. Formal Japanese meal is available here!

Corridor of "Kaientei"

Private room

Boxes containing various dishes

Sashimi and tempura

Roast beef and grilled fish

Side dishes

Steamed rice and miso soup

dessert

The above set meal was JPY4,000 per person at dinner. It would be reasonable considering the dishes and the location. As most customers prefer Chinese dishes at TOTENKO, they had few customers even at the dinner of weekend. A great spot! My rating is 4.0 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

Kaientei (海燕亭) http://www.totenko.co.jp/restaurant/uenokai  

Elegant Chinese dishes seeing Ueno Park and Sky Tree

TOTENKO (東天紅), a Chinese restaurant chain beside the Ueno Park (上野公園, see the previous post) recently renewed their head building. The new modern building can be a new landmark of the Ueno Park and the Shinobazu Pond. Just before the renewal, I had a superb lunch with family seeing the Park and the Sky Tree. Whenever I visit, I am impressed by their sophisticated taste and service.   

New building of TOTENKO Ueno (from the web)

Starter

Dumpling

Shark fin soup

Beijing duck

Sauteed seafood

Stir-fried wagyu beef

Steamed porgy

Fried rice

Noodle

Mango pudding

Everything was very delicious! The tasting is gentle and mild using good natural ingredients and seasonings. Even so, the taste is not plain, but sharp. I don't know how they could cook a porgy and a simple noodle so tasty. Though price is not low (the above set meal costs JPY8,000 per person excluding tax and service charge), I found it worth. Their rich mango pudding is also recommended! My rating is 4.3 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

TOTENKO Ueno  http://www.totenko.co.jp/restaurant/lucisgarden     

Reasonable sushi run by a fish store in Okachimachi

Just near the Okachimachi (御徒町) JR Station and Ameya-Yokocho (Ameyoko, アメ横）, I found a reasonable sushi restaurant named "Syun Okatimachi(しゅん 御徒町)" run by Yoshiike (吉池), a big fish store. A big lunch set meal costed just JPY1,300. The price setting at lunch seems equivalent to that of sushi-go-round restaurants, but here, sushi chefs cook at the counter.  

"Syun Okachimachi"

Inside

Lunch meal (JPY1,300)

Considering the price, you shouldn't have excessive expectations, but If you plan to have sushi at Aymeyoko where fish is sold, I recommend Syun instead (actually, there is no good sushi restaurant there...). You can be full by the set of JPY1,300! My rating is 3.4 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

 

Syun Okatimachi(しゅん 御徒町)  https://gurunavi.com/en/g114706/rst/?__ngt__=TT0a7b8d9c2000ac1e4a1139jqELRWb_QokenUfRcgYM0w

Super birthday cake of Patissier Inamura Shozo

For the birthday of my boy, I reserved a whole cake of "Patissier Inamura Shozo (パティシエ　イナムラショウゾウ, see the previous post)", my most favorite cake shop. When I visited there to receive, Mr. Inamura himself prepared and showed me the cake. It was very impressive! I love the professional and diligent attitude of the chef. (By the way, for your information, queue was short in the morning (am 10-11) even on weekend. If you make reservation, you don't have to stand in a queue). 

Strawberry birthday cake of "Patissier Inamura Shozo" 

Happy Birthday!

The taste was definitely wonderful! Sponge cake was soft and airy. The aroma of good egg and butter was rich. Fresh cream was very rich and milky. Strawberry topped with its jam became much more sweet. Each element was perfect and the combination was superb! Their cakes never disappoint my expectations. My rating is 5 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

Patissier Inamura Shozo (パティシエ　イナムラショウゾウ) http://www.inamura.jp/index.html 

Nice view Italian restaurant on the top of ASAHI Breweries in Asakusa

On the top floor of the famous building of ASAHI Breweries, LTD in Asakusa (浅草), there is an Italian restaurant named "La Ranarita (ラ・ラナリータ)." People just take pictures of this beer shaped building and may not notice a nice restaurant is located inside. In contrast to the bustling Asakusa town, the restaurant had few customers around 8pm on weekend.

Head office of ASAHI BREWERIES, LTD

La Ranarita

Window seat

ASAHI fresh beer and Sky Tree

Pizza with fresh tomato, basil, olive and mozzarella (JPY1,850)

Spaghetti carbonara (JPY1,850)

Wagyu beef steak (JPY5,650)

La Ranarita has been opened for long, and the atmosphere is a bit old somehow. But the view of Sky Tree is very beautiful and the high ceiling gives us sense of release. Dishes are not so sophisticated like the ones of posh restaurants, but delicious enough. Pizza was so-so, but spaghetti carbonara was creamy and rich. Most of all, wagyu beef steak was amazing. Both of the quality of beef and way of cooking seemed high. JPY5,650 was not inexpensive, but VERY tasty. If you can afford, it is recommended! As a whole...my rating is 3.6 out of 5. It is worth to visit just for seeing Sky Tree and drinking ASAHI fresh beer! Gochiso-samadeshita!

La Ranarita (ラ・ラナリータ) http://r.gnavi.co.jp/a170900/ 

Reasonable shabu shabu at a house restaurant in Yanaka

Close colleagues organized a dinner at a Japanese house restaurant "Kiri (吉里)" in Yanaka (谷中), an old downtown. Kiri consists of a lot of private rooms, which are suitable for private gathering as well as business entertainment. Although Kiri looks an expensive restaurant, they offer reasonable dishes. Despite the exterior, the atmosphere is cozy and relaxing thanks to their friendly staff.

Japanese house restaurant "Kiri"

Private room

Several starters and sashimi

Wagyu beef shabu shabu

Ponzu sauce and sesame sauce for shabu shabu

Rice, miso soup and pickles

Matcha, green powdered tea

The above set meal of shabu shabu using wagyu beef costs JPY3,500. Free-flow drinks including alcohol is just JPY1,800. The price setting is similar to that of izakaya chain restaurants. Thinking of the good atmosphere at a Japanese old house, it is very reasonable. Dishes were normally delicious. The quality of wagyu beef might be not so high, but good enough. More importantly, we could be relaxed as much as we wanted even though the free-flow time was finished (it's quite exceptional!). Value for money! My rating is 3.7 out of 5. Gochiso-samadeshita!

Kiri (吉里) http://r.gnavi.co.jp/gabg600/