Name: Acqua Gradita
Style: Wine Bar
Neighborhood: Ohashi (btw Shibuya and Sangenjaya)
Website: None, but I put it on my Google Maps here. Phone is 03-3461-0424.
At the izakaya I had mentioned I loved wine, so for our second stop we grabbed a cab over to Acqua Gradita, since Asami knows the master from his previous job.
This is a very nice wine bar in Japanese style, meaning you come in and sit at the counter where you chitchat with the master as well as with your friends. Every glass of wine is a new adventure, which begins with a negotiation with the master as to what kind of wine you feel like right now.
In truth, the wine list isn't that big -- if there's a group and you have a couple glasses each, you'll start to see the limits -- but the conversation always makes a brief stop worthwhile, especially since the selections mostly change over time.
The master (Tetsuya Fuijta) is pretty English-friendly, but as far as I could tell it wouldn't be right to say he speaks English. Expect to conduct yourself mostly in Japanese here.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Being Okinawan in Shimokitazawa
Name: Champ-rouse / チャンプル〜
Style: Okinawan / 沖縄の料理
Neighborhood: Shimokitazawa / 下北沢
Website: None but Tablelog entry is here
Before I came to Japan I didn't even know there was such a thing as Okinawan cuisine. Now it's one of my favorite things to eat here! Last weekend I got to introduce my friend MJ to one of my regular Okinawan places, Champuru~ (they write it with a tilde to indicate the last sound is extra-long).
Okinawa used to be an quasi-independent kingdom called the Ryuukyuu Islands until the late 19th century (for comparison, it was only about 30 years later that Japan took control of Taiwan). The culture there has a lot of non-Japanese influence through Taiwan, various Polynesian ties, and China, and that shows in the cuisine. While a lot of the ingredients are similar Japanese food, there are also a lot of different elements (and as MJ pointed out, less shoyu overall). Because of the old name, Okinawan food is also called Ryuukyuu cuisine (琉球の料理).
The classic Okinawan dish is what the restaurant is named after: Goya Champuru. Goya is an extremely bitter melon that's common in Okinawan cuisine, and Goya Champuru is sliced bitter melon with seasoning, pork and eggs (when I get it, I ask if they can make it with fish to avoid the pork). It's yummy and warm, but not heavy like a nabemono. You can get Goya Champuru (frequently referred to as "Goya Jumble" by English speaker, although the word's origin is different) in a lot of izakaya in Japan, but Okinawan restaurants do it best.
Another classic item that's not on the printed menu, but is often available as a daily item, is sea grapes (that's a literal transation of the name: 海ぶどう / "umi budou"). If you don't speak Japanese, write that one down so you can ask for it. They're an edible seaweed that looks like a miniature bunch of grapes. They have a fascinating crunchy texture and are really fun to eat.
The only downside of Champuru~ is that it's a bit difficult if you don't speak Japanese. I almost always chat with the staff to find out what's on special that day and make most of the choices from that (the last time we got not one but two awesome tofu dishes), with the result that I don't really remember what any of them were called. And, the staff doesn't speak English, so it's best to go with someone who's at least at the level of negotiating food orders.
Shimokitazawa is one of my favorite neighborhoods, so I'm grateful to Makino-san for introducing me to this place. If you're thirsty afterwards, be sure to head over to Ushi-tora for a Japanese craft beer!
Style: Okinawan / 沖縄の料理
Neighborhood: Shimokitazawa / 下北沢
Website: None but Tablelog entry is here
Before I came to Japan I didn't even know there was such a thing as Okinawan cuisine. Now it's one of my favorite things to eat here! Last weekend I got to introduce my friend MJ to one of my regular Okinawan places, Champuru~ (they write it with a tilde to indicate the last sound is extra-long).
Okinawa used to be an quasi-independent kingdom called the Ryuukyuu Islands until the late 19th century (for comparison, it was only about 30 years later that Japan took control of Taiwan). The culture there has a lot of non-Japanese influence through Taiwan, various Polynesian ties, and China, and that shows in the cuisine. While a lot of the ingredients are similar Japanese food, there are also a lot of different elements (and as MJ pointed out, less shoyu overall). Because of the old name, Okinawan food is also called Ryuukyuu cuisine (琉球の料理).
The classic Okinawan dish is what the restaurant is named after: Goya Champuru. Goya is an extremely bitter melon that's common in Okinawan cuisine, and Goya Champuru is sliced bitter melon with seasoning, pork and eggs (when I get it, I ask if they can make it with fish to avoid the pork). It's yummy and warm, but not heavy like a nabemono. You can get Goya Champuru (frequently referred to as "Goya Jumble" by English speaker, although the word's origin is different) in a lot of izakaya in Japan, but Okinawan restaurants do it best.
Another classic item that's not on the printed menu, but is often available as a daily item, is sea grapes (that's a literal transation of the name: 海ぶどう / "umi budou"). If you don't speak Japanese, write that one down so you can ask for it. They're an edible seaweed that looks like a miniature bunch of grapes. They have a fascinating crunchy texture and are really fun to eat.
The only downside of Champuru~ is that it's a bit difficult if you don't speak Japanese. I almost always chat with the staff to find out what's on special that day and make most of the choices from that (the last time we got not one but two awesome tofu dishes), with the result that I don't really remember what any of them were called. And, the staff doesn't speak English, so it's best to go with someone who's at least at the level of negotiating food orders.
Shimokitazawa is one of my favorite neighborhoods, so I'm grateful to Makino-san for introducing me to this place. If you're thirsty afterwards, be sure to head over to Ushi-tora for a Japanese craft beer!
Down-home Izakaya, in the shadow of Midtown
Name: Sushi Izakaya Matsu-chan / すし居酒屋松ちゃん
Style: Izakaya
Neighborhood: Roppongi / 六本木
Website: None but Yahoo Gourmet page is here
My friend Jill was in town a few weeks ago and some acquaintances took her to an izakaya she was raving about. I tried to meet up with them but due to some cellphone troubles on Jill's end we didn't connect. Fortunately, I met up with her acquaintances for a night out and we went back to Sushi Izakaya Matsu-chan.
This is a classic Japanese izakaya, with cheap prices no less, even though it's in the middle of Roppongi (it's very near Tokyo Midtown). It definitely is not a tourist place, most of the customers were Sabiro-wearing Sararimen, and I didn't notice any other gaijin at all on a busy Friday night. And when I say cheap, I mean pretty cheap: on Friday night draft beers were 290yen for a good-sized glass; if you come between 5-9pm on weeknights, they run a special for 180yen!
The food we had was all good, classic Izakaya fare like karaage (Japanese fried chicken), agedashi tofu, edamame, saba (mackeral) shioyaki. The standout, though, was wakadori yuzu shozou yaki, grilled young chicken with spicy yuzu sauce. Completely yummy!
The place is very busy on prime hours Friday and Saturday so you might want to make a reservation: phone number is 03-5775-7707. Be sure to have a link to the map as well: this place is really, really difficult to find if you haven't been there before. It's on a side street of a side street, even though you're only 2 minutes from Midtown!
Style: Izakaya
Neighborhood: Roppongi / 六本木
Website: None but Yahoo Gourmet page is here
My friend Jill was in town a few weeks ago and some acquaintances took her to an izakaya she was raving about. I tried to meet up with them but due to some cellphone troubles on Jill's end we didn't connect. Fortunately, I met up with her acquaintances for a night out and we went back to Sushi Izakaya Matsu-chan.
This is a classic Japanese izakaya, with cheap prices no less, even though it's in the middle of Roppongi (it's very near Tokyo Midtown). It definitely is not a tourist place, most of the customers were Sabiro-wearing Sararimen, and I didn't notice any other gaijin at all on a busy Friday night. And when I say cheap, I mean pretty cheap: on Friday night draft beers were 290yen for a good-sized glass; if you come between 5-9pm on weeknights, they run a special for 180yen!
The food we had was all good, classic Izakaya fare like karaage (Japanese fried chicken), agedashi tofu, edamame, saba (mackeral) shioyaki. The standout, though, was wakadori yuzu shozou yaki, grilled young chicken with spicy yuzu sauce. Completely yummy!
The place is very busy on prime hours Friday and Saturday so you might want to make a reservation: phone number is 03-5775-7707. Be sure to have a link to the map as well: this place is really, really difficult to find if you haven't been there before. It's on a side street of a side street, even though you're only 2 minutes from Midtown!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Katsu, and so close to work!
Name: Daigo 大五
Style: Tonkatsu 豚カツ
Neighborhood: Shirokane 白金
Website: None
So I finally tried the Tonkatsu place near work. Man, I've been missing out! Daigo is a tonkatsu/steak restaurant about 7-8 minutes' walk from Polygon's offices. Their lunch specials are 800 yen for the Chicken Katsu (that's what I got, since I don't eat pork) or 1000 yen for the Tonkatsu. It's the standard Japanese katsu set, with sauce and lots of cabbage on the side, but it's well-done. The miracle of good Japanese fried food persists: even though katsu is deep-fried (that's pretty much what the word means), it's not particularly greasy. You can experience the same thing at a good Tempura place here as well.
Anyway, Daigo is a strong lunch recommendation. I've heard dinner (including their steaks) is really good as well, although as with many Japanese restaurants dinner is quite a bit more expensive than lunch.
Since they don't have a website, here's some more information on Daigo:
Address: Tokyo-to Minato-ku Shirokane 1-25-21
住所: 東京都港区白金１−２５−２１
Phone / 電話番号: 03-3444-2941
Hours: 11:30-14:00, 17:30-21:00
Style: Tonkatsu 豚カツ
Neighborhood: Shirokane 白金
Website: None
So I finally tried the Tonkatsu place near work. Man, I've been missing out! Daigo is a tonkatsu/steak restaurant about 7-8 minutes' walk from Polygon's offices. Their lunch specials are 800 yen for the Chicken Katsu (that's what I got, since I don't eat pork) or 1000 yen for the Tonkatsu. It's the standard Japanese katsu set, with sauce and lots of cabbage on the side, but it's well-done. The miracle of good Japanese fried food persists: even though katsu is deep-fried (that's pretty much what the word means), it's not particularly greasy. You can experience the same thing at a good Tempura place here as well.
Anyway, Daigo is a strong lunch recommendation. I've heard dinner (including their steaks) is really good as well, although as with many Japanese restaurants dinner is quite a bit more expensive than lunch.
Since they don't have a website, here's some more information on Daigo:
Address: Tokyo-to Minato-ku Shirokane 1-25-21
住所: 東京都港区白金１−２５−２１
Phone / 電話番号: 03-3444-2941
Hours: 11:30-14:00, 17:30-21:00
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Awesome but pricey coffeeshop in Hiro-o
Name: Macchinesti
Style: Western-style coffeeshop
Neighborhood: Hiro-o / 広尾
Website: http://www.macchinesti.com/
Macchinesti is a chain of three aggressively western-style coffeeshops, which has a branch in Hiro-o near my office. They are absolutely the most westernized place I've been into, clearly targeting an international clientele. Not only are the menus bilingual, they have this week's copy of the Economist sitting out on the counter!
In keeping with that theme, they have awesome coffee. Besides a variety of espresso drinks, you can get French Press coffee by the individual pot -- definitely the best way to brew coffee. As a fairly new place, the staff wasn't really familiar with the procedures so it took time to get my coffee, but it was as yummy as expected afterwards.
The atmosphere is remarkably western; since you can't see outside very well, once you're indoors you could easily be in a cafe on the US West Coast. Tasteful wooden appointments, light-color walls and ceiling, the advertised WiFi (didn't try it out), and various decoration all make this a great place to while away a couple hours.
Baked goods selection (the other primary criteria I use for picking breakfast spots) wasn't so great. I was late for work on a weekday so I didn't sample, but they had a couple good-looking options in the muffin vein. Overall a cut below their coffee selection. The light lunch options a couple of western women picked out right behind me in line looked more compelling, quantities were in line with Japanese rather than Western expectations of course.
The downside to Maccinesti is cost; it's just an expensive coffee place no matter how you look at it. My French Press pot (kind of small at that) set me back 500 yen and was appreciably smaller than the Starbuck's grande around the corner. From what I've seen the place is usually pretty thinly populated, so they're clearly having a hard time competing with the social-center coffeeshop a few doors towards National Azabu.
Style: Western-style coffeeshop
Neighborhood: Hiro-o / 広尾
Website: http://www.macchinesti.com/
Macchinesti is a chain of three aggressively western-style coffeeshops, which has a branch in Hiro-o near my office. They are absolutely the most westernized place I've been into, clearly targeting an international clientele. Not only are the menus bilingual, they have this week's copy of the Economist sitting out on the counter!
In keeping with that theme, they have awesome coffee. Besides a variety of espresso drinks, you can get French Press coffee by the individual pot -- definitely the best way to brew coffee. As a fairly new place, the staff wasn't really familiar with the procedures so it took time to get my coffee, but it was as yummy as expected afterwards.
The atmosphere is remarkably western; since you can't see outside very well, once you're indoors you could easily be in a cafe on the US West Coast. Tasteful wooden appointments, light-color walls and ceiling, the advertised WiFi (didn't try it out), and various decoration all make this a great place to while away a couple hours.
Baked goods selection (the other primary criteria I use for picking breakfast spots) wasn't so great. I was late for work on a weekday so I didn't sample, but they had a couple good-looking options in the muffin vein. Overall a cut below their coffee selection. The light lunch options a couple of western women picked out right behind me in line looked more compelling, quantities were in line with Japanese rather than Western expectations of course.
The downside to Maccinesti is cost; it's just an expensive coffee place no matter how you look at it. My French Press pot (kind of small at that) set me back 500 yen and was appreciably smaller than the Starbuck's grande around the corner. From what I've seen the place is usually pretty thinly populated, so they're clearly having a hard time competing with the social-center coffeeshop a few doors towards National Azabu.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Best. Soba. Ever.
Name: Soba no Mi / そばの実 / "The Reality of Soba"
Style: Soba
Neighborhood: Togakushi Village in Nagano Prefecture, between Chuusha and Okusha
Website: None
As I mentioned in the last post, Himanshu and I were up in Nagano this weekend. We hiked around in a small village called Togakushi which is famous for Ninjas, and Soba. We didn't get a chance to try any Ninjutsu while we were there, but we did stop into a great Soba restaurant called Soba no Mi.
Soba no Mi is by the side of the road in between two of the famous shrines in Togakushi, Chuusha and Okusha. Like a lot of places in non-Tokyo Japan, it's primarily intended to be accessed by car, so there was a lively parking lot. We saw it while we were hiking up the road towards Okusha; after hiking over the snow to see the cedar trees and shrine there, we came back down and stopped at Soba no Mi for lunch.
Like several dozen other restaurants in Togakushi, Soba no Mi makes their own Soba noodles from scratch, in this case in the front window where you can watch from the waiting room. Togakushi soba is rolled out into a big, flat circle before being cut up, which was indeed pretty entertaining to watch. Maybe because the restaurant is not near anything else, they, unlike restaurants in Tokyo, had a waiting list; we had to wait about ten minutes for a table.
I got Pheasant Soba, which was on the o-susume (daily recommendations). It came with the broth in a small iron pot over a flame, with a plate of pieces of wild pheasant meat. You put the meat in the broth (yourself) and let it cook to your taste before ladling the broth into the bowl and dipping your noodles in it. The wild meat really flavored the broth, and both it and the noodles were fantastic to start with. The single best thing in my plate, though, was actually the Tamanegi (green onions, more or less), which were completely suffused with the broth and incredibly delicious. Himanshu had a similar reaction to his Mushroom Soba.
This yumminess was pretty cheap, Y1200 for the pheasant and Y900 for the mushroom. The snack they brought at the beginning of the meal was also a standout: soba noodles deep-friend and seasoned. Unfortunately they didn't sell that at the souvenir stand or I would be eating some right now!
Style: Soba
Neighborhood: Togakushi Village in Nagano Prefecture, between Chuusha and Okusha
Website: None
As I mentioned in the last post, Himanshu and I were up in Nagano this weekend. We hiked around in a small village called Togakushi which is famous for Ninjas, and Soba. We didn't get a chance to try any Ninjutsu while we were there, but we did stop into a great Soba restaurant called Soba no Mi.
Soba no Mi is by the side of the road in between two of the famous shrines in Togakushi, Chuusha and Okusha. Like a lot of places in non-Tokyo Japan, it's primarily intended to be accessed by car, so there was a lively parking lot. We saw it while we were hiking up the road towards Okusha; after hiking over the snow to see the cedar trees and shrine there, we came back down and stopped at Soba no Mi for lunch.
Like several dozen other restaurants in Togakushi, Soba no Mi makes their own Soba noodles from scratch, in this case in the front window where you can watch from the waiting room. Togakushi soba is rolled out into a big, flat circle before being cut up, which was indeed pretty entertaining to watch. Maybe because the restaurant is not near anything else, they, unlike restaurants in Tokyo, had a waiting list; we had to wait about ten minutes for a table.
I got Pheasant Soba, which was on the o-susume (daily recommendations). It came with the broth in a small iron pot over a flame, with a plate of pieces of wild pheasant meat. You put the meat in the broth (yourself) and let it cook to your taste before ladling the broth into the bowl and dipping your noodles in it. The wild meat really flavored the broth, and both it and the noodles were fantastic to start with. The single best thing in my plate, though, was actually the Tamanegi (green onions, more or less), which were completely suffused with the broth and incredibly delicious. Himanshu had a similar reaction to his Mushroom Soba.
This yumminess was pretty cheap, Y1200 for the pheasant and Y900 for the mushroom. The snack they brought at the beginning of the meal was also a standout: soba noodles deep-friend and seasoned. Unfortunately they didn't sell that at the souvenir stand or I would be eating some right now!
Just your friendly neighborhood Ninja Restauranteur
Name: Gotoku-tei
Style: Japanese (general)
Neighborhood: Near the station in Nagano / 長野駅に近い
Website: None, but here a Google Maps link to the address:
380-0801 Nagano City, Hakoshimizu 3-24-19 026-234-3277
This weekend my friend from Singapore was in town and he wanted to get out of Tokyo, so we wriggled our way through the JR reservation system to book a trip to Nagano. When we got in we asked where we could get some soba, since Nagano is famous for Soba (see next post). He directed us to Gotoku.
As is usual these days, I greeted the staff in Japanese and we sat down to puzzle out the menu. They then brought by an English menu -- I was surprised since Gotoku doesn't look like the kind of place to have an English menu. When we tried to actually *order* from the English menu, we found out it was left over from the 1998 Nagano Olympics, and had the selections from 10 years ago! A little negotiating in Japanese and we sent in our order.
The food is Gotoku was good, straightforward Japanese food. It's a safe choice if you're looking to eat near Nagano station. But the most interesting part of the trip was when we went up to pay. The round-faced proprietor started ringing up the check, and casually asked, "So where are you from?" Seeing our surprise, he added, "I speak English too! I lived in Philadelphia for eight years." What a goldbricker, he hadn't let on that he spoke English at all during the entire mail. His English was excellent, too - he hadn't lost any of his ability since he came back. We explained where we were from and added we were going to the village called Togakushi the next day. "Oh!" he said as his face brightened. "For the Ninjas!"
"Yes, so I've read," I said. The guidebook had mentioned that Togakushi is a center for the study of Ninjutsu, the martial art associated with ninjas. And so began a long conversation with Miyashita-san about ninjutsu. He had studied many martial arts over the years, but had eventually settled on studying ninjutsu because, he said, unlike the other martial arts, it has no rules. He goes to Togakushi once a week (it's about an hours' drive from Nagano) to study at the Dojo there, run by the famous ninjutsu master. He proudly showed off his handwritten letter from the master, kept carefully framed.
It was really fun to talk, we ended up standing at the checkout stand for over half an hour (I think slightly annoying the other staff in the process). Miyashita-san said that traditionally, only the ninjutsu master really knew who was a ninja and who wasn't; apparently things aren't quite so secret now since his card list three affiliations: Gotoku, a hotel called Yamanokami, and "Togakushi Ninja." So, if you're looking for a friendly place near Nagano station, look up Gotoku and say hi to Miyashita-san. But don't tell him I let out that he's a ninja... just say you're going to Togakushi, he'll know what you mean ;-).
Style: Japanese (general)
Neighborhood: Near the station in Nagano / 長野駅に近い
Website: None, but here a Google Maps link to the address:
380-0801 Nagano City, Hakoshimizu 3-24-19 026-234-3277
This weekend my friend from Singapore was in town and he wanted to get out of Tokyo, so we wriggled our way through the JR reservation system to book a trip to Nagano. When we got in we asked where we could get some soba, since Nagano is famous for Soba (see next post). He directed us to Gotoku.
As is usual these days, I greeted the staff in Japanese and we sat down to puzzle out the menu. They then brought by an English menu -- I was surprised since Gotoku doesn't look like the kind of place to have an English menu. When we tried to actually *order* from the English menu, we found out it was left over from the 1998 Nagano Olympics, and had the selections from 10 years ago! A little negotiating in Japanese and we sent in our order.
The food is Gotoku was good, straightforward Japanese food. It's a safe choice if you're looking to eat near Nagano station. But the most interesting part of the trip was when we went up to pay. The round-faced proprietor started ringing up the check, and casually asked, "So where are you from?" Seeing our surprise, he added, "I speak English too! I lived in Philadelphia for eight years." What a goldbricker, he hadn't let on that he spoke English at all during the entire mail. His English was excellent, too - he hadn't lost any of his ability since he came back. We explained where we were from and added we were going to the village called Togakushi the next day. "Oh!" he said as his face brightened. "For the Ninjas!"
"Yes, so I've read," I said. The guidebook had mentioned that Togakushi is a center for the study of Ninjutsu, the martial art associated with ninjas. And so began a long conversation with Miyashita-san about ninjutsu. He had studied many martial arts over the years, but had eventually settled on studying ninjutsu because, he said, unlike the other martial arts, it has no rules. He goes to Togakushi once a week (it's about an hours' drive from Nagano) to study at the Dojo there, run by the famous ninjutsu master. He proudly showed off his handwritten letter from the master, kept carefully framed.
It was really fun to talk, we ended up standing at the checkout stand for over half an hour (I think slightly annoying the other staff in the process). Miyashita-san said that traditionally, only the ninjutsu master really knew who was a ninja and who wasn't; apparently things aren't quite so secret now since his card list three affiliations: Gotoku, a hotel called Yamanokami, and "Togakushi Ninja." So, if you're looking for a friendly place near Nagano station, look up Gotoku and say hi to Miyashita-san. But don't tell him I let out that he's a ninja... just say you're going to Togakushi, he'll know what you mean ;-).
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