Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake created this experimental design museum, and star Japanese architect Tadao Ando constructed the building. The museum always has great installations by artists such as the industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa. —Kashiwa Sato Midtown Garden, 9-7-6 Akasaka, Minato-ku, 81/(0) 3-3475-2121. Photo by Marie Takahashi. This appeared in the January/February 2013 issue. Read more about Kashiwa Sato’s Higashi neighborhood of Tokyo.
When I took my beautiful wife S to Tokyo to celebrate her birthday in March, because we only had three days in town, we had to very carefully curate our dining choices. While we did visit an old favourite, most of the restaurants we visited were new to us, including two sushi joints that we’d been meaning to try for years. One was a much-ballyhooed three Michelin-starred place in Ginza that is regularly discussed on forums like Chowhound and which many punters like to claim is the best sushi restaurant in Tokyo. The other is a much more modest (and much livelier) place in Yotsuya that has no Michelin stars and is rarely mentioned in Western or English-language media. Amazingly–although some Japanese friends tell me I shouldn’t have been surprised–we left the three Michelin-starred restaurant feeling very ripped off and extremely underwhelmed. But, the meal we had at Sushi Sho, the cultish little joint just east of Shinjuku, delivered what I can honestly say was the single greatest sushi meal of both my life and my wife’s. S has since been describing the experience to friends as “life-changing sushi.” For the rest of this article, please read my post on http://chubbyhubby.net/travel/keiji-nakazawa-the-best-sushi-chef-in-the-world-to-us/
The Japanese have a love affair with the French, you can see it all over Tokyo and it is reflected in restaurants such as Aux Bacchanales, a bistro serving classic brasserie food as well as patisserie desserts.
Another great ramen place, Hakata Tenjin, is right across the street from Menya Musashi, so if you go there for a ramen noodle venture, save some room please! The specialty here is the soup base and the green onion (a.k.a.scallion). As you can see from the picture, a lot of scallion - an usual garnishment is actually the main character!
Honmura An in Roppongi is famous for its housemade soba [chewy buckwheat noodles]. Owner Koichi Kobari uses a sobabocho [soba knife] to cut the noodles each day. I always get the soba with tororo, which is grated mountain yam, and a cold beer. —David Myers Photo by Christinab/Flickr. This appeared in the May 2013 issue.
The museum was built to house the private collection of a railroad company mogul. Works by the Buddhist artist Ogata Kōrin are on display in April and May. —Kashiwa Sato 6-5-1 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, 81/(0) 3-3400-2536. Photo by Marie Takahashi. This appeared in the January/February 2013 issue. Read more about Kashiwa Sato’s Higashi neighborhood of Tokyo.
Rokurinsha’s original shop was in the suburbs of Tokyo, a considerable hike from the nearest train station, and patrons still waited for over three hours for a bowl of soup. Neighbors complained, and when the store was given a chance to open up on the Tokyo Ramen Street, a collection ramen shops in Japan in the basement of Tokyo Station, Rokurinsha closed their suburban location and moved in. Customers still brave massive lines to taste their tsukemen style ramen, where the noodles are served separately from the soup. The thick, saucelike broth has deep pork and roasted fish flavors, and the noodles are thick and chewy—perfect for soaking up the soup. Tokyo Ichiban-gai B1, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku. Photo by Hirotomo/Flickr.
After the best sushi, there must be a best ramen noodle place in Tokyo as well. The Menya Musashi located at Shinjuku is a famous and of course busy place for a bowl of hot ramen noodle soup. Many times, the waiting line is street long. Luckily last time when I visited not during a meal time, the line was short. The pork belly ramen is the best! Just remember that you have to use cash to order your noodle from a vending machine by the door, and hand the ticket to the chef/server. Inside, it's a bar seating around the noodle station, so you can watch the action, and hear the chef cheering as well.
This restaurant was recommended by the Tokyo guide iPhone app I was using. It looked great, and I love dumplings. When we walked in, we were a bit worried because everything was in Japanese, even the menu. Donna, who knows chinese, was trying to make sense of the characters when the waiter brought over an English menu, phew! The gyoza were amazing, I believe they had two flavors, and you could choose fried or boiled. The side dishes were simple but delicious as well.
Junk-Garage’s outpost on the Tokyo Ramen Street in the basement of Tokyo Station is a great place to taste the shop’s gut-busting, messy creations. The owners of Junk-Garage invented “junk”style ramen—soup-less noodles piled high with well, junk: stewed pork, cheese, spicy shrimp mayonnaise, and seabura (rendered pork fat). Photo by Daroldhiga/Flickr. Tokyo Ichiban-gai B1, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku
The chefs put a French twist on classic Japanese-style iron griddle cooking, which makes Ahill a totally unique teppanyaki restaurant. I like that they always give you curry and rice at the end of your meal. —Kashiwa Sato 4-22-10 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku, 81/(0) 3-5766-2020. Photo by Marie Takahashi. This appeared in the January/February 2013 issue. Read more about Kashiwa Sato’s Higashi neighborhood of Tokyo.
Eating at Mutsumiya is like taking a trip to Hokkaido, an island in northern Japan. They serve the classic Hokkaido miso-based ramen, created with water brought over from Hokkaido. The shop is located on the Tokyo Ramen Street, a collection of ramen restaurants in a basement hallway of Tokyo station. It’s a great place to taste a traditional Hokkaido style ramen without leaving Tokyo. Tokyo Ichiban-gai B1, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku.
My wife’s favorite coffee shop in Daikanyama has an open terrace that’s perfect for people-watching. The space was inspired by 18th-century Italian cafés. —Kashiwa Sato 29-3 Sarugaku-cho, Shibuya-ku, 81/(0) 3-3770-9517. Photo by Marie Takahashi. This appeared in the January/February 2013 issue. Read more about Kashiwa Sato’s Higashi neighborhood of Tokyo.
Koji, a volunteer for Tokyo Free Guide (which is exactly what its name declares; see tokyofreeguide.com), knew only that I wanted to experience something in the city related to food. Instead of taking me to the touristy Tsukiji fish market, he led me to a shopping mall in the Ginza neighborhood. We descended into the basement of the Kotsu Kaikan building, where we found about a dozen gourmet food shops, each one representing a different region in Japan. We strolled through them, munching on free samples and effectively eating our way through the country. We tasted crispy, dried seaweed from the northern island of Hokkaido; buckwheat dough dumplings from Nagano, located in central Japan; and jam made of amaou (a kind of strawberry) from Fukuoka, in the south. Koji explained that these stores are called antenna shops, and they have an interesting function. In Japanese culture, when you go out of town, it’s customary to return with small treats for colleagues. Rather than haul back food from afar, workers will just stop by the antenna shops in the morning before heading to the office—a smart (and sneaky) solution. 2-10-1 Yurakucho Chiyoda-ku, www.kotsukaikan.co.jp
Kapital is a really cool clothing chain known for its denim. They have two shops in Roppongi Hills—Kapital Duffle and Kapital Legs. I always pick up tabi, these handmade split-toe socks. They are split between the big toe and other toes and are very comfy. —David Myers This appeared in the May 2013 issue.
This is the best sushi place I've ever been to in my life so far. Sushi Chef Jiro Ono is a 85 years old hardworking person, whose specialty is the Nigiri Sushi due to the form and the method of making it. Very traditional and simple. For me, I felt that eating there is not only about food, but also the experience - there are much more story and history behind sushi than just the fish and the rice. Expensive place, must make reservation ahead of the time, but a must go if you are a true sushi lover. However, after eating there, you might not like your neighborhood's sushi place anymore...
This shop on the Tokyo Ramen Street, a set of ramen shops in the basement of Tokyo Station, is one of the best in the stretch, and the short lines outside make it a great stop before you catch a train. Shichisai serves a clean delicious shoyu, or clear, soy-based soup, made with organic ingredients and topped with some of the best chashu, or pork, in Tokyo. Photo by Darin Dines/Flickr. Tokyo Ichiban-gai B1, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku
This restaurant is part of the Setagaya group, which has locations worldwide. They serve a light, briny shio, or salt broth, made from dried sardines and scallops. Although the original spot is lunchtime only, the location at the Tokyo Ramen Street, a set of Ramen shops in the basement of Tokyo station, is open all day. Photo by Fuyuhiko/Flickr. Tokyo Ichiban-gai B1, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku.
One of the highlights, albeit a cold one, of visiting the world-famous Tsukiji Fish Market at 5 a.m. is getting to watch the tuna auction--only the frozen carcasses; the fresh tuna auction is held in another warehouse room, closed to the public. The tails of this huge fish have been sliced open so the bidders can examine the flesh. Another benefit of an early morning visit: The sushi restaurants in the neighborhood open for breakfast, serving up what they've just procured from the market. For more about the market: www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm
Michelin-decorated chefs oversee three of the 10 restaurants at this newly rebuilt, 290-room hotel, which overlooks the Imperial Gardens. The dark-wood Royal Bar serves classic martinis. From $570. 81/(0) 3-3211-5211. Photo courtesy of the hotel. This appeared in the May 2013 issue.
The soup at Ikaruga is so thick and creamy that you might believe it contains milk or butter. In reality, the wonderful texture of the tonkotsu broth is the result of pork bones simmered for hours upon hours. Among the restaurants on the Tokyo Ramen Street, a collection of ramen shops in the basement of Tokyo Station, Ikaruga is the most upscale. The staff are dressed in sharp uniforms and speak in (relatively) gentle tones. Photo by Shibainu/Flickr. Tokyo Ichiban-gai B1, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku
I go here when I want a really good burger or steak. They dry-age their meat, and steaks are charcoal grilled. —Kashiwa Sato 3-16-10 J Park, Ebisu Biru, Higashi, Shibuya-ku, 81/(0) 3-5447-0536. Photo by Marie Takahashi. This appeared in the January/February 2013 issue. Read more about Kashiwa Sato’s Higashi neighborhood of Tokyo.
Owner Nobiyuki Nakamura’s whiskey obsession is on display at his scotch bar. He has a full collection of traditional Irish whiskeys and Scottish single malts. The whole place is obsessive, right down to the hand- carved ice cubes that go into the drinks. —Kashiwa Sato 7-13-12 Minami-Aoyama, Mori Building 2F, Minato-ku, 81/(0) 3-3486-4220. Photo by Marie Takahashi. This appeared in the January/February 2013 issue. Read more about Kashiwa Sato’s Higashi neighborhood of Tokyo.
View of Tokyo at dusk as seen from the 54th floor observation deck of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Nishi-shinjuku. Admission to the observatory is free and well worth it for a fantastic sweeping view of Tokyo.
by Alondra De La Parra In addition to the works of Takashi Murakami, this gallery exhibits a lot of manga-inspired art. I go here to see the up-and-coming artists of the Tokyo scene. B1F Motoazabu Crest Blvd., 2-3-30 Motoazabu, Minato-ku, 81/(0) 3-6823-6038, en.gallery-kaikaikiki.com Read more about Alondra de la Parra, including all of her favorite concert halls and places to stay, eat, and shop. Photo ©2011 JNThed/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd., photo by Hideyuki. This appeared in the March/April 2012 issue.
For the best yakitori I go to Toritama in Ebisu. They specialize in rarely served, unique parts of the chicken. There’s one dish in particular, a premature egg that’s still connected to ovaries, which they grill. —David Myers Photo by Marina Oliphant/Fairfax Media. This appeared in the May 2013 issue.
Famous musicians come here when they want privacy. Order the fried octopus if it’s available. The mama-san [female manager] used to be a theater actress. —Kashiwa Sato 3-21-14 Kakuhari Biru 1F, Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku, 81/(0) 3-5411-2906. Photo by Marie Takahashi. This appeared in the January/February 2013 issue. Read more about Kashiwa Sato’s Higashi neighborhood of Tokyo.
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