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Food Sake Tokyo | A chef's guide to the best food in Tokyo. - Food
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Park Hyatt Tokyo – Food Sake Tokyo
The Park Hyatt Tokyo Appreciation Night was an evening for friends of the hotel to gather before it closes for refurbishments. A fabulous and luxurious fete including champagne, caviar, Japanese whisky, sushi, wagyu beef, and so much more. My former office, the wine cellar. As a sommelier at the New York Grill and Bar I…
Mandegan – Food Sake Tokyo
Yuko and her homemade tsukemono. Mandegan is cool and casual sake/wine bar in Shibuya. It is by the brilliant Kotaro Hayashi san of the eponymous izakaya Kotaro, which just celebrated its 13th-anniversary. Mandegan opens at 4 p.m. and is a great spot to stop by for a few small bites and glasses of sake or…
Park Hyatt Tokyo – Food Sake Tokyo
Bidding farewell to the iconic @parkhyatttokyo. All the more famous since Lost in Translation was filmed here. I am hoping the penthouse New York Grill and Bar won’t change too much. Remember there was a big brouhaha about the lobby of the Okura Hotel? In the end after the refurbishment the lobby hadn’t changed too…
Naruko Onsen Yumoto Kissho – Food Sake Tokyo
Naruko Onsen's rich history dates back over 1,000 years. The hot springs was first discovered in 837. It is one of the larger hot springs areas in Japan. The waiting room for the private baths. There are many onsen ryokan inns with hot springs in Naruko Onsen, Miyagi. We stayed at Naruko Onsen Yumoto Kissho…
Naruko Onsen – Food Sake Tokyo
Naruko Onsen in Yamagata is a quiet hot springs resort famous for kokeshi wooden dolls. The history can be dated back over 1,000 years and it's said to be one of the largest onsen villages in Japan. But as with most onsen stays one checks into the ryokan inn and maybe spend some time in…
Tsuruokaya – Food Sake Tokyo
Tsuruokaya miso ramen with horumon simmered offal and gyōza. Yamagata prefecture is one of the top consumers of ramen in Japan. We loved the ramen here. Rich in umami. Chewy noodles. 🍜 Oishii. Tsuruokaya #鶴岡家Yamagata-ken, Tsuruoka-shi, Koyodokawa, Yachida 5-1https://turuokaya.jp
Sato Yosuke – Food Sake Tokyo
One of my go-to tips for finding restaurants in a new city in Japan is to go to the local department stores. In Akita city Seibu department store has one of my favorite udon restaurants, Sato Yosuke. The 8th-generation restaurant serves Inaniwa udon that is stretched out by hand. The noodles are silky and easy…
Morioka Jajamen – Food Sake Tokyo
Jajamen Morioka #jajamen is noodle dish topped with a meaty miso, cucumbers 🥒, and grated ginger 🫚. On the table is a chili sauce for adding heat and vinegar to brighten it up. To finish we tried the chiitantan soup. A raw egg is cracked into the bowl with the last of the noodles. The…
Akaibunko – Food Sake Tokyo
Morning set In Akita we discovered a spacious and hip kissaten, Cafe Akaibunko. It is located next door to the Akita Public Market, also called Citizen's Market. After picking a table a server pushed a cart and parked it table side. She then queried if we would like water with or without fresh lemon. I love…
Bankamu – Food Sake Tokyo
Pizza toast kissaten morning in Aomori at Bankamu Sato Kissaten. Opens at 7 a.m. on weekdays. Coffee ground and brewed after your order is taken. There is a selection of toast. Satō Kissaten Bankamu Aomori-ken, Aomori-shi, Chūō 1-26-1 Aomori is in the northern part of Japan.🇯🇵 I am a big fan of the Tohoku region.…
New York Grill – Food Sake Tokyo
The infamous Park Hyatt Tokyo will be closing temporarily starting May 7th, 2024. The hotel will undergo a full refurbishment. The hotel is 30 years old. Sendai tenderloin I went for one last lunch at the timeless New York Grill and Bar. It is one of Tokyo's top steakhouses. The lunch is a luxurious buffet…
Yoku Moku – Food Sake Tokyo
My go-to omiyage gift for friends is Yoku Moku cigares packed in its signature tin boxes. Starting today through June 14th Yoku Moku has a limited edition matcha cigare with matcha chocolate inside. The sweets are sold in every department store and I believe at both Haneda and Narita airports (last time I checked). The…
Aomori Joppari – Food Sake Tokyo
Joppari izakaya 🏮 Spring break in Tohoku. We started in Aomori. Dinner at this very cool izakaya called Joppari. One wall is lined with sake. Diners sit around a c-shaped counter. The menu has lots of photos and features local Tohoku dishes including harako meshi of salmon and ikura over rice, tsukemono pickles, kara agé…
Negishi – Food Sake Tokyo
Gyūtan grilled beef tongue is a local dish from #Sendai in the northern #Tohoku area. #Negishi is a chain here in #Tokyo. This one in the subterranean halls of #Kanda Station. Only ¥1,300 ($8.50). The rice is mugimeshi, rice cooked with barley. Tororo, grated mountain potato with raw egg, is a slippery topping for the…
Train Travel Tips – Food Sake Tokyo
Ekibenya Matsuri Train travel in Japan is a fun part of holidays. We enjoy eating and drinking while on the shinkansen. We did our routine of picking a bentō at #EkibenyaMatsuri. One of Tokyo’s famous coffee ☕️ shops, Sarutahiko Coffee, has a branch near one of the shinkansen entrances. It’s a popular shop and may…
Eggg Café – Food Sake Tokyo
@eggg_kokubunji is famous for fluffy pancakes but we also love the omuraisu. This one with tender beef cheeks and a demi-glace sauce. The knife 🔪 is full so it’s hard to cut into the omelette on top of the ketchup rice. If you’re curious to try the pancakes this is a great spot. The café…
Natsuno – Food Sake Tokyo
My favorite shop for #chopsticks in #Tokyo. @ginzanatsuno has a colorful selection of chopsticks🥢, chopstick rests, and some tableware in the heart of #Ginza. I have collected several pieces from here over the years and they all brighten up each meal. Ginza NatsunoChūō-ku, Ginza 6-7-4
Kunio – Food Sake Tokyo
Shio ramen and a tsukemen with a wonton dipping sauce. Plus a side order of chashu gohan, rice topped simply with sliced chashu pork with a splash of a sweet soy sauce. We have tried to dine here but there is always a line. As it's raining today my brilliant child said, we should go…
Fuji Lunch – Food Sake Tokyo
Bell pepper stuffed with meat and onion rings. I order this for the onion rings. ¥880 ($6). Our local yōshoku restaurant, Fuji Lunch, has Western-style dishes like karaagé fried chicken, croquettes, hamba-gu (more like meatloaf than a hamburger), and fried cutlets. Behind the counter an elderly couple are choreographed in their movements depending on which…
Salon Sabou – Food Sake Tokyo
Karaage My favorite #karaage #friedchicken lunch in #Ginza. The boneless fried chicken is dressed with a light sweet soy sauce. Diners select three side dishes and white rice or a heartier hatsuga genmai rice (🌾 supplemental ¥220). The line is often long at noon but on Monday it was short. Staff said Mondays tend to…
Ochazuké – Food Sake Tokyo
Ochazuké is a simple and quick light meal or snack. We keep Nagatanien ochazuké packs in our pantry. I love the hot soup over rice with uméboshi, tsukémono pickles, and grilled fish like salmon. Shredded cooked salmon is sold in a jar. The fish is salted so it’s shelf stable and sold at room temperature.…
Awa – Food Sake Tokyo
Cool new bar at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo, The Rendez-Vous AWA. In the main lobby. Brightly lit and spacious. Awa means bubbles in Japanese and the beverage list includes many bobbly beverages. Imperial Hotel TokyoChiyoda-ku, Uchisaiwaichō 1-1-1 https://www.imperialhotel.co.jp/e/tokyo/restaurant/awa/
Kanekoya – Food Sake Tokyo
Fabulous tempura lunch in Kichijōji at Kanekoya. Went at 10:45 a.m. and there was already a line in front of the shop. The restaurant opens at 11:00 a.m. and we were lucky to get in at the first seating. When we left the queue was looong. Kanekoya serves a simple tempura donburi, rice bowl topped…
Hachioji Craft Sake – Food Sake Tokyo
Tokyo's newest sake brewery, Hachiōji Shuzō, opened in October of last year. Fun to sample two of their brews, both delicious. I hope to go back, without my kid, so I have time to ask more questions. At the moment the brewery is only open Friday - Sunday. It is only a five-minute walk from…
Gargantua – Food Sake Tokyo
Hōjicha cake from Gargantua. Hōjicha cake from Gargantua bakery at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo near Yurakuchō Station. Studded with chestnuts and black beans the cake is not too sweet, something common with most Japanese baked goods. I love the presentation in the yellow furoshiki cloth. Summer vegetable tart at Gargantua. The colorful summer vegetable tart…
Kikugawa Unagi – Food Sake Tokyo
Nagoya-style unagi is called hitsumabushi. The grilled freshwater eel is eaten three ways. 1. as it is 2. with yakumi green onions, wasabi, and nori 3. with yakumi and a broth Hitsumabushi is a fun contrast to the Tokyo style which is grilled unagi over a bed of rice, a luxurious meal. Kikugawa is a…
Tim Ho Wan – Food Sake Tokyo
Dim sum Finally made it to @timhowanjapan in #Yurakucho. This #dimsum shop offers spring rolls that shatter when bit into. Loved the signature pork buns that have a crunchy sweet shell like melon pan. The steamed #gyoza also oishii with a spicy sauce. I need to go back with a girlfriend so I can try…
Soup Pasta – Food Sake Tokyo
Soup pasta Ivo Homes Pasta 🍝 in Shinjuku. I ordered the most popular dish but was underwhelmed. It’s a soup pasta so the sauce overwhelms the spaghetti. It’s a popular restaurant near Isetan. The restaurant is chaotic and busy at lunchtime. Maybe I will give one of the other shops in Shibuya or Shinagawa a…
RF1 – Food Sake Tokyo
Colorful salads, bentō, and sets with wine- or beer-friendly small bites are offered at RF1. The chicken salad and some of the bentōs are marketed as including "half day's worth of nourishing vegetables" in the meal. An antipasto set includes cured ham, cheese, quiche, and roasted vegetables. Sausages, shrimp ajillo, corn cream croquette, caponata, and fried…
Berg – Food Sake Tokyo
My go-to breakfast at #Shinjuku Station @berg_shinjuku_tokyo. Love this morning set for a bargain ¥429 ($2.85). Open from 7:00 a.m. and it’s a popular shop with those in the know. Several Johnny Cash songs played in the background. A clash of cultures: kissaten, American music, and German meats. If you’re not an early riser come…
Kakeru – Food Sake Tokyo
Fabulous flight of coffee drinks at @koffee_mameya_kakeru. Fascinating to see many expressions of the same bean. Some highlights include the milk-steeped coffee and a milk-steeped coffee mixed with a cacao vinegar that is strained through a paper filter separating the whey from the curds. Sweets are paired with the coffee including a cassis stollen with…
Kashiwaya – Food Sake Tokyo
Kashiwaya is a kaiseki restaurant on a quiet back street in Nihonbashi. The multi-course meal is rich with seasonal ingredients. Chef Yoshiyuki Kashiwabara was a chef in both San Francisco and in Singapore for over two decades. Both he and his wife speak English and can help answer questions about the dishes and it's a very…
Fujie Labo – Food Sake Tokyo
¥500 onigiri 🍙 morning set. Onigiri breakfast at Fujie Labo at Tachikawa Station. The brightly lit cafe is part of the Yamamotoyama family, Tokyo's oldest tea shop which dates back 330 years. Two onigiri with a cup of tea, hot or cold, for only 500 yen ($3.50) is the morning set from 7:00 - 10:30…
Biot – Food Sake Tokyo
Morning set Kissaten old school coffee shops are my go to way to start the day. #Biot, established in 1973, roasts and blends the #coffee in house. This morning set with cheese toast and a hard boiled egg 🥚 is only ¥750 ($5). The coffee ☕️ is smooth and the cafe is quiet, aside from…
Tsukiji Peppers Cafe – Food Sake Tokyo
Te-chan Te-chan, Tetsuya Iwase, of @tsukijipepperscafe. Peppers Cafe is on a quiet side street. Te-chan’s main business is spices. He used to live in Pittsburgh and speaks fluent English. Cheese toast. Peppers Cafe is a channel for him to share fresh black peppers cured in salt. The peppers have a soft texture with a little…
L’Evo – Food Sake Tokyo
Gastronomy tourism is a big part of why tourists are coming to Japan. L’Evo is an example of a restaurant featuring hyper-local ingredients and worth a journey. Chef Eiji Taniguchi’s restaurant is in the mountains of Toyama in the village of Toga in the remote Nanto district. The menu features local seafood and game with…
Tonki – Food Sake Tokyo
Tonki tonkatsu pork cutlets. This branch is in Kokubunji which is much easier to get into than the Meguro restaurant. The tonkatsu is very different as it isn’t covered with the shards of panko. My friend cooked at the Meguro restaurant. As I recall the pork was dipped in egg, flour, egg, then a fine…
Wazaya – Food Sake Tokyo
Wafu pasta, Italian dishes with Japanese ingredients, is always a comforting meal. Here scallops and Japanese mushrooms eringi, kikurage, and shimeji in an uni cream sauce. Here at Pasta Wazaya near Mitaka Station on the JR Chuo line. It is in the area of Inokashira Koen park and the Ghibli Museum. The menu is long.…
Mochitsuki – Food Sake Tokyo
With Boris Priesol enjoying kombu mochi. Mochitsuki, pounding sticky rice to make #mochi at #Masuizumi #sake brewery in #Iwase, #Toyama. Here with Boris Priesol who is one of the founders of the hip Kobo brewpub down the street. Mochi rice pounding. We stopped by to say hi and were lucky in our timing to get…
Ginza Hangetsu – Food Sake Tokyo
Pork and chicken curry Ginza Hangetsu double curry 🍛 of coffee pork and ginger chicken with turmeric rice. Perfumed with fresh spices. Sliver of a shop on a quiet Ginza backstreet. Friendly staff and an English menu. Excellent value at ¥1,200 ($8). Ginza Hangetsu Ginza HangetsuChūō-ku, Ginza 6-4-15