So excited to finally make it to Tamlapin @tamlapin_botan in Monzennakacho. A hipster bakery starting at 7:30 a.m. in the morning that turns into a cool bar in the afternoon after 3 p.m. The wines are all from Hokkaido. I enjoyed a fruity @chitosewinery Kerner with the plate of small bites and ten pieces of…
Shichiroca
Onigiri Shichiroca is a quiet sliver of a shop for onigiri. 🍙 Open for #japanesebreakfast from 7:30 a.m. 🥰 Only two seats if you’re interested in the morning set. Today the daily rice ball was tori soboro ground chicken in a sweet soy sauce. I added a simmered anago sea eel for the second #omusubi….
Sankouin
Shōjin ryōri, vegetarian Buddhist cuisine, has a rich history in the Japanese food culture. One of my favorite places to try it is at Sankouin temple in Koganei. The temple was founded in 1934 and is in a quiet residential part of Western Tokyo, north of Musashi Koganei Station on the Chūō line. There is…
Shikajika
Onigiri breakfast at Shikajika inside of Tachikawa Station. The rice is cooked in a donabe pot. The restaurant specializes in set meals based around rice including karaage fried chicken, grilled salmon, or simmered pork belly. There is an intriguing wagyū hitsuma bushi of thin slices of marbled wagyū beef over a bed of hot rice….
Yomoda Soba
Yomoda Soba is a casual stand-and-slurp soba shop with branches in Tokyo. A bowl of noodles topped with tempura is only about 620 yen ($4). There are a variety of tempura toppings including shrimp, squid, or julienned onions. What Yomoda Soba is also famous for is the Indian curry. A spicy curry with a small…
Minmin Gyoza
Utsunomiya in Tochigi prefecture, just north of Tokyo, is famous for #gyoza #potstickers 🥟 . It is an easy day trip from Tokyo. We were visiting #Tohoku in the north of Japan for spring break and included a long stay in Utsunomiya so that we could have gyoza for dinner. Minmin is a popular shop…
Mandegan
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 wine. The menu includes some…
Park Hyatt 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. As a sommelier at the New York Grill and Bar I was humbled to see some former…
Park Hyatt 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
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. There are many onsen ryokan inns with hot springs in Naruko Onsen, Miyagi. We stayed at Naruko Onsen Yumoto Kissho which is up a small hill from…
Naruko Onsen
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
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
Akaibunko
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 this thoughtful…
Sato Yosuke
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
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 server…
Bankamu
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….
Yoku Moku
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…
New York Grill
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. 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 for appetizers…
Aomori Joppari
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 fried chicken, scallops…
Negishi
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…
Food Sake Tokyo 