Monthly Archive: March 2008 [15]
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March 30, 2008
KAIKAYA (開花屋＠神泉)
タラの白子、ゴルゴンゾーラグラタン￥１０００。
漁師の棒ギョーザ、￥７８０。
Cod soft roe, Gorgonzola gratin. Nice but the white sauce is a bit watery.
Gyoza with pork and shrimp. This is very good!
大粒あさりの老酒蒸し、￥８５０。
地魚の焚火焼、￥２３００。
Clam steamed with chinese wine.
White fish, flavored with sweet herb oil and breaded, broiled in oven.
Sakura and Ume ice-cream.
We also had plum wine, and rice. The ice-cream were free. And the bill was about 8000yen for two people. Old entry here. The food is good this time too, though I thought our choices last time were better. We sat at the counter and while the tobacco smoke from the couple next to us didn't bother us so much as last time, our eyes were tearing and noses running because of the smoke from the open kitchen. We went on a weekday and it was sooooooo busy even after 9pm. The delivery was so slow that at first we just sat there for half an hour straight without any food. And they kept forgetting our orders...my friend said she loves the lively atmosphere and the friendly staff so she doesn't mind, but I confess the environment is too tough for me...
Menu(J): 1, 2, 3, 4.
KAIKAYA
Add: 23-7 Maruyama-cho, Shibuya-ku
Tel: 03-3770-0878
Comments(2) [ japanese food | 渋谷・恵比寿・代官山 ]
ブタ肉専門定食店 BOOMIN
アボカドのサラダ。豚バラの香味野菜煮込み。肩ロースのナンプラー煮込み。
Avocado salad. Simmered pork belly with vegetables. Simmered pork shoulder loin with nam pla(has noodles in it). A small shop specialised in pork. Food is simple but nice. Two of us ordered a rice(M) to share, only 2300yen in total(excluding drinks). Very cheap!
Dinner menu(J): here and here.
Old lunch entry here.
BOOMIN
Comments(3) [ good cheap eats | 池袋 ]
March 27, 2008
江戸清 (Edosei)
A small but popular Japanese restaurant specialised in chicken. A friend who is a self-claimed connoisseur of chicken took me here, and I was totally satisfied by the juicy and tender meat served in this place.
Free appetizer simmered radish is so good.
Chicken sashimi, eaten with wasabi and soy sauce and scallion. The chicken is so fresh that you can eat it raw!
Yakitori.
Fried chicken. Boiled chicken. Both are simple but amazing.
Chicken meatballs and vegetables hotpot only available in winter. The very friendly madam will do everything for you.
Ponzu to eat with the hotpot. Rice and egg are added to the soup at the end to make zousui(Japanese soup rice).
Four people shared the food with lots of alcohol drinks, about 5,000 yen per person.
江戸清 (Edosei)
Add: 15-14 Kodenmachou, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku
Tel: 03-3661-2918
Comments(5) [ my favourites | japanese food | 新橋・銀座・日本橋 ]
March 26, 2008
鹿乃子 (Kanoko)
渋皮栗あんみつ＋抹茶アイス、￥１４８０。
Anmitsu with marron and Matcha ice-cream topping. Nice but very expensive Anmitsu - the shop is located right at the heart of Ginza. Love the different kinds of beans and the huge marrons.
鹿乃子
Add: 5-7-19 Ginza, Chuo-ku
Tel: 03-3572-0013
Comments(6) [ japanese sweets | 新橋・銀座・日本橋 ]
March 25, 2008
au chapon fin (シャポン・ファン)
Salad. My friend's main: Beef Stroganoff with rice.
My main: Oven-grilled Katsuo(Bonito).
Cheese cake with orange sorbet.
Lunch is 1300yen including homemade bread and coffee. The environment is so lovely! Can't stop snapping pictures of the interior. Food is good - very light and healthy.
au chapon fin
Add: 1-7 Hachiyamacho, Shibuya-ku
Tel: 03-5489-0517
Comments(2) [ french food | 渋谷・恵比寿・代官山 ]
March 23, 2008
すばや (Subaya)
黒豚カレー＋沖縄そば（小）、￥９８０。
日替わり小鉢： クープイリチー（千切りした昆布と豚肉を炒めた沖縄郷土料理）、ソーキそば（小）、じゅーしー（沖縄風まぜご飯）、￥８８０。
Kurobuta pork curry and Okinawa soba lunch set.
Daily lunch set(Tuesday): Okinawa-style stir-fried Konbu and pork, soki soba(Okinawa noodles with pork rib), Okinawa maze-gohan(rice mixed with hijiki, carrot, pork etc.).
てぃびちそば、￥８５０。
ティビチーズカレー＋沖縄そば（小）、￥９８０。
Pork feet soba.
Pork feet and cheese curry and Okinawa soba lunch set.
ゴーヤーチャンプルー＋ソーキそば、￥９８０。
日替わり小鉢： 人参シリシリ（すりおろした人参とツナを炒めて卵でとじた料理）、ソーキそば（大）、じゅーしー（沖縄風まぜご飯）、￥８８０。
Goya chanpuru lunch.
Daily lunch(Wednesday): Okinawa-style stir-fried chopped carrot, tuna and egg. Every Wednesday you get "oomori"(large size) service for the soki soba(be warned, it is really big....). Okinawa maze-gohan is the same.
日替わり小鉢： フーちゃんぶるー、ソーキそば（小）、じゅーしー（沖縄風まぜご飯）、￥８８０。
タコライスランチ、￥９８０。
Daily lunch(Monday or Friday): Kuruma-fu chanpuru.
Taco rice lunch.
Quite a nice lunch spot. Okinawa soba is always good. Like all the daily lunches too. Though all the sets are very carb-heavy - that's probably why they are so cheap. Also the curry rice is quite bad - boil-in-the-bag supermarket curry quality. ^^;;;
すばや (Subaya)
Add: 2-8, Ogawamachi, Kanda
Tel: 03-3233-0978
March 21, 2008
Cucina Siciliana Archimede （アルキメーデ＠神泉）
Came here before(entry here) and left with the regret of not being able to finish everything cos it was just too much food. This time I skipped breakfast and lunch to prepare for this meal...very determined!!
Liver paste and pork rillette.
Turnip soup. 10 appetizers to share between 2 people.
Sardine roll and fish meat balls. Deep-fried little white fish.
サフランを練りこんだタリオリーニ 紅ズワイカニとあさり・ルーコラのソース。
チョコレート風味のパッパルデッレ、えぞ鹿肉の煮込みのソース。
Saffron tagliolini with red zuwai crab, clam and Rucola sauce.
Chocolate papprdelle with stewed venison sauce.
Pasta is homemade and al dente cooked. Both dishes are very good! Portion is for 2 people.
骨付き仔羊肉のハーブ風味のパン粉オーブン焼き じゃがいものロースト添え（骨付き２５０ｇ）。
かくまさんの豚肉 脂身をはずした芯ロース肉のソテー 生ハムのせ 赤ピーマンのメッシーナ風（１６０ｇ）。
My main dish: Oven-grilled lamb chop(250g including the bones) with herb and breadcrumbs, and roasted potatoes.
My friend's: Pork loin(160g) Saute, with ham and bell pepper.
My lamb is the second item from the top of the main dish menu, which means it is second in terms of size. I was stuffed by the end but I finished it!! Phew!!
栗のミルフィーユとカスタードプリン。
Marron mille-feuille and custard pudding.
Dinner course is 6000yen per person including dessert and coffee. Tax included and no service charge. Glass wine is 900yen. The price is very reasonable, especially for the amount of food you get. Quality-wise, it is a bit salty in taste but good in a home-cooked sort of way.
Archimede
Add: 2-8 Shinsencho, Shibuya-ku
Tel: 03-5489-6850
Comments(4) [ italian food | 渋谷・恵比寿・代官山 ]
March 16, 2008
神田まつや (Kanda Matsuya)
大ごまそば、￥８５０。
Famous soba place established in 1884. The present building - dated from 1925 - is one of the historical architectures in Tokyo.
そばとろ、￥９００。天丼、￥１９００。
Soba toro(grated yam). Tendon(rice with prawn tempura).
かしわ南ばん、￥９５０。 力うどん、￥９５０。
Kashiwa(chicken) Nanban. Chikara(grilled mochi) udon.
にしんそば、￥１０００。鴨南ばん、￥１６００。
Nishin soba - soba with smoked sweet-flavoured herring(Kyoto origin). The fish tastes like the canned ones...not my cup of tea.
Kamo-nanban(Duck soba). Very good!
親子南ばん、￥１０００。 花巻、￥８５０。
Oyako(chicken and egg) Nanban. Hana-maki - soba with seaweed.
鴨せいろう、￥１６００。カレー南ばん、￥９５０。
Kamo(duck) Seiro. Curry Nanban.
鍋焼うどん、￥１０００。
Nabe-yaki udon - udon hotpot.
おかめとじ、￥１０００。 おかめ、￥９５０。
(Right)Okame soba : soba with Yuba, tamago-yaki, shiitake mushroom, kamaboko, bamboo shoot, seaweed, spinach.
(Left)Okame-toji soba: Okame soba with egg on top. Very good!
寄せ鍋うどん、￥１２００。 小田巻きむし、￥１１００。
Yosenabe Udon. Super delicious! So many ingredients(including my beloved mochi) in it.
Odamakimushi: chawanmushi with udon(just a little bit) at the bottom. Need to wait for 15mins but totally worth it.
かき揚天丼、￥１０００。 雛そば くさきり、￥１０００。
Kakiage-tendon. Not only kakiage, but also two prawn tempura. The prawns are smaller than the more expensive "Tendon", but tasty enough.
Soba made with yomogi(limited period).
Not only soba, udon is good too. Tsuyu(soup) is delicious. Nothing I ordered was disappointing but yosenabe and okame-toji stand out the most. Portion is not big, so I always order L portion, which is an extra 100yen(the price quoted above are all for regular portion). The staff are very friendly but they don't keep very good track of who ordered what. I always order L size but they never remember that - I have to remind them to charge me 100yen more each time. ^^;;
Look at the queue during New Year holiday...normally it is crowded and you may have to wait a bit and share a table during busy lunch hour, but I've never seen a queue like this outside a soba place...
Menu(J): 1, 2.
神田まつや
Add: 1-13, Sudacho, Kanda, Chiyoda-ku
Tel: 03-3251-1556
Comments(8) [ my favourites | japanese food | good cheap eats | 神田・神保町・秋葉原 ]
March 14, 2008
鶴橋風月 ヨドバシAKIBA店
キムチポッカ。 もちチーズとんぺい。
Kimchi Pokka: Fried squid, pork and kimchi.
Tonpeiyaki(pork wrapped in egg) with mochi and cheese.
プレミアム風月焼き： 豚、牛、イカ、海老、タコ、ホタテ。焼きそば。
Premium: Pork, beef, squid, prawn, octopus and scallop. Yakisoba.
牛すじねぎ玉。ガーリックぶた玉。
Beef tendon and spring onion. Garlic and pork.
I forgot which one but one of them is modanyaki, i.e. noodles is added.
塩そば。
Soba with salt.
Lesser flour and more cabbage are used to make the okonomiyaki so it gets a little black. Food is alright and very cheap - not my favourite okonomiyaki place though.
鶴橋風月 ヨドバシAKIBA店 (Tsuruhashi Fuugetsu)
Add: 8th Yodobashi Camera Akihabara
Tel: 03-3526-3614
Comments(5) [ japanese food | 神田・神保町・秋葉原 ]
March 12, 2008
スマトラカレー共栄堂
Pork curry, 800yen.
This curry place was established in 1924. The homepage says no wheat flour added(hence the soup-like texture), 26 different kinds of spice are pan-fried for 1 hour, and vegetables and meat are stewed for a long time to make the curry. Indeed there is a distinctive bitter taste which is quite addictive. Lunch comes with corn cream soup which is always tongue-burningly hot. Very busy at lunch time so expect to share tables with strangers.
Left: Beef curry, 1200yen. When I had the pork curry last time, the curry sauce was not quite enough to finish all the rice so I ordered a larger portion of the sauce this time for an extra 300yen...and it is too much.
Right: Hayashi rice, 1100yen. A bit sweet but good too.
Prawn curry, 1200yen. Grilled apple(only available after 2pm) - to my disappointment, it is cold! It is soaked in syrup but is still very very sour.
スマトラカレー共栄堂 (Kyoueidoo)
Add: B1, 1-6 Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku
Tel: 03-3291-1475
ひげ勘
あじのたたき定食、￥１０００。
Aji(Horse mackerel) tataki set lunch. Comes with a small bowl of simmered maguro and leek.
めじまぐろ刺身定食、￥１０００。 いわしの刺身定食、￥１０００。
Meji-maguro sashimi set lunch. Iwashi(sardine) sashimi set lunch.
Pre-chopped Aji-tataki was scooped from a big bowl to serve on a dish by the chef behind the counter, while pre-sliced sashimi came straight from the fridge and was a bit cold. Still they taste reasonably fresh. This is actually a sushi place at night but at lunch they do set lunches and is always packed with salarymen. The portion of the sashimi is quite small - I always pour the simmered maguro together with its slightly sweet soy sauce into the rice in order to finish it.
March 10, 2008
村上開新堂
和栗とカナダ産松茸の押し麦リゾット。
Pressed barley risotto with Japanese chestnut and Matsutake mushroom. Kadaif(shredded phyllo) coated chicken.
ごぼうのポタージュ。
Creamed burdock root soup.
フランス産バルバリー鴨の青胡椒焼、蜂蜜・シェリーヴィネガーソース、３種の茸ソテー（ジロル茸・シャントレル茸・白舞茸）。
Grilled Barbarie duck with green pepper. Honey and sherry-vinegar sauce. Sauteed Girolle, Chanterelle and white Maitake mushrooms.
Desserts are jello of many flavours: brandy, red wine, pepper mint, matcha, custard, chocolate, orange, strawberry etc. Each person can take two.
Had a glass of wine and it was about 8000yen. It is one of those prestigious restaurants that has been around for ages and I never know whether I should call it yoshoku(literally "Western food") or French. The cookies here are very famous but you can't buy them unless you are a member of this place or know a member willing to order for you. The day we went, only an old couple and us were eating on the second floor restaurant. Throughout the whole lunch, the smell of cookies was so mouth-watering, and we could see from our seats that people just kept coming and coming to pick up apparently pre-ordered cookies. We overheard the staff telling a customer that if you order now, you can get the cookies 3 months later...^^;;;; Too bad we have no friends who are members....Anyway, the food in the restaurant is not bad but a bit expensive for the quality. My duck and my friends' fish dishes were all a bit cold when they arrived. Also I hate jelly...^^;;; This place is right next to the British embassy.
Menu: 1, 2.
村上開新堂 (Murakami Kaishindo)
Add: 27, Ichibancho, Chiyoda-ku
Tel: 03-3261-4882
March 06, 2008
自然食レストラン 元気亭
有機野菜のせいろ蒸しセット、￥９５０。
Steamed organic vegetables in seiro. Comes with brown rice and soy milk soup.
You eat the vegetables with sesame sauce or ponzu.
グラタンプレートセット、￥１３００。
Soy milk gratin set(1300yen): macaroni and veggy gratin, salad, homemade bread, dessert and drinks(herb tea).
すこやかセット、￥９５０。本日の主菜：春雨と野菜の炒め煮。 ゆり根と玄米餅入りおぜんざい、￥６００。
Today's lunch set: Stir-fried harusame(green bean vermicelli) and vegetables. Yurine(Lily bulb) and brown rice mochi zenzai.
元気カレーセット、￥９５０。
Vegetarian curry with brown rice.
本日の主菜： 生揚げのはさみ揚げ。ぎっしり 木の実のタルト、￥４５０。
Today's lunch: Fried tofu sandwiched with fu. Many seeds tart.
Super healthy organic/vegetarian restaurant. Depending on what you order, the quality can vary from "quite delicious"(fried tofu), to "bland but okay"(curry/steamed veggy) to "pretty horrible"(harusame/soy milk grain). The zenzai and the seed tart are not included in the lunch sets - both are not bad in a healthy-tasting sort of way. The rice is refillable(except for the curry), but one bowl is really more than enough cos the main dishes are not the kind that makes you want to eat more rice(good for diet!). There is a healthy food store on the first floor too.
Menu(J): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
元気亭 (Genki-tei)
Add: 3-24-10 Ryougoku, Sumida-ku
Tel: 03-3632-3933
Comments(8) [ other cuisines ]
March 04, 2008
VoiVoi (ヴォイヴォイ＠三軒茶屋)
マサラチャイ。
All these are from two visits. Interior is cute!
Hot chai. A bit weak in tea taste.
クラシック・バターミルク・パンケーキ。
Classic butter milk pancake: 3 slices of pancake, Calpis butter and maple syrup. Very soft and moist pancake. I like it!
４種類のチーズフォンデュ・パンケーキ。
4 cheese(Gorgonzola, Camembert, cream cheese and cheddar) fondue pancake. Nice but not quite enough cheese sauce for all the slices of pancakes.
デビルス・パンケーキ：ミックスベリージャムに、生クリームと温かいチョコレートソース。ストロベリーアイスのトッピング。
Mixed berries jam, cream and hot chocolate sauce. Strawberry ice-cream topping. Good good.
Menu(J): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
VoiVoi
Add: 1-35-15 Sangenjaya, Setagaya-ku.
Tel: 03-3411-1214
Comments(9) [ cakes and sweets ]
March 02, 2008
Baker Bounce (ベーカーバウンス＠三軒茶屋)
ベーコン チーズ ハンバーガー。
Bacon Cheese Burger, 1155yen.
甘栗とベーコン・キチン・マッシュルームのチーズキャセロール。
スモークチキン＆チーズ、焼きアスパラ、Wマッシュルーム。
Sweet chestnut, bacon, chicken, mushroom cheese casserole, 682yen.
Smoked chicken and asparagus sandwich, 1050yen.
Homemade ketchup.
ステーキランチ、￥１４７０。
Steak lunch, 1470yen.
This burger shop has a branch in Roppongi's Tokyo Midtown but I went to the original shop in Sangenjaya. I find the food okay but not impressive. The beef was not as juicy and tasty as I had expected for the price. Chestnut casserole is nice though. I prefer the sandwhich much more than the hamburger. Weekday lunch's menu is cheaper and includes a refillable coffee, but it doesn't have as many choices as holiday lunch. Atmosphere is great - friendly, boisterous staff make you feel very welcome. Worth going if you are nearby but I probably won't make a special trip for it. (English review here)
Part of the menu:1, 2, 3.
Baker Bounce
