About food in Japan

Ekiben(駅弁 station lunch box)

What is this...?
It is in the shape of the first version of "Shinkansen"(Japanese bullet train) which eneded its work on November 2008.

The answer is LUNCH BOX

The box is filled with small pieces delicacy, roast beef, conger eel, shitake mushroom, octopus, carrott, sliced egg cakes and vinegared rice beneath of these delicacy.

It is an advantage of bento(lunch box) meal that we can enjoy variety of dainty at a time little by littele. The volume would not be enough for big eaters. Instead, even a young child would eat it up.

Lunch box sold at train stations are called "ekiben(駅弁)". On Shinkansen line, we can find different ekiben at each station, which is made with local speciality of different region.
It is a good idea to try different lunch box at each destination to travel.

The shinkansen lunch box is sold at Shin-Kobe station in Hyogo prefecture, in commemoration of the first version Shinkansen "retirement".

After it is finished and is brought to your home as a souvenir of the Shinkansen journey, you can display the box like this! by turning the package into a sign board.   

Related story: bento
http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2008/06/bento--launched.html

Sanbancho cafe

It is located on a calm small street just behind busy Yasukuni-dori in central Tokyo.

By time, the cafe restaurant offers different type of use.
For business people in the area, breakfast and lunch on weekday are peaceful break time. On the evening, it will be a good place to chill out with pasta, pizza and glass of wine, after a whole day hard work. A few times in a month, live music events are taken place on the evening time.

On Saturday, it is a nice stop for lunch and tea time while people stroll in the area, Chidorigafuchi of Imperial Palace and Yasukuni shrine. Dogs are also allowed to take a break there with their masters. For the second cup of coffee and tea, it offers at a half price, except for lunch time. So enjoy reading a book, chatting with friends as long as you want, but do not worry about your drink run out from your cup!

What I had ... a special Saturday lunch plate with a cup of carrot soup. The tasty food is not simply "cafe-food" rather it is professional work. We cannot ignore the point.

Another thing we cannot miss to check is "Yao Sanbancho", small vegetable market held in front of the cafe. You will be able to find fresh seasonal organic vegerable there.

Smokers seats are also available at the cafe. It is kind to everyone...

Cafe name: Sanbancho cafe
Address: 28-4 Sanbancho Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Website: http://sanbanchocafe.jp/

   

Chinese -Shanghai Dining Jogenro(状元楼)

Jogenro is an established Chinese restaurant in Jiyugaoka, sophisticated residential district.
The restaurant features "Old Shanghai" and the interior concept is based on the theme "fusion of mysterious Chinese culture and modern European architecture".

When we go into the restaurant, we feel as if we were invited to a mansion of a rich person in Shanghai, from the space separated into small pieces and interior decoration, art objects placed there. Art-nouveau lamps are hung from ceiling in the terrace room.  It is rare to find such a romantic Chinese restaurant...

   

Of couese, the interior decoration is not a single reason to be a diner of the restaurant.
Menu with pieces of "sharks' fin is one of the must there.
Xiao Long bao as well..

 

Drink is also "hard-to-choose" iteam from variety of Chinese liquor and tea selections.

Restaurant name: Jogenro
Address: 1st floor Mochida Building, 1-29-17 Jiyugaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
Website: http://www.jogen.co.jp