About food in Japan

Recommendable lunch options at Tokyo Bigsight area

In our two previous posts as the feature of this month October 2012, we picked up two nice restaurants with each unique value. 

For those who have not checked them, here we post the links for these two restaurants.

1. Kagaya(加賀屋), a fine Japanese restaurant - Tokyo Bigsight area

 - Upscale Japanese restaurant operated by a famous luxury Ryokan (Japanese traditional inn) in Wakura Onsen, Hokuriku.  

2. Mexico, seafood restaurant - Tokyo Bigsight area

- Casual restaurant offering Western style dishes with fine Japanese seafood.

 

At the end of the month, we would like to add a few more lunch options for Tokyo Bigsight visit  briefly.

3. Akitsu, western style buffet

Sometimes, you might not be able to reach consensus on what to eat with your accommpanying people. Tired with Japanese food? but what to have, pasta, steak or some vegetable dishes? still miss Japanese taste a little? or just hungry?

In that case, we recommend a buffet style restaurant Akitsu. It is a typical and casual restaurant that everyone can imagine as a Western style buffet service.

The buffet menu offers mainly Italian pasta and variety of small side dishes from Western meat plate to Japanese cooked vegetable. Try some unfamilar dishes or take some vege plates to keep your health balance. 

Don't miss to take some nice pieces of bread there too, because the restaurant's owner is a baker doing wholesale of its high quality products to some hotels. 

 

Restaurant name: Akitsu

Address: 2nd floor, Wanza Ariake Bay Mall East Wing, 3-1 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo

*5 minutes walk from Tokyo Bigsight

Official site in Japanese: http://www.akitsu-tft.com

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 4. Blend Meister Cafe

The German inspired cafe (as name shown) is on the ground floor of Sunroute Ariake Hotel. It is also a five minute walk from Tokyo Bigsight as well as the nearest station behind Panasonic Center.

The price less than Yen 1000 for lunch set is not expensive like a typical cafe accommodated in a hotel but the cozy blight space is comfortable as much as some space like a typical hotel lounge etc. We understand that the cafe is often busy with business people working in the area for lunch time 12h-13h during weekday. 

The lunch set is quite typical for business people in Tokyo. It offers Western style pasta or meat, fish plates as maindish with green salad side dish and self-service free drink and soup.

Need to be mentioned is that the cafe is pround of the skilled "barista" serving the best quality of coffee.           

In the international convention area, it is also a scarce option that brings you relaxing time with familiar choices and taste.

For evening time, the cafe promotes some selections of prize-awarded draft beer. So it can be used to chill out after the convention visit before going back to central area. 

 

Restaurant name: Blend Meister Cafe

Address: Hotel Sunroute 1st floor, 3-6-6 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo

Website in English: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/e730404/lang/en/

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Mexico, seafood restaurant - Tokyo Bigsight area

The second recommendation for lunch at Tokyo Bigsight visit is an unique seafood restaurant, "Mexico", followed the first post on early this month, Kagaya(加賀屋), a fine Japanese restaurant - Tokyo Bigsight area. As you can recognize, the name in alphabet represents the central American country. It is pronounced as "me-hi-ko" (メヒコ) in Japanese and for Japanese that does not sound to be a Mexican restaurant at least. We are not sure where the name comes from but anyway, it is not a Mexican restaurant but is one featuring Western style plates with Japanese high quality seafood.

We never know about the restaurant till we found it near Tokyo Bigsight. It has over 30 years presence as a seafood restaurant chain in Tohoku region, offering good quality fresh seafood like crab from the local region at reasonable price. In Tokyo, only two units serve in this convention center area and Asakusa. 

Apart from the fresh seafood, another unique point of the restaurant is casual and resort like interior with large rattan funiture set and water tank creating atmosphere like an aquarium. It can be regarded as a bit upper scale family restaurant. You do not have to be uncomfortable even with young kids.

Well about food, their specialty is variety of crab dishes. The most popular menu, pilaf (flavored rice) is offered with choices of size and with-shell or without.

 

Traditional Mexico fried rice with crab meat (メヒコピラフ)

My pilaf rather simple

ordinary size and crab meat without shell

 

Other seafood selections on the menu include sea urchin pilaf, starter dishes with crab meat, steamed Zuwai Kani(ズワイガニ, Snow crab) and Taraba Kani (タラバガニ, King crab), seafood tempura etc. With the long years as seafood cooking professional, the restaurant knows the best way to cook each ingredient. 

 

 

Crab guts  (紅ズワイ蟹のカニ味噌)

served along with fresh meat

is another distinguishing crab menu.  

 

Even in this gourmet city Tokyo, it is rare to find such wide selections of fine seafood plates.

Your object of travel to enjoy fresh high quality seafood in Japan may be accomplished at Mexico near Tokyo Bigsight area, even you do not have so much time to go around central Tokyo.

Don't miss the chance!

 

Mexico has English menu and opens without break through lunch to dinner time.

Its regular close day is Monday.

 

Restaurant name: Mexico (メヒコ)

Address: 2nd floor Ariake Park Building, 3-7-11 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo

*5minutes walk from Tokyo Bigsight and the building next to Washington Hotel

Official site in Japanese : http://www.mehico.com/shop/suizokukan3.html

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Nirvanam, best Indian restaurant in Tokyo, Kamiyacho (神谷町)

Indian cuisine was unfamilar for many of Japanese 10 years ago. But like in other countries, globalization has brought many Indian nationalities mainly for IT and financial industry to Japan for this several years.

Now we can find more and more Indian restaurants in Tokyo. We could find at least one Indian restaurant for each subway station area. Even in residential area, it is not rare to find one any more. So we already tried many Indian restaurants in Tokyo and many of them, prepared by chef coming from the origin country, are well enough.

But recently, we got recommendation from an Indian living in Tokyo for long years, in our network. So we assume that it is the best Indian restaurant selected by the nationality. The restaurant Nirvanam has already been spotted by Japanese local gourmet people in spite of the non-major location, Kamiyacho (神谷町).

Well, first about the town Kamiyacho, the subway station is on Hibiya line running through Ebisu, Roppongi, Hibiya, Ueno etc between noth to/from south in Tokyo. It is a calm business district locating one stop from night entertainment spot Roppongi and also not far from Tokyo Tower and a luxury Japanese brand hotel, Okura. Not many local people have a chance to visit the town, apart from those working in the area, because there is no commercial, art, leisure or tourist spots etc in surrouding area.

In the calm location, the Indian restaurant was filled with diners, when we visited on a weekday evening. It is on the second floor of a small multi-tenant building accommodating "Sukiya", a beef bowl fast food chain restaurant on the ground floor. 

Entering into the restaurant, we felt full sense of the South Asian country, welcomed by smiling Indian staff and local folk decoration everywhere.

As for the menu, a plenty of choices not only for curry categorised by Chicken, Mutton, Seafood and Vegetable, but also we did find for a kind of bread and crape, which are called "nan", the most familiar one for Japanese, "dosa", "poori" etc etc. We have never seen such variation for Indian bread and crape in Japan. Surely Nirvanam is an authentic Indian restaurant.

We selected two kinds of curry and two kinds of breads from the attractive list, after some thoughts, as followings...

 

Butter Chicken Currey (we believe it "typical" and our favourite) and

Mutton Stew cooked with mild coconuts sauce 

 

Both curry sauce are very rich and thick.

 

We have never had the richness. 

We soon agreed that this is the best Indian restaurant in Tokyo.

 

Also we tried bread menu which we have never head but is a specialty of Kerala state.

 

Kerala Porota (roll and layered bread)  

 each layer is well burned and crispy, while it is soft inside.

 

Another bread we tried

Cheese Nan

The taste is much better than we imagined.

 

One reason may be because it was served just after cooked and well heated. The tender cheese flavor is finely matched with tne soft nan dough. We wanna take a whole piece of the Cheese nan solely, even without curry sauce.

In other words, we love the unforgettable item!!

Again we confirmed that this is the best Indian restaurant in Tokyo.

 

After dinner, we ordered chai.

Chai is not rare item at Indian restaurans in Tokyo. But non of them, we visited, serves by such a traditional cup like this. It seems to be very traditional and authentic style.

Nirvanam offers buffet style meal for lunch and, course and a la carte for dinner.

All staff are Indian, as long as we saw. They are polite and friendly. 

Surely it is a quite recommendable restaurant in Tokyo, when you like to take Indian food.

We will come back here to try another kinds of curry and breads!! 

 

Restaurant name: Nirvanam 

Website: http://www.nirvanam.jp

Link to access information and map: http://www.nirvanam.jp/map

Nearest subway station: Kamiyacho (Hibiya line)

       

 

Standing Sushi Bar Uogashi Nihon-ichi in Shinagawa Station

Did you know a Japanese word “Ekinaka”(駅中)?
We believe that It won’t be on your text book or a dictionary.
“Ekinaka” means “inside station” and it represents commercial facilities accommodated in a train station. They are situated in a area accessible only with a train ticket or pass rather than in a building attached to a station.
The one in Shinagawa, called “Ecute”, was the very first among such facilities launched several years ago by JR East.

Last year several new restaurants and shops have been added to the commercial facility inside JR Shinagawa station.

Some of you may be based at a hotel or office in Shinagawa or other may use the station, one of the largest in Tokyo, as a transferring point for Shinkansen toward Kyoto or Osaka, local train for Kamakura or Yokohama etc. Thousands of people just go through the station but now we can also enjoy shopping time at UNIQLO famous casual wear boutique, Japanese traditional sweets stores or craft and variety goods stores on the upper floor.

Not only shopping, Ecute Shinagawa also offers variety of choices for dining.
“Standing Sushi Bar Uogasi Nihon-ichi” is one of them. As the name shown, it is a “standing bar” dedicated to authentic Sushi prepared by Sushi master working inside the counter.

The casual Sushi restaurant is operated by a Sushi chain sourcing their fresh seafood ingredients from Tsukiji fish market. What is provided at the unit inside Shinagawa station is nothing change from it. Entering to the Sushi restaurant, you will find a few Sushi chef preparing sushi inside the counter. Apart from the counter table without a chair, the quality of Sushi must be quite similar to an ordinary sushi restaurant.

 

Considering the points, the price of Sushi provided at Uogashi Nihon-ichi is rather amazing. The price for a piece of Sushi starts from Yen 75 or Yen 150 per order (because minimum order is a pair for a kind of Sushi) and majorities of their Sushi are Yen 75 to Yen 200 per piece.
The menu written on wooden plates and hang on a wall include names in English. Of course the price shows clearly for each group of seafood. That must make you feel comfortable to order to one of the Sushi chef in front of you.

Green tea is “self-service” at free of charge. All stuff for tea can be found on the counter table.
Take a tea cup and add a spoonful green tea powder in it from a pot on the table. Then pour hot water carefully from a tap in front of you. Maybe it is another reason of the least expensive sushi price.
If you would, the restaurant offers Sake and beer as well.

 

 

 

 

Your sushi ordered will be quickly prepared by the chef and placed on a green leaf used as a plate. Just remind you … that the natural tool is never for cost-down but for creating atmosphere.

 

My order, 4 kinds of Sushi (each by pair),　Iwashi, Saba, Maguro, Anago

(sardine, mackerel, tuna and conger consecutively)

and Salmon (not included in the photo) as additional.

Total it costed Yen 1100 only for a person!!

 

 

Each piece might be a bit smaller than ones at an ordinary Sushi restaurant. But due to the reasonable price, we can order more kinds of pieces if we want.

Because of the location inside a train station, that also suits for a quick bite. You will encounter local sole-diners come, have several pieces of sushi with a glass of beer and leave from the counter after 10-20 minutes, before or after his/her trip or hard-work. In that point, as the name is, the facility works like “a bar” rather than a restaurant.

Try a short-time Sushi experience like a Japanese businessman!

 

Restaurant name: Standing Sushi Bar Uogashi Nihon-ichi

Address: JR Shinagawa station 3-26-27 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Official website: http://www.susinippan.co.jp/infos/index/00131

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Kagaya(加賀屋), a fine Japanese restaurant - Tokyo Bigsight area

During the month of October 2012, we are going to feature restaurants near Tokyo Bigsight (the largest international convention center of Tokyo).

We know that some international visitors come to Japan to attend or make a presentation at a trade fair taken place at Tokyo Bigslight. Even for Tokyo locals, without any reliable information, it is not easy to find a nice cozy lunch place to enjoy a short break in a busy day at the trade fair venue. If you have enough time to get out from the convention center and to have a walk for around 5 minutes, you do not have to end up with a quick bite at a crowded cafeteria inside the convention center building.   

The first one of our recommendation, a luxury Japanese restaurant Kagaya,  gives you a slight feeling of authentic Ryokan experience in the modern developed area.

As some of you may know, Kagaya is originally Ryokan style luxury accommodation located in Noto Peninsula, Hokuriku Region. It is well-knowns as the best Ryokan in Japan by locals as well as by some international tourists. Kagaya Tokyo Ariake branch near Tokyo Bigsight functions only as a Japanese restaurant, without accommodation facility.

At the Japanese restaurant, Kagaya focuses on providing meal and atmosphere similar to the original version accommodation. It means that the restaurant’s female staff appear in Kimono and treat the restaurant’s guests in same hospitality with the Ryokan.

The plates are also enough high quality authentic Japanese cuisine, as many expect from the reputation for the best Ryokan. The restaurant provides Kaiseki course with fresh and seasonal ingredients in high quality, while it offers lunch set at around Yen 1000 to Yen 2000. Considering the quality and service catered there, it is quite reasonable price.

 

Even though the view from the window is not equally nice to Kagaya Ryokan in Wakura Hot Spring resort near Japan Sea, for those who do not have enough time to enjoy fine Japanese cuisine because of tight schedule in Tokyo, the restaurant will give you a chance to feel such Japanese essence for a moment on lunch time near the trade fair venue.

         
Tokyo Bigsight location is also very close to Panasonic Center, which presents Japan's latest technology, and Venus Fort shopping mall in Odaiba. This information may be useful to know for those who plant to visit these sites.

 One point to note is that the restaurant is sometimes charted by a large group. In that case, on the same floor, you will also find alternative Japanese restaurant such as izakaya providing seafood bowl (海鮮丼), although they are not as much sophisticated as Kagaya. 

 

Restaurant name: Kagaya Tokyo Ariake Branch

Address: 2nd floor, Wanza Ariake Bay Mall East Wing, 3-1 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo

*5 minutes walk from Tokyo Bigsight

Official site in Japanese: http://www.kagaya.co.jp/shoku/shop/shop.php?shop=ariake

Website in English : http://r.gnavi.co.jp/a618101/lang/en/ 

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Sake Bar, glass of sake at Yen500! Japan All In event at Marunouchi

Annual meeting of the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and World Bank Group will be held in Tokyo during next week from 9th October.

At Marunouchi (丸の内) business district adjacent to the meeting venue, some promotion and events are offred to welcome guests coming for the meetings. Some of them are not exclusive for the meeting attendees but open to all people and tourists.

One of these promotions called "Sake Bar" is Sake tasting opportunity at "Cafe ease" in Marunouchi Building. At the cafe, during the promotion event between 9th to 14th October 2012, Sake selections from all 47 prefectures of Japan are listed and offered each at Yen 500 by a glass. They include established brands such as Ichinokura from Miyagi,  Suehiro Gensai from Fukushima, Kusudama from Gifu prefectures. Some Japanese dishes in Izakaya style will be also ready to be enjoyed together with the Sake collection again each at Yen 500. 

Especially on Saturday 13th October, live music performance of "shamisen" (Japanese stringed instrument) will be provided twice a day, from 16h00 and 20h00. 

If you stay in Tokyo during the event, don't miss the chance to taste fine Sake collection at such a reasonable price in modern cafe. Marunouchi Building is just in front of JR Tokyo station and is not far from Ginza and Imperial Palce.

 

Promotion details:

Japan All In Sake Bar At Marunouchi Cafe "ease"

Address: 1st (Ground) floor Marunouchi Building, 2-4-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Date: 8th to 14th October 2012

Time: 16h00 - 24h00

Official site (Japanese) : http://www.marunouchi.com/common/JP/shop/detail.cgi?SH_MSH_code=1046

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