KM - One of Daikanyama's finest French

Here's another restaurant a few friends took me for my birthday. Cuisine Francais KM.

KM (pronounced Kah-Em) is a fairly traditional French restaurant by Kiyoshi Miyashiro in the upscale Daikanyama area. It's been a local favorite since 1987. The interior is refined; the crisp white tablecloths and chairs contrast well with the dark oak floors and furnishings. Similar to MONNA LISA in Ebisu, KM is very prim and proper. 

The presentation of the dishes were also beautiful - not as adventurous and daring like MONNA LISA, but more authentic and maybe just a little bit old-fashioned. The flavors at KM are a lot more robust and defined, I found. The French dishes here are heavier, like a full-body red wine, whereas MONNA LISA's dishes are simpler and more delicate, like a nice sparkling. We had eel, quail, foie gras, lamb... typical French yet delicious, and definitely a little heavy on the stomach. It really depends on preference, I suppose, but I prefer the lighter MONNA LISA taste. 

Everything from the appetizers to the entrees were in fact delicious, but the staff service doesn't match the level of food - the only unfortunate point for this place. Some of the waiters had difficulty explaining the food and wine and had to keep going back to the kitchen to confirm. So we ended up confused about a few items on the plate. There is a difference between discovering new flavors and trying to figure them out. I guess if you're paying over 70 bucks per head, you want to be certain about everything. The dessert plate is definitely more toned down at KM. Good, but not super exciting in terms of variation or color. 

KM is a great place for a quiet anniversary dinner with a girlfriend or a refined meal with your parents, but it's also definitely a nice place for a posh girls night out. (Photosource: gnavi.jp)

Cuisine Francais KM

Shibuya-ku, Ebisu Nishi 1-30-14-102 Echo Daikanyama

Open 12:00-15:00, 18:00-23:00. Closed Mondays

Tel: 03.5784.5883

http://premium.gnavi.co.jp/g959000/

Monna Lisa Smile

For that special occasion with that special someone, MONNA LISA is the place to go. It’s a wonderful French restaurant in Ebisu (with another location in Marunouchi). My best friend took me here for my birthday 2 years ago and I absolutely loved it! It is definitely one of the higher-end restaurants in Tokyo but I think for the ambiance, food, and location, the visit is worth every penny (yen). Like the patrons who are all very composed and well-dressed, the dishes here are works of art. In terms of food presentation, this place ranks in the highest echelons. Some of the plates are just too pretty that you feel bad devouring it all up with your fork.

I had the 10,000 yen B course menu when I went, which included an amuse, 2 appetizers, 2 entrees (fish and meat), a cheese plate, a huge dessert plate, and caffe to finish. It was devine. But let me just say that the 6,800 yen A course will be PLENTY. I thought I was going to explode having the B course. Just so you know, there is also a 13,000 yen C menu as well as a Degustation (tasting) menu for 15,000. I think you'd have to be a starving athlete to finish them. Here is their current lineup for Course B:

Menu B
*Small size Appetizer
*Tartare of baked eggplant and seafood
*Galette of calamari and marinated vegetables, cappuccino style
*Risotto of grilled “Ayu” with summer truffle flavor
*Sauteed spiced veal and asparagus
Or　
*Langoustine-stuffed pintade, red pepper sauce
*Assorted cheese or Fruit soup
*Today's special dessert
*Coffee or Tea, Herb tea + sweets

The dessert plate is by far the best I have ever had. Maybe it was because it was my birthday? I dunno, but I had 8 petit gateaux on my plate. It was like a dream come true. (Photo source: Monna Lisa)


MONNA LISA EBISU
Shibuya-ku, Ebisu 1-14-4
Tel: 03.5458.1887
Open 11:30-14:00, 17:30-21:30 daily
http://www.monnalisa.co.jp/index.html

Masquerade! Paper faces on parade!

It felt as though we had accidentally stepped inside the dress rehearsal of Phantom of the Opera or something, what with all the servers wearing black masks. Talk about intimidating! Little kids might start crying. But actualy, there was no reason to be alarmed because there was nothing hiding behind the masks other than very friendly waiters energetically bringing you great Italian food. Some waiters spoke so little Japanese (and English for that matter), we had a little difficulty understanding them while they explained the specials and seasonal entrees. But they meant it when they said, "itsa very very good," because we were not disappointed.

Ristorante e Pizzeria da IVO is all things Naples. Chef Ivo Virgilio's creations are Naples-themed Italian cuisine, including Naples' famous pizza and pasta, along with fish and meat. And to serve real Neapolitan style pizza, he brought one of the best craftsmen and materials to Tokyo to build an authentic oven. The tiles on the floor, the pictures on the walls, and even the door knobs were brought in from Naples.

IVO is a pretty highly rated Italian eatery within metropolian Tokyo. Located on Meiji Dori, it's a bit of a walk from both Hiroo and Ebisu stations, but that is probably the only drawback. The doors and windows are opened on warm days so as to create the feel of an open-terrace. We went for dinner the other night and enjoyed it immensely. We each paid around 7000 yen (including wine) so it was not terribly expensive. The appetizers, the pizzas, the desserts… are ALL very good. (photos here: http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/rstdtlphoto/13005489/)

So what's with the black masks? Apparently they represent the Pulcinella which is the traditional clown costume of Naples. Despite the intimidating exterior, the characters are known for always having a positive approach to life. (Photo source: www.atelierdesarts.com)

Ristorante e Pizzeria da IVO
Shibuya-ku, Hiroo 1-6-10

Tel: 03.5793.3121

Open 11:30-14:00, 18:00-22:00 daily

http://www.eatpia.com/daivo/

Nobody puts Babbi in a corner

And rightly so. 'Cuz this Baby rocks too.

Ok, so I just wanted to use that line because who doesn't have Dirty Dancing in their DVD collection, right? And even if you don't, you're admittedly in the closet about liking the film. Just like we all secretly love Doug Dorsey and Kate Moseley iceskate their way into love in The Cutting Edge (man, I love that film...), we cheer for Johnny and Baby too, having the time of their lives in the summer of '63 somewhere in the Catskill Mountains. Unfortunately however,  this Babbi rhymes more with Pappi than with Baby, and sounds more like a mobster name than a Jewish girl in a pink summer dress. But oh well. 

BABBI is the famous sweets brand established in Italy some 56 years ago, specializing in chocolate, wafers and gelato. Their first shop in Japan opened in 2002 and now has 12 locations throughout the country. I go to the Roppongi Hills shop because it's most convenient for me... and is great for those occasional slow days where I don't have to be back in the office until 1:30pm and I feel that I've worked hard enough the day before that I feel I deserve an after-lunch dessert. 

I absolutely love BABBI gelato. I think I've tried about 20 of the 30 flavors available. My favorites being menta stracciatella (mint choco chip), fichi (fig), latte fragola (strawberry milk), nocciola (hazelnut), and kid's (marble chocolate). BABBI gelato is definitely high-end compared to Baskin Robbins' 31 flavors, Haagen Dazs or even Coldstone Creamery, so be prepared to fork out a little more money for these Italian babies. But I guarantee you that they won't disappoint! (Photo source: BABBI.jp)

BABBI Roppongi Hills

Minato-ku, Roppongi 6-9-1, Roppongi Hills Keyakizaka Dori 1F

Open 11:00-21:00 Daily

Tel: 03.5775.0070

http://www.babbi.jp/

I love dumplings!

There are a lot of dumpling places in Tokyo. I LOVE both the steamed kind (xiao long bao/shoronpo) as well as the fried potsticker kind (gyoza). Dumplings rank as one of my top 10 favorite foods. It's a total comfort food for me, just like mac and cheese... Anyway, I think the best shoronpo house in Tokyo is Jin Din Rou in Ebisu, hands down. Originally from Taiwan, it's very similar to the more famous Ding Tai Fung that you're probably more familiar with. There are several Ding Tai Fung locations within Japan and all of them are packed with people. I'm sure the ones in your area are popular as well. I actually went to the original one when I visited Taipei earlier this year. Of course, it was really good and more importantly, a whole lot cheaper! Dude, it's seriously overpriced in Japan. Anyway, back to my recommendation, Jin Din Rou. First of all, it's cheaper than Ding Tai Fung! 6 pieces of original shoronpo is 790 yen versus 820 yen at Ding Tai Fung. Similarly, the crab miso shoronpo is 1250 yen versus 1450 yen at the competitor. 

The 1000 yen lunch sets are a steal. I like going there on the weekends with friends. You get 4 dumplings of your preference as well as 1 entree (the shrimp fried rice is SO good, but the spicy tantan men noodles aren't bad either). For dinner, I like to eat a la carte because I tried the 4000 yen course a while ago and could not finish it. It was so much food I thought I was going to explode. I recommend the course meals if you have a party of more than 3 people. 

(Photo source: Jin Din Rou)

Jin Din Rou（京鼎樓　恵比寿本店）

Shibuya-ku, Ebisu 4-3-1, Kuizu Ebisu 2F (2 min. from JR Ebisu station, east gate)

Open 11:30-15:00, 17:30-24:00 M-Sat, Open til 23:00 on Sun

http://jin-din-rou.net/index.html

'saiya later alligator!

May 2008 marked the 5th year anniversary of Roppongi Hills. With it came a whole bunch of store renewals and expansions, including a massive new Adidas superstore (where I got to attend the opening party to see some celebs like our supermodel, Shiho. She was so cute!!) and  a Tiffany's store just for men (is this even necessary? there's a regular Tiffany's around the block). One of the new restaurant openings was Motoyama Milk Bar, which I already featured in my previous post. Yummy. So let's talk about Yasaiya Mei now, shall we?

Final verdict: Disappointed.

We were all so excited for this place because it features organic vegetables and lunches especially targeting the working gal's wants and needs for a healthy diet. So we went as a group for lunch on their opening day, May 09. We were handed the menu and our first reaction was, "where's the rest of it? I think we're missing a page." There was the vegetable shabu shabu lunch for 2900 yen, the vegetable course for 4300 yen, and the vegetable curry for 1400 yen. That's it. It was an outrage. First of all, if you open shop in an office building, you have to offer a variety of lunch choices around the 800 to 1500 yen level. We can't spend near 30 bucks on lunch everyday. We'd go broke in a month. And second of all, there's not a single salad at the vegetable house. What? Are the salads on haitus or something? Aren't salads the first thing that pops to mind when you feel you need to recharge your veggies intake? So bizarre.

Anyway, so we all tried the vegetable curry (because we can't afford the other two). While it took them forever to serve us, I have to admit that the taste was good. It was nice. The presentation was lovely with all the various vegetables neatly stacked on the plate. But... why is this cold? The artistic vegetable creation atop the curry probably took too much time to construct, so by the time the waiters brought it to your table, the curry and rice had gone cold. What a shame. The curry was too mild for my taste as well. I think all the vegetable additions made it sweeter by accident. Bummer. 

We all haven't been back to Yasaiya Mei since our first unfortunate visit. But I checked their website just now and it seems they've added 4 more items to the menu since May. And they started a take-out lunch box for 1000 yen. Good girl. But it's going to take a lot more than that to impress us. Seriously, all we want is an awesome salad.... until that day comes, I'm not going back.

There's a Yasaiya Mei is Omotesando and Gotanda as well, but I'm sure the story is the same there. I'm disappointed because this comes from the same house (the EatWalk Group) responsible for AW Kitchen Tokyo, which is a lovely pasta place in Nakameguro.

Vegetable House Yasaiya Mei

Minato-ku, Roppongi 6-10-1, Roppongi Hills Westwalk 5F

Open 11:00-23:00 M-Th, 11:00-26:00 F-S

Tel: 03.5775.2960

http://www.eat-walk.com/roppongi/index.php

Creamy and Dreamy

There's a new shop in town. From the great plains of Yakumo, Hokkaido comes Motoyama Milk Bar. It opened this past April at Roppongi Hills, taking over the space that used to be Tofu Cafe. There's a big fat Daisy cow standing in front of some blue and pink doors. You can't miss it. It's the first thing I see going up the escalators every morning. The milk stand opens at 8 am so you can actually buy a bottle of milk on your way to work. I like the coffee milk (320 yen), personally, but what's cool is that they all come in a glass bottle with a paper tab lid. Just like the old days! (well, old days like for our parents... I'm sure we all had paper and plastic in our generation). 

After lunch, you can grab yourself a softserve ice cream (480 yen) too that is just pure heaven. Creamy AND dreamy! And when you see a group of grown men in suits sitting at a table eating ice cream, you can't help but smile. I have yet to actually go inside the place (I just settle for the window stand) but they apparently serve more elaborate things for eat-in guests, like parfaits, pancakes, and even curries and gratins. I bet they're good too. Motoyama even has online shopping so if feel like it, I can have them deliver milk (and coffee milk!) to my door for up to 6 months! Awesome. The only thing is though, I try very hard to stick to nonfat milk every day, so I'll have to pass on the delivery thing. I've gained too many pounds because of rich milk sold and served in Japan. Any more and I won't be able to moooove. (Photo source: Motoyama Milk Bar)

Motoyama Milk Bar

Minato-ku, Roppongi 6-4-1, Roppongi Hills Metrohat 1F, Tokyo

Open 8:00-22:00

Tel: 03.6273.2248

http://www.motoyamamilkbar.jp/

What do I have to do to get some good Mexican food around here?

A couple of my Cali'ed friends (def: "people like me who grew up in California but somehow ended up in Tokyo after college") and I went to OTRA the other day. We had just watched Batman - Dark Knight - so we were in the mood for some flavors of home. That's right. Yo quiero burritos! So we decided to go to Otra in Ebisu, which is near Garden Place, to satisfy our cravings.

Let's cut the chase. This place sucks. It really does. The A/C doesn't work, it took forever (literally, 20 minutes!!) until all our drinks came out, my friend's burrito was served even before our table's appetizers (what I think were nachos), and the overall food was mediocre at best. Ok, so we have to give them some slack because we've all eaten the real thing and LA kids are more picky about Mexican food than even the true amigos in Mexico. But still. There is acceptable, and there is I want my money back. The only decent dish was buffalo wings. See, they can't do Mexican! Ugh.

I miss Albertos. I miss Robertos. I miss Cotixans.

I miss Baja Fresh and Chipotle. 

I even miss Wahoo's and Taco Bell. SO MUCH.

Japanese people have mastered every type of cuisine. They have. But they still get a C- for Mexican. The decent Mexican food places in Tokyo are La Jolla (Hiroo) and Junkadelic (Nakameguro) only. OTRA should be delisted. (Photo source: gnavi)

Tex Mex Dining Bar OTRA

Shibuya-ku, Ebisu Minami 1-23-8, American Bridge Bldg 3F

They're open from 11:30-23:00, but it's not worth the visit.

Tel: 03.3719.8511

http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g848000/

Just Splendido

Osteria Splendido in Hiroo, is my second home. My friend lives across the street from this place so it's one of the reasons why we go so often. If she didn't live so close, I don't think I would have ever come here because it's so far from the train station.  The only way you'd make it here would be by taxi. There's a small recording studio also tucked away nearby, so a lot of celebrities and studio people swing by for drinks at night. I think the inconvenient location provides them with a nice, quiet place to hang out. Sometimes, they're obnoxious... bringing in their guitars or wildly laughing over scotch. But most days, it's quiet and homey. The sommelier (Miura-san) is always so gracious and comes by to chat all the time... sometimes he stays for a little too long, but he's such a lovely guy. Since I had cut back on my alcohol intake this past year due to some health issues (no, I'm not preggers and no, I'm not recovering at AA meetings), Miura-san gives me orange juice... THE BEST OJ on the planet! I swear to Tropicana, the orange juice served here is out of this world. When Splendido invited us to their 1 year anniversary party last year, I drank like 5 glasses of OJ. I told them they should just bring it to me in a bucket.

The food here is fantastic. The pate (pasticcio alla campagnola) and bistecca are exquisite. The carbonara is a must, and the ragu is dreamy. I usually judge an Italian place by their caprese, so if they don't serve real water buffalo mozzarella, there is no second visit. Osteria is definitely splendido about their cheeses. I've tagged my name on their anniversary magnum wine bottle so you know I've been there more than once. Their seasonal menu is great as well. Right now they have a lot of dishes based on sea urchin which I welcome any time of the year, but I'm looking forward to the porcini mushrooms come Autumn.

Splendido is actually the restaurant on B1, where there is also a cellar boasting hundreds of different wine. There is a spiral staircase leading from the first floor, which is the enoteca bar, Implicito. When we've already had dinner elsewhere, we just hang out at Implicito and have a cheese plate and wine, or some caffe and dessert. Miura-san comes running up the stairs from Splendido to greet us, but then is quickly shooed away because it's not "his turf" upstairs. 

Anyway, I had to dedicate one post to Splendido because they take care of me all the time. 

Osteria Splendido

Shibuya-ku, Higashi 4-6-3, Tokyo

Open 18:00-4:00, Closed Sundays

http://www.osteria-splendido.jp/index.html

bar & enoteca implicito

Open 18:00-4:00

http://www.implicito.com/

Kurosawa

I am pretty picky about Soba and Udon. The texture, the flavor, the aroma, the color... it all has to be just right. And it better be handmade or I ain't having it. There are a couple great soba places down in Azabu Jyuban, but it's tad too far to go for lunch on the weekdays, so I stick with Keyaki Kurosawa, which is just across the street from my office.  I go there probably 4-5 times a month for lunch. This place makes the cut for good soba at a decent price. 

Keyaki is one of the late director's restaurants. There are 3 other restaurants in the Kurosawa Restaurant franchise, all with different themes and menus, but all of them have photographs of Akira Kurosawa and his old movie stills decorating the walls. Keyaki is the simplest of the bunch, I think. The interior is reminiscent of an old Japanese house, and the wood furnishings are warm and relaxing. My favorites here are the cold Inaka soba (735 yen) and the hot Tamagotoji soba (945 yen). Pairing it with a pork rice bowl (butadon, 945 yen. Aka is my choice) is definitely a MUST. I have to admit that the portions are small. If you don't have a pork rice bowl with your soba, you'll be hungry by 3 pm. 

Keyaki Kurosawa（欅くろさわ）

Minato-ku, Nishiazabu 3-2-15, Across the street from Grand Hyatt Roppongi

Open 11:30-15:00, 18:00-3:00, Closed Sundays

Tel: 03.5775.9638

http://www.9638.net/keyaki/index.html

Burn baby burn

Unfortunately, the only burning that goes on here is the yakitori. Forget about it if you want to burn calories. 

MOE is one of our favorites. The girls and I go there from time to time after work to release our stress and have a good time. The name means "on fire" but since it's pronounced exactly like Moet (& Chandon), they serve you the champagne as a free starter! Isn't that fabulous?! I love it. The servers are very friendly and attentive, even though the place is usually packed. The best yakitori here are the bonjiri, tebasaki, tsukune, sori, and sasami yuzu koshou (price ranges from 250 yen to 450 yen each). Eat a bit of salad so you don't turn into a lion, but I won't blame you if you want to stick to just eating meat. The chicken here is MmMm good. To finish, have the soopu-chazuke. This chicken soup porridge is so yummy, it totally hits the spot.

There's no way of getting in on Thursday or Friday nights without a reservation. MOE is a popular hangout for the office workers around the Roppongi area so calling in advance is highly recommended. Secure a table in the back because it gets a little rowdy along the counters overlooking the flames.

Yakitori MOE（やきとり燃）

Minato-ku, Roppongi 3-8-12

Open 18:00-4:00, Closed Sundays

Tel: 03.5414.1141

http://rockgogo.jp/

The best cakes in Tokyo

Patissier Toshi Yoroizuka is a cake god. 

After training in Austria, Paris and Belgium, refining his skills at 3 star Michelin restaurants, and advising multiple brands and department stores, Chef Yoroizuka opened up shop in Ebisu 3 years ago. And last year, with the opening of Tokyo Midtown, he unleashed his second store to the delight of many eager fans. 

Toshi Yoroizuka is definitely in the class of "celebrity chefs." Just like you have your Marios, Wolfgangs, and Bobbys in the U.S., we have our long list of celebrity kitchen gods as well. Yoroizuka used to be more of a local favorite when he only had a shop in Ebisu, but once he opened in Midtown... no, wait... once actress Naomi Kawashima (48) announced last year that she finally got engaged to none other than the most promising patissiers in Japan, Toshihiko Yoroizuka (42), his brand exploded onto the gourmet scene and secured him onto everyone's cake map. Naomi Kawashima is one lucky gal. She scares me and her miniature dachshunds also scare me, but it's nice that she finally found a guy to meet her sky high expectations. At a press conference last year, she announced her engagement wearing a candied ring he made for her. How sweet. It's sexy when a guy knows how to cook. But it's a dream if he knows how to bake a kick ass cake. 

There are always long lines outside of Yoroizuka. The salon is packed everyday and the take-out line spills out of the door. There is even an attendant outside to organize the lines. I like to call him the bouncer, cuz this place is really happenin'. I wish that all the tourists would just go away, though. The shop is mentioned in almost every guide book and gourmet magazine now, so it's really annoying. It's frustrating when "locals" like myself just want to buy her choux paysanne as a 3 pm snack to accompany her nonfat latte. Haha! what a bratty little remark, right? But you know what I'm talking about. You'd say the same if 20 grammas with failing vision were in line in front of you. (Photo source: Yoroizuka)

My favorites: 

Choux Paysanne (What they're famous for. The ultimate cream puff)

Mont Blanc (Marron creme at its finest)

Saint-Honore Chocolat (Yum. Complex yet delicate)

Tarte Aux Fraises (Strawberries!!!)

Bernard (Pistacchio cake. trust me, it's good)

Profiterole (Cream puff tower. Just saying that is a winner)

Toshi Yoroizuka

Minato-ku, Akasaka 9-7-2, Tokyo Midtown East 1F

Open 11:00-21:00 (Salon open til 22:00), Take-out is closed Tuesdays

Tel: 03.5413.3650

http://www.grand-patissier.info/ToshiYoroizuka/index.php

You on for Kuon?

Kuon is one of my favorite restaurants in Tokyo.  They have the best aburi shimesaba sushi. It comes in four big pieces (1300 yen), but I can probably eat 12 of them if I didn't find myself enjoying the other dishes. A lot on the menu are like appetizers, or more appropriately put, accompaniments to sake and shochu. So don't expect hefty portions here. If you don't like dainty food, go elsewhere.

Only 2 minutes from the station, you round a corner and go up two very steep flights of stairs to find Kuon neatly tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Ebisu. Open the door and you have the energetic guys in the kitchen welcome you warmly while they tend to their pots and grills. They all wear earthly-colored samues, simple, like their dishes.  I like to sit at the counter so that I can watch the ita-sans prepare my food. Once again, an open kitchen. They have shabu-shabu too (minimum 2 people) which is very good, but definitely try the various sashimis. If you don't know what to order and if you're on a budget, get the omakase course. 

Kuon has about 30 different types of sake and shochu. I pass out after 2 drinks so I usually keep to the teas, but sake-lovers will definitely appreciate the food here - Like cheese to fine wine, the dishes are made to accompany your sake. For dessert, I highly recommend the yaki monaka (600 yen). It's a hot ice cream sandwich with azuki. Don't split it with your friend. Just get two to begin with because you're going to end up ordering another anyway.

Kuon（くおん）

Shibuya-ku, Ebisu Minami 1-14-15, Tokyo

Closed Sundays

Tel: 03.3793.1319

http://www.ku-on.com/

Relaxed and Refined in Nishiazabu

I haven't been to SHIBUROKU in a while, probably because it's in Nishiazabu. Nishiazabu is very out of the way. There are no train stations conveniently close enough to the restaurants you want to go to. While it's only a 15 minute walk down the street from my office in Roppongi, it's 15 minutes too far to walk in the dogs days of summer. The humidity and heat will probably kill you on the way there. Taxi is an option or course, but I feel ridiculous taking a cab for a distance less than the initial fare of 710 yen. So I guess I'll go back in Autumn.

SHIBUROKU is a part of the monstrosity that is the Kiwa Corporation. There are some mediocre restaurants under the roof of the Kiwa franchise and there are some that are just so incredibly high-end that you can only go once a year. I think Shiburoku is actually one of the more decent and affordable Kiwa establishments.

Their menu is reflected in the name. Their menu is precisely a Shi (four) Meat to Roku (six) Fish ratio. The dishes are very simplistic - most of them are just grilled over charcoal flames and served with a dash of salt. This is a place where you can enjoy the full and natural flavor of fresh ingredients. I have to admit that 700 yen for cold tomatoes and 800 yen for asparagus is a little overpriced, but once you have the various fish (mackerel, 1800 yen or sashimi mori, 2800 yen) and the skewered meats (sirloin, 3800 yen), you'll be content to fork out a few extra bills. The presentation is pretty, the attention to detail is very Japanese. Sit at the long, beautiful counter and talk to the chefs who prepare the food right in front of you. They'll tell you where the cucumbers came in from this morning or how to prepare boiled eggs using oolong tea. 

For avid food network watchers like myself, Tokyo is definitely a great place to eat and learn. Many restaurants boast a open kitchen where you can interact with the owners and chefs. Shiburoku is not for the party seekers or happy-hour crowds. It's a quiet restaurant for the older, more refined. I always feel very out of place there, but it's a nice place to go if your co-worker wants to tell you she's having doubts about work or feels like she hasn't had healthy food in a while. A sigh of relief, I guess you can say.

SHIBUROKU（四分六）

Minato-ku, Nishiazabu 4-2-10, Nunoya House 1F, Tokyo

Open 11:30-14:30, 18:00-23:00

Tel: 03.3486.5560

http://www.kiwa-group.co.jp/restaurant/a100363.html

We're serious about our meat

You think that just because we're Japanese, we're only picky about fish. No. Our obsession lies with things on land as well. We're serious when it comes to meat, especially beef.

I'm sure Iron Chef or Benihana or Nobu or some other Japanese schmuck has taught you a thing or two about our Kobe Beef and how expensive it is. Yeah, it's good of course, but there are many other branded beef in Japan. And did you know that we have rankings for beef? The rankings range from C1 to A5, with A5 being the best of the tastiest. Wagyu, refers to a beef bred in Japan that has genetic characteristics to predispose intense marbling of fat and muscle fiber. It has a high percentage of unsaturated fat, thus, the melting temperature point is lower. Of which, Kuroge-wagyu refers to the black-haired beef breeds; the most famous being those bred in Matsuzaka/Kobe, Ohmi, and Miyazaki. Yes, that's right folks. Premium branded beef. Like the Harry Winstons of beef. Like the Bentleys of beef. 

It's not often that you get to eat A5 meat. It's pricey here too. But my friend recently introduced me to MEAT YAZAWA in Gotanda that only serves A5-ranked steaks and hamburgs. And for cheap!! It's like a dream come true for carnivores like myself. While at first I was hesitant to go to Gotanda (because it's an unfashionable, really unremarkable city -- known more for shady love hotels and other obscure businesses), I am so glad I went. Yazawa takes no reservations so when I got there at 11:30, there was already a line wrapped around the block. I'd say the wait was roughly 30 minutes, not too bad.  I had the hamburg lunch (1260 yen)... and oh my gosh, it was SO good. Yazawa proudly features the various A5 beef for the week. Official "Champion Hitachi-gyu" or "Champion A5 Maesawa-gyu" certificates line the walls to prove authenticity. Japanese people are suckers for the real deal. We willingly splurge on quality. Next time, I'm having the 4980 yen sirloin steak!

I'll post something on our pork obsession too sometime. Tokyo X, Platinum Pork, Wine pork, Herb pork, Iberico, Agu....

In the meantime, go to Yazawa.

MEAT YAZAWA（ミート矢澤）

Shinagawa-ku, Gotanda 2-15-13, New Heights Nishi Gotanda 1F

Open 11:30-15:00, 17:00-24:00

No reservations

Tel: 03.5435.2914

http://www.kuroge-wagyu.com/my/index.html

A B&B in Tokyo

Wouldn't it be great if we could all just make our way out to the Hamptons or Napa Valley for a good ol' Bed & Breakfast? What a lovely way to spend a weekend with your significant other, right? In a cute little cottage or something overlooking a couple hundred acres of chardonnay vineyard...

Unfortunately, we have no such luxury here in Tokyo. People are too preoccupied with work, I think they've forgotten about breakfast. I've noticed that most shops and restaurants don't even open until 11:00am. Where do you go for brunch around here? Where you can sit down and have some eggs benedict or a stack of blueberry pancakes and sausage? I have not the faintest clue. I guess, either you eat breakfast at home (who has that kind of time at 6 o'clock in the morning?) or buy a rice ball and miso soup at your local convenience store and eat at your desk when you get in for work at 7 (that's what I do most days when I don't have time to go down to Starbucks - this is when you know you're busy... when you can't spend 10 minutes of your morning for your coffee to brew and your panini to grill). I can't believe I'm still working in an industry that makes employees come in before 7 am.

Ok, I'm actually straying off subject here. What I wanted to say is that I actually found an alternative B&B in Tokyo. Not bed & breakfast, but rather, butter & borscht. Alright, so it's not really an alternative. Just a play on words, I suppose. 

Butter's Factory in Gohongi, which is just down the street from POPHOT, is a little restaurant specializing in borscht and homemade butter. While I can hardly pronounce borscht, it's a Russian/Ukranian stew with beets, cabbage, potatoes, beef shank, and onions. The vinegar makes it a bit tangy, but it's extremely tasty and goes well with freshly-baked bread. Butter's Factory makes both hot and cold versions and boasts a variety of other dishes to please your palette, like rolled cabbage, curries, risottos, and gratins. And of course, their homemade butter is creamy and mild and definitely a delight. 

A little heavy on the stomach, but easy on the wallet, Butter's Factory is open late so it's a nice place to grab dinner after a long day's work.

BUTTER's FACTORY

Meguro-ku, Gohongi 3-33-2, Tokyo

Open 18:00 - 27:00

Tel: 03.3791.9870

A little bit of France on Komazawa-Dori

You can get crepes anywhere in Tokyo but I think Shibuya and Harajuku are the hot spots for crepes. Basically, anywhere that teenage girls like to flock after school, you can find crepe stalls. The simple, generic versions are those filled with various fruits and cream. The more intense ones have veggies, barbequed meats or even seafood in them - like a hotpocket, only better.

Crepes were super trendy 10 years ago in Japan, but the fad has died down a bit since then. They were (and still are) for the majority, cheap street food. Wrapped in paper in a cone shape, they're like an on-the-go hot and cold dessert. We've all outgrown them, I think. It's embarrassing to line up at crepe stalls now unless you're 16 and on a date with your high school sweetheart. 

But we still have cravings.

So where should the grown-ups go for grown-up crepes? 

POPHOT in Gohongi. Mature tastebuds will surely appreciate both les galettes sarrasin and les crepes froment here, provided by Chef Yoshida. The chef whom some may know as the original man behind the legendary Au Temps Jadis in Shibuya, where crepes first took off in Japan. Yoshida's POPHOT is a more casual version without the Bourgogne, afternoon tea flair. Conveniently situated along Komazawa-Dori (my jogging route), I think it's a great place to take your date after a nice dinner. Why go to a pretentious bar with moody lights when you can wow your girl with a great dessert place that has fantastic antique interior decor? The service is wonderful, the air is homey, and they're open 'til 10pm. Treat your girl to the pear and caramel crepe topped with vanilla bean ice cream. You'll get a goodnight kiss for sure.

Definitely going back next week to have lunch. 

I hear the Oeuf Fromage Saucisse Champignons (Egg.Cheese.Sausage.Mushrooms) galette is fantastique.

POPHOT - crepe and galette -（ポポット）

Meguro-ku, Gohongi 3-31-6, Tokyo

Open 12:30~17:30, 19:00~22:00 | Closed Wednesdays. 

Tel: 03.3794.6769

http://www.cakepia.info/shop/recommendation/pophot/index.html

For those who want the original and are willing to get out of your sweats and dress up a bit, try Au Temps Jadis. They have a very cute French-inspired garden and open terrace. A great place for a girls-day-out!

AU TEMPS JADIS Creperie（オタンジャディス）

Shibuya-ku, Jinnan 1-5-4, Royal Palace Harajuku 102

Tel: 03.3770.2458

http://www.many.co.jp/jadis/salon.html