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/

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

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/

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/