Monthly Archives: August 2013

{  Hashida Honten — はし田本店  }

Hashida Honten -- はし田本店
Hashida Honten -- はし田本店
Hashida Honten -- はし田本店
Hashida Honten -- はし田本店
Hashida Honten -- はし田本店

Hashida Honten (はし田本店) is originally from Kyushuu and is located on the Keyakizaka side of Roppongi Hills. Their noodles are hand-made and they even use an old-school technique which involves stepping on them to get the perfect texture and firmness. Hashida Honten is also unique because they have a wine sommelier. You might wonder if udon and wine go well together but this may be your dream spot if you like them both. The restaurant is beautifully designed with a modern Japanese touch, and it’s one of my favorite hidden gems right now.

Pictured above is their “Shamo dashi (chicken broth) udon” (軍鶏だしうどん) for 1000yen. The soup is just so good, it’s a simple dish for people who really want to enjoy “udon”. The umeboshi (sour plum) is a nice palate cleanser as well.

Also pictured above is their “Shamo seiro and Chirashi-sushi Lunch Special” (軍鶏せいろとちらし寿司セット) for 1500yen. If you are hungry, this set will definitely satisfy you. You eat the udon tsukemen-style and the Chirashi-sushi that includes their dashimaki tamago is also yummm.

This udon restaurant is hard to find (Google maps is not exactly right on this location), you have to go to the Keyakizaka side of Roppongi hills and walk towards the back of the building near the Roppongi Hills Residences. Hope you get to try this place because it’s simply delicious.

Note: Lunch menu during the weekday has changed to only 2 options. 1200yen or 1500yen lunch sets. (Updated 2013.9.13)

Address // 3F Keyakizaka-dori, Roppongi Hills,
6-12-2, Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3405-0809
Website // http://hashidahonten.com/

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{  Summer Fun 2013  }

Summer Fun 2013
Summer Fun 2013
Summer Fun 2013
Summer Fun 2013
Summer Fun 2013

2013 Summer in Japan has been one of the hottest summers ever. Shimanto, Kouchi has had a record breaking 41C heat + an unprecedented 4 consecutive days of 40C weather. Tokyo has been miserably hot as well but it seems to have finally calming down a bit. Here’s a glimpse of my summer fun. Hope everyone had a nice summer :)

xo,
Maki

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{  Rainbow Pancake  }

Rainbow Pancake
Rainbow Pancake
Rainbow Pancake
Rainbow Pancake

I stumbled upon this pancake shop after having coffee at Identity Coffee as it’s in the same plaza!

Rainbow Pancake is located in the back-alleys of Harajuku/Meijijingumae so the line is not as long as other popular pancake shops in the area. In total we waited about 30~40min which wasn’t too bad since they take your order while you’re standing in line so you get your pancakes pretty quickly after you get seated.

Their pancakes taste exactly how they look. Fluffy, soft, and yummy. With all the whipped cream and sauces, you might think these pancakes would taste too sweet but they were flavored perfectly and they are snack-sized so it’s easy to finish the entire dish by yourself. I personally enjoyed the ‘Seasonal Fruit Pancake’ (1300yen) which has a ton of delicious whipped cream. The other pancake pictured above is their most popular item + the chef’s recommendation: the ‘Macadamia nut sauce Pancake’ (1200yen). It comes with a small sugared fork and knife pancake cookie(?) that was such a cute touch. They do have savory pancakes too but I would definitely go for the sweet ones here.

Address // 2F, 4-28-4, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-6434-0466
Website // http://www.rainbowpancake.net/

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{  Identity Coffee  }

Identity Coffee
Identity Coffee
Identity Coffee
Identity Coffee

If you’re in the mood for a good cup of coffee, check out “Identity Coffee” located in a tiny shop near Harajuku/Meijijingumae. They carry beans from INTELLIGENTSIA, HANDSOME COFFEE, etc. In case you’ve never heard of them, they are very popular coffee brands from the US which are a rare find in Japan.

This coffee shop has funky but awesome chairs and artwork that make them very unique. The staff are friendly and were very happy to explain the different coffees to choose from. My friend and I both ordered the cappuccino for 580yen. At first I thought this was an expensive cup of coffee but the cup was huge and we loved our Cappuccino made with Intelligentsia beans so it was all worth it. The chairs were surprisingly comfortable and we ended up chit chatting for a few hours so they even brought out a free sample iced coffee for us! It’s a small shop so there’s not much seating but if you are looking for a good coffee in the area, I recommend it.

Address // 4-28-4 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-6804-3573
Website // http://identitycoffeegallery.jp/

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{  Yazawa Meat Take Out Station  }

Yazawa Meat Take Out Station
Yazawa Meat Take Out Station
Yazawa Meat Take Out Station
Yazawa Meat Take Out Station

Did you know that you could pick up an A5 rank wagyu-beef bento by “Yazawa Meat” & “Blacows” at Tokyo Station?!

In case you are not familiar with this amazing wagyu-beef restaurant joint, they are famous for serving their A5 rank wagyu-beef (the highest grade given only to the finest beef) that is oh so tasy. “Yazawa Meat” in Gotanda specializes in hamburgs and steaks while “Blacows” in Ebisu serves delicious hamburgers.

We happened to be by Tokyo Station over the weekend so we decided to pick up a Yazawa Meat bento box for dinner. I’ve been wanting to give this a try and I was surprised to see that the Blacows takeout section had pretty much the same burgers available for take-out as the real shop. It’s perfect for those who are close to Tokyo station to just get their hamburger fix here.

I then walked over to the Yazawa Meat side and I was immediately sold on the hamburg bento box with egg. The customer in front of us got the “Double hamburg without rice” bento box for 2580yen and after going through all the options, we decided to do the same. After about a 15min wait, we got our warm bento box and headed back home.

The smell of the bento was killing me throughout my train ride… Once we got home, I opened it up and it looked OK. The bento was still slightly warm but decided to heat it for maybe 10 seconds or so and ate it with the 2 sauces that came with it. I am happy to report that it was yummms. The hamburg was very juicy & soft and the sauce went perfectly with everything. Loved every bite of it.

Their original restaurant location is famously crowded with long lines so if you want to try this delicious meat without too long of a wait and you happen to be passing by Tokyo Station right before dinner time, definitely stop by and pick up your bento box here.

PS: Tokyo Station is very confusing/complicated so if you need directions, ask where Daimaru (department store) is and then go to their B1 food floor.

Address // B1, 1-9-1, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3212-8011
Website // http://www.kuroge-wagyu.com/dt/

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