{  Isehiro — 伊勢廣  }

Isehiro -- 伊勢廣
Isehiro -- 伊勢廣
Isehiro -- 伊勢廣
Isehiro -- 伊勢廣

Time for some yakitori?

There’s a ton of yakitori places in Tokyo but where can you go that is both good and affordable? I previously shared Yakitori Nenohi from Ga-do shita which I still think is a great place to experience a very Japanese Izakaya-style yakitori, but I found another spot that I also recommend.

You would never know there’s a yakitori place here as it’s quite old school and is located in the underground floors of Hotel New Otani (which is a maze!). Isehiro is one of those yakitori places that has been around for ages. The place feels old but there’s something comforting about it and the service was good.

We ordered the “5 sticks yakitori lunch plate set” for 1785yen. The choice of yakitori are all decided for you but if you want to switch something out, they will happily do it for you. They also give you a choice of recieving all your yakitori sticks at once or one at a time.

We decided to ask for all 5 yakitori sticks from our set to come at the same time but since I’m not a fast eater, my 4th and 5th one’s were cold by the time I ate them so perhaps I should have gotten them one at a time. Also, I was full by my 4th stick so I should have ordered one less. All in all, everything was good and my favorites were momo (thigh) and negiyaki (green onions wrapped with chicken thigh). If you are by Yotsuya, Kojimachi, Nagatacho or Akasakamitsuke, stop by Hotel New Otani and give this place a try.

Address // Hotel New Otani B1F, 4-1, Kioicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3221-4101
Website // http://www.isehiro.co.jp/otani.html

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{  Annon Cook  }

Annon Cook
Annon Cook
Annon Cook
Annon Cook

Annon Cook is a cozy cafe that used to be located in Harajuku and recently opened up in Daikanyama. This cafe specializes in healthy foods that make your body happy.

We ordered their “Gohan set” (rice set) with Japanese ice tea for 1100yen and their “Curry set” with Japanese tea for 1100yen. The rice set included brown rice, burdock, mushrooms, mizuna, and was seasoned with garlic and olive oil. The Curry set was a Thai curry with brown rice. Both dishes were subtle in their flavoring but still tasty. The portions are a bit small so if you are hungry this place may not satisfy you – but the service, ambiance, and food are all good. The white walls, the wood tables, the soft lighting, the calm atmosphere, the place was filled with friends, couples, families, babies, and single guests all in the same place.

If you are looking for a light meal in Daikanyama, check out Annon Cook which is on the 2nd floor.

Address // 2F, 28-3, Sarugakucho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3462-6263
Website // http://ambidex.co.jp/annon_cook/

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{  Gozenbo — 御膳房  }

Gozenbo -- 御膳房
Gozenbo -- 御膳房
Gozenbo -- 御膳房
Gozenbo -- 御膳房

Gozenbo is a nice Chinese restaurant tucked away in one of the side streets surrounding Roppongi hills. The lunch sets are a great deal – everything is around 1000yen and the portions are very generous.

I got the ‘Mabo tofu lunch set’ which includes a salad, soup, pickles, and dessert for 950yen and I couldn’t even finish my plate. (Tip: their mabo tofu is quite spicy so if you’re like me and you can’t handle too much spice, ask them to lessen the spiciness when you place your order.) The other set pictured above is the ‘Fried chicken with hot spice’ which also comes with a salad, soup, pickles, and dessert for 950yen. Both dishes were tasty and I would recommend them. However, while eating we noticed that the tables around us were ordering half and half lunch sets. It seems like you can actually order half mabo tofu and half fried chicken type of thing but perhaps it’s a little more in price? I would have loved to do that to get more variety.

If you are in the Roppongi area and looking for a decent Chinese place, I would recommend this place.

Address // 6-8-15, Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3470-2218
Website // http://www.gozenbo.com/

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{  Kuumba du Falafel  }

Kuumba du Falafel
Kuumba du Falafel
Kuumba du Falafel
Kuumba du Falafel

I found a delicious falafel place! I’m not an expert on this style of food by any means but I really enjoyed it.

The restaurant has no signage and is in a random location, so you would never know what this place is from the outside. Kuumba du Falafel is a modern and cozy (only 8 counter seats) cafe with some really nice touches. I liked their ceramic white plates, choice of music, and the easy going atmosphere with lots of fresh veggies.

We ordered the ‘lunch special’ which includes a half falafel sandwich + lentil soup for 1000yen and the ‘full falafel sandwich’ for 1200yen. It’s hard to tell from the photo, but it was a significant difference in size. The half size is still pretty big and filling but since it’s a lot of veggies, if you are hungry, I would go for the full size. Everything was so good, including the lentil soup. I was impressed and I also overheard how yummy the falafel sandwiches were from other guests dinning there too ;) I will be coming back to try the falafel plate next time.

The counter space has lots of dried fruits and nuts which you can purchase to go as well.

Address // 23-1, Shinsencho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-6416-8396
Website // n/a

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{  Sushiya no Yoshikan — すし屋の芳勘  }

Sushiya no Yoshikan - すし屋の芳勘
Sushiya no Yoshikan - すし屋の芳勘
Sushiya no Yoshikan - すし屋の芳勘
Sushiya no Yoshikan - すし屋の芳勘

We hadn’t had sushi in a while and had a craving for it so we did some research and decided to try this place and surprisingly had a great experience.

Ordered the “Matsu Nigiri Lunch Set” for 2500yen. The set comes with a starter, miso soup, pickles, chawanmushi/茶碗蒸し, 8 pieces of sushi, tamgao, negitoromaki (6 pieces), and a small dessert. Best of all, we didn’t have to stand in line or wake up early to eat there like we would have had to in Tsukiji. There were lots of locals dining there during lunch time and I have to say we were quite full and satisfied after our meal.

Here are their Nigiri/Chirashi lunch sets which are served only between 12pm-2pm for this special price:
– Ume(梅) 1500yen
– Take(竹) 2000yen
– Matsu(松) 2500yen
– Tokujyo(特上) 3000yen

If you’re looking for a decent sushi restaurant near Meguro-ku with quality fish at an affordable price, check out Yoshikan.

Address // 3-16-19, Takaban, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3793-6261
Website // http://www.susi-yoshikan.jp/index.html

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