Category Archives: Restaurant

{  Royal Garden Cafe  }

Royal Garden Cafe
Royal Garden Cafe

You would never know there’s such a stylish spacious cafe like this in Shibuya if you were just walking by because this cafe/restaurant is on the 2nd floor of a random building. We’ve gone here for both lunch and dinner and their food is good. Wether or not you come here just to tea or to dine, this spot is a nice calm place to know in this chaotic city of Shibuya. (PS: Dinner time is more like 2000~3000yen per person).

Address // 2F, 4-3, Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5456-9026
Website // www.royal-gardencafe.com/shop_shibuya.html

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{  Chankonabe Shinzan  }

Chankonabe Shinzan
Chankonabe Shinzan

Have you’ve ever had chanko nabe (Japanese stew) before? It is commonly eaten by Sumo wresters here in Japan but it’s basically a type of hot pot. It’s the perfect thing to eat during the winter-time in Tokyo. This was actually my first time trying chankonabe and I definitely enjoyed it. This restaurant is located in a very hidden spot (it felt like we were in someone’s apartment) in a side-alley of a street. Shinzan (心山) has a few different types/flavors of chanko nabe, but is most famous for their delicious curry-based chanko nabe. The chef used to be a sumo wrestler himself, and there’s a lot of sumo related artwork and famous wrestler’s autographs decorating the walls throughout the restaurant.

We had a course menu and it was SO much food — but all GOOD. Overall, It was delicious and a great experience having our first chanko nabe :)

PS: Since the place is so small, reservations are a must.

Address // 2F, 7, Arakicho, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3359-4338
Website // n/a

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{  Kimukatsu  }

Pork Cutlet Kimukatsu
Pork Cutlet Kimukatsu

Kimukatsu was supposedly THE place to go to a few years ago but it has calmed down now. It was recommended to us + we saw a feature for it on tv so we decided to check it out. Kimukatsu is a tonkatsu (pork cutlet) place but their tonkatsu is made out of many many thin layers of pork which makes it very soft. They say it is like a pork mille-feuille.

We tried the green onion and salt, sour plum and shiso, cheese, and black pepper pork cutlets. I personally liked the black pepper the most, but cheese was also up there. As pictured above, they also have an english menu so it’s easy for foreigners to stop by.

Address // 4-9-5, Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5420-2929
Website // www.kimukatsu.com

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{  Azabushokudo  }

Azabushokudo

Azabushokudo is hard to find because it’s located in the middle of a residential area on the basement level of random building. If you weren’t looking for it, chances are you would pass by it and never notice it. This place was highly rated for their Omurice (Egg omelet filled with rice) so we decided to check it out. The place is so cozy, I imediately felt at home. I really liked that they weren’t trying to make the place look fancy or high-end despite being located in a high-end neighborhood. There is a down-to-earth quality to the place where you almost feel like it could be your mother’s cooking.

There were three different sauces that you could choose with your omurice: Ketchup, Demi-glace sauce, and White sauce. We tried the ketchup and the demi-glace and they were both good. I don’t know why but eating here gave me a nostalgic feeling. The tomato salad was surprisingly  refreshing and one of the highlights of the meal. Definitely will be going back to try their other dishes!

Address // B1F, 4-18-1, Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3409-4767
Website // n/a

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{  Yurakucho Yakitori Nenohi  }

Yurakucho Nenohi
Yurakucho Nenohi
Yurakucho Nenohi

I asked a friend if they could take us out to an ultimate Japanese salary-man experience along with some good food and we ended up at “ga-do shita” (“underneath the railroads”) in Yurakucho. I’ll have more pictures just of “ga-do shita” in a different post – here.

There’s a ton of options all packed into a small area hidden among small alleyways, but we decided to check out this Yakitori place called “Yurakucho Nenohi”. The place was filled with Japanese Salary-men who had just finished work and were all enjoying their beer and yakitori. The food was all good and cheap – about 160yen each for Yakitori. The place is very small so be prepared to literally sit right next to a few strangers. The restaurant also allows smoking so if you are a non-smoker, it might get a little smoky. Actually, the place is already smoky with all the Yakitori smell so make sure you wear something you don’t mind getting stinky in!

Address // 2-3-3, Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3571-9132
Website // n/a

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