{ Toshi Yoroizuka }

2013, Nov 14

Toshi Yoroizuka is known as one of the top 3 pastry chef’s in Japan and he is famous for his exquisite desserts. I had an amazing opportunity to be part of a French film documentary with both Toshi Yoroizuka and Christophe Adam, a Michelin-rated French pastry chef. This was such a surreal experience, I still can’t believe it happened and I’d have to say that my experience and review may be just a little biased :)

Although I’ve tried Toshi Yoroizuka’s desserts before, I’ve never had the chance to dine at his salon in Roppongi Midtown until now. Let me tell you, it’s a completely different experience compared to simply purchasing his desserts to-go. His salon is a cool chic space with 14 seats. Chef Yoroizuka explained that he never plans to make the seating space larger because this personal feeling/atmosphere cannot be achieved if it becomes too big.

Dining at his salon is a MUST if you are into sweets. It is such a special experience as you get to enjoy freshly made pastries that can only be savored to the fullest when they are just made. For example, I had the mouth-watering ‘Watermelon mille-feuille’ (1200 yen) which is a seasonal dessert that includes watermelon from Tottori, puff pastry straight from the oven, and is topped with homemade salted ice cream. This perfectly constructed masterpiece can only be appreciated within minutes of its creation since the delicate balance of the ingredients would quickly collapse. I literally melted after my first bite. It was SO good. In fact, everyone kept taking bites off of my plate! (Please note that the menu changes frequently so you may not be able to eat the same items.)

Continue reading →

Food:
Decor:
Service:
Cost:

{ Osuri }

2013, Nov 7

Osuri is a new Korean Fusion restaurant that opened in Gaienmae. All their dishes use a lot of fresh veggies and a variety of different ingredients. We were impressed with the price point on their lunch sets, all of this for an average of just 1000yen? We ordered the ‘Bulgogi lunch set’ (1000yen), ‘Samgyeopsal lunch set’ (1000yen), and the ‘Samgyetang lunch set’ (1200yen). If you are hungry, I recommend ordering the Bulgogi lunch set since you get more meat than the samgyeopsal set. They all come with soup and a choice of white or brown rice with several bite-sized side dishes and a small dessert at the end. Everything was tasty but I recommend the samgyeopsal at ondoru more. If you are near Gaienmae, this might be a nice lunch option. Btw, this place happens to be right across the street from A&G diner (one of the highest-rated burger places in Tokyo).

Note* Osuri is closed on Sundays.

Address // 3-42-5, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-6447-0765
Website // http://www.restaurant-osuri.com

Food:
Decor:
Service:
Cost:

{ San Francisco Peaks }

2013, Oct 15

San Francisco Peaks serves American-style breakfast/brunch food such as pancakes, omelets and burgers but it doesn’t really have much to do with San Francisco in my opinion. The restaurant is very nicely designed and we enjoyed the ambiance. Seems like most people order the pancakes here but the burgers are tasty too. Since the building is 2 stories high, we didn’t have to wait much in line when we got there even though it was 1pm on a Sunday.

We ordered the Avocado Mozzarella Burger for 1350yen and the Buttermilk Pancake with homemade sausage (we chose the ‘Pork Mexicano Chipotle & Smoked Cheese’ Sausage) for 1200yen. Everything was tasty and we enjoyed our meal but the portions were rather small and not exactly “Californian size”.

The restaurant is located in a great area, with easy access to Harajuku/Omotesando/Meijijingumae so you can enjoy shopping and cafe hopping in the area. When we went, it was filled with families, couples and some single guests so it’s a really easy and casual place that anyone can enjoy.

Address // 3-28-7, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5775-5707
Website // http://sf-peaks.com/

Food:
Decor:
Service:
Cost:

{ Nakamura Tokichi — 中村藤吉 }

2013, Sep 30

Nakamura Tokichi is a restaurant/cafe located in Uji, Kyoto. Uji has become quite famous for their Matcha/green tea and Nakamura Tokichi is one of the most popular places to dine in the area. They serve meals such as matcha soba as well as matcha sweets in a very traditional setting/ambiance. Since the main branch and the nearby Byodoin branch are walking distance from each other, you can choose to dine at one or the other depending on which has a longer wait. We actually ended up going to the Main branch first but it was way too crowded so we walked over to the Byodoin branch and got a seat right away.

We ordered the matcha soba noodle lunch set for 1100yen and the seasonal cha soba special lunch set for 1200yen. The set comes with rice, pickles, and a small dessert as well. Everything was tasty and enjoyed our meal. Both locations are beautifully designed so I think you would enjoy either one. Don’t miss this place if you are near Uji, Kyoto.

…………………………………………………
Related Posts on Kyoto:
1) Hirobun
2) Nakamura Tokichi
3) Kyoto Trip
4) Kyoto Cafes
…………………………………………………

Address for Main Branch // 10, Ichiban Uji, Uji-shi, Kyoto, Japan (map)
Phone Number for Main Branch // 0774-22-7800
Address for Byodoin Branch // 5-1 Renge Uji, Uji-shi Kyoto, Japan (map)
Phone Number for Byodoin Branch // 0774-22-9500
Website // http://www.tokichi.jp/english/

Food:
Decor:
Service:
Cost:

{ Hirobun — ひろ文 }

2013, Sep 24

I recently took a trip to Kyoto with some friends and had a blast! I’m planning to post some of the places we visited + yummy Kyoto eats that we enjoyed so stay tuned :)

Did you know there’s a place in Kyoto where you can have nagashi-soumen on top of a river while enjoying a waterfall view? (Note: it’s a seasonal event and is usually open between May-September). “Kibune/貴船” is located about 40min north of Kyoto Station by car and is all the way up in the mountains. It’s a place where people go during the hot summer season to cool down. The best part is that you can dine on top of a “Kawadoko/川床”, a man-made floor that sits on top of a river. Traditional Japanese cuisine (Kaisekiryori/懐石料理) is also available and is quite an experience surrounded by beautiful greenery, water, and nature.

Instead of having the kaisekiryouri, we opted for the nagashi-soumen which is a fun way to eat cold noodles. The noodles come sliding down a pipe that you have to catch with your chopsticks as it passes in front of you. They time it so you get your noodles one bite at a time and they make it so you’re only sharing your pipe with your own party so you don’t have to share it with other guests. We had a party of four so the noodles came sliding down 4 at a time and were spaced about a minute in between each bite. The noodles were surprisingly good and overall was a decent sized serving. We all loved the experience even though the wait was 2hrs long(!) It wasn’t too bad though because we visited the nearby Kibune-shrine and walked around the area during our wait. There’s also a covered tatami area next to the nagashi-soumen where you can put your legs in the river and wait. It’s ~~1200yen~~ 1300yen per person which you pay at the top before you head to the waiting area.

…………………………………………………
Related Posts on Kyoto:
1) Hirobun
2) Nakamura Tokichi
3) Kyoto Trip
4) Kyoto Cafes
…………………………………………………

Address // 87 Kuramakibunechō, Sakyō-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 075-741-2147
Website // http://hirobun.co.jp/index.html

Food:
Decor:
Service:
Cost:

Category Archives: Restaurant

{ Toshi Yoroizuka }

{ Osuri }

{ San Francisco Peaks }

{ Nakamura Tokichi — 中村藤吉 }

{ Hirobun — ひろ文 }

{ About }

{ Search }

{ Blog Courtesy }