{ 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.

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Related Posts on Kyoto:
1) Hirobun
2) Nakamura Tokichi
3) Kyoto Trip
4) Kyoto Cafes
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Address // 87 Kuramakibunechō, Sakyō-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 075-741-2147
Website // http://hirobun.co.jp/index.html

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{ Bangkok }

2013, Sep 20

“Bangkok Restaurant” is a hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant located in a very random area in Roppongi which you would never go to unless someone recommended it to you. However, this place serves authentic Thai food and many people seem to know about it since it’s always packed with customers.

The menu is straight forward: you get to choose between 5 main dishes that change daily for 1000yen. All the lunch sets include a small soup, salad, and dessert. Pictured above are the ‘Pad Thai – fried noodles with shrimp, peanuts, egg and vegetables’, ‘Stir-fried chicken and basil leaves with rice & fried egg’, ‘Green Pork Curry with rice’, and ‘Stir-fried chicken, bamboo shoot and red curry with rice’.

Everything we’ve had so far has been really good. Check it out if you’re in the neighborhood and in the mood for authentic Thai cuisine.

Address // 2F, 3-8-8, Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3408-8722
Website // n/a

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{ Dougenzaka Kanamori — 道玄坂金森 }

2013, Sep 17

Go up Dougenzaka in Shibuya and you’ll find a small Japanese restaurant named Dougenzaka Kanamori. They serve traditional Japanese dishes and they’re famous for their “Karatsu-don” which they only have a limited number of per day. Karatsudon is basically like a refined fisherman’s dish. It’s made up of chopped tuna, mackerel, salmon, and some other ingredients which are lightly flavored with soy sauce on top of sushi rice.

I’ve been wanting to come here for a while and finally got to check it out. My friend and I both ordered the Karatsudon (1300yen) and we were very satisfied with both the flavoring and the portion size. As you eat the donburi, there are little surprises such as ginger pieces and wasabi which all went very well together. The side dishes such as the dashimaki-tamago complemented the main dish as well.

The first floor is counter seating only and the second floor (which we ate at) were private booths. It seemed like there was more seating on the third floor as well.

It’s hard to find an affordable, nice, authentic Japanese restaurant in Shibuya so this is a good one to try if you’re searching for something Japanese in the area.

PS: Here’s a list of some of their lunch options:
Karatsudon (唐津丼 ) – 1300yen
Nikujyaga Teishoku (金森の肉じゃが定食) – 1300yen
Grilled Fish Teishoku (焼魚定食) – fish changes daily – 1300yen
Boiled fish (煮魚定食) – fish changes daily – 1300yen

Address // 1-17-4, Dougenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5456-1367
Website // http://dogenzaka-kanamori.jimdo.com/

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{ Weekend Garage Tokyo }

2013, Sep 13

Weekend Garage Tokyo is a great new hang out spot which just opened in the middle of Ebisu, Daikanyama, and Shibuya. It’s roughly 10mins walking distance from any of the three stations located right next to the Yamanote train line tracks. Perhaps due to the somewhat random location, this cafe has a nice spacious area with vaulted ceilings and plenty of outdoor seating.

The name says it all, Weekend Garage Tokyo, is literally like a garage full of fun toys. It has bicycles, surf boards, a DJ booth, interesting art and it’s just a fun spot with a great vibe. Even better, the food lives up to the level of the decor. Been here a few times already with friends and pictured above are a few of the dishes we ordered: The grilled plate of the day “Mexican Pork Grill with Mango Sauce”(1200yen), “Hamburg plate”(1200yen), and the “Hot Sandwich of the day”(900yen). All the dishes include a large drink (a choice of coffee, tea, homemade lemonade, ginger ale, coke or grapefruit juice). Everything I’ve tasted here has been great except on one occasion the bread they used for the hot sandwiches was really hard from being over toasted.

It’s nice that the inside seats are all non-smoking but you can smoke if you sit in any of the outdoor seats. Add up the open kitchen + good food + decor/ambiance + service + cost and I think you’ll agree that this place is a new hip hidden spot in town.

Address // 1-1, Daikanyamacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5428-5751
Website // http://weekendgaragetokyo.jp/

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{ Daylesford Organics }

2013, Sep 10

If you are looking for an organic cafe with healthy ingredients, check out Daylesfod Organics located in Omotesando. This pretty cafe is quite spacious for Japan and it’s also 2 stories tall. The lighting is really nice and I saw many people just chit chatting and taking their sweet time. There’s also a small shopping area in the front where you can buy jam, bread, and more.

Pictured above is the “Selection of 3 Salads” with soup & bread (1400yen). The 3 salads I chose are the ‘Potatoes, green breans and feta cheese salad’, ‘chicken caesar salad’, and ‘wild rice, apricot and pistachio’ which were all good. The soup of the day was a gaspacho and it was perfect on this hot day. The Daylesford Burger is 1500yen and the Freshly baked Quiche is 1200yen. This cafe also has a vegetarian set menu for those of you who are vegetarian which is nice since there aren’t that many vegetarian places in Japan.

The portions are not too large so if you are hungry this place may not be the right choice but the food is seasoned well, uses organic ingredients and tastes good. I recommend this place for couples, families, and friends who want to take it slow and relax over a nice meal.

Address // 5-51-8, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3486-0012
Website // http://www.transit-web.com/shop/daylesford/index.php

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{ Hirobun — ひろ文 }

{ Bangkok }

{ Dougenzaka Kanamori — 道玄坂金森 }

{ Weekend Garage Tokyo }

{ Daylesford Organics }

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