{ Spice Cafe }

2013, Apr 5

“Spice Cafe” is rated #1 amongst curry restaurants in Japan on a popular Japanese review site. I’ve previously posted Minoringo, which was rated #1 in the Harajuku area on the same review site but this one is ranked #1 in Japan?? As you can imagine, that instantly gave me some high expectations…

I have been on a curry phase lately and decided to make a reservation at this curry house which is very close to Tokyo Skytree (I highly recommend making reservations). We arrived at noon and the place was already full. We ordered two “Pair curry lunch set’s” (1350yen/each) and 1 curry lunch set (950yen) for the 3 of us. All of the sets include a small salad, curry, and a small dessert with coffee/tea. The “Pair Curry” comes with a slightly smaller portion of 2 different types of curry instead of one larger size (although the size difference is kind of hard to tell from my photos and even in person it’s really not that much bigger…)

I got the chicken curry (mild) and the assam curry (spicy) and I enjoyed both of them. The one with tomato and spinach is the coconut curry which is a little on the sweeter side. One of the others pictured was the shrimp curry which was one of the daily specials. This place also offers the “Oomori” option (a free larger portion of rice) if you prefer more rice. The pickles on the rice were yummy and over all we enjoyed the meal. Even the assam curry which is considered spicy wasn’t too spicy for me and had a nice flavoring to it. The service was good but felt a little rushed as there were so many people waiting outside.

As for being ranked #1 in Japan, I wasn’t really that blown away. I felt like Moona was just as good, but perhaps that’s just me? If you’re into soupy curries, you would definitely like this place.

Address // 1-6-10, Bunka, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3613-4020
Website // http://www.spicecafe.info/

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{ Yoshizawa }

2013, Apr 1

Ginza Yoshizawa is known for their high quality wagyu-beef. A food journalist recommended this place on TV saying that you won’t find a restaurant that serves this level of high quality meat for this price in Tokyo. Since it looked delicious on tv… we decided to check it out.

We got the limited edition hamburg set that they only serve 10 plates per day (barely got it even though we got there 5min after the restaurant opened) + the Sukiyaki lunch set, both for 1575yen. Each set includes: all you can eat white rice, Japanese pickles, miso soup, a small salad, and fresh fruit (apple). We enjoyed both of our meals and we were quite full. Regardless, If you’re in the Ginza area and want an authentic Japanese-style lunch for this price, this is a solid choice.

Address // 3-9-19, Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3542-2981
Website // http://www.ginza-yoshizawa.com

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{ Nicolas }

2013, Mar 29

I’m not really into parfaits but I had the most beautiful and delicious Sakura parfait (9ooyen) from this cafe in Sangenjaya. Apparently it’s a seasonal dish which changes every month so you may not be able to try this exact one, but they are famous for their impeccable parfaits. The one I had was more Japanese style and it wasn’t too sweet but still sweet enough with a great texture. It was full of surprises from beginning to the end and I loved every bite of it.

This cafe opens at 2pm which is a little weird and they only have one menu item for lunch, the pasta lunch for 1200yen which includes a bite size dessert and coffee or tea. The pasta was also delicious so it seems the chef has been trained well. On the negative side, one of the waitress had a bit of a strange attitude which made the service feel below the typical Japanese standard level. Also, it’s a small cafe located in a regular residential building, so they won’t allow customers to wait for an opening if the restaurant is full. Despite the obscure location, it seems to be quite popular since we saw many customers turned away who were even willing to wait. Thankfully we arrived a little before they opened so we were seated with no issues. With that in mind, I recommend coming early or making a reservation if you want to dine here.

Address // 4-28-10, Taishido, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-6804-0425
Website // http://www.nicolasnicolas.com

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{ Cherry Blossoms — Ohanami 2013 }

2013, Mar 25

Cherry blossoms bloomed a little early this year in Tokyo and we had a beautiful warm weekend filled with gorgeous flowers. If you’re in Tokyo now until hopefully next weekend, you are in luck to see these beauties at their prime. Too bad cherry blossoms only last about 1~2 weeks… but that is why it’s a highly anticipated event and season here in Japan. We had a cold winter this year so i’m very happy that Spring is finally here :)

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{ ECHIRE }

2013, Mar 21

Have you heard of this artisan French butter called ECHIRE?

Known as one of the best butters in France, it is served in the finest dining establishments. ECHIRE has a store in Marunouchi (near Tokyo Station) where you can buy their famous butter, croissants, madelines, financiers, ice cream and more. As soon as you walk in the door to the store, you immediately smell the rich scent of butter. You can’t help but want to try everything but as you might expect it’s a bit pricey. Both the madeline’s and financier’s cost 315yen/each. Apparently people stand in line to buy the croissants here and they sell out by the morning time.

This store is located at the ‘Marunouchi Brick Building’, a beautiful European-inspired brick building that is just oh so lovely. It’s a great place to come hang out with your friends and loved ones on a sunny day.

Address // 2-6-1, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-6269-9840
Website // http://www.kataoka.com/echire-maisondubeurre.html

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{ Spice Cafe }

{ Yoshizawa }

{ Nicolas }

{ Cherry Blossoms — Ohanami 2013 }

{ ECHIRE }

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