{ Stella }

2012, Nov 4

Stella is a local Italian restaurant right off of Gakugeidaigaku station in a quiet area right off the main street and it’s a hidden gem. It’s hard to get a seat since it only seats about 16 people and I’ve been wanting to come here for quite sometime now but never was able to because it was always full no matter what time I came. So we finally decided to make reservations and got to try this place. Results = :)

We got a table for the six of us and four of us ordered the dinner course that includes 2 appetizers, 1 starter, 1 pizza, 1 pasta, a dessert and drink ALL for 2900yen/each. The other two ordered individual items off of the menu but oh my goodness, we ordered way too much food. Just looking at these photos makes me full again… Anyhow, every plate was delicious. I particularly loved the starter “Italian veggie plate” that came with all sorts of marinated vegetables. The 2nd pasta you see was the special of the day which was a “uni cream pasta” which was surprisingly light and not too heavy on the uni (sea urchin). The desserts we ordered were pumpkin pudding and panna cotta.

It seems like this restaurant is owned by a husband and wife team, but I’m not certain. Either way, there’s only 1 chef and 1 server so don’t expect the service to be super fast here. However, the lady who served us was very polite and nice and didn’t mind answering any questions we had. If you are looking for more of a nice and quiet local restaurant to come to, definitely recommend this place.

Address // 3-14-3, Takaban, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3760-1851
Website // n/a

Food:
Decor:
Service:
Cost:

{ Happy Halloween }

2012, Oct 31

Happy Halloween from Tokyo!

Just thought I’d share some photos from the Halloween parade that happened over the weekend in Harajyuku/Shibuya area. Hope everyone dressed up, ate lots of candy, and had a great Halloween!

{ Jin Din Rou — 京鼎樓 }

2012, Oct 30

One of my favorite Chinese food is Xiaolongbao (小籠包). I’ve had my share of soup dumplings but I still can’t get over how much I fell in love with Xiaolongbao when I first tried Joe’s Shanghai in NYC. I also really enjoyed a small hole in the wall Fried Xiaolongbao place when I visited Shanghai as well. So when I found out that Joe’s Shanghai opened in Ginza, I was so excited yet disappointed because it just didn’t taste like the same Xiaolongbao that I fell in love with. I’ve also tried a few other places here and there but still haven’t found my go to spot. If you know of an amazing spot, please let me know.

In the mean time, I found a pretty decent place in Ebisu so I thought I’d share it with you. I went during lunch time and I got the lunch set that included Xiaolongbao and tantanmen noodles and my friend got the fried rice with Xiaolongbao set. They were both decent but not to die for. It’s still a pretty good deal and conveniently close to Ebisu station so if you’ve got a craving and you’re in the area check it out.

Address // 4-3-1, Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5795-2255
Website // http://jin-din-rou.net/

Food:
Decor:
Service:
Cost:

{ Shamoji }

2012, Oct 25

Visited Kamakura with some friends and ate at this Teishokuya (Japanese diner), which we all enjoyed very much. Highly recommend it if you are headed to see the big Buddha near Hase(長谷) train station.

Kamakura is famous for their shirasu, a tiny fish, and I had the lunch set at the top called “Kamaage Shirasu-don Teishoku” for 1260yen which was delicious. The side dishes were also yummy and I couldn’t have asked for a better balanced meal for lunch. The second photo you see is the Sashimi lunch set for 1050yen. If you are not a fish person, they also have a dashimakitamago lunch set as well as a fried chicken lunch set so you’re in luck.

In case you missed my previous post on Kamakura, you can check out some of my favorite places to visit when I’m in Kamakura –> here.

Address // 1-15-2, Hase, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa-ken, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 0467-24-5888
Website // http://shamojikamakura.blog.fc2.com/

Food:
Decor:
Service:
Cost:

{ Mama Tarte }

2012, Oct 21

There’s a cute tart cafe located slightly off the main area of Daikanyama that feels like your grandma’s homemade tarts and is very well known among the females in town. This place is almost always filled with women and couples that are enjoying some afternoon tea. It’s quite close to quil fait bon in Daikanyama as well so if one is crowded, try the other one ;)

As we are currently enjoying the peaceful autumn season, pumpkin pie (around 700yen) seemed like the perfect choice. We were worried that this pie was going to be too heavy and sweet from the looks, but it turned out to be the complete opposite. It was really soft and had a strong pumpkin flavor. It wasn’t too cinnamon-y either which I liked and the whipped cream that came on the side was the perfect complement. As you might be able to see from the photos, this tart is quite large for a Japanese portion and it will definitely fill you up! The latte (735yen) i ordered came in a huge bowl too so I was really full after everything.

If you need a cute place to tea while out in Daikanyama, check this place out! PS: There’s about 2~3 tables upstairs for a smoking section but the rest is non-smoking.

Address // 2-15-9, EbisuNishi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3770-0620
Website // n/a

Food:
Decor:
Service:
Cost:

{ Stella }

{ Happy Halloween }

{ Jin Din Rou — 京鼎樓 }

{ Shamoji }

{ Mama Tarte }

{ About }

{ Search }

{ Blog Courtesy }