{  Ginza Tatsutano  }

Ginza Tatsutano
Ginza Tatsutano

If you ever crave traditional Japanese sweets such as anmitsu, check out Ginza Tatsutano on chuo-street. Pictured above are the “Ogura Shiratama Anmitsu” (1100yen), “Yoyogimochi Anmitsu” (1000yen) with an extra topping of green tea ice cream (160yen) and the “Kuzumochi Kinako Anmitsu” (1000yen). They were all very authentic and perfectly satisfied our tea time craving :)

Address // 7-8-7, Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3571-1400
Website // www.ginza-tatsutano.co.jp

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{  Soba Combo Watanabe – Ippudo  }

Soba Combo Watanabe (Ippudo)
Soba Combo Watanabe (Ippudo)

The famous Ippudo Ramen opened a Soba House in February (2012)!

It’s located inside of an Ippudo ramen house, but it’s separated into it’s own area once you walk in. They named it “Soba Combo Watanabe” and this Ippudo is actually the only one in world that serves soba at this point. It’s pretty interesting because they use their famous pork broth soup in one of their 4 menu options. The other 3 soba come with a katsuo (bonito)-based soup.

My friend and I both tried the “Spicy Tantanmen Soba” (790yen), and thought it was pretty good but it reminded us of the peanut sauce which is often used in Thai food. When you are about to finish your tantanmen, they give you some rice to eat is as “Zosui“, which i thought was fun. The other one pictured above is the “Imoten Soba” (730yen) and it felt like more of a traditional soba. Even though the soup was quite strong, I wish I had ordered that one! It comes with Sweet Potato Tempura and you eat one with the sauce, but they advise you to eat the second one with honey as a type of dessert.

Not sure how this new concept of Ippudo Soba will do here but it’s definitely is a fun idea. The employees were very nice and the ambiance was a traditional counter space with a modern twist.

Address // B1, 3-8-37, Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5772-1521
Website // http://www.ippudo.com/index.html

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{  MOSDO  }

MOSDO
MOSDO
MOSDO

The first Mosdo in Tokyo opened yesterday! (On April 1st, 2012).

Mosdo – Sounds familiar but not sure what it is? Well, it’s a collaboration between Mos Burger and Mr. Donuts. It’s a dream come true for Mos burger and Mr. Donuts fans. It’s located 1 min from Ebisu West Exit, which is a really great location. I think that this collaboration has a high potential to be successful.

Although Mosdo doesn’t serve Mos Burger’s hamburgers or Mister Donut’s regular donuts, they have a variety of panini type sandwiches and sweets that you can enjoy. We got the ham and cheese panini (320yen) and Walnut Cookie Sandwich (190yen) to go. They were both just OK, but what can you expect for the price. I really want to try the Maple Butter Hotcake (280yen) next time, which you can only eat at the cafe.

Gotta admit, this place is kind of exciting!

Address // 1-10-7, Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-6408-9877
Website // http://mosdo.jp

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{  Yoyogi Village  }

Yoyogi Village
Yoyogi Village
Yoyogi Village

Have you visted Yoyogi Village by Kurkku yet? It’s a trendy new space that opened only 2 minutes walking distance from JR Yoyogi station. It’s a surreal escape from the hectic Tokyo bubble and a relaxing place to hang out. The space was designed and created by music producer Takeshi Kobayashi in conjunction with several other influential individuals in Japan. The concept is “a retreat that is easily accessible from urban city life”, which I think they were pretty successful in creating. However, the space is just so small I found myself wishing it was at least ten times larger or had more things to do so that I could spend more time here :)

There are a few places to enjoy yummy eats in the village:
code kurkku: the main restaurant
pour-kur: bakery shop
Roots and Beats Coffee: coffee shop (with good coffee!)
Tako Yoyogi: Izakaya
drink & soup by kurkku lab: fresh squeezed juice and soup

Aside from the list above, there’s a few other things to enjoy such as a clothing store, a small gallery, book store, etc. If you are ever in Yoyogi, definitely stop by this place to take a break from hustle and bustle of the city.

Address // 1-28-9, Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5302-2073
Website // http://www.yoyogi-village.jp/top/index.php




{  Brown Rice Cafe  }

Brown Rice Cafe
Brown Rice Cafe

Brown Rice Cafe serves basic vegetables that somehow taste so good. There is no fancy presentation or elaborate cooking technique. They just serve you normal veggies but they draw out the strong natural flavor of the organic vegetables and it tastes so sweet and fresh. You can really tell this cafe puts a lot of effort into choosing the best seasonal ingredients from local farmers. I would say this is a dream cafe for anyone who believes in sustainable and local supplies.

Their menu doesn’t really have proteins, but the dishes are so filling that you almost forget you’re only eating vegetables. We love their “specials” that go for 2100yen. Aside from your meal, it includes a small dessert and drink. I really wish more places like this existed because it not only tastes good, but also happens to be good for your body and for the environment.

Address // 5-1-17, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5778-5416
Website // www.brown.co.jp

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