{  Royal Garden Cafe  }

Royal Garden Cafe
Royal Garden Cafe

You would never know there’s such a stylish spacious cafe like this in Shibuya if you were just walking by because this cafe/restaurant is on the 2nd floor of a random building. We’ve gone here for both lunch and dinner and their food is good. Wether or not you come here just to tea or to dine, this spot is a nice calm place to know in this chaotic city of Shibuya. (PS: Dinner time is more like 2000~3000yen per person).

Address // 2F, 4-3, Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5456-9026
Website // www.royal-gardencafe.com/shop_shibuya.html

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{  Grano Delicatessen  }

Grano Delicatessen
Grano Delicatessen

Located near the entrance to Ebisu Garden Place is an organic deli called Grano Delicatessen which opened in September of 2011. They have many healthy choices to choose from and we had the dinner plate which includes two selections of your choice from the deli window case + main dish + brown rice or bread for 1300yen. For the main dish you can select a protein such as fish or meat, but this is also a great place for vegetarians as well. Since there’s not many vegetarian options in Japan, this is definitely a good option for those who are looking for good veggies. It’s an affordable and healthy choice despite its high-end Ebisu Garden Place location.

I really like their Honey Pumpkin Gorgonzola salad and their ginger lemonade hot tea. Not a huge fan of their desserts though. I’ve tried three different desserts so far but they were all just OK.

Address // Ebisu Garden Place, 4-20-5, Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5447-2800
Website // www.granodeli.jp/ebisu

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{  Chankonabe Shinzan  }

Chankonabe Shinzan
Chankonabe Shinzan

Have you’ve ever had chanko nabe (Japanese stew) before? It is commonly eaten by Sumo wresters here in Japan but it’s basically a type of hot pot. It’s the perfect thing to eat during the winter-time in Tokyo. This was actually my first time trying chankonabe and I definitely enjoyed it. This restaurant is located in a very hidden spot (it felt like we were in someone’s apartment) in a side-alley of a street. Shinzan (心山) has a few different types/flavors of chanko nabe, but is most famous for their delicious curry-based chanko nabe. The chef used to be a sumo wrestler himself, and there’s a lot of sumo related artwork and famous wrestler’s autographs decorating the walls throughout the restaurant.

We had a course menu and it was SO much food — but all GOOD. Overall, It was delicious and a great experience having our first chanko nabe :)

PS: Since the place is so small, reservations are a must.

Address // 2F, 7, Arakicho, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3359-4338
Website // n/a

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{  Kimukatsu  }

Pork Cutlet Kimukatsu
Pork Cutlet Kimukatsu

Kimukatsu was supposedly THE place to go to a few years ago but it has calmed down now. It was recommended to us + we saw a feature for it on tv so we decided to check it out. Kimukatsu is a tonkatsu (pork cutlet) place but their tonkatsu is made out of many many thin layers of pork which makes it very soft. They say it is like a pork mille-feuille.

We tried the green onion and salt, sour plum and shiso, cheese, and black pepper pork cutlets. I personally liked the black pepper the most, but cheese was also up there. As pictured above, they also have an english menu so it’s easy for foreigners to stop by.

Address // 4-9-5, Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5420-2929
Website // www.kimukatsu.com

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{  Dexee Diner  }

Dexee Diner
Dexee Diner

Dexee Diner is a classic diner which serves a variety of different styles of food but never disappoints. Come for brunch on the weekends to get an American-style breakfast, for lunch to get pastas, pizzas, and salads, or for dinner to get hamburg and rice bowl plates. It’s located on the first floor of Ebisu Prime Square Tower and it’s always crowded. I’ve seen many private parties going on at night as well. I love many things about this place:  the food is good, the servers are friendly, the price is affordable and the atmosphere is nice and cozy. It’s the type of place where you can stay for hours just to hang out and they won’t bother you. The only thing I wish is that they would ban smoking since the smell can get strong if there are smokers around, but otherwise, this is a solid diner with above-average food.

Address // 1-1-39, Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5464-3721
Website // www.dexee-diner.com

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