{  Matsunosuke NY  }

Matsunosuke NY
Matsunosuke NY

Matsunosuke NY is an apple pie shop opened by Akiko Hirano. The shop is named after her grandfather Matunosuke. It’s a small sweets shop that also serves cheesecakes and pancakes but we only tried their apple pies — the “big apple pie” & the “sour cream apple pie”. They were both good and not overly sweet – which is a big plus for me since I’m not a fan of super sweet desserts.

If you’re lucky enough to get a window seat, you’ll be able to people watch all the fashionable people passing by through the large window. It’s a nice place to visit for a tea/coffee break or an afternoon snack.

Address // 29-9, Sarugakucho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5728-3868
Website // www.matsunosukepie.com

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{  Cafe Michelangelo  }

Cafe Michelangelo
Cafe Michelangelo
Cafe Michelangelo

Cafe Michelangelo is a good looking cafe with a European feel that is always crowded with a line out the door. It’s located directly across the street from Daikanyama T-site. We’ve been wanting to try it for a while now, so I’m happy to report that we finally got to check it out. As the name suggests, the cafe serves Italian food so we started off with a minestroni soup and got the panino set. We shared three of their Panino’s: Focaccia Bolognese, Focaccia al Prosciutto, and Focaccia alla Caprese. They were all good but my favorite was the Focaccia Bolognese.

The food is good but the high-end location and the wonderful ambiance are what really attract people to this cafe/restaurant. It was not as cozy as I hoped it would be, but it was a nice place to grab a meal or to have tea on the weekends.

Address // 29-3, Sarugakucho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3770-9517
Website // www.aso-net.jp/michelangelo

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{  Azabushokudo  }

Azabushokudo

Azabushokudo is hard to find because it’s located in the middle of a residential area on the basement level of random building. If you weren’t looking for it, chances are you would pass by it and never notice it. This place was highly rated for their Omurice (Egg omelet filled with rice) so we decided to check it out. The place is so cozy, I imediately felt at home. I really liked that they weren’t trying to make the place look fancy or high-end despite being located in a high-end neighborhood. There is a down-to-earth quality to the place where you almost feel like it could be your mother’s cooking.

There were three different sauces that you could choose with your omurice: Ketchup, Demi-glace sauce, and White sauce. We tried the ketchup and the demi-glace and they were both good. I don’t know why but eating here gave me a nostalgic feeling. The tomato salad was surprisingly  refreshing and one of the highlights of the meal. Definitely will be going back to try their other dishes!

Address // B1F, 4-18-1, Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3409-4767
Website // n/a

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{  Ippudo Ramen  }

Ippudo Ramen
Ippudo Ramen

Ippudo ramen is famous for their tonkotsu-based (pork) soup which originated from Hakata, Japan. They are located through out Japan, and in recent years, they have branched out to locations internationally such as Hong Kong, New York, Singapore, and Seoul (though their international locations have slightly different menus).

Depending on the location, there are lines out the door, and during lunch it’s usually hard to get a seat. If it’s your first time, I recommend you try their “akamaru” or “shiromaru” ramen with a side of gyoza – so good! If you are craving a spicy ramen, try their “Ippudo karakamen” — for which you can specify different levels of spicyness (I can only go up to level 3!). I also love that they have a wide variety of condiments and side dishes so you can mix up the flavors. For example, they have takana, ginger, crushed sesame seeds, garlic etc. The moyashi (a free side-dish) that is on the table is slightly spicy but is one of my favorite things to eat before having ramen.

PS: Check out what you get when becoming an Ippudo Premium Member

Address // 1-3-13, Hiro, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5420-2225
Website // www.ippudo.com

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{  Yurakucho Yakitori Nenohi  }

Yurakucho Nenohi
Yurakucho Nenohi
Yurakucho Nenohi

I asked a friend if they could take us out to an ultimate Japanese salary-man experience along with some good food and we ended up at “ga-do shita” (“underneath the railroads”) in Yurakucho. I’ll have more pictures just of “ga-do shita” in a different post – here.

There’s a ton of options all packed into a small area hidden among small alleyways, but we decided to check out this Yakitori place called “Yurakucho Nenohi”. The place was filled with Japanese Salary-men who had just finished work and were all enjoying their beer and yakitori. The food was all good and cheap – about 160yen each for Yakitori. The place is very small so be prepared to literally sit right next to a few strangers. The restaurant also allows smoking so if you are a non-smoker, it might get a little smoky. Actually, the place is already smoky with all the Yakitori smell so make sure you wear something you don’t mind getting stinky in!

Address // 2-3-3, Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3571-9132
Website // n/a

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