{  Yurakucho Ga-do Shita  }

Ga-do Shita
Ga-do Shita

Yurakucho’s “Ga-do Shita” is an area with many Izakayas and Yakitori restaurants hidden away literally underneath the railroad tracks. As a result, when you visit this area you can expect to hear the JR and bullet trains passing by above you. Most people traveling on the trains would have no idea what they’re passing over, but in this somewhat mysterious part of Tokyo lie some hidden spots.

We visited Ga-do Shita on a day after it snowed in Tokyo so it was quite empty, but it is typically packed with salary-men drinking away the night. During the summer time, everyone sits outside in the open space and it becomes very lively and loud.

Check out Yurakucho Nenohi if you’re in the area. We enjoyed it!




{  Mame-Hico  }

Cafe Mame-Hico

I’d been wanting to check out this coffee shop located in a random hidden spot in Shibuya for some time. They are famous for their coffee and I tired their cafe au lait and cheese toast for a snack. It was a warm cozy space with lots of people chilling by themselves either studying or reading a book.

I wasn’t amazed with their cafe au lait but it was pretty good. It’s great that they don’t mind if you stay for hours as we were there for quite a while just taking a break. One thing I didn’t understand, however, is their menu. They have a very weird sense of humor in their descriptions of each item…

Anyhow, if you want a nice quiet space to relax not too far from the Shibuya bustle, come check out this coffee shop.

Address // 37-11, Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-6427-0745
Website // http://www.mamehico.com/mamehico/

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{  Google Japan  }

Google Japan
Google Japan
Google Japan

Ever wonder what Google Japan looks like? It happens to be located in one of the most expensive office buildings in Tokyo in the center of the Roppongi Hills complex of shops and restaurants – a great location. Although this is not exactly a restaurant post, I thought I’d share this with you.

After checking in at the front desk of the Mori Tower, we went through a security check point, then got into Google and got our name tags printed out. We were lucky enough to have lunch with our friend who works there. Like the US headquarters, Google Japan has a buffet-style cafeteria with a large variety of choices such as salads, fish, meat, pastas, ramen, rice, soups, fruits, desserts, etc all for free! They also have a wide selection of drinks available in vending machines (for free). If Google employees have this available almost 24/7, I can see why they wouldn’t want to leave their office!

I also got to check out a few other parts of their office and I was impressed/jealous. I would love to work there. The best part was their lounge which has a billiards table, foosball, ping pong and more. Not to mention the most awesome 360 view of Tokyo. They’ve really created a fantastic place to work with such a fun design and amazing perks. Wouldn’t it be great if every company had this? Amazing.




{  Partenope  }

Partenope

If you want really good authentic Italian Cuisine, check out Partenope in Hiro. They have one of the best pizza’s which reminded us of the food we had when we visited Naples, Italy. They are famous for their pizza and it’s easy to see why. The special combination of their dough, tomato sauce and olive oil makes it unique and excellent. Just writing this post makes me already want to go back and try their pastas and other dishes. I suggest you to make reservations if you are planning to go at night. They are always crowded and we’ve never been able to walk-in and get a seat without a long wait.

Address // 5-15-25, Minamiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5798-3355
Website // www.partenope.jp/top/index.html

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{  Kin-no-torikara  }

kin no torikara

Kin-no-torikara is a street food spot along the Shibuya-center-gai that sells karaage aka. fried chicken. There’s a couple locations but this is the first location that opened in Tokyo. It’s always crowded with young adults for a quick snack and it’s surprisingly pretty good for 280yen. You can get 1.5x for 380yen, and double the amount for 500yen. What’s awesome is they have all sorts of condiments to add to your fried chicken. The toppings are all ranked by popularity so you can see which ones people like — I tried most of them! My favorite topping is the original spice + mayo combination. It’s a nice quick snack to grab if you are in Shibuya.

Address // 25-3, Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3464-5585
Website // www.shimanaka.co.jp/contents.php?id=119

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