{ Hoshino Coffee — 星乃珈琲店 }

2014, Apr 25

Hand-drip coffee shop Hoshino is located throughout Japan but one of their stores is located directly above the Shibuya Scramble. If you sit by the window, you get a view of the cross-walk while sipping on some delicious hand-drip coffee. Visit between 11am – 3pm and you can get your drink for 300yen if you order any food along with it.

The Souffle Double Pancakes are 680yen (a single pancake is 530yen) and it comes with your choice of maple, honey or black syrup. The souffle pancakes were so fluffy, thick, yet tasty. (The pancake takes about twenty minutes to be made). I really enjoyed their hand-drip coffee as well. If you are looking for a place to take a break right by Shibuya Station, this may be a good option. The coffee shop is separated into smoking and non-smoking sections which was nice.

Address // Shibuya 109 Men’s 2F, 1-23-10, Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo (map)
Phone Number // 03-3477-8038
Website // http://www.hoshinocoffee.com/

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{ ZEN ROOM }

2014, Apr 18

Our friends and I went to get Taiwanese-style hot pot in Jiyugaoka and had a delicious meal. They call this “Yakuzen-nabe” in Japanese which literally translates to herb-style hot pot. It uses all sorts of herbs and minerals that are supposed to be good for your skin and body and is very popular amongst women.

We were a party of four so we got two hot pots which cost 1780yen each. You choose two flavors for your soup base: “chicken broth soup/疲労回復烏骨鶏スープ”, “soy soup/美肌豆乳スープ”, or “spicy detox soup/デトックス火鍋スープ”. Not sure if you can tell from the photos above but we both selected “soy soup” for our first choice, and chose “chicken broth soup” for one of the pots and “spicy detox soup” for the other so we could try all flavors. They all tasted completely different and we really enjoyed all of the soup bases.

The Hot pot set comes with 18 different kinds of ingredients and the server explains what each one is as as they place them in the pot to cook. We had never heard of most of the ingredients before but everything was good and we really enjoyed our lunch. We ended our meal by adding noodles for an extra 220yen. (You can add brown rice for an extra 330yen or add more soup for 300yen as well). Although it’s in Japanese, they explain all the ingredients and health benefits of this hot pot here if you are interested.

It may seem like a lot of food but all of us weren’t quite FULL after our meal so we were able to fit in some dessert afterwards. Luckily for us this awesome town of Jiyugaoka had so many cute cafes and treats to choose from ;)

Weekday Hours:
Lunch // 11:30 – 16:00 (L.O15:30)
Tea Time // 14:00 – 16:00 (L.O15:30)
Dinner // 17:00 – 23:00 (L.O22:00)

Weekend Hours:
Lunch // 11:30 – 17:00 (L.O16:30)
Tea Time // 15:00 – 17:00 (L.O16:30)
Dinner // 17:00 – 23:00 (L.O22:00)

Address // 2-25-17, Midorigaoka, Meguroku-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3717-2566
Website // http://www.zen-room.com

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{ Thank you! }

2014, Apr 8

Thank you so much for your amazing response and interest in the Tokyo Eats Guide Book and a special thanks to those of you who have already purchased a copy!! I have gotten emails & comments from readers and friends from all over the world and couldn’t be happier or more thankful for your love and support :)

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I also wanted to take this opportunity to answer three questions I’ve received from several readers:

1) Is the guide book sold in local book stores in Japan?

The Tokyo Eats Guide Book is only available for online orders at the moment as I am self-publishing the book. I chose this company (which is owned by Amazon) so that it would be easier for English-language speakers to purchase. However, it seems like shipping to Japan doesn’t take too long since I’ve received some emails from readers and friends who received their copies relatively quickly. I will definitely keep you updated in the future should the book become available directly in Japan.

2) Is a PDF version of the Tokyo Eats Guide Book available?

Unfortunately there is no PDF or eBook version at this time. Sorry for the inconvenience.

3) How long does shipping take?

The book will be shipped from the United States. Please check HERE for the estimated delivery time to your country.

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For more information on the Tokyo Eats Guide Book, check out this post.

Thank you!
Maki

{ Cherry Blossoms — Ohanami 2014 }

2014, Apr 2

Hope you are all enjoying this beautiful time of the year. Cherry blossoms are in full bloom in Tokyo right now and it’s just something we look forward to every single year. Everyone is just in a more cheerful mood and you see more people out and about. Just like last year, here are some photos from Yasukuni Jinjya (Shrine) and Meguro River :)

btw, for those of you who are traveling to Japan, you may have noticed that everything is a little more expensive as Japan’s sales tax went from 5% to 8% starting on April 1st, 2014. Unfortunately, it’s set to go up again to 10% by October, 2015…

{ Matsurokuya — 御曹司松六家 }

2014, Mar 24

Unbelievable cost performance! An A5-rank Kurogewagyu-beef lunch set for ~~1300yen~~ 1500yen! in Roppongi.

If you are looking for the best lunch deal with a great traditional Japanese lunch experience, come here. This place is so popular that even though we arrived here by 11:40am, only 10 minutes after they opened, it was already full. We waited about 40 minutes until we got a seat, and many people were giving up standing in line as an employee came out to tell them how long it would be until the next seating. It’s nice because most of the seating is in private rooms with a traditional tatami setting.

Places like this are popular for a reason. How can you offer something like this for only ~~1300yen~~ 1500yen! The meat was a little rare for my taste but my friends all loved it. You start by tasting the beef on it’s own first. Then, you’re supposed to enjoy it along with the condiments that come with it on the side. As you eat your rice, you’ll discover another layer of meat underneath it. After some time the servers bring you more rice to finish off your dish as Hitsumabushi (ochazuke style). The hot dashi poured over the rice and meat is like an entirely new dish. YUMM. Definitely give this a try if you’re in the area, you won’t regret it.

Note: Closed on Sundays. Lunch service: 11:30am-2pm (Often closes early as the lunch set sells out)

Update: Looks like their Hitsumabushi lunch set now costs 1300yen (May, 2014).

Address // 4-10-2, Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3796-3369
Website // http://www.tokyo-rf.com/restaurants/r04/index.html

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{ Hoshino Coffee — 星乃珈琲店 }

{ ZEN ROOM }

{ Thank you! }

{ Cherry Blossoms — Ohanami 2014 }

{ Matsurokuya — 御曹司松六家 }

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