{ Mama Tarte }

2012, Oct 21

There’s a cute tart cafe located slightly off the main area of Daikanyama that feels like your grandma’s homemade tarts and is very well known among the females in town. This place is almost always filled with women and couples that are enjoying some afternoon tea. It’s quite close to quil fait bon in Daikanyama as well so if one is crowded, try the other one ;)

As we are currently enjoying the peaceful autumn season, pumpkin pie (around 700yen) seemed like the perfect choice. We were worried that this pie was going to be too heavy and sweet from the looks, but it turned out to be the complete opposite. It was really soft and had a strong pumpkin flavor. It wasn’t too cinnamon-y either which I liked and the whipped cream that came on the side was the perfect complement. As you might be able to see from the photos, this tart is quite large for a Japanese portion and it will definitely fill you up! The latte (735yen) i ordered came in a huge bowl too so I was really full after everything.

If you need a cute place to tea while out in Daikanyama, check this place out! PS: There’s about 2~3 tables upstairs for a smoking section but the rest is non-smoking.

Address // 2-15-9, EbisuNishi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3770-0620
Website // n/a

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{ Bar Espanol LABODEGA }

2012, Oct 16

Even though we came here right when it opened, we had to wait in line for about an hour to dine here. La Bodega is located on the 7F of Shbiuya Hikarie and is clearly very popular considering the line was so long and it was one of the few restaurants that had a line.

We finally got seated and ordered 2 different kinds of paella. “Paella de Marsiscos” a sea food paella for 1600yen and “Paella de Chorizo y Setas” a chroizo and mushroom paella for 1500yen. They both come with an anti pasto plate which wasn’t very impressive but the paella was pretty good. The flavoring was strong and the portion was large. The garlic mayo that comes on the side was also good.

The location is great since it’s right by Shibuya station so if you’re craving for paella and you don’t mind a bit of a wait, check this place out!

Address // Hikarie 7F, 2-21-1, Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-6434-1480
Website // Bar Espanol LABODEGA Website

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{ Cucina Buona Italiana Knock }

2012, Sep 9

yummmm this Italian restaurant is a popular lunch spot on the weekdays amongst Roppongi workers but it’s also an easy going local hangout on the weekends. The photos above are from a recent trip I did over a weekend for brunch. They have a brunch menu where you can order an “Antipasto Party Plate” plus a main dish from the menu and it starts from 1680yen (depending on which main plate you choose). We got the ‘Lasagna Gratinata’ which is a lasagna with summer veggies and the Spaghetini with olive, capers, dried tomato & rucola. The antipasto plate was amazing! I mean look at that photo above (tip: if you go with 2 people, just get 1 “antipasto party plate” set since it’s big enough to split!). Everything was delicious. My olive pasta was a little on the salty side but the lasagna was excellent. I would come back here in a heartbeat.

Address // 3-2-11, NishiAzabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3478-8220
Website // Cucina Buona Italiana Knock Website

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{ Kohien 香妃園 }

2012, Sep 4

Kohien is an old-school Chinese restaurant that has been around since 1963 and has somehow survived in this mostly modern part of town (Roppongi). That explains the retro feel of the interior and the atmosphere of this place. This place was introduced to us by a friend who has been coming here for a while. Why this place? Well, it’s famous for their chicken broth noodle soup that has a lot of collagen in it (it makes your skin literally glow the next day…). It’s like a woman’s dream soup and because of that, models and celebrities are often spotted here.

The noodle soup is very mild but has a suprisingly good flavor to it — kind of like a really good chicken noodle soup. Every single table ordered this dish and it’s clearly their staple. The shrimp egg roll was not that impressive but the fried rice noodle was good. They supposedly have a secret menu item which you’d never suspect if you look through the rest of their menu. It’s actually “Curry”… but i’m not sure if I’d order curry at a Chinese restaurant. Anyhow, this place is open till 4am(!) so you can come here if you missed the last train, or if you’re hungry for something in the middle of the night.

Address // 2F, 3-8-15, Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3405-9011
Website // n/a

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{ Mother’s Shokudo }

2012, Aug 16

I’ve been wanting to dine here for a while now and I finally got to check it out. This restaurant is in Roppongi Hills and although it looks super fancy from the outside, the concept is “Mother’s homemade dishes”. And they literally do bring out very common Japanese home-style meals including 2 small side dishes of your choice. It also seemed like they hired elder mom-like ladies to bring out the food to make you feel like you’re at home?! The name of the restaurant actually means “Mother’s Dining Room”.

Their lunch menu is rather simple and has everyone’s favorite dishes such as curry, tonkatsu, fish, hamburg, etc and they are all under or around 1000yen! There’s also a “healthy lunch” option so if you are on a diet, you can still eat here. It’s really a great deal in this high-end building and beautiful space. The juxtaposition of the concept and the ambiance is a little ironic but it’s a nice and easy place to grab a meal so check it out if you’re in the area.

Address // 5F Westwalk, Roppongi Hills, 6-10-1, Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5413-9577
Website // www.mothers.jpn.com

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Tag Archives: 3.5 stars

{ Mama Tarte }

{ Bar Espanol LABODEGA }

{ Cucina Buona Italiana Knock }

{ Kohien 香妃園 }

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