Tag: ginza

A seafood kaiseki in Ginza: Uchiyama

Uchiyama Ginza is a kaiseki restaurant specializing in creative multi-course Japanese cuisine that opened in 2002 in Ginza. It was my first kaiseki experience in Tokyo. I booked a lunch on Christmas Day 2019.

The visit

The restaurant is in the basement of an office building in Ginza. I arrived early and unfortunately they did not have a waiting area, so I went to a cafe nearby waiting for the start of the second lunch turn at 12.30 (they have a first turn at 11.30am for a taicha-zuke set; on the second turn you can choose among different options. Mine was the second most expensive menu out of four ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 yen).

I was the first customer in the room so I could take a picture of the counter. On that day it was fully booked. There were 11 seats at the table. I think they seated us from left to right in increasing order according to the price of our menu.

1. The service started with sesame tofu with freshly grated wasabi. We were advised to add soy sauce. The tofu was hot, it had been heated on the charcoal grill. Externally it looked like bread, but it was soft inside. The sesame flavor was very light.

2. Fried shirako: the pulp was still fresh inside. The waiter translated in English as “fish stomach”, but of course was the cod sperm sac. Perhaps they did not want to alarm the foreigners at the table.

3. Ikura on rice. This dish was a softball, but still good.

4. Hirame (olive flounder) sashimi with fish jelly. The sashimi had a muscular tone and it was cut in front of us.

5. Kobako-kani (a female crab) with its roe and Japanese vinegar. It is a crab variety popular in winter (most of the fish used was seasonal). This was a delicious dish, especially the roe. It was neatly presented with the meat from the claws stacked over the roe using the crab shell as a container.

6. Ika (squid) with squid bottarga. A simple, yet clever and delicious combination.

7. Kue fish (a type of large grouper in season during the winter, called ara in Kyushu) and seri (Japanese Parsley) soup. This was a perfect example of seasonal dish, suitable for the winter climate.

8. Suzuki fish (Japanese seabass) with shiitake mushroom, and Japanese orange. The meat of the fish was firm and flawless.

9. Fried taro potatoes (shrimp shaped). Another strong dish suitable for the season.

10. Then it is pretty common for kaiseki to end with a rice dish, bit this restaurant went above and beyond and they had a special taicha-zuke dish at the end. The dish included assorted vegetables, dried small fish, tai (seabream) sashimi in a sesame sauce.

The rice was “finalized” in front of us with traditional utensils.

We were advised to transfer the sashimi in the rice bowl.

And finally we added hot tea from a iron-cast teapot. The result was satisfying and filling comfort food. The dried whitebait and the vegetables added additional flavor to the mix.

11. The dessert was starch noodles in sweet sauce. What was remarkable was that they pulled the noodles in front of us.

Finally we got a bowl with matcha.

At the end of the meal they told us that we could keep the branded cloth napkin and we were given a pair of disposable chopsticks with the restaurant’s paper seal. I thought it was a nice gesture.

I got the check at around 2.30pm.

The check

The check was 11,000 yen (10,000 yen plus tax, or 102.5 USD). Of course it is a hefty price, but that’s expected for a kaiseki, in Ginza, and I thought I got what I paid for.

The restaurant used to be awarded one Michelin star. Then in the most recent iterations of the guide it was lost. Who cares. I think this was a very good example of kaiseki based on seasonal seafood and I would have no issues recommending it.

Where in Tokyo:
2-chome-12-3 Ginza Chuo City.
In Japanese:  東京都 中央区 銀座 2-12-3 ライトビル B1F.
Website: http://www.ginza-uchiyama.co.jp/ (I used their website to make the booking leaving my credit card number as a deposit, but there was no advance charge).

Dinner (a la carte and course menu) at Uoshin in Ginza

Uoshin is a chain of izakayas owned by a seafood distributor and their seafood is what keeps me going back, especially to the branch in Ginza.

The Ginza branch is located in a basement (classic!) and the small entrance may easily pass unnoticed.

Visit 1: Quick dinner

The first time I got lucky and I was given a table without reservation (but just for one hour). That was enough to try a couple of dishes.

I had their large sashimi selection that was very good.

Then I had one of their signature dishes: some rolls snowed under premium seafood: minced tuna, tuna eggs, sea urchin and crab meat. It was a delicious avalanche of delicacies from the sea.

The check for these two big dishes was 4,333 yen (40.5 USD). Not so bad.

The visit 2: Course menu

During my first visit I noticed that they also served course menus so I decided to come back, with a reservation, to try their premium (“extra fine”) menu.

The service started with three appetizers: two fried shrimps, a piece of ankimo (the delicious monk liver sashimi), and marinated kohada fish “nanban style“.

The sashimi platter featured 9 bites (one more than announced by the menu!). I identified kue (longtooth grouper), hiramasa (yellowtail amberjack), tako (octopus), hirame (Japanese halibut or olive flounder), hamachi (yellowtail), sawara (Spanish mackerel), shime saba (cured mackerel), tai (seabream), shima ebi (grey prown). I am sure I might have gotten some wrong… all were fresh and apart from the mundane octopus they were all select pieces (only drawback: they were tiny).

The salad was cabbage with bonito flakes..

The crab dish was just that: crab meat. Well done. I hate cleaning crabs.

The grilled fish was a small kinki, a very prized fish with firm white meat.

Then there was a marinated fish.

Then I was surprised to get mullet roe, whom I do not dislike, just not expecting it in this izakaya.

Then there was some fried food. This dish was forgettable. I would have expected something more interesting.

Then there was a substantial sushi platter with quality fish such as tuna and scallops. Many izakayas do not serve sushi as they do not want to bother preparing the rice, so they settle for sashimi that is easier to serve (and less filling for their customers…). But not in this izakaya, luckily.

Last dish was a classic miso soup.

At the end I had a look at their specials (they were great!) and I ordered an extra dish.

It was a faboulus combo with shirako and ankimo sashimi. Great way to end. Shirako is the male cod sperm sac…

Final check was 7,980 yen (75 USD); the course menu was 7,000 yen. Considering the quality of the seafood, the price was not unreasable. I did not make full use of the drink menu. During the course meal you can order as many drinks as you wish from a list that includes draft beer and other alcoholics. If you are just interested in the food, probably the course meal is not worth it. What I would do if I am to go back (and I hope one day to go back) would be to ask for the list of the daily specials and deep dive into them; there were some amazing seafood dishes in that list on the night when I had my course meal. I guess that the owner – a seafood distributor – has no problem procuring the best seasonal fish for their izakayas and this is a massive advantage.

Where in Tokyo:
4-chome-8-12 Ginza Chuo City.
In Japanese: 東京都 中央区 銀座 4-8-12 コチワビル B1F.
Website: http://www.uoshins.com/index.html (in Japanese, with list of other locations).

Traditional yakitori in Ginza: Takechan

Takechan is a small yakitori joint in Ginza (not far from Mitsukoshi department store) that has been running for over 50 years. Thanks to the internet, the cat is out of the bag and nowadays locals and tourists fight for a spot at its counter.

The visit

I decided to try my luck at Takechan after being turned back from a steakhouse nearby that was full. The store can be easily missed, but it was past 8pm and there was still a queue outside that unmistakably marked my destination. Eventually, we all made it in after 10-15 minutes wait. Not so bad. I was the last person to be seated, just 5 minutes before the last order time (8.30pm). The place does not take reservations as it is normal for traditional yakitori joints.

I sat at the counter next to a Japanese salaryman and two young Chinese-speaking customers. I was handed an English menu. They were perfectly organized to handle foreign customers. I chose the set menu with 8 skewers and I ordered a drink.

A course menu with only 5 skewers was also available.

The service was very fast. I was handed two condiments, grated radish and cabbage. They even gave me the customary wet towel.

The traditional five-spices condiment was also available (I never use it with yakitori).

The skewers arrived pretty quickly, not in the order of the menu, but the staff would tell me what it was in English. The first was the tsukune (chicken meatloaf).

The second skewer was sasame, a classic chicken breast with salt and wasabi.

There was also a cup of chicken soup.

Next was a skewer with duck meat flavored with miso (miso dengaku).

The fourth skewer was chicken liver barbecued with a sesame sauce.

Then there was kawa, a skewer with bits of chicken neck with soy sauce.

Next was butsu, chicken thigh simply barbecued with salt.

Then thee was a tebasaki skewer, chicken wings barbecued just with salt.

The last dish was a skewer with ginkgo seeds.

The action was fast and all the skewers were flavorful and perfectly cooked. I have read that the chef uses a chicken breed called Nagoya Cochin and roasts it over binchōtan charcoal that’s thinner than what’s regularly used at other yakitori places. The guy knows what he is doing.

At the end there was the option to have an ochazuke (additional charge), but I was happy with what I had.

The check

I spent 4,000 yen (37 USD) for the course menu and a drink. The soft drinks were priced at 800 yen, that is over the top, but the overall check was still honest. I found takechan on par with more sophisticated (and expensive) yakitori I have tried, just missing some of the more adventurous parts.

Where in Tokyo:
B1F, 4-8-13 Ginza, Chūō-ku.
東京都 中央区 銀座 4-8-13 銀座蟹睦会館ビル1Ｆ.

Splurgy dinner at Shiseido Parlour in Ginza

Yōshoku is a type of Western-inspired Japanese cuisine that originated during the Meiji period. Shiseido Parlour restaurant, opened in 1902, is a perfect example of this cuisine still up and running in Ginza. Yes, it is that Shiseido, the cosmetic maker. The company owns a building in Ginza with a cafe and restaurants.

The visit

I went to the restaurant toward the closing time without a reservation on Christmas evening 2019. The reception on the 4th floor kept me waiting for five minutes until a table was available for me.

The dining room had a retro atmosphere, with waiting staff with white gloves finishing dishes table side. The place was still full – with most diners finishing their dinner – so I did not want to bother anyone taking a picture of the room. At a certain point there was a violinist briefly playing for the customers. That kind of atmosphere.

The only reference to Shiseido was some kind of cosmetic on the table (but it was not a gift).

I was offered choice of either bread or rice as a side dish.

I had their dish with roasted lobster, scallop and white fish. It was a substantial dish.

Then I had their famous croquettes. Pronounced a la French. They use bechamel sauce as a thickener and not potatoes. The result is a very smooth and soft texture. Croquettes is a perfect example of Yōshoku dish still popular today in cafe and restaurant menus.

Other classic Western-style dishes on the menu included various curry and rice dishes, fried chicken (tomato flavor) and rice omelet. The most expensive dish was a spiny lobster.

I skipped the dessert given the intense day of eating.

The check

Just two dishes set me back 7,920 yen (73.5 USD). As you might expect is not cheap, clearly you pay for the luxury environment (or I shall say the Japanese idea of how a Westerner refined dining venue should look like). It was a nice dinner and I am glad that I experimented this kind of restaurant but I won’t go back. Sure, the dishes are more refined than the commoner’s versions that you can find in cafes and quick-serving restaurants around Tokyo (or Japan), but these are not the dishes I am after when I am in Japan.

Where in Tokyo:
Tokyo Ginza Shiseido Building 4/5F 8-8-3 Ginza, Chuo-ku.
Website: https://parlour.shiseido.co.jp/en/shoplist/restaurantginza/.

The story of two fryers: Tempura Fukamachi

If you read my review of Hanabi Japanese Cuisine, you know that tempura can be material for fine dining. Japan is full of high-end tempura restaurants. Tempura Fukamachi is one of these and has been consistently awarded one star in the Tokyo Michelin Guide.

One of the unique features of the restaurant is the two fryers (behind a copper screen) kept at different temperatures to better match different types of food to be fried. This should give you an idea that this kind of tempura has really little to do with the greasy stuff you may find in overseas Japanese restaurants as an afterthought in a long menu.

The visit

I had a reservation at 1.15pm, the second turn for lunch, during my October 2019 trip to Tokyo. I arrived early and I killed a quarter of hour in the museum of the national lottery, just next door.

There were 11 counter seats and two tables for two people each. In my turn at 1.15pm there were only 6 customers including me. To my question, a waiter said that walk-ins with no reservation are ok. If you wish to avoid the hassle of making a reservation, just try to show up at 1.15pm and see if they have a seat.

The store-front in a side street of Ginza with the potted plants and the yellow curtains cannot be mistaken.

My workstation had the classic tempura sauce, shredded radish (most people will mix the radish with the sauce, but not me), sea salt and lemon.

There were three lunch menus and I made my choice upon arrival. The most expensive also included a dish with sea-urchin, while the less expensive did not have he final rice dish. There was also a vegetarian option, but including prawns. In the end I had menu n. 2. Here’s an account of the dishes.

1. Two prawns heads: very crispy, we were recommended to use salt.

2. Two prawn bodies, again with salt and then with sauce.

3. Gingko nuts.

4. Chestnut, with salt. Unexpected, it was very good.

5. Kisu (white fish). One of the best dishes for its tender meat. A would say that it is a tempura classic.

6. Lotus root.

At this point customers with the highest-priced menu got a sea urchin dish. It was fried inside a nori and cut in two. There was a lot of sea urchin, perhaps worth the extra 3,000 yen. Sure it looked delicious.

7. Hotate (scallop). A very meaty specimen.

8. Shiitake (Japanese mushroom).

9. Asparagus.

10. Anago (saltwater eel).

11. Hot tea and vegetables as a palate cleanser (carrot, radish, zucchini, napa cabbage or hakusai).

12. Miso soup.

12. Rice dish with shrimp tempura on top (tendon).

There were three options for the rice dish: Ten-Don, Ten-Cha, or Ten-Bara. The Ten-Don is a fritter served on rice with some soy-based sauce drizzled over it. The Ten-Cha is a fritter served over rice and then tea is poured over it. The Ten-Bara is a fritter chopped up and mixed into the rice. My tendon was excellent and totally worth the differential with the cheaper menu. The Ten-Cha also looked very inviting.

13. ice ceam scoop.

The chef would dip gently the food in the flour and then in the liquid batter, then use one of the two boilers, with different temperatures, to fry it.

I would say that the main difference with a regular tempura was that the frying did not kill or overwhelm the original flavors. Sauces were not particularly useful from this point of view. The food spoke by itself.

The 13 dishes took around 90 minutes, I had paid by 2.50pm.

The check

After tax, I paid 11,550 yen (105 USD). It was an excellent meal and worth the hefty check, even if I am not big on tempura course menus. If you visit Japan, I would recommend to try this kind of cuisine at least once so you can compare it with more regular tempura. I also spent 1,500 yen for the reservation service from Japaneazy.

Where in Tokyo:
2-5-2 Kyobashi.
In Japanese: 東京都 中央区 京橋 2-5-2 A·M京橋ビル 1/F.

Iccho, a reliable seafood izakaya in Ginza

In Ginza, right under the expressway overpass on Chuo Dori, there is a reliable izakaya I have been going for years. It is called Uoya Iccho (うおや一丁 銀座本店) and it is part of a chain from Hokkaido specializing in seafood. This review is based on a visit in October 2019.

You can see the entrance above: it is the restaurant with the blue sign.

The visit

The actual izakaya is upstairs and it is huge. They have both a smoking and a non-smoking section. Most customers looked like salarymen (and women) after work.

They do have an English menu and you can call the waiter’s attention by pushing a button.

I usually go for their assorted sashimi. On the paper it is for three or four people, but I had it all by myself.

In this assortment there was a whole squid, already finely cut.

Then salmon, prawns, tuna (two types), octopus, and what must have been some kind of amberjack were there.

Finally I had some croquettes with crab meat on top. In the menu they have a lot of fried dishes and crab options.

The classic soft-serve ice cream made from Hokkaido was tempting but I did not try it.

The check

I spent around 4,000 yen or 36 USD including a drink.

I would describe this izakaya as “average”, but average skewed toward the good part of the spectrum. It is a large operation and everything seems to be fresh. Service is ok. They also have course menus and all you can drink options. It is open daily until 11pm, so it can be a good place if you come back to Ginza (presumably to your hotel) quite late (it open for lunch on weekdays).

Where in Tokyo:
1-2-3, Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0061.
In Japanese: 〒104-0061 東京都中央区銀座1-2-3 2F.

Good, but expensive, gyukatsu in Ginza, Tokyo

The Japanese pork cutlet, called tonkatsu, is quite popular even outside Japan. Fewer people know about another marvelous battered and deep fried goodie from Japan: the beef cutlet, gyukatsu. The main feature of this type of cutlet is that the beef inside is kept rare, making it very juicy. It is one of my favorite Japanese dishes. In this post I will share one gyukatsu I had in Ginza, not the best ever, but a good introduction to this type of cutlet.

The visit

I found a self-styled Korean BBQ called World Diner offering a gyukatsu lunch set in Ginza. Above you can see the view from my seat.

I had a 100 gram gyukatsu (but it looked quite small…) and for 300 yen I also had access to a salad “buffet”. Actually the buffet was a joke, they just had a few items that are usually provided with a lunch set anyway such as rice, cabbage and salad. The only advantage was the unlimited drink.

From the picture above you can see that the heart of the beef is almost rare.

While the whole experience was nothing special, the beef was very juicy and overall the cutlet was good. The restaurant claims to deal with top wagyu.

The check

I was about to throw the receipt away… I did not think of writing a review, but I guess sometimes it is also useful to share so so experiences.

The lunch set came to 2,246 yen (around 20 USD). It was expensive, normally a gyukatsu set would cost around 1,500 yen. However, the quality of the meat was good and, after all, it was Ginza.

I do NOT recommend this place, however I do recommend trying a beef cutlet if you travel to Japan. For a review of a good gyukatsu see this post from Nagasaki.

Where in Tokyo:
7th floor of Kirarito mall in Ginza.
1-8-19 Ginza, Ginza, Chuo 104-0061, Tokyo Prefecture.
See their website for more details.

Three cafes in Tokyo where to enjoy food, stationery and fountain pens

Tokyo is certainly not short of themed-cafes: animals, anime characters, monsters, historical periods, everything is fair game. In this post I will show you three cafes that are relevant to fountain pens and stationery enthusiasts.

1. Cafe Stylo at Itoya

Itoya is probably the most amazing stationery shop in the world. It has many locations, also outside Japan, but speaking of Itoya means speaking of its flagship location in Ginza: 9 floors filled with every conceivable stationery item. And if that is not enough, you can visit their annex for more pens, inks, paper and notepads.

Probably the most interesting floor is the third reserved to high-end writing instruments.

The display cabinets are filled with pens worth thousand of dollars; entry level  fountain pen models start at around 40 USD (in the annex you can find cheaper pens).

If you go, check if they have any store exclusive item. In my September 2018 visit, they were introducing a number of exclusive Lamy pens, a few available only at Itoya (I love Ginza pens) and others only available in other two stores in Tokyo. These are the kind of items that get collectors go amok.

Cafe Stylo is located on the 12th floor and is accessible using the elevator on the back entrance.

Their menu sports breakfast and lunch items as well as desserts and drinks for a quick stop. They are open from 10am to 10pm, with last order to be placed before 9pm.

They proudly claim to source their eggs from Kurofuji farm in Yamanashi where chicken are kept free range at 1100 meters above the sea level. Consequently, their organic Benedict egg dishes, while a bit pricey, are highly recommended for a hearty breakfast.

I can vouch for their desserts, like this chocolate mousse sadly no longer available on their menu.

Where in Tokyo:
2 Chome-7-15 Ginza, Chūō, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan
Check their website to see the menus.

2. Maruzen Café

Maruzen is a historic chain of bookshops that can be found around Japan. They also carry amazing selections of fountain pens and stationery.

The basement of their flagship Nihombashi location (just across the street from Takashimaya) offers one of the best selections of Japanese and international fountain pens that can be found in Tokyo. They are also one of the few stores to carry Nakaya pens. In March they organize a fountain pen fair where they release a truckload of limited edition pens and inks (see the pictures above from March 2018). When browsing the shelves in the basement, look for the Athena inks that are exclusive to Maruzen.

The third floor in Nihombashi hosts the namesake café (now operated by Café de Cléa).

It is a relatively spacious location, with seating both for solo diners (like in the picture above) and large groups.

In my September 2018 visit I had their signature lemon mousse that I highly recommend.

But Maruzen Café is a place where you can also have a full lunch or dinner. In particular, look for their curry and Hayashi rice dishes. I recommend to try their curry hamburger steaks (pictured one with omelette) that are different from Westerner hamburger, and make for a satisfactory meal. Also the Hayashi dishes should not be missed since lore has it that the dish was invented by Yuteki Hayashi, the founder and first president of Maruzen itself.

Where in Tokyo:
2-3-10 Nihonbashi Chuo Tokyo
In Japanese: 東京都 中央区 日本橋 2-3-10 日本橋丸善東急ビル３F

3. Bunbougu Cafe

Finally, in the Omotesando area, there is a full-fledged stationery themed cafe called Bunbougu Cafe (“bunbougu” means stationery in Japanese).

The cafe is located in a basement level.

All kind of stationery and cute products are for sale.

A selection of pencils, crayons and some decorative tapes (called washi in Japanese) are available for free to all customers.

If you go, make sure to try their stationery-themed gashapon: these vending machines dispense random stationery contained in a plastic ball.

Above is pictured what I got for 200 yen (less than 2 USD): a pterodactyl-shaped eraser and a roll of washi tape.

In my September 2018 visit I just had a drink (grapefruit juice). In a previous visit I enjoyed a massive parfait that was no longer available on the menu. They have food suitable both for a meal or for a drink with friends. A simple drink starts at around 600 yen after tax.

But there is a bonus! If you are in this part of town and are interested in stationery and fountain pens you cannot miss the Tokyo branch of Bung Box, a very popular destination for fountain pen enthusiasts. The shop is just 50 meters from the cafe and, while tiny, it is filled with the sought after Bung Box inks (made by Sailor), their shop exclusive limited edition pens and more. It must be noted that the two places, even if they share a very similar name, are not related (for what it matters to my knowledge Bung Box came first). It is worth a visit, but check opening times on the website because their schedule is quite irregular.

Where in Tokyo:
4-8-1 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo
Check their website for a preview of the menu.

Final thoughts about a possible itinerary:
1. Start your day with a breakfast at Stylo Cafe (Itoya) based on organic Benedict eggs.
2. Head to Maruzen Cafe for a substantial lunch based on Hayashi rice.
3. Move to Omotesando for a drink or a sweet treat at Bunbougu Cafe.