Valentine’s Day with My Bestie from Second Grade in Asakusa

My best friend Kumiko from my days in an elementary school in Kobe was visiting Tokyo during the Valentine’s weekend.  I had work during the stormy Sunday but we got together in Asakusa in the evening for a nice yakitori dinner followed by a visit to Kamiya Bar which is somewhat of an institution having been established in 1880 and well known for its “Denki-Bran“.

The yakitori restaurant, Toribien.

Our excellent dinner.  I think I may have omitted a couple of dishes.

And off to discover the real Asakusan night at Kamiya Bar.

Had two kinds of “Denki Bran”, the original and a slightly more expensive “Denki Bran Old” (I think but not too certain).

 

Yakitori with a Star

I wrote about my experience at this nice yakitori restaurant sometime ago.

I went back with a different set of friends this time and I was pleasantly surprised that the menu – the only choice offered at the restaurant – was completely different.  And it was memorable yet again.

Missing a few pictures but you get the idea.

Ranjatai

Fancy and Highly Inconspicuous Yakitori in Ebisu

There was no signage whatsoever outside revealing the existence of this one-menu only yakitori restaurant on the 5th floor of a commercial building in Ebisu, Tokyo.  We were standing in front of the building at the right address but we had to call and be given directions. The food was superb.  Creative and original and good yakitori in a traditional sense as well. I would have posted these as part of my “May Tokyo Eats!” post as this happened with a friend visiting home from Brussels last month but the photos went missing somehow when I was writing it so here we are. Nakameguro Iguchi Ebisu Branch (site for all “Iguchi” group restaurants)

May Tokyo Eats!!

I have decided to do what I normally do over several posts in one go for the month of May, 2015, all the eating outs, the drinking, the sushi, the soft-served ice creams, etc. mostly due to time constraints.

In chronological order and limiting to one photo only per occasion, here we go.

“Kitchen Stage” @ Shinjuku Isetan’s basement food floor where different chefs are featured every couple of weeks. I forget which Italian chef it was when I went…

At my friend Etsuko’s. Her spare ribs cooked in OJ.

@ Spiral in Shibuya

@ Tatemori, a gourmet yakitori joint, in Ginza. Chicken (and sea urchin) sushi as a starter.

The wine bar after Tatemori. Forget the name… Still in Ginza.

@ Y Cucina in Kagurazaka

More Italian in Kagurazaka. @ Lastricato. Horse meat carpaccio.

Strawberry sorbet @ New York Deli @ Tokyu Departmentstore, Main Branch, in Shibuya

Spare ribs @ Martiniburger in Kagurazaka.

Chocolate (light) soft-serve @ Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Kitasenju

My sushi joint, Kozasa, in Daizawa

Lamb burger @ The Oak Door @ Grand Hyatt Tokyo. Tiny burger!!

@ Bunten Nakamura Shokudo in Akasaka

Tuna tuna tuna @ Asahizushi @ Tokyu Toyoko Department Store

Belated Mother’s Day dinner @ La Blanche in Shibuya

The so-called “coffee jelly” @ Cafe Veloce, a chain coffee shop near me. I only wanted the soft-serve but they don’t sell it that way.

“Hyuganatsu” flavored soft-serve @ Shinjuku Miyazaki Konne

@ Cheval de Hyotan in Ikebukuro

@ Bistrot la Cucina, a misleadingly named Italian restaurant in Shibuya to which I went with my friend after seeing the film The Trip to Italy.

@ A la Cave in Shirokanedai. Too dark to take any food photos.

@ Antica Vineria Giuliano in Shirokanedai

Mango supposedly made from fresh mango. It is “soft-served” but the texture is very much like Italian gelato which is not my preference. At a fruit shop inside the Odakyu Department Store in Shinjuku.

The best experience: Cheval de Hyotan in Ikebukuro, a somewhat unlikely location, managed by a couple, the wife being the chef.

A Saturday Walk in Kagurazaka

The area of Tokyo referred to as Kagurazaka not far from where I live is a perfect neighborhood for walking when the weather is nice.  Last Saturday was such a day.

After seeing a film which finished around 1 pm I was hungry enough for some munching on the street. The Chinese pork-filled bun proved to be a good choice.

After that was some yakitori from a butcher shop.

There were many other interesting shops selling Japanese sweets from which I had to restrain myself from buying and for some reason a lot of Italian food products though Kaguazaka is known more for a sizable French population.

In any event a great eating neighborhood.