La Bombance in Nishiazabu, Tokyo

A friend arranged dinner for us at this former Micheiln-starred restaurant tonight (2 Chome−26−21, 03-5778-6511). It's pitched as a bit of a modern Japanese fusion, but what I wasn't expecting was for it to be so kaiseki-like, with tons of effort put into the endless varieties of porcelainware and floral garnishes.

The good thing was that the ingredients were all of high quality, with a savory firefly squid on a rich brioche being one of my favorites, not to mention a fun sakura ebi rice. Underneath all of those flowers above were pieces of foie gras and eggplant that sat in a crisp vegetable sauce, and fortunately the rice in the tuna nigiri were neither overvinegared nor overcooked, staying nice and firm.

There was definitely attention to detail and care in the food. This place put high priority on appearances though, and I'm not going to get cravings for the food itself. The dated decor and occasionally spotty service didn't help either.

Pizzeria Trattoria Vomero Higashi-Ginza in Tokyo

I wasn't entirely sure about this place at first (3 Chome−12−8, 03-6278-8984), especially since it was decorated like a colorful Italian restaurant rather than one of those progressive Japanese pizza places. The starter plate included in the lunch set wasn't too encouraging either given its odd mix of potato salad, omelette, and soft bread wasn't very encouraging either.

Fortunately, the pizza pulled through, including that one above with shirasu whitebait on it, as the light aroma from the garlic was balanced with the delicately savory tastes of the fish. We had another anchovy-based one that was decent too. The crust wasn't as good as Trico, which means that others will be my preferred choice. But it's just really interesting to see how good pizzas can be here.

An Outlet of Shinpachi Shokudo in Japan

This is a big chain, but it's pretty cool in that it's focused on chargrilled fish with most outlets open early in the morning for breakfast, all in a quaint-looking wooden decor. I had that mackerel set above and it went down the hatch in a jiffy. The most amazing thing though was the price: that was just ¥500 (US$3.30) above. Gotta love these ultra affordable yet delicious breakfasts.

Shimantogawa Ginza in Yurakucho, Tokyo

I was a bit worried about whether this small chain under the train tracks was overly commercialized, especially given that its elaborate theme decor gave off Rainforest Cafe or Pirates of the Caribbean vibes. But a local brought us here, pointing out that it was known for food from Shikoku. In particular, that meant things like those huge cuts of bonito above, which were smoky from being grilled over a straw fire. We had a lot of protein, most of which was garnished with raw garlic, onions, and wasabi. Either way, it was nice to eat at a place that focused on the region.

Yakitori Onegi in Yurakucho, Tokyo

I wasn't sure which of the many yakitori shops near the Yurakucho train tracks would be good, but I landed on this one given that it was in a smaller alley away from the heavily trafficked areas (1 Chome−2−8, 03-3597-8067). It did the job of getting some light bites and drinks into our bellies, including that fried garlic bulb above, as well as the eggplant in the background. Plus, sitting on those little stools with plastic crates and sheeting was fun.

Shabusen in Ginza, Tokyo

This big shabu shabu counter on the eighth floor of the EXITMELSA shopping center was conveniently located right next to the metro station that we were headed to, so we stopped in for a lunch set, the cheapest of which featured a few slices of beef plus more slices of pork above (5 Chome−7−10, 03-3572-3806). And I was very happy with it, as I had forgotten how much I liked proper shabu shabu.

This was not just the quality of the meat (and we didn't even opt for the more expensive and nicely marbled beef that our neighbors ordered), but also the all of the seasonings, including a fermented tofu sauce mixed with raw negi that was so much better than the usual sesame stuff. It's been so long since I've had a shabu shabu broth that tasted like this, seasoned with just salt and pepper.

Breakfast at a Yudetaro Outlet in Japan

I know that I just ate soba last night, but somehow the idea of hot soba this morning sounded good. And there was an outlet of Yudetaro nearby, conveniently open at 7 AM. I guess these guys compete with Komoro, but I haven't eaten at either enough to make much of a comparison. Well, the food was good enough for me, not to mention fast and cheap with that set above going for a bargain price of just ¥500 (US$3.30). That's quite a steal.

Raian ("Ryan") in Shibuya, Tokyo

Ryan may sound like a weird name for an upscale soba restaurant, but it is an anglicization of its Japanese name Raian. Calling it a soba restaurant is also a bit misleading since this open kitchen does so much more than that, including not just decent drinks but also a multi-course meal that we had featuring a deliciously fatty pork from Iwate coated in a rich kinome leaf butter. Admittedly the other dishes we had were a bit tame, but the meal closed with the soba above, and in my case I upgraded to a gyumotsu curry dip, which to my surprise was thin but still savory and rich.

Iyoshi Cola's Shibuya Store in Tokyo

I can't remember how I found out about this place, but it's kinda cool in that they do craft colas (5 Chome-29-12 Jingumae). They assemble each drink to order, mixing the syrup with soda water and garnishes as well as a few freshly ground spices. It tasted like cola, but punchier with strong aromatics. They had an entry-level version and a stronger option that were both fun, even if I admittedly had a bit of heartburn afterwards.

Akatsuki Taps in Ginza, Tokyo

To be clear, this was a brewery, not a food place (6 Chome−4−18, 03-3573-0151). But they had a limited selection of bites available, and this pan of thinly sliced octopus and mushrooms was done with not just in a Spanish al ajillo style, but also featured a local fish sauce, both of which were more softly fragrant than pungent. It was savory and delicious, going nicely with their smooth and malty red ale.

Kōrin-dō in Shimbashi, Tokyo

I needed a quick refueling before jumping onto a couple of calls at noon, and this tiny little ramen counter had a couple of open spots this morning (5 Chome-33-8). It looked traditional from the outside, but the bowls were definitely more progressive, with not just that crisp shio chicken broth above, but more importantly, the super tender and moist chicken and smoky pork, all garnished with a bit of yuzu and negi. The noodles themselves weren't that exciting, but I saw some other diners with a thicker noodle for a different broth that could be worth going back for.

Pizzeria Bar Trico in Shimbashi, Tokyo

I'm still totally blown away by how good Japanese pizza can be. This was just a random place that we walked by (5 Chome−12−7, 03-6459-0928) and it was fantastic, including not just the delicate toppings adorning pies like that sausage one above, but more importantly, the chewy yet light and slightly crispy crust.

We enjoyed the pizza so much that we immediately ordered another one despite this being our second meal of the night. It was nice that they also provided some decently potent chili oil. Yes, this was much better than Parking Pizza in Barcelona, and I would be more than happy to eat here again.