Monthly Archives: January 2012

Paper Moon

by Bianca

No, it’s not a branch of the famous Milan Italian restaurant, it’s a pastry shop and the pastries in this cute cozy cake shop will definitely take you over the moon.

As you enter, you will find a small non smoking section with an array of rattan chairs and a wonderful display of pastries to choose from. Everything looks delicious.

Unfortunately, it is the large smoking section in the back that is most comfortable to sit in. A variety of sofa sets adorn the dark interior and this pastry shop suddenly looks more like a bar. A huge baccarat crystal lamp hangs inside a glass box as decoration in the middle of the cafe. This would definitely be the best way to display a very expensive baccarat lamp when you don’t have a high ceiling.

Paper moon also has some simple lunch menus like lasagna and pasta, but we were there for the pastries. We chose five different kinds from the wonderful display : the famous mille feuille (absolutely and undeniably heavenly), the strawberry shortcake (delicious), the chocolate sponge cake (so-so), the cream roll cake (delicious) and the thin apple pie (to die for).

The mille feuille and strawberry cake

The apple pie

The cream roll cake

There you go, some of the best pastries in Tokyo. You should give it a try ….

Paper Moon
3448-1676
Minami-Azabu 4-12-26. Open 11:30am-1:30am (LO) daily.

 

Some sake, some beef, some hot broth and the best sesame sauce ever…

by Bianca

 

What better way to spend a chilly winter evening than to dine on some tasty shabu-shabu or Japanese hot-pot. Our restaurant of choice this time was IMAFUKU in Shirokane who had just opened it’s doors to the public on January 23, 2012.

Imafuku's facade

We found out about this restaurant from its sister restaurant Jumbo which we frequently visit for their excellent yakiniku. I was excited about our dinner, Jumbo has some excellent beef and I was expecting the same from Imafuku.

The design of the restaurant was clean and simple in a very Japanese way.

The interior

The meat for our shabu-shabu was put on display for all to see.

We were whisked into one of their private rooms on the second floor where we chose some sake to accompany our dinner. The waitress then came back with a tray filled with an assortment of sake glasses for us to pick from.

The assortment of sake glasses

Our choices

The menu was in Japanese and we were lucky to have someone who could read Japanese with us. We chose the most extensive set menu which set us back around 10,500 yen per person.

The first appetizer to arrive was a small glass of sea urchin over a potato puree with some vegetables on the side. Both were delicious.

The sea urchin and veggies

Then came the raw food platter which did include some raw heart and some intestines. I ate everything but the intestines and thought that it tasted pretty good.

The raw food platter

And then came time for what we were waiting for….the shabu-shabu

The hot shabu-shabu broth

What I noticed to be different from other shabu-shabu restaurants was the clear yellowish ponzu sauce instead of the usual dark one. It tasted a little different but had the same acidic taste of ponzu.

The clear ponzu sauce and the sesame sauce

The first plate to arrive was the tongue which we were to dip into the broth only for a few seconds and retrieve while it was still pink in color. It tasted really good.

The plate of tongue

Then came the meat platter with 5 different kinds of meat from different parts of the cow, along with some vegetables.

The meat platter and the vegetables

I found what made this shabu-shabu dinner to be excellent instead of just simply good was the sesame sauce. It was the best I’ve ever tried. A little bit sweeter than what I’m used to but absolutely delicious. I used it for all my dips including the vegetables which I usually dip into the ponzu sauce.

To end things, you had the choice of some noodles or rice. We chose the noodles and were told to eat half in the broth and the other half dipped into the sesame sauce. Simply heavenly.

the noodles

There was a choice of panacotta, ice cream or sorbet for desert. All were delicious.

This is a restaurant I would definitely recommend you to try. And before I end things I just have to share this cute little picture with you….

A little carrot cow

IMAFUKU address : 1-12-19 Shirokane,minato-ku, Tokyo. Tel : 0354202914

A taste of old Japan at YABU SOBA

by Bianca

Update on April 12,2013.

Sadly this charming restaurant was burnt down in an unexpected fire a few months ago and is now closed. They say they renovating to reopen in a year or so. I really do hope so.

 

One thing I love about Tokyo is that everyday you have the chance to stumble upon something new, something unexpected. Today, I planned to have a soba lunch at a place called Muto in Nihonbashi but it was closed even when the website stated that it was opened for lunch on Saturdays. A quick google search for other soba places around the area brought us to Yabu soba.

I did not expect to find this old style little Japanese house surrounded by a wooden fence in an alley in Kanda (near Nihonbashi). It was the kind of restaurant you’d find in Kyoto, not hidden somewhere near the financial district of Tokyo.

It even had a cute little Japanese garden you had to walk through before entering the restaurant. There was a line waiting for tables but it did not take long before we were quickly ushered to our seats. The restaurant had a tatami section and a table section with low chairs, and was quite sizeable for Tokyo’s standards.

What immediate struck me when I entered was how the staff all greeted you and shouted out your orders in some sort of chant. It had a melody to it that was quite amusing.

They had an english menu available and since it was cold outside most of us opted for the hot soba. I ordered soba with fish cake and the rest of the group ordered soba with duck meat and the tempura soba.

The tempura soba

I have to say that so far, this is the best soba I have tried in Tokyo. The soba was delicious and the soup tasted just right. It definitely was much tastier than other soba noodles I’ve tried. The portions however are quite small, so if you enter this establishment with an empty stomach you should order two portions like most of the male patrons of the restaurant did.

The fish cake soba

We also ended up ordering two extra cold soba dishes which were exquisite.

I did a little research after our delightful lunch and found that Yabu soba first opened its doors in 1880 and their soba are served “seiro” style which means firm noodles made from ten parts buckwheat flour to one part wheat flour, which are then dipped in a tasty broth and enjoyed.

Well, for me, finding this place was definitely a pleasant surprise.

Address :2-10 Kanda Awajicyo, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Phone :03 3251 0287

Ramen makes you happy at IPPUDO ramen, Yoyogi.

by Bianca

And it certainly did.

I decided to drop by this ramen place for lunch today because this branch of the famous Hakata ramen chain is the first to specialize in miso broth instead of the usual tonkotsu kind.

The design of the place was actually rather funky for a ramen establishment although they did try to incorporate some of the old-style Japanese ramen shop details into it. Hip music was playing in the back ground as we entered and you were to order your ramen on this machine…

Red or white ? I chose the red hoping it would be the spicier choice.

Then came this huge red bowl filled with a myriad of things that would definitely make me happy. The miso sauce was delicious although I have to say, rather safe. Maybe because of the red bowl I expected something really spicy it would make my ears hurt. Not saying it wasn’t good though, I finished the whole thing and did walk out of the place happy.

Ippudo Miso
5358-2033
Yoyogi 1-45-4. Open 11am-1am daily.

A taste of Singapore at the SINGAPORE SEAFOOD REPUBLIC, Shinagawa

by Bianca

Chilli crab is one of my favorite dishes and do get a craving for it once in awhile. That is how I ended up at the Singapore Seafood Republic for lunch today.

This restaurant near the Shinagawa station is actually massive for Japanese standards. It is housed in a pretty white Singaporean-style house with its signature dark wooden windows and high ceilings. The interior is very cosy indeed.

They have a lunch menu set of chili or curry crab with a side order of rice or steamed buns. There is also the hainan chicken rice set, some stir fried noodles, laksa and fried rice. The chili crab set costs about 1850 yen while the noodle lunch is a little more on the cheaper side for about 850 yen.

I have to say that the chili crab wasn’t the freshest I’ve tasted but the sauce was quite good. Maybe next time I’ll go for dinner and try the larger special crabs.

For dessert we tried the fried banana and kue lapis which were really delicious.

I would recommend this restaurant if you have a big party since not that many restaurants in Japan can accommodate larger groups, and of course you should go for the chili crabs.

Address :

  • Takanawa 3-13-3
  • In front of SHINAGAWA GOOS garden
  • (81)-3-5449-8080

Coffee and pastries at Cafe&Meal Muji, Aoyama

by Bianca

I have meant to drop by this cafe since like forever but somehow only made it today. I’ve always wondered what the mega brand’s cafe would be like. It definitely did not disappoint.

The interior of the cafe did not wander far from the brand’s simple aesthetics. Warm wood was chosen to line its floor and tables. The walls were full with rows of jars filled with condiments of various hues and colors.

What surprised me the most was how inexpensive the cafe was. Two sorts of pastries and two glasses of coffee cost 980 yen.

And the pastries were delicious. For the coffee, they didn’t really have much choices. Only black coffee and cafe au lait, but it tasted alright. They also have a choice of salads to munch on if you are planning to have a healthy lunch. I totally loved the vibe of this place and will definitely be coming back for more.

Cafe and Meal Muji Aoyama : Lexington Aoyama 1F 5-11-9 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Telephone : 03-5468-2368

 

HEART BREAD ANTIQUE bakery

by Bianca

While strolling through Ginza yesterday, I stumbled upon this cute little bakery in an alley behind the Paul Start store.

By the time I wrote this post, the name of the place became lost to me. I just could not place it. Something with bread? With heart ? But I remember there being something antique involved ?

So I ruffled through my receipt, and sure enough, it was Heart Bread Antique. At first I thought it was a doughnut store since most of the bread on sale were made to look like one.

There is a cafe on the second floor. You purchase your bread in the bakery and eat it upstairs. The choice of beverages were limited and the coffee they served was simple black coffee. Two breads and a coffee will cost you about 2000 yen.

The bread tasted good. Not too sweet. And later on I found out they were very well-known for their “Angel’s Chocolate Rings”. Basically bread with chocolate fillings.

If ever you find yourself strolling through Ginza and suddenly feel a craving for some bread rings, this would be the place to visit. This is their address :

3-4-17, Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo OPTICAI 1F.2F
03-6228 -6806
10:00 -21:00
cafe :30 seats , non-smoking
http://www.heart-bread.com/

Pics : my own and courtesy of tenkai-japan