Where to Dine - Tokyo - page 132

132

teishoku and set meals. Everything from noodles, sashimi, tempura, and obento to kai-
seki is available. Unfortunately, the best deals are daily specials that are written in Japa-
nese only; ask about them or look around at what others are eating.
There are other Donto restaurants at 2-6-1 Shimbashi ( & 03/3501-0123; station:
Shimbashi) and on the 49th floor of the Sumitomo Building in Shinjuku ( & 03/3344-
6269; station: Tochomae).
Yurakucho Denki Building basement, 1-7-1 Yurakucho. & 03/3201-3021. Set dinners ¥3,500-¥4,500;
set lunches ¥800-¥950. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 11am-2pm and 5-11pm. Closed holidays. Station: Hibiya
(1 min.). On Harumi Dori.

4 Ginza Daimasu KAISEKI/OBENTO This 90-year-old restaurant has a simple,
modern decor with Japanese touches. Experienced, kimono-clad waitresses serve artfully
arranged set meals from the English-language menu. The Fukiyose-zen obento —many
delicate dishes served in three courses—includes beautiful tempura delicacies for ¥3,675.
A plastic-food display in the front window will help you recognize the restaurant. Set
lunches are served until 4pm.
6-9-6 Ginza. & 03/3571-3584. Reservations required for kaiseki meals costing more than ¥9,450. Kai-
seki ¥5,250-¥12,600; obento ¥2,415-¥3,675; set lunches ¥2,100-¥2,940. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 11:30am-
8:30pm (last order). Station: Ginza (2 min.). Across from Matsuzakaya department store on Chuo Dori.

The Imperial Viking Sal INTERNATIONAL No, this has nothing to do with
Scandinavian invaders; rather, viking is the Japanese word for “all-you-can-eat buffet.”
Although lots of Tokyo hotels now offer such spreads, this 17th-floor restaurant was the
first and has been serving buffets for more than 50 years. It offers more than 40 mostly
European and some international dishes, which vary according to seasonal food promo-
tions spotlighting a country's cuisine, from Indonesian to Swiss. Views are of the Ginza
and Hibiya Park, and there's live jazz in the evenings. This restaurant has enjoyed great
popularity for decades, making reservations a must.
Imperial Hotel, 17th floor, 1-1-1 Uchisaiwai-cho. & 03/3504-1111. www.imperialhotel.co.jp. Reserva-
tions strongly recommended. Buffet dinner ¥7,875; buffet lunch ¥5,250. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 11:30am-
2:30pm and 5:30-9:30pm. Station: Hibiya (1 min.).

6

5 Ohmatsuya ROBATAYAKI Enter this restaurant of a nondescript
building and you're instantly back in time: After you're greeted by waitresses clad in tra-
ditional country clothing, you'll find yourself enveloped in an old farmhouse atmo-
sphere. (Part of the decor is from a 17th-century samurai house in northern Japan.) Even
the style of cooking is traditional, as customers grill their own food over a hibachi. Sake,
served in a length of bamboo, is drunk from bamboo cups. Dinner menus (in English)
include such delicacies as grilled fish, skewered meat, and vegetables. This is a true find—
and easy to find at that—just off Harumi Dori on West Fifth Street. If this place is full,
there's a nearby sister restaurant, Ohmatsuya Kura, 6-6-19 Ginza ( & 03/3574-4200 ),
with the same atmosphere and two set meals starting at ¥5,250; it's open Monday to
Friday from 5 to 10pm.
5-6-13 Ginza, 7th floor. & 03/3571-7053. Reservations required. Set dinners ¥5,040-¥9,450, plus a
¥500 table charge. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Fri 5-10pm; Sat 5-9pm (last order). Closed holidays. Station: Ginza
(3 min.). On West Fifth St.
6 Rangetsu SUKIYAKI/SHABU-SHABU/KAISEKI/OBENTO This well-
known Ginza restaurant has been dishing out sukiyaki, shabu-shabu, obento (traditional
box meals), and steaks since 1947. It uses only Matsuzaka beef (bought whole and carved
up by the chefs), which ranges from costlier fine-marbled beef to cheaper cuts with thick