Where to Dine - Tokyo - page 140

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) Waentei-Kikko KAISEKI Just southeast of Sensoji Temple,
Waentei-Kikko is actually a tiny, traditional house tucked behind a tiny garden. Inside,
it's like a farmhouse in the countryside with its flagstone entry, wooden rafters, and tat-
ami seating. A warm and friendly husband-and-wife team manage it, but what makes this
establishment especially compelling are the shamisen performances by the husband,
Fukui Kodai, playing with the fervor of a rock star, or by other staff members, as well as
performances of other traditional Japanese music (performances are at 12:15, 1:30, 6:30,
and 8pm). Of course, the food shines, too, with obento lunchboxes and kaiseki dinners
that change with the seasons. Fugu kaiseki dinners, beginning at ¥9,975, are also avail-
able with advance reservations. This place is a true find.
2-2-13 Asakusa. & 03/5828-8833. www.waentei-kikko.com. Reservations recommended. Obento
lunches ¥2,500 and ¥3,500; kaiseki dinners ¥6,825-¥14,175. AE, DC, MC, V. Thurs-Tues 11:30am-1:30pm
and 5-8:30pm (last order). Station: Asakusa (5 min.). Walk on Nakamise Dori toward Sensoji Temple, turn-
ing right after the last shop; go past the 2 stone Buddhas, and then turn right again at the tiny Benten-do
Temple with the large bell. The restaurant is on the right side of the street across from the playground.

INEXPENSIVE
Kamiya Bar VARIED JAPANESE/WESTERN This inexpensive restaurant, estab-
lished in 1880 as the first Western bar in Japan, serves both Japanese and Western fare
on its three floors. The first floor is the bar, popular with older, tobacco-smoking Japa-
nese men and famous for its Denki Bran (a concoction of brandy, gin, wine, vermouth,
Curacao, and herbs). The second floor offers Western food of a sort (that is, the Japanese
version of Western food), including fried chicken, smoked salmon, spaghetti, fried
shrimp, and hamburger steak. The third floor serves Japanese food ranging from udon
noodles and yakitori to tempura and sashimi. I personally prefer the third floor for both
its food and its atmosphere. Although the menus are in Japanese only, extensive plastic-
food display cases show set meals of Japanese food costing ¥1,500 to ¥3,500. This is a
very casual restaurant, very much a place for older locals, and it can be quite noisy and
crowded.
1-1-1 Asakusa. & 03/3841-5400. Main dishes ¥700-¥1,500. AE, DC, MC, V (2nd/3rd floors only). Wed-
Mon 11:30am-9:30pm (last order). Station: Asakusa (1 min.). Located on Kaminarimon Dori in a plain,
brown-tiled building btw. Kaminarimon Gate and the Sumida River.

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a Namiki Yabusoba NOODLES Asakusa's best-known noodle shop, founded
in 1913, offers plain buckwheat noodles in cold or hot broth as well as more substantial
tempura with noodles, all listed on an English-language menu. Seating is at tables or on
tatami mats., It's a small place, so there's often a queue outside the front door, and you
won't be able to linger if people are waiting.
2-11-9 Kaminarimon. & 03/3841-1340. Dishes ¥700-¥1,700. No credit cards. Fri-Wed 11:30am-
7:30pm. Station: Asakusa (2 min.). From Kaminarimon Gate, walk south (away from Sensoji Temple) 1
min.; Namiki is on the right side of the street, a brown building with bamboo trees, a small maple, and a
stone lantern by the front door.
b Sansado TEMPURA Located right beside Kaminarimon Gate, next to the
Kurodaya paper shop, this simple tempura restaurant specializes in Edo-style tempura,
fried in a light oil. On the first floor, seating is either at tables or on tatami, while the
upstairs is more traditional with tatami seating; one room overlooks the temple gate.
Sansado is run by an army of very able grandmotherly types, and because the menu is in
Japanese only, they're more than happy to go outside with you to help you make a selec-
tion from the plastic-food display case.