Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
151
Hiroba
VARIED JAPANESE/VEGETARIAN Located in the basement of the
Crayon House, which specializes in Japanese children's books, this natural-food restau-
rant offers a buffet lunch of organic veggies, fish, brown rice, and other health foods. For
dinner, an English-language menu offers varied fare, including seasonal fish grilled with
herbs, tandoori chicken, and stir-fried pork with soy sauce and ginger. The dining hall is
very simple (its atmosphere reminds me of a potluck supper in a church basement), and
because of the upstairs bookstore, there are likely to be families here.
Crayon House, 3-8-15 Kita-Aoyama.
&
03/3406-6409.
Lunch buffet ¥1,260; main dishes ¥840-¥1,890.
No credit cards. Daily 11am-2pm and 5:30-10pm. Station: Omotesando (2 min.). Off Omotesando Dori
on the side street to the right of the Hanae Mori Building.
Kua' Aina
AMERICAN How far will you go for a burger? Quite simply, one
of the best burger chains in town makes this Hawaiian import a smashing success. In fact,
if you come at mealtime, you'll probably have to wait for a table in one of the tiny upstairs
dining rooms. Burgers come as third- and (whopping) half-pounders. There are also sand-
wiches ranging from BLTs with avocado to roast beef to tuna. A good carnivore fix.
Branches can be found at 1-10-4 Shibuya (
&
03/3409-3200;
station: Shibuya), in
the Marunouchi Building across from Tokyo Station at 2-4-1 Marunouchi (
&
03/5220-
2400;
station: Tokyo), and in Aqua City on Odaiba (
&
03/3599-2800;
station: Daiba).
5-10-21 Minami Aoyama.
&
03/3407-8001.
Burgers and sandwiches ¥750-¥1,330. No credit cards.
Mon-Sat 11am-11pm; Sun 11am-10pm. Station: Omotesando (2 min.). On Aoyama Dori (heading
toward Shibuya), at its busy intersection with Kotto Dori.
Limapuluh
FUSION Not far from the Omotesando Dori-Aoyama Dori
intersection, this breezy restaurant with an outdoor terrace wins kudos both for its laid-
back atmosphere and its fusion French-Asian cuisine at very reasonable prices. Set
lunches offer a meat dish, fish, or pasta of the day, along with a salad, dessert, and drink
(such as lychee juice). Offerings for dinner change often and are written in Japanese only
on a blackboard but always include the day's pasta, pizza, and heartier fare. Join local
hipsters for happy hour, available Monday to Friday from 5 to 7pm, with drinks starting
at ¥500. In short, it's hard to imagine going wrong here. What you save on a meal can
be spent at Issey Miyake's Pleats Please shop, just a few steps away.
La Place, 3-13-21 Minami Aoyama.
&
03/3401-1193.
Main dishes ¥1,200-¥2,100; set lunches ¥1,050-
¥1,800. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 11am-11:30pm. Station: Omotesando (1 min.). Off Aoyama Dori in the direc-
tion of Gaienmae, almost immediately to the right and hidden in a small shopping complex centered on
a plaza.
6
n
Maisen
TONKATSU Extremely popular with the locals, this restaurant
has been dishing out
tonkatsu
(deep-fried breaded pork cutlet) for more than 25 years
and is especially known for its black pork, originally from China and prized for its sweet,
intense flavor. But what makes this restaurant a real standout is that it occupies a former
pre-World War II public bathhouse; its main dining hall was once the changing room
and it sports a high ceiling and original architectural details. There's an English-language
menu, but lunch specials (available until 4pm) are listed in Japanese only, though there
are photos. It's easiest to order a set meal.
4-8-5 Jingumae.
&
03/3470-0071.
Set meals ¥1,420-¥2,995; set lunches ¥840-¥1,420. AE, DC, MC, V.
Daily 11am-10pm (last order). Station: Omotesando (4 min.). Take the A2 exit and turn right on the side
street btw. Ito Hospital and McDonald's (the one with
HARAJUKU
above it); take the 1st left, and then an
immediate right. It will be in the next block on the left.