Where to Dine - Tokyo - page 161

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Erawan THAI Perched 13 floors above the Roppongi madness and offering cool,
aloof views on three sides (ask to be seated on the Tokyo Tower side), this restaurant is
massive but well divided into intimate dining areas that create a pleasant Thai aura with
dark gleaming woods, woodcarvings, plants, bamboo screens, and a smiling Thai staff.
Although it has an a la carte menu, most economical is to opt for the dinner buffet (avail-
able until 9pm), which includes an appetizer, salad, and dessert bar, plus two main dishes
such as stir-fried minced pork with basil wrapped in lettuce of steamed deep-fried
chicken wrapped in pandanus leaves. There's a branch in Shinjuku, on the eighth floor
of the Adhoc Shinjuku Building, 3-15-11 Shinjuku ( & 03/3341-5127; station: Shin-
juku).
Roi Building, 13th floor, 5-5-1 Roppongi. & 03/3404-5741. Main dishes ¥1,300-¥1,800; set dinner buf-
fet ¥5,300. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Fri 5:30-11:30pm; Sat-Sun and holidays 4-10pm. Station: Roppongi (3
min.). From Roppongi Crossing, Erawan is on the right side of Gaien-Higashi Dori (the road leading to
Tokyo Tower), just past McDonald's.

Kushinobo KUSHIKATSU First opened in Osaka in 1950, this small and cozy res-
taurant specializing in kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers of food) is ensconced in Roppongi
Hills. Every day it prepares more than 40 different kinds of meat, seafood, and vegetable
kushikatsu, drawn from more than 100 in-house recipes. A progression of skewers is
served one at a time until you say stop (if you like one especially well, you can ask for it
again), along with the restaurant's own special tartar sauce, miso sauce, sweet-and-sour
sauce, and other sauces for dipping. Most people average about 16 skewers, which cost
about ¥4,500, including a side dish and dessert. By the way, this is the first restaurant
I've seen that charges a 10% “night charge,” levied to those entering after 10pm or
departing after 11pm. Still, I really like kushikatsu and wish there were more restaurants
serving it in Tokyo. There's a Kushinobo branch in Shinjuku, at 1-10-5 Kabuki-cho
( & 03/3232-9744; station: Shinjuku).
Roppongi Hills, 5th floor of West Walk, 6-10-1 Roppongi. & 03/5771-0094. Set dinners ¥3,990-¥4,500;
set lunches ¥1,575-¥4,500. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Fri 11am-11pm; Sat 11am-4am; Sun and holidays 11am-
10pm (last order). Closed holidays. Station: Roppongi (Roppongi Hills exit, 2 min.).

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La Colina MEXICAN Since Tokyo Midtown's 2007 opening, it's been abuzz with
curious sightseers, most of whom seem more than willing to brave long queues for the
privilege of dining in one of its posh restaurants. A marked contrast to its sister restaurant
Fonda de la Madrugada in Harajuku (p. 150), this stylish restaurant, with its modern
decor, strolling musicians, and outdoor terrace, offers more hope than most for securing
a seat if you haven't made a reservation, simply because Mexican food remains unknown
to many Japanese. In any case, the food is more creative and refined (and pricier) than at
its sister restaurant, offering the likes of chicken crepe on poblano chili and pistachio
sauce, or lamb shank marinated in chili, garlic, and herbs. To be honest, I don't under-
stand the fuss about Midtown; I like Roppongi Hills better, both for its architecture and
its facilities.
Tokyo Midtown, Garden Terrace (shop D-0118), 1st floor, 9-7-4 Roppongi. & 03/5413-0092. Reserva-
tions strongly recommended. Main dishes ¥2,200-¥3,050; set dinners ¥6,830-¥8,930; set lunches
¥2,300-¥4,500. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 11am-11pm (last order). Station: Roppongi (Oedo exit, 2 min.). From
Roppongi Crossing, walk on Gaien-Higashi Dori to Midtown, and then head to Garden Terrace.
Ristorante Il Bianco ITALIAN My friends and I don't know how they do it,
but this very tiny Italian restaurant offers inexpensive wines (mostly from Chile) begin-
ning at ¥1,575 a bottle. Main courses change often but always include choices of veal,