Where to Dine - Tokyo - page 163

163

From the outside, you'd expect this place to be much more exclusive than it is—and you
probably will be excluded if you fail to make reservations for dinner.
There are branches of Gonpachi at the G-Zone, 1-2-3 Ginza ( & 03/5524-3641;
station: Kyobashi or Ginza-Itchome); in Shibuya on the 14th floor of E-Space Tower,
3-6 Maruyama-cho ( & 03/5784-2011; station: Shibuya); and at Mediage on Odaiba
( & 03/3599-4807; station: Daiba), all open from 11:30am to 3:30am or later. However,
they don't match the Nishi Azabu location's atmosphere.
1-13-11 Nishi Azabu. & 03/5771-0170. www.gonpachi.jp. Reservations recommended for dinner.
Yakitori ¥300-¥1,500; main dishes ¥1,000-¥2,800; set meals ¥3,500-¥6,000; set lunches ¥950-¥1,100. AE,
DC, MC, V. Daily 11:30am-5am. Station: Roppongi (10 min.). From Roppongi Crossing, walk toward
Shibuya on Roppongi Dori. It will be on your right, at Gaien-Nishi Dori.
Hard Rock Cafe AMERICAN Founded by two American expatriates in London
in 1971, Hard Rock Cafe has more than half a dozen locations in Japan; this was the first.
If you have disgruntled teenagers in tow, bring them to this world-famous hamburger
joint dedicated to rock 'n' roll to ogle the memorabilia on the walls, chow down on burg-
ers, and check out the T-shirts for sale. In addition to hamburgers, the menu includes
salads, sandwiches, steak, barbecued ribs, barbecued chicken, fish of the day, fajitas, and
a few Asian dishes. Be prepared: The music is loud.
A branch is located in JR Ueno Station at 7-1-1 Ueno ( & 03/5826-5821 ).
5-4-20 Roppongi. & 03/3408-7018. www.hardrockjapan.com. Main dishes ¥1,480-¥3,980. AE, DC, MC,
V. Sun-Thurs 11:30am-2am; Fri-Sat 11:30am-4am. Station: Roppongi (3 min.). From Roppongi Crossing,
walk on Gaien-Higashi Dori toward Tokyo Tower and take a right at McDonald's.
x Honoji VARIED JAPANESE A plain wooden facade and a stark inte-
rior of concrete walls with wire-mesh screens set the mood for good, home-style Japanese
cooking. Although it looks small at first glance (an open kitchen takes up half the space),
quiet back-room nooks give diners a sense of privacy as they enjoy grilled fish, sashimi,
yakitori, fried chicken, grilled eggplant with miso, stir-fried dishes such as cabbage with
oyster sauce, seasoned pork with potatoes, and a variety of vegetables. Honoji serves the
kinds of food offered by neighborhood nomiya (drinking establishments) all over Japan,
which isn't exactly the kind of fare you'd expect in trendy Roppongi. Still, the crowds that
wait at the door, especially on weekend nights, attest to its success. There's no English-
language menu, so you might look around at what others are eating or go with one of
the above dishes. Note: There's a dinner table charge of ¥380, though I was told it will
be waived if foreigners don't like the snack that comes with it. The lunch teishoku, avail-
able for ¥900 and the only item offered for lunch, draws Japanese from all walks of life.
3-4-33 Roppongi. & 03/3588-1065. Main dishes ¥500-¥1,000. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Fri 11:30am-
1:30pm; Mon-Sat 5:30-10pm (last order). Closed holidays. Station: Roppongi (3 min.). On the right side
of Roppongi Dori, as you walk from Roppongi Crossing in the direction of Akasaka, at the bottom of the
hill just past 7-Eleven.

6

y Ichioku NOUVELLE JAPANESE This is one of my favorite restaurants in
Roppongi for casual dining. It's a tiny, cozy place with only eight tables, and you fill out
your order yourself using the English-language menu—complete with pictures—which
is glued underneath the clear glass tabletop. The food, featuring organically grown veg-
etables, can best be called nouvelle Japanese, with original creations offered at very rea-
sonable prices. About 25 dishes are available, including tuna and ginger sauté, mushroom
sauté, shrimp spring rolls, Thai curry, asparagus salad, fried potatoes, sautéed eggplant,
and a dish of grated radish and tiny fish. I personally like the tofu steak (fried tofu and