Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
rice (from ¥1470). If the main branch is too busy or closed,
head for the annexe around the corner. Daily 11.10am-
8.30pm (Sat till 9pm).
Hatsuogawa ॳখ઒ 2-8-4 Kaminarimon, Taitō-ku
T 03 3844 2723; Asakusa station; map p.70. Look for the
profusion of potted plants outside this tiny, rustic eel
restaurant. It's very foreigner-friendly and a lovely place to
experience one of Japan's most delectable fish dishes (eel
sets from ¥1365). Mon-Sat noon-1.30pm & 5-7.30pm,
Sun 5-7.30pm.
La Sora Seed ϥιϥγυ 31F Solamachi, 1-1-2 Oshiage,
Sumida-ku T 03 5414 0581, W kurkku.jp; Meiji-jingūmae
station; map p.70. Ecologically sound operation boasting
one of the best possible views of the huge Skytree tower
(see p.72) The company leans on European flavours, including
great meatballs made with organic pork. Lunch sets go from
¥2800, dinner for around three times that. Daily 11am-4pm
& 6-11pm.
Maguro Bito ·͙Ζਓ 1-21-8 Asakusa, Taitō-ku T 03
3844 8736, W magurobito.com; Asakusa station; map
p.70. Fuji TV viewers voted this the top kaiten-zushi shop
in Japan, and it's easy to see why: the quality of fish and
other ingredients is excellent, the turnover fast and the
decor on the ritzy side. Expect a queue (but it moves fast).
Electronically price-coded plates range from ¥140 to ¥700.
Daily 11.30am-9.30pm, closed Tues or Sun each week.
Matsunami εςʔΩϋ΢εদ೾ 1-11-6 Asakusa,
Taitō-ku T 03 3844 3737, W www.matsunami.net;
Asakusa or Tawaramachi stations; map p.70. If you want
to try some of Japan's melt-in-the-mouth beef, lunch at
this traditional steakhouse, where the chef cooks the
meat in front of you, won't break the bank. Sets start at
¥4200. At night, prices start at ¥1575 per portion, and
quickly go up: you'll spend at least ¥7000 per head. Daily
11.30am-2pm & 5-11pm (Sun until 10pm).
Nakae தߐ 1-9-2 Nihonzutsumi, Taitō-ku T 03 3872
5398, W sakuranabe.com; Minowa station; map p.70.
This venerable restaurant specializes in dishes made with
horse meat, including sukiyaki . The interior, decorated with
beautiful ink paintings of horses, looks pretty much like it
did a century ago when the whole area was a thriving red-
light district. Small one-pot dishes start at ¥1700 and full
courses will run you close to ¥10,000. Tues-Fri 5-10pm,
Sat & Sun 11.30am-9pm.
Ōtafuku େଟ෱ 1-6-2 Senzoku, Taitō-ku T 03 3871
2521, W otafuku.ne.jp; Iriya station; map p.70.
Customers have been coming to this charming restaurant
for over eighty years to sample its delicious selection of
oden boiled in a soy and dashi broth. Wash it all down
with a glass of pine-scented tarozake (sake). There's a
picture menu (individual pieces ¥110-530) or you can sit at
the counter and point at what you want in the bubbling
brass vats. Mon-Sat 5-11pm, Sun 5-10pm.
Owariya ඌு԰ 1-7-1 Asakusa, Taitō-ku T 03 3845
4500, W www.honke-owariya.co.jp; Tawaramachi
station; map p.70. This unpretentious restaurant has been
dishing up delicious soba in all its variations for over a
century. Nowadays it also serves tempura and rice dishes,
from ¥735. Daily except Fri 11.30am-8.30pm.
Sometarō છଠ࿠ 2-2-2 Nishi-Asakusa, Taitō-ku T 03
3844 9502; Tawaramachi station; map p.70. Rambling,
wooden restaurant specializing in okonomiyaki . An
“introductory set” of three varieties (¥1575) is enough to
feed two. Alternatively, try your hand at yakisoba (fried
soba, from ¥610). There are English instructions and plenty
of people to offer advice. Look for a bamboo-fenced garden
and lantern halfway up the street. Daily noon-10.30pm.
Ì Waentei-Kikkō ࿨͑Μ௾ ٢޾ 2-2-13 Asakusa,
Taitō-ku, T 03 5828 8833, W waentei-kikko.com; Asakusa
station; map p.70. A rare chance to see an excellent live
performance of the shamisen (Japanese banjo) in a delightful
wooden house transported to Asakusa from Takayama. The
lunch bentō is beautifully presented kaiseki -style food for
¥2500 (dinner starts at ¥6825). There are five performances
daily; see the website for schedule. Daily except Wed
11.30am-1.30pm & 5-9.30pm.
14
TOKYO FOR VEGETARIANS
It may be the capital of a historically Buddhist nation, but Tokyo is a surprisingly bad place in
which to be vegetarian . The problem stems from the fact that, although the average
Japanese eats far less meat than the average Westerner, vegetarianism is extremely rare here:
you might ask for a vegetarian ( saishoku ) dish in a restaurant, and still be served something
with meat or fish in it. For example, the popular tofu dish hiya yakko (a small slab of chilled tofu
topped with grated ginger, spring onions and soy sauce) is usually sprinkled with flakes of
bonito (dried tuna). If you're a committed vegetarian, things to watch out for include dashi
stock, which contains bonito ; breads and cakes, as these can contain lard; and omelettes,
which can contain chicken stock.
The good news is that places specializing in vegetarian and vegan food in Tokyo are on
the rise. In this chapter, see the reviews for Bon (see p.149), Gaya (see p.155), and Hiroba
(see p.155); in addition, Vege-Navi ( W vege-navi.jp) lists many vegetarian, vegan and
macrobiotic options.
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search