Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
T
03 3400 1496,
W
zoogunzoo.com;
Shibuya station;
map p.115.
The earthy tones and baked mud walls of this
narrow basement space conjure up the outback, while the
menu also reflects the tastes of Down Under, with Pacific
Rim fusion cuisine and an extensive selection of Australian
wines. Try dishes such as grilled crocodile, Gorgonzola
crostini (both ¥1500) or kangaroo steak (¥1900).
Mon-Sat
6-11pm, bar until 2am.
Uobei
ڕ͍
2-29-1 Dōgenzaka, Shibuya-ku
T
03
3462 0241; Shibuya station; map p.115.
Searingly bright
restaurant in which your sushi is ordered by touch screen,
then delivered by rail on automated plates - the only
humans you see are those who point you to your table
and take your cash. Gimmicky, yes, but it's a lot of fun - not
to mention cheap, since it's a set ¥105 per plate.
Daily
11am-midnight.
14
SHINJUKU AND THE WEST
Angkor Wat
Ξϯίʔϧϫοτ
1-38-13 Yoyogi,
Shibuya-ku
T
03 3370 3019; Yoyogi station; map
pp.118-119.
Tokyo's best Cambodian restaurant offers set
meals, but you can also tell the waiters your budget and
let them bring you a suitable selection of dishes (allow
¥2000 per head). The sweetly spicy salads, soups and
vegetable rolls are all excellent. It's on a side street just
off the main road; look out for the elephant.
Mon-Fri
11am-2pm & 5-11pm, Sat & Sun 5-11pm.
Fuji Soba
࢜ͦ
3-14-25 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku;
Shinjuku station; map pp.118-119.
Filling, super-cheap
meals from this local round-the-clock joint. Their
curry
katsudon
(¥530) and rāmen are particularly good value;
study the pictures then purchase your meal ticket from the
machine.
Daily 24hr.
J.S. Burgers Café
3F 4-1-7 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku
T
03
5367 0185,
W
journal-cafe.jp; Shinjuku station; map
pp.118-119.
A fab range of home-made chunky burgers,
hot dogs and sandwiches are served at this retro-styled
café atop the Journal Standard boutique. Lunch deals
(¥880-980) include a self-serve salad bar. There's another
branch in Shibuya.
Mon-Fri 11.30am-10pm, Sat & Sun
11am-9pm.
Kakiden
֟ၚ
8F Yasuyo Building, 3-37-11 Shinjuku,
Shinjuku-ku
T
03 3352 5121,
W
kakiden.com; Shinjuku
station; map pp.118-119.
One of the best places in Tokyo
to sample
kaiseki
-
ryōri
(see box, p.149). There's a lunch for
¥4000, but you won't regret investing in the eighteen-
course dinner for ¥8000. They also conduct
kaiseki
appreciation classes.
Daily 11am-9pm.
Nakajima
தౢ
3-32-5 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku
T
03
3356 4534,
W
shinjyuku-nakajima.com; Shinjuku
station; map pp.118-119.
At lunch all the delicious
dishes served here are made with sardines - they're a
bargain at around ¥1000 each, though you'll need at least
a couple. For dinner it's worth the expense (over ¥8000 per
person) to sample the chef 's Kansai
kapo
style of cooking,
similar to
kaiseki-ryōri
; after all, it's earned him a Michelin
star.
Mon-Sat 11.30am-1.45pm & 5.30-8.30pm.
New York Grill
52F Park Hyatt Tower, 3-7-1-2 Nishi-
Shinjuku
T
03 5323 3458,
W
tokyo.park.hyatt.jp;
Tochōmae station; map pp.118-119.
Sitting pretty on the
52nd floor of the
Park Hyatt
, the
New York Grill
offers great
views and Stateside-sized portions - after the ¥5000 buffet
lunch you won't need to eat much else all day. Bookings
essential.
Daily 11.30am-2.30pm & 5.30-10.30pm.
Shanghai Xiaochi
্ւখ٣
1-3-10 Kabukichō,
Shinjuku-ku
T
03 3232 5909,
W
shanghai-xiaochi.com;
Shinjuku station; map pp.118-119.
Don't be scared of
entering this dingy alley, parallel to and just south of the
main road - inside lies one of the area's best Chinese
restaurants. The authentic dishes here, such as clams in soy
sauce with
age-pan
(fried bread), really hit the spot - they're
around ¥1500 each.
Mon-Sat 6pm-5am, Sun 6pm-2am.
Suzuya
ͣ͢
Kabukichō Ichibangai-iriguchi,
Shinjuku-ku
T
03 3209 4408; Shinjuku station; map
pp.118-119.
Little appears to have changed at this
famous
tonkatsu
restaurant since it opened just after
World War II. Their twist on the breaded pork cutlet dish
(which costs around ¥1000 depending on the cut of meat)
KOREATOWN EATS
There's a point as you walk north from Kabukichō where you'll notice that the Japanese
characters on shop signs are matched or replaced by
hangul
- Korean script. Welcome to
Tok yo's
Koreatown
, where you can not only pick up the latest CD of hit K-pop boy bands or
poster of soap star Bae Yong-joon, but also tuck into excellent Korean cuisine. Apart from
yakiniku
(beef or pork strips sizzled atop a grill at your table),
bibimbap
(rice topped with
vegetables, egg and meat) and
kimchi
(the fiery fermented cabbage pickle) there's a vast range
of other Korean dishes to sample, including
bindaedok
(pancakes made with yellow mung
beans);
sundubu
(tofu stews); and
samgyetang
(chicken in a herb and ginseng soup).
For tasty Korean food, try
Han Sarang
(see p.158),
Kōrai Samgyetang
(see p.158) or
Shinjuku
Pojangmacha
(see p.158) If you fancy sampling Korean herbal teas and sweets, head to
Coffee
Prince
(see p.165) and
Sori
(see p.165). All are near Shin-Ōkubo station.
