Restaurant review: Zauo Shibuya

During my research of places-to-eat in Tokyo, a friend reposted a YouTube video about a concept restaurant in Tokyo, where you go fishing to catch your own dinner.  It was called Zauo the Fishing Restaurant (ざうお新宿店). This was actually a small chain of izakayas with several locations.  We booked two tables at the Shibuya location….

Restaurant review: Udon Kanōya

During my spring vacation in Japan, we visited the Sensō-ji buddhist temple in Asakusa Tokyo. After spending an hour in the temple and the adjacent Asakusa Namamise Market, we stopped for lunch at a small noodle place called Kanōya (手打ちうどん叶屋) Many of the restaurants in the area were small, and had difficulty seating our group (there…

Restaurant review: Konjiki Hototogisu Shibuya

During a vacation in Tokyo, we were sitting around the AirBnB house in Shibuya, looking for nearby places to eat when we came across a small ramen/soba shop called Konjiki Hototogisu (金色不如帰). Although it didn’t earn a Michelin star, it’s mentioned in the Michelin restaurant guide, earning a “Bib Gourmand” (meaning it’s exceptionally good, and…

Restaurant review: Tonkatsu Wako Shinjuku I-land

During a spring vacation in Japan, while wandering around the Shinjuku ward (and after checking out the panoramic view from the Metropolitan Government Building) we decided to grab a bite to eat, and picked Tonkatsu Wako Shinjuku (とんかつ和幸 新宿アイランドタワー店). The Wako group is a national chain of tonkatsu restaurants with almost 200 locations in just…

Takeout review: Dominique Ansel Bakery Ginza

Prior to a spring holiday in Tokyo Japan, while researching things to do and places to go, I noticed that Dominique Ansel (of New York City “Cronut” fame) had not one, but TWO bakeries in Tokyo. So when we stopped to do some shopping in the Ginza District, I had to seek out his bakery…

Restaurant review: Diva at the Met

My last dine out meal of 2018 was in Diva at the Met in the Metropolitan Hotel. It’s been many years since my last visit to Diva.  It’s aged very well, they’ve done a good job keeping the place fresh and contemporary. It’s spacious and bright, and modern. This complementary bread came out of sequence…