Classic hearty Uzbeki dishes are the draw at this hidden jewel in Nihonbashi. Along with a few Turkish and Russian staples, and even some Georgian wine! You walk through a dark corridor in an office building on a back street and come out into an exotic Central Asian room, a…
If you’re tired of flabby, unexciting bacon on your burgers, Lil Woody’s will put you back on the right track. The cult-favorite Seattle-based shop serves an awe-inspiring lineup of grass-fed beef burgers, and the crispy, dry-aged bacon they use is honestly some of the best we’ve had in Tokyo. Other…
Koukyu Hanten: Suidobashi Koukyu Hanten Suidobashi: Chinese Taiwanese dim sum, spicy ramen bowls and rice dishes are served with craft beers at this kiosk inside Tokyo Dome City’s popular food court. Five taps dispense a rotating selection of freshly brewed beers from Tokyo’s Rio Brewery along with…
While there are many great new Indian street food and South Indian specialty restaurants opening up, it’s great to see a Ginza stalwart still slaying. Like it says on the tin, Khan Kebab Biryani is a shop specializing in kebabs and biryani. It’s popular with Middle Eastern and Indonesian tourists…
Sometimes a menu looks so good that you just want to order everything on it. The “Hokkaido Special” soup curry here is the next best thing. Your bowl of spicy soup comes fully loaded with pork belly, grilled lamb, a braised chicken leg, one plump scallop, and twelve kinds of…
A popular stop on coffee-connoisseur tours of Nagoya, QOL (“Quality of Life”) is a combination coffee roastery and art gallery with a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere. There are usually a few different exhibits showing in the spacious upstairs cafe area, while an impressive stereo system plays low-volume R&B and hiphop. You…
La Peche serves solid country-style French fare, with hearty main dishes like bouillabaisse, duck a l’orange, lamb chops with merguez sausage, and beef bourguignon. Starters range from escargot and steamed mussels to foie gras terrine and capellini with uni and truffles. At lunchtime you can enjoy an excellent (and very…
Suju Dining is a lively, comfortable dining bar – basically a fancy izakaya – that serves excellent food and drink from Nagano-ken. It’s a great place to try out different sakes from that prefecture, and they offer a range of limited-time seasonal bottles every month to supplement their very solid…
This tiny shop prepares excellent curry, with a hearty roux base made from chicken and flying fish stock. There are three varieties – cheese, keema, and a monthly special – and a handful of optional toppings. The curry is relatively mild, incorporating a nice mix of spices that helps bring…
If you are looking for Neapolitan-style pizza in a peaceful piazza in the center of Tokyo then Gino Sorbillo is the place for you. The outdoor seating looks out over a quiet square with verdant trees and colorful sculptures, with no traffic. Best of all, the square is covered by…
With its jungle of potted plants, high ceilings, and endless spreads of baked goods, this bakery-cafe is an appealing spot for a snack break. There’s even an open hearth, where sausages are grilled for sandwiches. You can choose from a huge selection of breads, pastries and sandwiches, and a more…
The Indian-inspired curries served at this seven-seat counter shop are absolutely outstanding. One thing that sets them apart is the high quality of the seasonal vegetables used as ingredients. These are apparently sourced by the shop’s “vegetable sommelier” and indeed the produce here seems to be lovingly curated. Even our…
Casime serves modern Middle-Eastern cuisine, featuring meaty dishes like Lamb Kofta and Ezo Venison grilled over blazing firewood in a brick hearth. Starters like their juicy Merguez Sausage (served with a helping of hummus) and Bulgar Salad are well prepared and quite appetizing. The drinks list features a well-selected, ever-changing…
A Nagoya outpost of a popular Honolulu shop, Yummy offers a typical Hawaiian-format menu (plate lunches, garlic-rice bowls, multiple side dishes, malasada donuts) from a Korean perspective. Whether you call it “Honolulu Korean” or “Korean-style Hawaiian”, it’s a welcome taste of home for Hawaiians in Nagoya. If you’re getting a…
It’s breakfast time all day long at this famous New York-based restaurant. Eggs galore, fluffy French toast and dessert-style pancakes are the main attractions, though you’ll also find hefty meal-size salads, burgers and grilled-cheese sandwiches. One especially artful construction is the lavish “Signature Avocado Toast,” with mashed avocado, fresh cherry…
Yuyay serves very satisfying Peruvian food and drink in an unpretentious bistro-style setting. The menu covers the bases, from ceviches and causa mashed-potato salads to traditional grilled brochettes and roast meats. The ceviches here are bracingly tart and quite refreshing. You can choose from whitefish, mixed seafood, Carretillero (incorporating fried…
Kojima’s setting is informal to the extreme. It’s located inside the main building of Nagoya’s wholesale food market, and at dinnertime you’ll walk past dozens of shuttered fishmongers, butcher shops and vegetable stands to reach their busy counter. Sashimi and tempura-fried seafood are as fresh as can be, and the…
Craft Beer Market: Suidobashi Craft Beer Market Suidobashi: Beer bar Located in the lively Food Stadium food court in the southwest corner of Tokyo Dome City, this kiosk-style branch of the popular craft-beer bar chain serves “smash” style burgers along with twenty varieties of domestic and imported…
