Doppo Aeon Mall Okayama: Okayama Doppo Aeon Mall Okayama Okayama: Beer bar Okayama’s Miyashita Sake Brewery is a pioneer on the Japanese craft-beer scene, launching their line-up of Doppo beers way back in 1995. This small taproom-kiosk run by the brewery is conveniently located in an Aeon…
If you’re curious about the name, this casual cafe is fashioned after the British-style tea shops of Hong Kong’s post-war colonial era. You’ll find a good variety of Chinese tea and more than a dozen types of hand-made dim sum. Helping to set the mood, tables are laid out with…
The tasty original curries here are loaded with fresh vegetables, sourced directly from local farmers, and served with Koshihikari brown rice from Niigata. Curries are attractively presented, spice mixes are well balanced, and the diverse ingredients provide appealing contrasts in texture and flavor. The signature Harukanaru Curry incorporates eight or…
No visit to Nagoya is complete without an order of ebi-fry – deep-fried prawns – and Ebidote is a great place to experience this beloved local dish. Plump jumbo prawns with a thick, crunchy coating arrive fresh from the deep fryer here, ready to be slathered with home-made tartar sauce…
GohGan is a collaboration between two very talented, award-winning chefs, with innovative cuisine that combines French and Indian cooking techniques and seasonings. The kitchen turns out artfully presented little gems, with a smartly constructed prix-fixe menu (Y7,000) that’s an excellent introduction for a first visit. Our early-summer menu began with…
You’ve got to love a restaurant called Unlimited Dumplings! The shop specializes in tetsunabe gyoza – crisply fried bite-size dumplings that are prepared in an iron skillet – and it’s a convenient place to try out this famous Fukuoka dish. The ones here are very garlicky, with a bit of…
This long-running specialty shop serves some of the best kushiage in town. The lightly breaded, deep-fried skewers of seafood and vegetables are crisp in texture and always fresh-tasting. Firm, crunchy asparagus, with or without bacon, is especially recommended when it’s available. You can order your kushiage in preset assortments of…
Kubo’s colorful South Indian-inspired mixed-curry plate is a real tour de force. The three component curries are all quite distinctive, and the contrasting flavors and textures make for a delightful meal. Lassi, either plain or mango, is a good foil for the spiciness. Other options are a spicy chicken leg…
Momoyaki – Kyushu-style charcoal-grilled chicken thigh meat – is the delicious specialty at Bancho, and they do an excellent version of it using heirloom-breed Kirishima chicken from Miyazaki Prefecture. The lunchtime momoyaki teishoku features a hefty 200g of chicken, served on an iron skillet and still sizzling loudly when it…
You’ll find the freshest seafood and the most amazing prices at this popular shop located just across the street from Nagahama Fish Market. The big draw is the sushi buffet – sixty different kinds of sushi priced at just Y110 a piece. All-you-can-eat sushi plans are also available, but it…
In Fukuoka “yakitori” means more than just chicken, and popular items here at the city’s most famous yakitoriya include everything from beef skirt steak to pig’s feet. Hachibei’s grilled butabara (pork belly) is especially good, with just the right amount of fat to yield maximum flavor during grilling, In fact…
In addition to preparing first-rate modern French fare, Michelin-starred chef Nishimura likes to dabble in haute-cuisine versions of ramen. He opened this casual spot as a place where diners can enjoy both. You can choose from attractively priced prix-fixe menus with creative French small dishes, or just pop in for…
Marumo serves very good pizzas, with tasty, chewy crusts and innovative toppings that incorporate Japanese seasonings. The chef also makes the most of his custom-built pizza oven, using it to prepare first-rate roast cauliflower, roast potatoes and other side dishes. One interesting and successful creation here is the richly flavored…
This neighborhood mom-and-pop shop serves some of the best Balinese food in town. Their Gado Gado is outstanding – fresh-tasting vegetables in a powerful, distinctively flavored peanut sauce that’s tuned to just the right level of spiciness. Balinese-style kakuni is a big bowl of tender stewed pork in a thick,…
Good Hong Kong-style dim sum is served all day long in this conveniently located shop attached to Shinjuku Station. You can choose from a fair assortment of dim sum favorites – xiao long bao, spicy xiao long bao, well-stuffed shrimp dumplings and very crispy spring rolls. Okayu porridge, fried rice…
Among the handful of shops preparing Hawaiian plate lunches for take-out, the biggest, most diverse menu we’ve found is here at Maikai Kitchen, located in a narrow alleyway on the island of Tsukishima. The main draw is their lineup of a dozen types of poke, ranging from lomi-lomi salmon and…
This branch of the original Joe’s Shanghai in NYC is best known for their first-rate xiaolongbao (shoronpo) soup dumplings as well as their 59th-floor view. If you want a full dinner, prix-fixe menus start at around Y7,000, but you can also put together a lighter meal from small dishes like…
Despite the name, one of the things we like best about this gorgeously appointed bar is its relaxed atmosphere. (The name comes from its location on the top floor of a boutique hotel called The Lively.) There are comfortable sofas to stretch out on and a couple of tables out…
