Hashian: Ebisu

Hashian: Ebisu

“Soba, sake and wine” are the main draws of this stylish izakaya just up the hill from Ebisu station. On any night, the terrace, main room and smaller private function rooms are thronged with patrons, from nervous first-date couples to raucous older groups, from gaggles of fashionable young women to…

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Breizh Cafe: Omotesando

Breizh Cafe: Omotesando

This lively backstreet cafe serves dozens of varieties of buckwheat galettes and dessert crepes in addition to French hard ciders. You can supplement your galette “complete” (ham, egg and cheese) with add-on ingredients like mushrooms, onions, potatoes and seasonal vegetables, or opt for “specialty” galette varieties like smoked salmon, smoked…

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333 Vietnamese Restaurant: Kodenmacho- bento.com listing

333 Vietnamese Restaurant: Kodenmacho- bento.com listing

Decorated with lanterns and neon signage, this basement Vietnamese restaurant offers up very tasty dishes in an unpretentious izakaya-style setting. Named for the famous Vietnamese beer, 333 (“Bababa”) is crowded at lunch and dinner with local young Japanese office workers and Vietnamese students. Along with the usual Pho soup-noodle dishes,…

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Eataly: Harajuku

Eataly: Harajuku

If you’re in Harajuku and looking for a dining spot with a pleasant atmosphere, good food and spacious outdoor seating, Eataly checks all the boxes. The attractive third-floor terrace is probably the main selling point, with a verdant view overlooking Yoyogi Park and Meiji Shrine (and the intermittently audible Yoyogi…

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Budget Gourmet – Quebom! Sandwich Stand: Harajuku

Budget Gourmet - Quebom! Sandwich Stand: Harajuku

Run by the Que Bom churrasco restaurant, this cozy shop serves Brazilian sandwiches in nine or ten different varieties. Some favorites include the excellent Ceviche-style Shrimp-Avocado as well as the Grilled Cheese and Short Rib (think of it as a Brazilian version of Philly cheesesteak). Argentine-style choripan – a plump…

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Tokyo Mithai Wala: Nishi-Kasai- bento.com listing

Tokyo Mithai Wala: Nishi-Kasai- bento.com listing

Nishi-Kasai is famous for its plentiful Indian restaurants, both North and South Indian styles, catering to a large local Indian community. Tokyo Mithai Wala is probably the city’s only specialist Indian sweets shop. From outside the front window, it looks like a high-class French patisserie or chocolaterie, with rows of…

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