Tonsui (Tonkatsu), Shimokitazawa

After a post on a shop that's been doing business for 25 years, thought I'd go a little further back in time and decided to introduce you to the almost legendary deep-fried pork cutlet Tonkatsu restaurant "Tonsui" which is celebrating its 38th year tomorrow May 1st. I've referred to Iseya and Taisho as places that have been satisfying the hunger of generations of broken youth... Well, Tonsui is THE epitome of such precious business.

I first went to eat in this beanery about 20 years ago when a friend of mine used to live in the area, so this place definitely holds a special place in my heart. I was in college at the time and still remember having been blown away by the local atmosphere of this tiny shop (three small tables and a counter), the welcoming smiles of the couple managing the joint and the awesome food you could have for about ¥1,000.
The couple who are in their sixties now, started this pork cutlet business when the lady managing the previous restaurant had become pregnant and had to give up the location. Since then, they have not stopped!
This place is definitely not a gourmet restaurant, but everything they cook is always great. It might not be the best food you'll find in Shimokitazawa, but there's so much love in the recipe that it really doesn't matter. Can you believe that they have raised their prices only twice in almost 40 years? First, during the 1973 Oil Crisis that shocked Japan right after they started the shop, and then in 1988 when Consumption Tax was enforced. That's not a lot, and it's all because they want to keep everything affordable to everyone.

Cheese Katsu

OK, sorry for the rambling thread. As I said, this place is specialized in Tonkatsu, which you should definitely try. I used to be an adept of the less fatty "Hire-Katsu" (deep-fried pork filet cutlet) for years until I started switching to the most popular "Cheese-Katsu" (deep-fried pork cutlet filled with melted cheese) upon the couple's recommendation. It has to be a calorie-bomb but talk about "B-Kyu Gurume"! (B-Class gourmet). Add some Tare (Japanese style Worcestershire sauce) and a bit of very hot Karashi (Japanese mustard) and go nuts! It's slightly crunchy outside (depending on the amount of sauce you put on the cutlet, as the liquid will gradually soften the deep-fried breadcrumbs) but soft inside because of the melted cheese.
It goes incredibly well with the excellent rice cultivated by the manager's brother himself in countryside Gunma prefecture. Not only the rice is good, but it is steamed to perfection in an old Kamado grill, a utensil you won't come up with often now.

Cheese Katsu Teishoku

Though they are a Tonkatsu place, "Tonsui" also serves all sort of Teishoku combination meal (each Teishoku comes with a bowl of rice, a miso soup and some Tsukemono pickles), such as Tori No KaraAge (fried chicken), Saba No Shioyaki (grilled Mackerel), Nira Reba Itame (stir-fried liver with Nira chives) and Kuriimu Corokke (creamy croquettes) so you should find anything you want even if you're not into a pork mood.
They also have an array of little dishes ranging from ¥100 to ¥300 that you can add to your main course: Hiya Yakko (fresh tofu with leek and ginger), protein-rich Natto (fermented soybeans), Medama Yaki (sunny side up eggs), Yasai Itame (stir-fried mixed vegetables) among many many others.

The above is one of my favorite of these little dishes, the stir-fried eggplant Nasu-Yaki, cooked with vegetable oil, shoyu and spiced up with chili-powder. The slices are quite flavored and should help you finish your bowl of rice easily.

I could go on and on and on on this place, so I'll stop here and leave it up to you to try and explore the fantastic menu of this authentic Taishu Shokudo (local eatery) that any youngster residing in Shimokitazawa must have, at least, heard of.
You will most probably get out of there smelling like grease so if that's a turn off for you, you can always order their take-out Bento menu.

Tonsui is open everyday from 11:30 am to 23:20 pm except on Tuesdays. (They will be open during the Golden Week except on Tuesday 4th)
Setagaya-ku, Kitazawa 2-39-13
Click here for a MAP

Taisho (Chinese), Shimokitazawa

Today's post is about the cheap Chinese joint "Taisho", which has been offering Ramen noodles, Chahan (fried rice) and Gyoza (minced meat and vegetables filled pan-fried Chinese dumplings) among other things for a quarter of a century now.

The shop is managed by an adorable couple, whose husband I first met at "Bear Pond" where he is a regular along with his 8 years old French bulldog.
Although I had been passing in front of their restaurant for years now, I was never tempted to go try it. The slightly cheap looking exterior never looked appealing and a hand-written poster on the door saying they serve "Gyoza without garlic" somehow seemed suspicious to me, as if they were trying to lure in customers with the promise of a fresh breath.

One day, after striking a conversation with the man over a cappuccino, and discovering that he was owning that restaurant, I asked him why he served the rare and odd garlic-less Gyoza (click here for a detailed article on the dish). The answer was interesting: Japanese soldiers and citizens in Manchuria during the war (shouldn't you be familiar with Manchuria's history, please click here) were so poor and lacking any fresh food that they started adding garlic to the local recipe and fry the dumplings in order to hide the foul taste of the half rotten meat. The spiced up version lived on when the Japanese came back to their homeland after the war, and eventually became the norm. So what he served was just what he believed to be the fried version of the original recipe.
I was so impressed by that history class that I decided to visit Taisho as soon as I could, which I did and which lead to another culinary discovery, the VERY ODD house specialty "Chikara Ramen".

The plate of 5 gyoza is at a very affordable ¥400 and the almost juicy and perfectly fried dumplings taste very good even without garlic. The master taught me another secret: instead of dipping the fried dumplings in the usual Shoyu (soy sauce)-Vinegar-Rayu (chili infused vegetable oil) mix, he uses Green Tabasco instead. I tried on the spot what I thought was blasphemy and it actually tasted good! If you ever order the Gyoza, try to ask him for the Louisiana sauce: he might be surprised, and yourself too!

Now, onto the most original Chikara Ramen. You need to know first that you will find in any Sobaya (soba noodles restaurant) menu the popular and personal childhood favorite "Chikara Soba" or "Chikara Udon". Soba being noodles made of buckwheat, whereas Udon are made of wheat flour, and Chikara designating the grilled Mochi (glutinous rice cake) that is topped on the noodles. Chikara means Strength in Japanese and refers to the belly-filling virtue of the cake.
The second thing you need to know is that you will NEVER find a Chikara Ramen, except at extraordinary "Taisho" whose owners have come up with the unorthodox menu in order to fill up the hungry belly of students, actors and musicians living in the area.
Being a major Chikara Udon fan and loving Ramen in equal proportion, you can understand how much of a no-brainer it was for me when I first saw that dish on the menu.
I'll be honest with you: I was a little bit disappointed with it because of the rather thin shoyu based ramen broth. However, I got to find out over time that this is a general rule in Taisho, where the Shoyu based, Miso (salty fermented soybean paste) based and Shio (salt) based ramen broths all taste rather watery. Most of the Japanese will probably agree in telling you that their ramen taste like the -natsukashii- good ol' ones you used to find in local Chuka (chinese restaurant), before Ramen became such a big culinary deal and thus strongly flavored.
Whether that's good or bad, I'll leave it up to your taste buds. The point here is more about enjoying the most unusual Mochi and Ramen noodles combination over an authentic late 20th century broth. I passed the disappointment phase and now regularly go catch up with the palate memories.
The Chikara Ramen comes with a sheet of Nori (dry sea weed), a slice of Chasu (Chinese style bbq pork), Menma (Japanese style Sungan) and leak.
I heard their Chahan (chinese style fried rice) is pretty good.

The place is well kept and very clean even after 25 years (they have not renovated the kitchen since opening and you will be amazed at its spotless state), as you can see from the above portrait. No, he was not posing in case you're wondering...


"Taisho" serves lunch and dinner, is closed on Thursdays and from about 14:30pm to 17:00pm on weekedays. They will be opened during the Golden Week Holidays that just started today.

The shop is easy to find at about 200m north from the West exit、little before Iseya if you're coming from the station.
Setagaya-ku, Daita 6-3-26
03-3468-9757
click here for a MAP

Iseya (Dango), Shimokitazawa

For the third post in a row for foods under ¥1,000, I've chosen the wonderful Dango shop "Iseya". A Dangoya mainly serves Dango (rice flour dumplings on a skewer) but will also often offer Daifuku (sweet-filled round glutinous-rice cakes), Onigiri (rice ball) and Makimono (variety of rolled sushis). Iseya offers all that, at an unbelievable quality!
This shop has been filling the bellies of broke students, sweets-loving kids and green tea slurping old folks for decades now, so you can see how important this place holds in the Shimokitazawa ecosystem.

I have been a fan of this place since I first tried their "Inari-Zushi" (rice filled pouch of sweetly-boiled deep-fried tofu). Their mouth-watering Inari are ¥80 a piece (¥70 on weekends!) and a true pleasure. When you're used to buy them at convenience stores or super-market where they have had time to dry up on the shelves, these feel oh so juicy... And right enough sweet. Don't leave this place without buying one or several!
I also recommend their beautifully pink-colored "Sekihan" (glutinous rice steamed with Azuki beans) for their taste. The salt and sesame mixture Gomashio on top provides a delicate additional crunchiness to the chewy rice and it's a delight to the teeth!

Sekihan Onigiri (Left) and Inari-Zushi (Right)

The next item has been one of my favorite present for friends or for work-related people for years now. The "Ichigo-Daifuku" (fresh-strawberry-filled round glutinous-rice cake) is the perfect bribe, I promise. The mochi (sticky rice cake) around is chewy enough without being obnoxiously unswallowable and the red beans (that looks black on the below pictures) have a delicate flavor.
I have never seen a hint of disappointment in anyone eating this . I love watching the delighted faces of people chewing in the Daifuku and discovering the juicy strawberry in it. Some shops insert jam instead of the fresh fruit, but NOTHING comes to the real berry, believe me.
One might think that this may be all too sweet with the combination of the fruit and the Anko (sweet red bean paste) around but that's far from being true. The harmony happens to be perfect. Try it and you'll see what I mean. Only hitch: they only serve this during the strawberry season, therefore you might not see it in the shop from mid May to end of October...Hurry up!

Last but not the least, how could I not feature any Dango in a Dangoya post?
Among many sorts, I have first opted for the excellent salty-sweet "Mitarashi-Dango"(covered with a special starch-thickened sauce made of shoyu and sugar) which is quickly grilled before being glazed.
Second choice was the nicely-colored "An Dango" covered with Anko. The green color of the dango might be mistaken for green tea but it is rather coming from the Yomogi (mugwort) they mix with the rice flour. Yomogi is a herb that you won't come across often so for anyone interested, here's an article on that green. The Yomogi adds to the skewer an unbeatable freshness that will go very very well with any slightly bitter green tea or Hoji-cha (charcoal roasted green tea)

An-Dango (Left) Mitarashi-Dango (Right)

Oh, and Daifuku literally means Great Luck, so even if they're out of Ichigo-Daifuku, try their regular Anko ones to replenish yourself with some of that good fortune.

Iseya is open everyday from 09:00am to 19:00pm except on Wednesdays.
The shop is easy to find at about 200+m north from the West exit. Click here for a MAP
Setagaya-ku, Daita 6-5-23
03-3466-6731

Sushiya Uoshin (Sushi), Shimokitazawa

I briefly featured the fish izakaya "Uoshin" before and I would like to introduce you to their Sushi restaurant next door "Sushiya Uoshin" which I've been going to frequently, because of its reasonable prices and always good stuff (they own a fish company so the products are always fresh and affordable), not to mention the super friendliness of the Itamaes (cooks in the counter).
For some reasons, I had never tried their lunch, which I did for the first time the other day. Well, the satisfaction was there, as always.

I ordered the Bara-Chirashi, a variant of the popular Chirashi-Zushi which is a bowl of vinegar-flavored rice "sumeshi" with all sorts of sliced ingredients on top of it. The Bara-Chirashi is more or less a different version of the same dish with the ingredients chopped in little dice size instead of sliced.
The regular size costs a very cheap ¥600, which I supersized for a mere ¥100. It was rather big but definitely eatable, so go for it if you feel hungry. Both sizes come with a tasty miso soup.

The fish ingredients might slightly vary depending on the seasons but what we got the other was: Sake (salmon), Ika (squid), Maguro (tuna), Ikura (salmon egg), Aji (sardin), Ebi (shrimp), Katsuo (bonito), Tamago-Yaki (egg omelet), Kyuri (cucumber) and Kanpyo (marinated shavings of calabash gourd)

I've been living in this country almost all my life but I still manage to get oftenly amazed by the Japanese aesthetic in food, no matter how cheap it is. Of course, that's only a bowl of rice with stuff on top, but isn't it the most beautiful thing?

So, definitely enjoy the look and the taste of the cheap but very satisfying Bara-Chirashi lunch whenever you pass by!

Sushiya Uoshin is open everyday from 12:00am to 00:30am (L.O. 23:30pm), though they're closed from 14:00pm to 17:00pm on weekdays.

Setagaya-ku, Kitazawa 2-1-1
03-3412-9228
click here for MAP

Densetsu No Sutadon (Butadon), Shimokitazawa

First of all, you need to know that I am not a gyudon (beef bowl) neither a butadon (pork bowl) guy. When it comes to going to the ultra popular gyudon or butadon joints, I'm always the first one to poop out. I've always found the meat in these cheap-eats to be too greasy and I'm frankly almost repulsed by the way it always stews for hours in the foul-smelling (but that's my personal opinion) broth. At the same time, given the average price of these dishes at around ¥300, you can't really ask for anything gorgeous.

So you understand how skeptical I was when I first entered this new-in-the-neighborhood Butadon restaurant...
Why did you go in there if you dislike it so much, will you ask me? Good question.
Well, first of all because they opened right in front of the station and it's tough to avoid them no matter how hard you try, second of all because their recommended Sutadon costs an astonishing ¥600 which is abnormally costly for what it is, and last but not the least I realized I hadn't featured any real cheap-eats yet in this blog so it was about time I did so.

I chose the house specialty "Sutadon". Sutadon is probably an abbreviation of "Sutamina Donburi" (Stamina bowl) and a quite appropriate name considering the amount of food you get: this bowl will make you go through the day, with 400g of rice in it...
As you can see, it also comes with a bowl of miso soup and a raw egg that you top on the bowl.

The big difference between Densetsu No Sutadon and most of the other Pork Bowl places resides in the meat itself and the way they cook it.
They use a surprising Italian Whey Pork (used also to make Prosciutto in the boot-shaped country) which is known for its water-retentivity and thus its tenderness. The fat is also easy to chew and not smelly at all.

They saute the back ribs meat with their secret recipe sauce made of Awase-Joyu (shoyu mixed with Katsuo-Bushi glaze) and garlic as soon as an order comes in, so you don't get that meat that's been stewing for ages in a broth, like in some other places.
The meat was good and the garlic flavor pleasant and appetite stimulating. I thought first that there wouldn't be enough meat to go with the large amount of rice but I was wrong.

So if you're hungry and you need a filling dish that's within your holiday budget, the Sutadon is definitely an option. It's not Haute Cuisine but it's satisfying nonetheless. They also have curries and noodle dish among other things if you're not in a butadon mood. By the way, they also have a smaller size for the Sutadon, just in case you're not into big portions.

Densetsu No Sutadon is easy to find, across the McDonald's right outside the station's South Exit.

They're open everyday from 11:00am to 3:00am!

Click here for a MAP

Tinun (Thai Ramen), Shibuya

OK, this is not about Shimokitazawa, but Shibuya is only one stop away by express train from Shimokitazawa, so that will be my first excuse. The second excuse is that I LOVE this place.

Tinun is a thai food restaurant chain which serves anything from noodle dishes to fried rice and curries. I once asked the smily probably-Thai staff what Tinun meant and they answered me "Ichiban" or number one in Japanese.

I'll be honest with you: I've never tried anything other than the below "Tom Yam Kung Ramen" but it's just SO good. It's nothing but some ramen noodles in a bowl of Tom Yam Kung (Thai Spicy Shrimp Soup) but oh my oh my, for anyone happening to like both dishes (like I do), the combination is lethal. And it's a very affordable ¥780.

I've tried this dish (I wouldn't be surprised if it were a Tinun original as I don't remember seeing this anywhere else before I first tried it there) in another Thai restaurant but it was a pale comparison. What makes the Tinun version so good is how very sour the soup is. I'm not sure whether it's lemon or lime or both that they put in the soup, but they must be putting a lot of it in there. They also manage to keep the delicately lemon-grassed flavored broth not too hot, which is wonderful as it lets you down the whole soup without having to a) sweat like a pig b) drink loads of water.

Toppings are kept simple with Moyashi (spout), chopped Coriander leaves, a slice of Chashu (Chinese style bbq pork). The yellow-colored straight and medium-width noodles seem to be Tamago-Men (added egg in the noodle batter) and they are in perfect harmony with the soup.

The place is small and you may have to queue a little bit around lunch time.

Tinun - Shibuya Dogenzaka is open from 11:00am to 23:00pm and is closed on Sundays.
Shibuya-ku, Dogenzaka 1-5-5
03-5459-2550
click here for a MAP

Gotsui (Okonomiyaki), Shimokitazawa

According to a tip from my good friend Nakamura Mikan, we went to try the salty Japanese pancakes Okonomiyaki restaurant "Gotsui". For those of you not familiar with this uber-popular cuisine, please check this extensive article.

As I wanted to check out what the bloggers said about the place beforehand, I did look at few sites which all agreed on one thing: the staff's friendliness and hospitality. Well, the below picture I took to give you an overview of the kitchen says it all I guess. Never asked them to even look at me but they stopped cooking for the pose...


Now, was the food as great as the staff's smiles? I definitely think so, though we only tried three dishes which were all recommendations from the house. The first one we opted for was the "Suji Shio Kabetsu Double", some firm and slightly fibrous stewed pieces of beef sauteed with cabbage, to accompany our beer as the waiter had informed us they needed a good 15 minutes to cook the pancakes. The dish wasn't spectacular but it was a good "B-Kyu Gurume" dish (B-grade gourmet), like they say in Japan to designate any good non-gourmet food.
As you can see on the below pictures, they bring and put your food on a hot plate incorporated in the table, so everything you eat is always nice and warm.

First of the main dish was the "Mix Yakisoba" (sauteed soba noodles with mixed ingredients) but their noodles are so thick that they look more like Udon to me. The ingredients were Ika (squid), Ebi (shrimp), Benishoga (red pickled ginger), tamago (egg), Ao-Nori (dry seaweed powder) and Katsuo-Bushi (dry bonito flakes). What nicely surprised me was that it was, like the other main dish we had, rather Usu-Aji (low on salt), when Okonomiyaki dishes can be sometimes be too strong-flavored.
Second dish was the house specialty "Gotsui Yaki", an Okonomiyaki with an upper layer of grated Tororo-Imo (Japanese Yam), hidden under the Katsuo-Bushi, the mayonnaise, the Aonori and the top dough on the below picture. The other layers are what seemed to me like the typical batter with pork and cabbage. I quite liked their specialty as the Tororo puree gives the pancake a nice texture and smoothes the richness of the overall flavor.

Two beers on top of the three dishes amounted to little south of ¥4,000 so I guess it's quite a deal at ¥2,000 per person. The service was like what the bloggers had to say, very nice and friendly. You do get out of there with your clothes a little smelly so bring another shirt if you're the paranoid kind on the odor issue.
My friend recommendation was their Negi-Yaki (a thinner version with chopped spring onion) and I am definitely going back to try it.

Gotsui is open
18:00 to 24:00 Monday to Friday
12:00 to 14:00 for lunch and 17:00 to 24:00 for dinner on weekends and National Holidays
03-3412-1735
Setagaya-ku, Daizawa 5-29-9
Click here for a MAP

Tentemari (Ramen), Shimokitazawa

Tentemari is a Ramen shop a minute away from the station, in one of those exotic little Shimokitazawa streets. They specialize in the Tan Tan Men dish, a Ramen dish which is usually quite hot and spicy. The restaurant got featured on the quite popular "Dochi No Ryori Show" TV food show few years ago, cooking the dish for bunch of celebrities. Ironically, I remember not trying this place for a while because of the sign outside the restaurant saying they got on that program. Just thought it was lame.


But it was too bad for me, as it turned out they serve a pretty good Ramen, though I feel their powerfully sesame flavored soup has unfortunately gotten thinner over the years (which still doesn't prevent me from going few times a month!)

The Dian Dian Mian (Tan Tan Men in Japanese) is originally a Sichuan dish, and the popular Ramen (soupy) version is more a Japanese remix of the usually dry original Chinese recipe. The character for Dian (or Tan if read in Japanese) means carry or shoulder and came to be utilized in the name of the dish, since the streets vendors/cooks used to carry all their ingredients and utensils on a pole. Having to balance all that on the shoulders made a soupy dish not too practical. The soupy version also exists in China, but it's really the Japanese who popularized the "wet" version in the late 20th century.

Tan Tan Men with Bang Bang Ji

At Tentemari, you buy your ticket at a vending machine right at the entrance. You will have to choose between mild, hot and very hot and also what topping(s) you want on it (plain or with boiled chicken Bang Bang Ji style or with braised pork Kakuni and so on). I usually go for hot, as it gives the soup a nice kick. I happen to love Bang Bang Ji, so it's really a no-brainer for me as far as toppings are concerned.
The soup is quite thick, with a nice combination of zhi ma jiang (sesame paste with oil), chili-infused vegetable oil Rayu and Sansho (Chinese pepper). As with all Tan Tan Men, there is minced meat on top of the noodles, as well as radish sprouts and chinese cabbage Chingensai.
You get a free boiled egg with your noodles at lunch, and a complimentary bowl of rice for both lunch and dinner.

The above dish is far from being cheap at ¥950, not to mention that I find that the soup has lost a bit of its spicy kick, but I still recommend this place as a good introduction and good example of a nice Tan Tan Men.
They're also open until 3:30am, which is convenient when you need a bowl of Ramen to wake you up from a heavy drinking session at one of the many Shimokitazawa bars...

Remember "Tom's Kitchen" has a nice dry version of the Tan Tan Men should you be interested.

"Tentemari" is open from 11:00am to 03:30am from Tuesday to Saturday and from 11:00am to 11:00pm on Sunday, Monday and National Holidays
Setagaya-ku, Kitazawa 2-12-7
03-3418-6772
click here for a MAP

Bio Ojiyan Cafe+ (Ojiya), Shimokitazawa

"Bio Ojiyan Cafe+" looks like a cool cafe/restaurant like a lot of other cafes in the area but it has something in its menu that stands out from the other ones, that is their specialty fares, the "Ojiya".

The Ojiya is a widely popular dish consisting of rice cooked in dashijiru (stock usually made of dry seaweed and dry fish; please refer to this extensive article on the Dashi if you're interested), miso sauce or soy sauce or both, with a selection of cooked vegetables, meat, fish. Most of the time people will add beaten egg in the rice right before serving, for the taste and texture.

The etymology of the word is uncertain, but specialist tend to agree on the interesting possibility that the word derives from the Spanish "Olla" (pronounced like oja in English), a ceramic jar used for cooking stews and soup that Spanish missionaries may have brought with them to Japan from around the end of the 16th century.

Ojiyan serves a great, though slightly too salty, ojiya which comes in 2 sizes. I have ordered the regular size which might be a little small should you be very hungry. The bigger portion is only ¥150 more so you might want to supersize from the beginning.
As you can see on the pictures, the ojiya here comes with sugar-brushed fried bread (upper left) , which happens to go amazingly well with the otherwise salty dish, dry seaweed Nori, chopped leak and an octopus-shaped sausage (lower left)

The purple thing you see at the bottom of the picture is some Neri-Ume (pasty pickled plum) that I ordered as a topping (¥150). You can choose from several other toppings like Cheese (¥300), Fried Chicken (¥350), Tarako (¥300) and many others. The Fried Chicken seems to be a favorite.

Once again, Ojiyan looks like one of those cool cafes and do indeed serve western dishes like Pastas, but you should really try either the house favorite Ojiya (which will get to your table in about 5mn when they're not busy) or their relatively copious Japanese lunch which are varied and good. All lunches come with Natto (fermented soy beans) as one of the side dishes, so be ready for the challenge if you have never tried it yet. You'll see, it doesn't taste as bad as what it smells like!

Bio Ojiyan Cafe+ is opened everyday from 11:30am to 11pm
03-5779-8394
click here for a MAP

Bear Pond Espresso (Cafe), Shimokitazawa

The first cafe to be introduced on this blog is "Bear Pond Espresso", a joint that attracts more and more repeaters since it opened last summer, and which has been getting great reviews on both domestic and international quality press. It is managed by the Tanaka couple who used to live in the U.S. for almost 20 years, so no worries as to be lost in translation in this place.
Mr. Tanaka fell in love with Espresso while living in NY, and after learning the abc of the coffee making from his favorite barista, came back to Japan and opened his first Espresso cafe.

I am neither a coffee aficionado nor do I know anything about it, and would rather drink a good Earl Grey than an Espresso, but still, this place has definitely changed my opinion on the drink . It is actually the first time that I've been wanting to try all the different coffees that a cafe serves. Looking at the other Japanese and foreign customers around me who seem to know about coffee and come back day after day, I guess I'm not the only one thinking this place is good.

As I said, I'm not a coffee guy so I always order the "easier", less bitter variations. I've been repeating on the above Cappuccino (¥350) which I find delicious. As you can see on the picture, the milk is surprisingly foamy, creamy in the mouth, and quite sweet on the taste though I do not add any sugar.

It's not the cheapest place around, but if you're looking for a good New York style espresso or its variants, please definitely try this place. Their recommendation is the "Gibraltar". Click here for the menu!

For your information, the Tanaka's are very nice and chatty so if you have any questions, do not hesitate!

"Bear Pond Espresso" is closed on Tuesdays. Open the rest of the week from 10am to around 7pm.

Setagaya-ku, Kitazawa 2-36-12
03-5454-2486

click here for a MAP

Mitsuyado Seimen (Tsukemen), Shimokitazawa

Mitsuyado Seimen is a new noodles place that specializes in a variation of the Ramen called "Tsukemen" ("Dipping Noodles"), a dish where the noodles and the broth are served in separate bowls, as in the below picture. You eat these noodles by simply dipping them in the broth.
Shimokitazawa has another Tsukemen place called Yasubee which is very popular, that I will try to cover on another occasion.

What differentiate "Mitsuyado Seimen" from other Tsukemen restaurants is that Mitsuyado lets you choose the temperature and firmness of the noodles. You will have 5 options: Kori-Jime (very cold and al dente), Hiya-Mori (cold just enough and firm), Numeri-Otoshi (room temperarure and quite firm), Atsu-Mori (as hot as regular Ramen noodles) and Yu-Dame (Kama Age style)

The restaurant recommends you to go for Hiya-Mori. I've never tried any other option, but Hiya-Mori does it for me.
You also need to choose the amount of noodles you want: 200g, 300g, 450g, 600g, 750g (+¥100), 1,500g (+¥400). The first time I ate there, I went for 450g and it was too much though I do eat quite a lot. Since then, I go for 300g which seems to be just enough. The price increases by an accesible ¥400 for the heavy 1,500g portion so try it if you're into a Sumo vibe!

I am not sure what the broth is made of but it seems to have some Tonkotsu (Pork bone and fat), some vegetables and some Niboshi (dried baby sardines) in it, which gives it a slightly fishy taste to it. The broth also has a distinctive Yuzu taste, which is the house flavor of "Mitsuyado". I personally find the broth to be slightly too rich, but I guess you can adapt by less dipping the noodles in it.
The broth will come with some Chashu (Chinese Style Bbq Pork), Menma (Japanese-style Sungan), Naruto (fish cake) and leek in it.

The above broth and the noodles is what you'll get if you order the regular Tsukemen (¥780), but if you feel like that is not enough, you can order their most-popular "Marutoku Tsukemen" (¥980) which comes with the below toppings:
Large Nori sheet (Dry seaweed), 2 big slices of additional Chashu, boiled vegetables (sprout, nira etc) that are hidden under the Chashu in the below picture and an Ajituske Tamago (flavored Egg)
When you're done eating the noodles, the staff will bring you some lighter broth which you add to your regular broth, so you can drink it like a soup. It's good but still quite rich and salty, so try not to down the whole thing as you might end up being thirsty for the rest of the day.

Mitsuyado Seimen is open 7 days a week from 11:30am to 01:00am (L.O. 24:00)
Setagaya-ku, Kitazawa 2-31-2
03-5790-8038
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Mixture (Bakery), Shimokitazawa

A little bit of history before I introduce the bakery "Mixture". When I first moved to Shimokitazawa in 2001, there was a bakery called "Taieido" in my neighbourhood, managed by an adorable old couple and a young man helping them once in a while. Taieido opened in 1959 and based its business mainly on supplying the kids at Seitoku Highschool nearby. Customers in the area grew over the decades and Taieido even had some celebrities among its fans, most of all for its famous curry-stuffed bread.

I would go there in the morning to buy their "Creme Pan" (custard cream stuffed bread) out of the oven, and I still remember how the old baker would always tell me to "be careful because the cream is hot".
Unfortunately, the old man suddenly passed away in the summer of 2005 and the bakery closed.

What a surprise when a few months later, the bakery opened again at the same place, under a new name "Mixture". The young man who used to help the couple had quit his full-time job to re-open the bakery and keep the legacy alive. The current menu has a section called Taieido Series, with breads that look and taste the same as what the old bakery used to sell.

The below bread is that "Creme Pan" (custard cream bread) I was talking about. It is not gourmet bread but if you like custard cream and feel like eating something sweet, definitely try it. It's a good example of a very popular bread in Japan.

My recommendation for this bakery is definitely their Sandwhich Loaf. Sandwich Loafs' dough usually contains way more water than milk, but "Mixture", contrarily to the norm, mainly uses milk in its recipe. This gives the bread a very rich taste unmatched by other bakeries. The stuff is REALLY good. Try it, it's ¥280. It's usually out of the oven at 14:00.
They will ask you how many cuts you want. I assume 6 cuts is the most popular but I go for the not economical 4, as I like my toasts thick in the morning.

They have a pretty varied menu as they also offer pizzas, sandwhiches, lunch menus etc.... Check it the menu (in Japanese) here

"Mixture" is closed on Thursdays
03-5453-7677
Setagaya-ku, Kitazawa 3-31-5
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Part 2 - Okame (Oden), 15mn walk from Shimokitazawa

There is no particular order in which you should order your Oden, but people tend to order it towards the end of the meal, which we do as well.

Here are the stuff we ordered yesterday:
Uzura egg (quail eggs) and Gobo (burdock) both in Satsuma-Age ( fried fish cake)
A whole portion of Tofu with some leek and Yuzu peel on top of it. An absolute must.

Rolled cabagge stuffed with minced meet, some Hanpen (white surimi) and some Shirataki noodles (the white block of Konjak noodles on the left)

If you are into fish, you should absolutely try their Tako (octopus), which is really just boiled slices of octopus , quite chewy but oh so fresh. You eat it with a separate Wasabi-Shoyu sauce.

For an idea, for all that stuff, we paid just over ¥6,000 for two with 2 beers and 2 cold sake. Do the maths! Nothing extravagant right?

Every other Oden ingredients are good, so just go nuts. You can eat Oden only too, so if you want to skip on the other fares, don't hesitate to do so. You will just miss on some good stuff!

"Okame" is closed on Wednesday, and usually open from 17:00 to 24:00.
In the winter time, the place is packed from about 18:00 and you will have to wait a good half-an-hour before you get a seat. The only way to make a reservation is if you book for at least 4 people, in which case they'll seat you in their tatami room on the second floor. It's nice and quiet, but you'll miss on the izakaya atmosphere of the ground floor.

The place is much closer to Higashikitazawa, but you can walk from Shimokitazawa. 15mn walk.

Shibuyaku, Uehara 3-25-9
03-3467-4734
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Part 1 - Okame (Oden), 15mn walk from Shimokitazawa

"Okame" is one of the best well-kept secret in the Shimokitazawa area (though much closer to Higashi-Kitazawa). This rather hard-to-find place is specialized in outstanding Oden fares but the rest of its menu is also excellent. Talking about the menu, don't be surprised when you have a look at it: there are no prices on it. Rest assured though, a good dinner with sufficient drinks will usually costs an average of 4,000 to 5,000 yen per person. Nothing outrageous considering the quality of the food. Prices will jump up if you order a lot of their excellent Sashimis.

Here's the Oden below, with all the ingredients stewing in the broth
Click here for the Wikipedia article on the "Oden", but be advised that the article has a major flaw in that it has reversed the Kanto and Kansai word in its "Regional Variations". What you need to know is that the Kansai (Southern Central region of the main Honshu Island) version has a lighter broth than the Kanto one ( Tokyo and the prefectures around). "Okame" serves the delicate Kansai version which is said to be truer to the taste of its ingredients as the clearer broth interferes less with them.

When you get in, they'll serve you the always good Otoshi (side dish served before the meal, on the above picture). It changes daily and yesterday's was a Squid dish and the other an Eggplant one. No need to say that it goes well with your opening beer.

As I said earlier, "Okame" is basically an Oden restaurant, but they also serve other delicious cuisine. Went yesterday for the above "Anago No Agedashi" , a lightly deep-fried Eel served in a Tentsuyu broth (the broth served with Tempura) and some chopped Spring Onion. It was served with Eggplant, Shishito Peppers, Shiitake mushrooms and Nori dry seaweed.

Chose the "Yamaimo No Isobeage" as well: Japanese Mountain Yam rolled in Nori sheets and deepfried. Add some touch of salt and go for it. Theirs is really good.

I always order their great Hakusai Zuke (pickled Chinese cabbage ) on top of which they grate a little bit of fresh Yuzu for the flavor. So good! And the portion is big (above picture)

I strongly suggest you order their Kajiki-Maguro No Teriyaki (Swordfish Teriyaki sauce) which is a killer. The fish will melt in your mouth!

La Befana (Italian), Shimokitazawa

In a previous post, I talked about the company "Jackpot" which manages few restaurants in Shimokitazawa. The Italian restaurant "La Befana" is one these. I've only been there for lunch so I can't give you any idea on their dinner but their lunch fares are good. You have a big mixed salad (below), choice of Pizza (that they bake in a stone oven) or fresh Pasta and a drink for ¥1,100. You can also update that lunch menu to Four antipasti + Pasta or Pizza + Drink for ¥1,600. There is an even more "deluxe" lunch menu but please go check it out by yourself.

It might not be the best pizza in town, but their thin doughed "Pizza Margherita" (mozzarella, tomato, basil) is worth it, tasting like a real Italian pizza with a nice smoky flavor from the fire.

The restaurant is a minute away from the Shimokitazawa station West Exit.


Open everyday.
Lunch 11:30-14:30 (L.O.)
Dinner until 23:00 (L.O. 22:00) except on Sunday and holidays (L.O. 21:00)
Setagaya-ku, Daita 5-31-3
03-3411-9500

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