Lost In Translation

Mahoroba

Mahoroba is a fairly new restaurant near TWCU that I have avoided due to the seafood don buri being their big seller. This fall they've been focusing on noodles, which is more my style. Pictured above are some spicy Keema Curry somen style noodles served hot with salad, ice tea, and rice for only ¥900.

Yebisu Beer x Ebisu Food 2019

I went out with a friend to try some of the beer food pairings for this year's grand Prix Yebisu Beer x Ebisu Food campaign. We started with onion stuffed yakiniku at Yakiniku Motoyama.

Then a spicy soup curry at Kiryuu.

Nibuchi

Saba at Nibuchi, an izakaya in Asagaya. I've been out of Japan for some time, so time to eat Japanese food.

Mixed sashimi.

Assorted tempura.

Dry nihonshu, Japanese sake from Mie prefecture.

Hao Cai

I have noticed that Hao Cai has been in spot that previously housed a Korean restaurant. However, this place seems to be a fusion eatery with Asian style noodle soup as the lunch specialty with a keema curry. I see that at night they have fresh farm sourced Italian style dishes and other different fusion dishes with a wide variety of Italian wines, so I would like to come back at night to sample the dinner menu.

Cuban Food Stories

Director Asori Soto has set out to find and identify Cuban food culture in his documentary, Cuban Food Stories (2018). it is something of a travelogue as well, as Soto visits some remote locations as well as more well-known locations such as Havana and Trinidad. The films is also about the people and their families that perpetuate the traditional food culture of Cuba that was faced with extinction during the "Special period" after the fall of the Soviet Union and the food shortages that followed in the wake of its collapse. There is some exceptional cinematography the captures the beauty of this Caribbean island that is still suffering from the embargo that the United States continues to enforce despite the end of the cold war.

Jean-Georges Tokyo

A friend wanted to eat at the acclaimed New York-based French chef's Tokyo restaurant, Jean-Georges Tokyo for their birthday-who am I to refuse? As usual per French dinning courses the amuse bousche-it was a tasty corn soup with several added ingredients.

Salmon sushi appetizer.

Caviar with vodka whipped cream and scrambled egg.

King crab risotto with peas and lemon.

King crab risotto with peas and lemon.

Spiced squab.

Ruby chocolate with plum filling.

Warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream — at Jean-Georges Tokyo.

Cocktail Works Jimbocho

I finally got around to visiting a new cocktail bar I read about, Cocktail Works Jimbocho, which specializes in craft gin. I was impressed with their collection-it looked like every gin being made in Japan and plenty from abroad that I've never seen. I'll be back sometime to try out more types of gin.

Blu Jam Cafe

Recently I have been hearing that the LA based chain, Blu Jam Cafe, has one of the best brunches in Tokyo. I have been to the restaurant for events and decided to give it a try. I got the Chilaquiles for ¥1550 since it is so rare in Japan. The portion was so large I couldn't finish it. I'd like ot try some of the other options sometime.

Ryukyu Chinese Tama

Last year Ryukyu Chinese Tama was added to the Michelin Gourmand Bib section of the yearly guide. I have long wanted to check this place out and it is modern fusion Okinawan cuisine served in a casual atmosphere. The walls are lined with bottles of wine with the prices written on them. The first dish up was coriander salad.

Followed by oysters from Mie prefecture.

One of their signature dishes is tacos rice made with Okazaki beef and genmai (brown rice).

Somen with tuna.

We ended with mabo dofu, a Chinese dish, that had a distinctive taste but was not as fiery as I am used to.

Gentle Italian Restaurant & Sushi Bar

I won a seat at an opening party for Gentle a new Italian Restaurant and Sushi Bar in Omotesando courtesy of the Tokyo Weekender magazine. Super food salad with quinoa and organic vegetables, venison carpaccio, and the tin contains marinated organic chicken liver and gizzard

Quinoa risotto and spaghetti vongole with shell fish.

Lotus roots and vegan hamburger steak and sauteed dry-aged boar meat.

Otoro, kichiji, and anago nigiri

Salt grilled barracuda with ground water pepper sauce.

Grilled rockfish rice bowl with black truffle

Crab sesame tofu served in bonito stock-perhaps my favorite dish of the night.

iramisu, coconut truffle, yuzu chocolate cake, and frozen blueberry cheese cake.