OK - the food situation here in Shibuya is MIND BLOWING. Within a five minute walk of our apartment there are THOUSANDS of AMAZING places to eat. Hundreds of cafes. Hundreds of ramen shops. I walk past 5 Chinese spots just on the 100 yard stroll to church. Plus Italian, Indian, Steakhouses, Pizza, Gourmet Burgers, Bakeries, French Pastry Shops, Spanish Tapas, BBQ Chicken, and on and on. Tokyo has more Michelin Star restaurants than any city in the world. There are 57 of them just in Shibuya. Then there’s the puppy cafes (where you get to hold a puppy while eating), the cat cafes, the hedgehog cafes, the Nintendo cafes, the Curious George Cafe where you can get a fresh banana parfait. We know of half a dozen spots that use robots as waiters. All within 5 minutes of where I’m sitting right now. I can’t even begin to comprehend it all. Aaaahhh! My head may explode!
This page will be updated regularly as we find more great places to eat. Check back often!
January 21, 2024
Crab Season at Marugame Udon
It’s crab season. At Marugame Udon they have a special menu item that is a cup of fresh crab meat and tempura shrimp with a special broth in your bowl of udon.
Am I going to buy this upgraded bowl of noodles? Of course I am. I also added another tempura shrimp, some inari sushi, and a tempura chicken strip.
Total cost: 1150 yen. That’s $7 folks. I once again embarrassed myself in a crowded restaurant with my moaning sounds while I ate.
December 29, 2024
Shabu Shabu with Robots
We went to Shabu Yo this week. We love it there. It’s an all-you-can-eat Shabu Shabu place that’s really great on cold nights and it’s so fun.
Shabu Shabu is a simmered hot pot stew you make on your own at your table. The best part is adding different cuts of meat into the stew, letting it simmer in the flavored broth, then pulling the meat out and dipping it into a variety of sauces, and then savoring each nugget.
Shabu Yo does it all-you-can-eat style for a very affordable price. And keep in mind, it’s not just meat. They have a huge array of vegetables, tofu, and noodles you can also add to your personalized pot. Plus a complete salad bar, a soda fountain, a crepe bar, a waffle making station, a cotton candy station, and soft serve ice cream. Plus sushi.
It’s affordable because although it’s all you can eat, there is a time limit of 90 minutes. But that’s plenty of time for us.
The best part about Shabu Yo is that the food is brought to your table by a robot. When you want more meat, you just tap on the tablet at your table, select which cut you want, and how much, and then a few minutes later, the robot rolls up with your order.
You eat, then reorder, then eat, then reorder, etc., etc. Just keep it coming for 90 minutes. The robots are very effective, because every table is constantly reordering. A human waiter could never keep up.
We love it. It’s so fun and amazing delicious. If this place were back home, they could get away with charging $50 or more per person. It’s a very high quality meal. But that high quality meal came to $15 for each of us. We rolled out of there 85 minutes later, hardly able to walk.
Walking home, I remembered the movie Wall-E. Remember how it depicted a futuristic society of fat people being served by robots? Yeah, it was like that. Just sit there and let the robots keep piling on the food. But why was I the only fat person in the restaurant? Strange . . .
December 5, 2024
Mandu Festival in Shimokitazawa
We got a flyer in our mailbox a few days ago. It was about a “Mandu Festival” being held over in Shimokitazawa. I read it and instantly told Saori, “Oh, we’re going to that.”
Mandu are Korean dumplings. Kinda like a gyoza, but bigger, a little spicier, and usually crispier. Shimokitazawa is one stop down on the Inokashira line, so it’s only 10 minutes away. A bunch of restaurants in Shimokitazawa coordinated together and each added a special Mandu item to their menu for the festival.
The flyer included a map of each restaurant that had a special Mandu item:
Pretty cool, right? And I was all over it. Sister Low wanted to visit a dress shop in Shimokitazawa. The area is very trendy and full of boutique clothing shops that usually sell vintage items for cheap. And there’s a ton of small, specialty diners that make food from all over the world. It’s a really fun place to visit, wander, and shop. So we made a lunch date of it.
I spent a lot of time wandering the diners, restaurants, and dives and carefully picked my Mandu dishes.
I kept wandering and eating until Saori said, “Ok, you’ve had enough.” But could have kept going. And going. This was really fun.
October 22, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Four Star Alert: Torigen
Let’s talk about yakitori – Japanese barbecued chicken. There are yakitori places everywhere in Tokyo and when you walk past, the smell hits you and draws you in. Most yakitori places charge by the skewer, and usually it’s so delicious that if you’re not careful you can keep ordering skewer after skewer and run up a large tab. Well…large by Japanese standards.
The other day we were in Mitaka because Saori needed to run some errands at Musashino City hall. On the way back, as we were walking through the Mitaka train station, Saori spotted a place called 鳥元(Torigen – which means “The source of chicken”) and suggested we stop by for a quick lunch.
This place instantly became a favorite. First off, the interior was super cool. Traditional Japanese diner decor, and they have a lot of private booths that are cozy, quiet and fun.
I ordered an oyakodon (“parent and child” donburi). It’s called that because it’s barbecue chicken (the parent) and eggs (the child) over a bowl of rice. I also ordered a couple of skewers of barbecue chicken.
The secret of yakitori is the charcoal. Of course, you can’t use just any charcoal. This place uses a charcoal that is crafted by a master and is designed to reach incredible high temperatures. The charcoal used at Torigen burns at 1500 degrees. No, I’m not kidding. You can’t get charcoal like that at home and because of that, your just can’t cook chicken like this. It’s totally different than chicken on a grill at home, and it’s a quality that can’t be beat.
To get an idea how the amazing art form of Japanese charcoal making is done, see:
https://youtu.be/lWDgKlBs0vM?si=PN-M4nufGBjawcE7
Here’s what my lunch looked like:
Total cost of my lunch was 1100 yen. About $7.50. We will be returning here as often as we can. This place is the perfect nexus of ambiance, quality, flavor, and price. I’m already planning on being homesick for Torigen later in life.
September 6, 2024
“I like Japanese food”
This week Saori’s mother Keiko took us out to lunch for my birthday. As I’ve written before, Keiko is very particular when she eats out. It has to be a nice place, with real table service, and real dishes. Tablecloths are preferable. She doesn’t do fast food, or diners, or quick service types of places. It has to be nice.
This time she chose a restaurant inside the Keio Plaza Hotel in Hachioji. It’s one of her regular favorites. They serve “Japanese Food.” (washoku/和食）
There is no menu. You sit down and the waiter brings what they have made for that day. But every day the items vary, depending on the time of the year, what is in season, and what is the freshest available. So even though Keiko goes here often, she’s always surprised by what she’s served, and it’s never the same. Since it’s now early fall, our food this time was centered on autumn flavors.
Here’s what we ate:
I counted 18 different dishes in front of me and 30 different and distinct items to eat. Each individual item was carefully handcrafted by a master who has been doing it for years. The difference in flavors ran the whole spectrum, but were very complementary. Some were flavors I’ve never tasted before and can’t describe.
Not only was the food unique and sublime, but so were the dishes. Each dish was unique. Most were hand crafted and carefully chosen to be a perfect match for the food placed on it.
I want to point out – I ate every single thing here. Completely. Also, there’s none of that “Can I get the sauce on the side,” or “Please take out the onions” nonsense when eating Japanese food. You eat what is crafted for you and presented to you. All of it.
Here are some closeups:
The idea here is to create a beautiful, edible work of art. Crafted with the best quality possible. The food and its presentation should connect you with nature and create a real emotional response.
Eating a meal like this requires a little bravery, yes. Also a lack of pre-judgement. Usually, the item that looks the scariest is the tastiest. But the rewards are great with that kind of attitude.
Back home, a lot of people tell me, “Oh I love Japanese food.” But they’re probably thinking of that rolled up, mayonnaise coated, so-called “sushi” stuff you get at places like Tsunami, or the teriyaki chicken plate at the mall. Sorry folks, that’s not Japanese food. This is Japanese food. A truly sublime experience.
We’re so grateful to Keiko for inviting us.
August 20, 2024
Admiral Boom
Last Friday was pretty busy for us. At the end of a long day of meetings, office work, and teaching we got on the train and headed for home. We were transferring at Ebisu Station to another train when Saori said, “Why not just eat dinner here?” Good idea.
There’s a food mall on the sixth floor of the Ebisu Station building. We wandered up there for a minute and decided on a place that serves tempura and soba.
Here’s what I ordered:
It was a great dinner and I reminded myself that once again, I’m experiencing a dining experience that I won’t be able to have once we go home. Another example of why this place has the best food in the world.
But here’s the important part:
While we were eating, suddenly, every cell phone in the restaurant began screeching a loud alarm sound. Then: “Earthquake Alert! Earthquake Alert!” came over the speakers of all the phones.
About two seconds later, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit. The building rocked and swayed in every direction.
Of course, I was startled. For a second, I froze, wondering what to do next.
I looked around the restaurant. Nobody moved. Some glanced at their phones for a second, but then put them down. They just kept eating. Like nothing was happening. They ignored the whole thing.
Soup was sloshing in their soba bowls while they kept eating. Tempura was sliding across tables. Nobody cared.
Remember Admiral Boom in the movie “Mary Poppins”? Yeah, it was like that. Just keep eating.
We have amazing food in Japan, and we know it and value it. We don’t let something like a 5.2 earthquake stop us from eating a good meal. We have priorities.
July 22, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Four Star Alert: Takao
Ok, so we have a confession to make. We went to a bar.
But it wasn’t a bar that served alcohol. Instead, this bar served tempura and it knocked our socks off.
We were shopping in Shibuya and wound up in the Parco building (which is pretty common when shopping in Shibuya). On the 7th floor there’s a tempura restaurant called Takao.
When looking for a place to eat, we typically get caught in a battle of where to go, based on tastes, preferences, and time. “Does this look OK?” “No, I don’t feel like that.” “That looks good, but look at the line.” And so on. If you’re not careful, you can wander in that mode for a long time, because the possibilities are endless in this neighborhood.
That’s the state we were in when we stumbled by Takao and I said, “I’m going for it. C’mon, let’s go in.” One thing I’ve learned living here: If it smells good, go in. You won’t be disappointed.
And that was certainly the case at Takao.
The menu had lunch sets with 9 – 10 pieces of tempura, soup, rice and pickles. Plus daikon oroshi dipping sauce. Because it’s a bar, the bartender delivered the tempura right to you, just as it was coming out of the oil, piece by piece. I could have continued to order a la carte to my hearts content, but the amount of food in the lunch set was plenty.
I ordered the meat and vegetable combo. Saori ordered the seafood and vegetable combo. Both were amazing. The bartender would place a piece of tempura in front of each of us. We’d dip, bite, roll our eyes and look at each other.
About the time we were done savoring that delicious morsel, the bartender would magically show up with another piece of something amazing. We nibbled, savored, drank some soup, and savored some more.
Doing tempura right is an art form that takes years to perfect. Getting the temperature, timing and consistency down right is not easy. Each item has to be done differently. The batter has to be the right temperature before going into the oil. It’s really easy to mess up tempura. This place has cooks that are masters.
The cook took his time and was careful. You can tell they wanted us to have an experience, not just chow down and leave. And it wasn’t just us – the locals sitting near us were all having the same moaning/eye-roll reaction we were. This was amazing.
Each lunch set was 1500 yen. A little under $10. Plus I paid 2 bucks for my Coke and clear ice, which goes perfect with tempura.
We will definitely be going back here.
July 7, 2024
Gyukatsu in Kawasaki
The other day I finally got to cross off my list something I’ve been wanting to eat ever since we got here. Our returned missionary sons have been reminding us to be sure and go to a good Gyukatsu place.
Gyukatsu is katsu, but with steak instead of pork. It’s steak that is battered, breaded and deep fried. Since Saori is not much of a meat eater, and would rather just eat noodles instead, I’ve always deferred when the opportunity for Gyukatsu came up.
But the other day on the way to Costco in Kawasaki, I put my foot down. There’s an underground mall of eating establishments at Kawasaki station. Yes, it’s a mall of eating establishments. Dozens of them. After walking and drooling down the endless hallway of amazing places, I saw this Gyukatsu shop and pulled a Brother Brigham and said, “This is The Place.” Here’s what it looks like:
Note the two different dipping sauces. Also, the special pepper with 11 different kinds of ground peppers in it. Also, the tiny bowl of curry sauce for dipping. Plus soup and rice. There was two sirloin steaks in this lunch set. It was a little pricey – 2200 yen. About $13.75. The steak was so tender and juicy. Melt in your mouth. Just amazing.
Saori (aka: Sister NoMeat) got the salmon katsu. It was equally amazing.
We could go back here in a heartbeat, and we probably should. It’s right on the way to Costco. But if we went to it again, we’d miss out on another amazing place at that food mall. That’s a dilemma.
June 18, 2024
Saori’s Favorites
Yes, Saori is also amazed at the food here. But it’s safe to say she has different priorities than me. Still, she’s found some really great things lately. For example:
A new lunch place opened down the street last week so we dropped in to check it out. They said they were a BBQ chicken place. But they had this sashimi bowl on the menu, so she chose that, while I stayed with chicken.
Beautiful, right? The fresh sashimi, soup, salad and pickles cost 850 yen, about $5.40. It was fun to watch her eyes roll to the back of her head as she ate.
Then there’s her quick lunch favorite, for when we’re in a hurry. You know how she’s crazy about udon noodles. But have you ever heard of an “udon shake”? Well, we got ‘em here in Shibuya:
Marugame Udon sells a takeout udon shake for about 500 yen ($3). It’s noodles, soup, and tempura in a shake cup. Yes, it’s served cold intentionally (and that’s where I draw the line). But’s real craft udon in a cup. Lovely.
And as long as we have udon shakes, why not have “udonuts”?
Marugame Udon also started selling “Udonuts” this month. They’re real donuts made from udon noodle dough. I’m not kidding. And the thing is, they’re really, really good. They are light and slightly chewy like udon noodles are supposed to be, but sweet and warm like a donut. Absolutely amazing.
May 15, 2024
Miso and Lunch
As you may know, I’m really getting into miso lately. The variety of miso made over here is enormous and the taste is so different between them all, but yet all are delicious. I do think I’m going to try my hand at brewing my own miso when I return home. I’ve been studying.
Miso is made by fermenting soy beans with a special fungus called koji. Culturing the koji correctly is the secret to good miso. Once you have good koji, the brewing process is simple.
Recently we found a store nearby that considers itself to be the world’s expert in miso. They carry hundreds of varieties from all over the country. However, I fear that they are not alone. There are dozens of miso stores like this in the city. Most, like this one, have been in business for well over a hundred years.
This store has miso sommeliers on staff that can help you pick out the miso you want for the right situation or meal. They also provide tasting samples and tasting flights mixed with high quality rice. It was really fun to go and check out.
I did end up buying a kilo of Hatcho miso from Nagoya. It’s very rich and dark and sweet. The darker the color, the longer it’s been fermented. The stuff I bought had been fermented over two years. That makes it more expensive. 1 kilo was about $8. We’ll use it in soups and sauces. It goes well with fried and baked items.
This place was really fun and amazing.
After the miso store, we walked across the street and had lunch at a local diner. This place is designed for locals to grab a quick, inexpensive meal. Simple meals for a decent price. But for me, I was in awe. This was heaven. Check it out:
Saori added on a cool “cook your own soufflé” for an extra $1.50. This was so amazing and so delicious. You gotta watch this:
May 6, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Four Star Food Alert: Steak Matsu in Kichijouji
Alright, this one blew me away. I’ve been on the hunt for another good steak place. Sister Pacovski recommended this one that’s very close to the Mission Home.
It’s called Steak Matsu. It’s a kiosk self-order place. So you order on the machine at the front of the restaurant and then sit down and wait for them to bring it to you.
They serve the steak piping hot on a volcanic stone. The stone is heated to over 1000 degrees. They sear the steak on an open grill, then set it on the stone and bring it to your table. So it shows up sizzling and popping and smoking.
Watch This!!:
It’s up to you how well you want your steak done. The parts you cut off are pretty rare, but as you let it sizzle on the stone it cooks pretty fast. Then there’s the special sauces you can pour over the meat – ginger, or garlic, etc. – and watch the sauce sizzle and sear into the steak.
Watch this !!!:
Also, every meal comes with an all you care to eat salad and soup bar, with some really nice, fresh options.
All put together, this place is incredible and so much fun. The steak is delicious and fantastic. They provide paper bibs to wear so your clothes don’t get all greasy from the sizzling meat. You cut off a piece of the steak, let it sizzle on the volcanic stone for a bit, pour some ginger steak sauce on it, then let the angelic choir sing while you eat it.
Ready for the price? The New York Strip, with the soup and salad bar, is 1000 yen. 8 bucks!!! That’s 200 yen more than a Big Mac meal at McDonalds. You can get two NY Strips for 2000 yen. So 16 bucks for two steaks. Plus a buck for my Coke. Amazing. I could go here nearly every day.
April 22, 2024
Food Alert: Mom’s Touch
Fact: The Koreans make the best fried chicken. I’ve always felt that way. There’s something about the way they make the batter, or the temperature of the oil, or something else, I’m not sure. But fried chicken is a national delicacy in Korea.
The most popular fried chicken fast food chain in Korea is called Mom’s Touch. And this week, Mom’s Touch opened their first restaurant in Japan – right here in Shibuya, five minutes down the road. The opening has been a big deal over here and was covered by the national news. Banners are hanging from all the street lights, announcing the opening. Crowds have been huge and lines to get in have been long, sometimes extending two hours or more.
But today, we managed show up at the right time and walk right in.
I tried to do my best to make good choices and went with the Mega Thigh Combo Set.
April 12, 2024
Food Alert: Sabrina
The other day we decided to go on a date to a semi-nice dinner. I wanted to go to a new katsu place that just opened in the fancy Hirakie skyscraper down the street, but the line was waaay too long.
So we wandered and tried to make good choices.
We found an Italian place in the same building called Sabrina. As you may know, I’m not a big fan of Italian pasta places. For some reason, as I get older, pasta become less and less appealing. But the place really smelled good so we thought we’d give it a try.
It turns out that it’s what we call a “Japanese Italian” restaurant. They make Japanese food in an Italian style. Or is it Italian food in a Japanese style? I don’t know. But it certainly wasn’t a traditional Italian place. Here’s a pic of the menu:
Everything looked really good. I chose the Fresh Crab Fettuciini Alfredo with a salad and homemade clam chowder. What came out really surprised me:
It was basically a crab bisque with a huge lump of fresh crab and shrimp. Then the freshly made fettuccini was floating in the bisque. The bowl was huge – bigger in diameter than a dinner plate. This was simply an amazing meal. A Maze Ing.
Then there was the clam chowder.
Which was basically four clams simmered in a chowder soup base with a ton of cheese on top. Just incredible.
Saori got a shrimp risotto. Also great.
We will definitely come back here. We really had a wonderful meal. It was a little expensive by our standards. The entire meal cost about $20 for both of us.
Here is the view we saw out to central Shibuya from our table:
March 6, 2024
Jindai-ji Daruma Festival
So we went to the famous Daruma Festival at Jindai-ji temple for P-day. It’s an ancient temple that has been around since 800AD or so. The festival is the home of Daruma – the little statue that is supposed to bring good luck. I actually bought a Daruma doll and took it to the priest and had him write in one eye. This is so my wish will come true. The priest blessed the doll and I gave him 100 yen. Next year at the festival I’m supposed to bring the doll back and have him paint in the other eye. But we probably won’t be here. Oh well.
But like every other festival, this one had amazing food. The temple makes amazing soba, so I had a bowl of Tempura soba for about 8 bucks.
The temple staff got all excited when we brought 8 missionaries in and we all excitedly ordered their food. They were so kind.
The festival had hundreds of food booths selling all kinds of amazing treats. Steak on a stick, homemade pickles, yakisoba, fancy pancakes, donuts, okonomiyaki, teriyaki chicken – all kinds of stuff.
I ended getting a cup of karaage fried chicken nuggets and my favorite festival food of all: The mega French fries. They’re two feet long. So yummy and so fun.
February 29, 2024
Produce
Have you ever seen a grapefruit like this? I need to mention that not only does Japan have great places to eat, it also has a lot of great fruits and vegetables you can take home and eat. This fruit was given to us by President Murakami and his wife – our wonderful branch president. This is a variety that only grows in Japan and it’s delicious. Actually, it’s incredible. I’ve bragged in the past that Italy has the most delicious grapefruit in the world. I’ve forgotten that Japan has this amazing stuff. At least as amazing. This monster is nearly the size of a basketball. It’s gigantic and the smell fills the whole apartment.
February 19, 2024
D47 Shokudo
The other day we went to a place called D47 Shokudo for lunch. It’s on the 8th floor of the massive Hikarie Tower next to Shibuya station.
D47 specializes in Farm-to-Table dishes using fresh ingredients from small artisan farmers all over Japan. These are unique, regional recipes from rural parts of the country.
I ordered a Katsu Teishoku with a sweet, dark miso sauce from Aichi prefecture. The miso is called “Hatcho Miso” and almost tasted like the chocolate mole at Red Iguana. Absolutely delicious and something I’ve never tasted before. Top of the line:
There’s a small market at the front of the restaurant by the register where you can buy some of the local ingredients used in the menu. After eating we went there and searched for the Hatcho Miso. They were sold out. However, we did find some other, even more special miso. It caught our eye with the name: Ii Miso. Ii is Saori’s maiden name and her grandfather Ii is from Aichi prefecture. We know that his family made a fortune with a miso business. This miso is her family miso, made by a distant cousin in a small family factory. So we bought that miso instead. It’s delicious.
January 13, 2024
A Thing of Beauty
Have you ever seen a bowl of food that was more beautiful? Just amazing.
If you look closely, you can tell that the tempura chef is more of an artist than a cook. He actually ‘sculpted’ that tempura shrimp while it was cooking. By the way, the prawn was more than 8 inches long. Incredible.
This is from a diner in Hakone, in the mountains near Mt. Fuji.
December 25, 2023
Food Alert: Kamukura Ramen – where God dwells
There are many times when I say, “What do you want to eat?” And Saori replies with, “Well, there’s a ramen place….” Actually, she says that every time I ask. Every time. She’s a noodle eater.
This week one night I was especially hungry and we were busy so I said, “OK that one looks fine. Let’s go.”
The ramen shop is called “Kamukura” (translated: The place where God dwells). It’s one where you pay ahead via a vending machine then hand the ticket to the staff. Straightforward, easy, no tipping.
When we sat down, there was a card on the table that explained their methodology. They call themselves a “soup with noodles” restaurant. Not just “ramen.” They emphasize the soup. Kamukura has a “soup sommelier” in the store at all times. The sommelier is the only one who’s allowed to make the soup, or even dish it up. He’s been to a soup sommelier school, trained for years, then apprenticed, received a certification, then was placed full time as the soup expert in the store. He only does soup.
“Yeah, whatever,” I thought as I read the card. But then the bowl of noodles came out. Man, was there a difference. The best ramen soup I’ve ever had. It was the first time I’ve ever licked the ramen bowl. Absolutely amazing. Not a bad dinner for $6. I got mine with pork tenderloin. Saori’s had a marinated hard boiled egg. Oh – and the noodles were excellent too. And really excellent on a cold night.
December 17, 2023
You’ll never guess
Sister Low now has a favorite place to eat in Shibuya. She loves it so much that we went there four times this past week. We’ve been around 10 times this month. She wants to go again tonight. She’s crazy about it and can’t get enough.
It’s not a noodle place so I can support her in her addiction. In fact, it’s a place that I love to go to as well. And for Christmas, they’ve added a special item to their menu that is absolutely unreal. Incredible. We can’t get enough of it.
The name of the place is …….
McDonald’s. What?? What happened to make Saori fall in love with McDonald’s? It’s the new seasonal item: The ‘Chocolate Orange Frappe’. That’s what it’s called. But what is it really?
It’s a Chocolate Orange Stick Shake. You know – the orange stick candy that comes in a box that the neighbors give you for Christmas. This is a shake that tastes just like it. I have to agree with her – it’s the most amazing shake I’ve ever had.
It’ll probably go away after next week when Christmas is over. Until then, we may go to McDonald’s every day. I’ve got to take advantage of this bizarre situation where my wife actually wants to go to McDonald’s.
December 5, 2023
Christmas Markets
What? There’s a Christmas Market in Tokyo? Of course! In a city that has everything, why not a Christmas Market?
Actually, there are many, and we’ve found five big traditional European ones that we want to go to. Tonight we went to one in Shinjuku near Meiji Shrine that is modeled after the huge Christmas Market in Stuttgart Germany. It was a five minute subway trip from our apartment.
Remember me talking about doing a river cruise in Europe for the Christmas Markets? This was like that. Why go to Germany? Tokyo has it! There were thousands of people there and hundreds of booths selling all kinds of European cool crafts. And lots of food. German sausage booths, churro booths, cheese booths. Plus pork, chicken, and steak. And of course, lots of beer, but I don’t know much about that.
We picked a German sausage sampler plate with 8 different kinds of sausage, all covered in melted cheese. $11. We each got a cup of German hot chocolate to go with it. $2.
Then I wanted to check out a churro stand that has ten different flavors of churros. I got one with another cup of hot chocolate. $6. Meanwhile, Saori got a French crepe – strawberry and chocolate – for $6. I think the Japanese are the world leaders in crepes.
Altogether a really fun night out in the cold, sipping hot chocolate and eating really good food.
They even had a nativity scene set up, but nobody knew what it was.
November 24, 2023
Marugame Udon Winter Menu
OK, so you’ve seen photos of Marugame Udon from me before. We go there at least once a week for Saori’s noodle fix. It’s really high quality and super cheap.
This week we went and discovered they’ve rolled out a special “Winter Menu” – bowls of noodles that are most appropriate for when it’s really cold outside.
At the top of the menu was listed a “Duck and Onion” special item for 820 yen (about $7). It’s a little pricey but I thought, “Of course I’m going to try that! I’d be crazy not to.”
So when I ordered, the guy gave me a bowl of freshly cooked noodles with no broth, then told me to take it down to the end of the line where the cash register is. Then the guy hollered “Duck!” And somebody at the end of the line hollered back “Quack!”
When I got to the end of the line there was a guy frying up some slices of duck, along with these huge chunks of green onion. Green onions in Japan are usually about an inch in diameter. These were a little bigger. At about the time the duck and onions were cooked, he poured some broth into the fry pan so it would suck up all the duck flavor into the soup. Then he carefully poured the boiling hot soup and arranged everything into my bowl of noodles.
This was probably the best bowl of udon I’ve ever had. I once again made the moaning sounds in a crowded restaurant and embarrassed myself. That broth was outstanding. And the duck meat was tender and juicy and cooked just right. As you can see, I added a jumbo shrimp, bamboo shoot, and crab leg tempura items to my lunch, along with a piece of inari sushi. Altogether the lunch was about $10.
I think I’ll go back on a day when is really really cold, icy, and hopefully snow blowing outside. This will be the perfect meal for that.
November 12, 2023
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Four Star Food Alert: Jean Francois Bakery
We pass at least 20 bakeries on the five-minute walk from our apartment to the train station. I’ve been doing my best to sample as many as I can, but I’m not doing a good job of keeping up. The ones I have sampled are all really great. Remember Beard Papa? I wish us Americans could begin to understand the concept of a real, fresh, artisan bakery. Instead, we eat like cavemen in the U.S.
Talking to Robert and Laurie on the phone last week, we mentioned a bakery we passed called Jean Francois that looked really good. One item they have is an English muffin that is gigantic.
Robert said, “It’s probably a crumpet. When you taste it, it’ll be sweet and that’s how you’ll know.”
Well, yesterday we passed Jean Francois again and I said, “That’s it. I’ve gotta get me some of that.” So I bought the English muffin. Just one. It was $1.75.
The bakery has a big portrait of Jean Francois hanging on the wall. Kinda like Gusteau in Ratatouille. I don’t know if he’s a real French baker or an actor, but somebody in that place knows how to bake. Holy cow.
This monster is more than 2 inches thick and over 4 inches in diameter but weighs nothing. Light as air.
I took it home and put it in our toaster oven for three minutes, added butter and jam. Nope, this ain’t no crumpet. It’s a real English muffin and after toasting it, the big air pockets were apparent. But it was so light and airy. And thick. Just incredible. Once again, I don’t know how Jean Francois does it. He must have some magic powers or something. I’ve never tasted anything like it.
For perspective: That’s a full-size dinner plate, not a saucer.
November 11, 2023
Food Alert: City Hall
OK, we went to eat at a place called City Hall. Because it’s City Hall. You know – the place where the city runs their government.
We received a notice from Shibuya that we need to go pick up what was the equivalent of a social security card. Japan loves paperwork and rules. We even had to schedule an appointment. So, we went to city hall at the appointed time, and picked up our cards. A lot of paperwork about nothing. We will never use them. But we followed the rules.
Turns out Shibuya City Hall has a cafeteria. It’s pretty nice. Saori (of course) ordered a bowl of noodles. I think after being here for two months, her body tissues are now comprised of about 30% noodle. By the time we go home we’ll be sprinkling chopped green onion and ginger on her every morning in order to get her out of bed. Since I usually accompany her to the dozens of noodle shops she eats at, I decided on something different this time.
A tempura donburi. A bowl of rice with a bunch of tempura vegetables and sauce on top. I think the lady in the back who cooked it is about 89 years old and I think she’s been making tempura there every day since General MacArthur designated where Shibuya City Hall would be built. She should look like a wrinkled prune at that age, but she actually has smooth, beautiful skin. Why? Because she’s been standing over a vat of hot boiling oil for 67 years, that’s why.
This lady has the art of tempura down. Nobody on earth can do it better.
The entire meal cost $3.85. They don’t serve Coke. It’s a city cafeteria so I had ice water instead.
Look at this. It’s a delicious work of art:
October 26, 2023
Food Alert: Burger Mania in Hiroo
We heard about this one from the sister missionaries in our branch. We love them and they’ve learned that Elder Low is freaking about the food we have here. (And they’re laughing a lot about it.)
They recommended a place near the temple in Hiroo called “Burger Mania.” It’s about 5 doors down from the subway entrance.
So Japan has a lot of what they call “gourmet burger” places, where they focus on the craft of making a tasty burger. This place uses a fired grill at a really hot temperature and when you walk in, the smell hits you hard and it smells so good. Plus, the music being played overhead is all hits from the 80’s. Foreigner, Rush, Huey Lewis, Boston. Real music.
I started out simple. The cheeseburger. I could have chosen from a lot of different ones but went simple. Plus the Coke with the craft ice.
October 14, 2023
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Five Star Food Alert: Piece of Bake
We had three new missionaries show up from the U.S. last night and the president called us late last night and asked us to participate in their training this morning. This is how missionaries now come into the mission with this Japan visa situation – by surprise. So we got up early and headed over to the mission home in Kichijoji this morning.
The training went well and it looks like we have three new wonderful elders in our mission now.
After the training, we decided to get lunch in Kichijoji. I won’t tell you about where we ate the actual lunch – I’ll save that for a later message.
But while we were looking for a place to eat, we found a tiny little shop called “Piece of Bake.”
They make Hawaiian malasadas. Now, we have already fallen in love with the legendary Leonard’s Malasadas in Honolulu and it’s the first place we stop on our way to the hotel from the airport when we go to Hawaii. Leonard’s malasadas are the best donuts in the world, no question. Or were….
This place makes Leonard’s look like a Smith’s bakery.
We bought two malasadas. They weren’t cheap. It was $7 for the two of them. One was chocolate filled and the other was raspberry filled.
Then we walked over the to the gorgeous Inokashira Park, found a quiet spot, and sat on a bench under a 100 year old momiji maple tree by the pond and ate them.
Tears came to our eyes when we bit into our malasadas and the flavored cream stuffing exploded and coated our insides.
At that very moment, a gentle breeze whispered across the pond and the birds in the trees began to sing. It sounded like they were singing the first stanza of “Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise.”
This was total bliss. A sublime, surreal, enlightening moment where all the human senses combined forces together and enriched the soul. We approached nirvana.
The amazing thing about these malasadas is that they are so light and fluffy. And they’re 90% filling. The cream filling was overflowing. I have no idea how they made those. True craftsmanship. Saori doesn’t get into food as much as me, and she’s not into dessert, but today she said this was the best thing she’s eaten since we got here. She won’t stop talking about it.
October 12, 2023
Food Alert: Ringer Hut
So Thursday nights are our busiest time of the week. At 5pm we do exercise nights at the stake center next to the temple with the missionaries and their investigators. This week was volleyball. Then at 7 is English class that the missionaries teach back in Shibuya. Then at 8:15 is our institute class that we teach on zoom. So we ride trains, subways and change clothes twice during that time. Doesn’t leave much time to eat.
In past weeks we’ve dropped into the KFC right by the temple on our way back to Shibuya. KFC – like all other familiar fast-food chains – is a higher order of quality than the US and much cheaper. But this week, we wanted something different.
There’s a “Ringer Hut” next to KFC in Azabu. Ringer Hut is a chain here in Japan that specializes in Nagasaki Champon noodles and Gyoza. Very nice, clean restaurant with table service, fresh hot food, decent quality.
I decided to get the “7-piece Gyoza Set meal.” That’s seven hand made gyoza, a big bowl of fried rice, and a cup of soup. It was probably the yummiest gyoza I’ve had this year. The waiter was great, the food came quickly, and it was a perfect evening meal for someone on the go. We were out in 20 minutes. Great, right?
Here’s the kicker: The total cost of the meal was $4.30. I’m not kidding.
October 6, 2023
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Food Report: Katsudon ya Zuicho
Yesterday was a light day for us because institute was cancelled. Next week will be super busy because we’re cooking dinner again for institute. But it’s only for 40 kids so it should be easy.
So we had some free time.
We decided to go to the katsudon place that was so highly rated and had such a long line before. It opens at 11:30am so we went early and got there at 11:10.
There was already a line. But it was only about 12 people, so we decided to get in line and wait. While we were waiting a staff member came out with a menu and started taking pre-orders. That’s when we learned there really isn’t a menu. They only serve one item, and you can get it with small, medium, or large rice. And for 100 more yen, you can have the cook add in an extra egg. That’s the whole menu.
“Do you want small, medium, or large? Do you want an extra egg?” That’s the entire conversation.
By the time we got to the front of the line, there were about 25 people in it. We waited for 30 minutes. When we got inside, we realized one big reason for the wait. The place only has 8 chairs. There’s not even room to stand behind the chairs. Your walk-in closet at home is twice the size of this place.
How was it? Really good. Really good. He cooks it different. He cooks the katsu in a Dutch oven – Boy Scout style – and cooks the egg by itself. The egg is overcooked compared to normal katsudon. The base sauce is poured over everything after he puts all the food into the bowl. So nothing is cooked in the sauce. Strange.
It was good, but not worth it. I realized almost all the people standing in line were foreigners. The place must have made it into some travel blog somewhere and gotten famous that way. I don’t think most Japanese would like the way he cooked it. Saori wasn’t thrilled.
Sign where the line starts. “Cash only”
The line:
Walking into the restaurant:
Sign at the bar where we sat. No talking allowed. This guy is the katsudon nazi.
I’m sitting in my seat with a view of the cook making my lunch:
How it came out:
Inside the restaurant. That’s the whole thing. I’m standing against the back wall at the opposite corner.
This was a great lunch but not worth the wait and price (1500 yen). We probably won’t go back. I think the hype is because of some non-native blog somewhere that probably says “the best katsudon in Tokyo” or some stupid thing like that. But it was a fun experience. After we were done we walked 100 feet and past a place that did a katsudon/soba combo lunch for 1/3 the price that probably tasted at least as good:
Food Alert: Dim Tai Fung
We’ve decided we’re gonna splurge and eat at one “nice” place a month. There are just too many amazing places we can’t pass up while we’re here. This month we picked Dim Tai Fung
This place originated in Hong Kong. It’s been in Hong Kong for decades and is a very famous Michelin Star dim sum dumpling restaurant. Recently the family has expanded and there’s a couple restaurants in California and now one that just opened in Tokyo. It’s in the brand-new Shibuya Scramble Square Tower on the 14th floor. Floors 12-14 are called the “Scramble Foodies” area. It’s three floors of amazing restaurants with amazing views of the city. We won’t be able to go to all of them in 18 months, but they all look amazing.
Our meal was truly Michelin Star quality. I got a big stack of steamed dumplings – about 10 different kinds. Saori got a bowl of mushroom soup that had four kinds of wild mushrooms in it, noodles, shrimp and mushroom based broth that was sublime. And some more dumplings.
Here’s the view:
The food:
They had a window where you could watch the chefs make dumplings:
Fantastic meal. Each dumpling explodes with a new, different flavor. Altogether about $50 including the $4 6oz. coke. Next time you come to Tokyo, let’s go to Dim Tai Fung.
October 2, 2023
Food Alert!: Ikinari Steak
Today is P-Day and I did some research and found a katsudon place that is highly rated and looked really good. So, we went to it. When we got there, there was a line out the door 25 people long. No thanks. I’m not standing that long for lunch.
So we walked around a little more and found this steak place:
Ikinari Steak. A tiny shop that can seat maybe 20 people. It’s across the street from Outback Steakhouse, which is meh compared to this place. This is the very steak, the big cut of steak.
I ordered the lunch special. “The Wild.” It’s a super tender sirloin, vegetables, soup, salad and rice. 1390 yen (about $9). I also ordered two cokes and they were the expensive part – nearly $4. But it was worth it because of the amazing handmade ice cubes that were in the glass the cokes came with. Super nice.
This is a great steak place and a great place for a quick lunch. Japanese folks know how to cook a steak. It came out all noisy and sizzling, perfectly medium rare, sautéed in butter and daikon oroshi (the minced radish) and garlic. They have a special teriyaki glaze sauce you pour over while it’s still sizzling and that makes it really amazing.
This is what I ordered. Came in a sizzling cast iron skillet.
The expensive coke
Handmade ice is a thing here. It’s usually outsourced to experts and delivered to the restaurants every day. In a truck like this:
The iceman is so cool.
We’re in heaven over here…..
October 1, 2023
Food Alert: Yuzuan in Sagamihara
This week I told Saori it’s been a while since we visited her mother, and we should go see her when we have a few minutes. She called her mom and set up a time for Wednesday late afternoon.
“When you get to my station, don’t get off the train. I’ll meet you at the platform.” When we got to her station, she got on the train with us and we went two more stops to a neighborhood called Kobuchi in Sagamihara.
Keiko picked a place called “Yuzuan”. She said it had really high-quality Japanese food. I instantly tightened up because I know high quality places can get really pricey here. I should note that Keiko is pretty picky when it comes to eating out. She won’t go to a place that doesn’t have a waiter and real, non-disposable dishes and utensils. That’s the baseline rule. It has to be nice.
So this place had (and I’m not kidding or exaggerating here) – all you can eat Shabu Shabu, all you can eat sushi, all you can eat tempura, plus fresh made salads, vegetables, mushrooms, etc. all for the price of 2800 yen ($19) per person.
I should point out this isn’t a cheap Chuck-A-Rama type of buffet. You still have to order everything you want off the menu, then the robot waiter brings it to you in order. The menu is ten pages. You keep ordering off it, the robot keeps bringing. You can sit there all day if you want.
The beef for the shabu shabu was high quality tenderloin filet. The fish for the sushi was caught fresh that morning. Zoom in on the picture to see the quality of the beef. Note that there’s a stack of three trays. Yes, there’s meat in every tray.
Keiko was ordering so fast, and the robot was bringing food so fast that we ran out room to put it all on the table.
This was definitely the best meal we’ve had so far, and I can’t believe how fun and delicious it was. We may end up making this our hangout whenever we go see her.
September 25, 2023
Food Alert: Beard Papa
So we decided to drop by a bakery and pick up some dessert for dinner tonight. We bought the usual, amazing, Danish bakery items. Warm apple pie pastry, cherry and cream cheese tart, etc. So excited.
Then on the way back, we walked past a place called “Beard Papa’s”. No idea what the name is all about. But they make cream puffs. They had five pastry chefs in the back going crazy baking cream puffs and pulling them out warm and fresh. The place smelled incredible.
They had this thing called the “koeda” (little twig). It’s an elongated cream puff with chocolate icing and crushed almonds on top. And chocolate custard inside. Different from an eclair. So we picked up two. And a cream puff. Because, why not?
I made embarrassing sounds while eating it. Saori just laughed.
Now we don’t know when we are going to eat the baked goods we originally bought.
September 19, 2023
We were busy today – it was p-day – and we were running late so we only had a few minutes for lunch. Saw this little shop on the way to buy groceries and I was starved so we dropped in real quick. Small place in a basement, maybe 20 seats.
Korean BBQ steak. Cook your own. Marinated meat, salad, pickles, soup, rice, tofu salad, dipping sauce for the meat and a Coke. $9. The steak melts in your mouth. Everything you see here was amazing delicious.
We were in and out in 15 minutes. This is Japanese fast food.
September 12, 2023
Just another example. We just got out of a meeting with the mission president and member of the area presidency (Elder McCune) and strolled across the street and stumbled onto this spot for lunch.
Tonkatsu
The panko breading was so crispy and spikey that it scratched the roof of your mouth. The pork inside was so juicy and tender that it dissolved in your mouth. The cabbage was the diameter of dental floss and also dissolved in your mouth. Came with rice, pickles, and a hot bowl of soup. $10.
Saori got the shrimp. Stuffed. Also $10.
There is nowhere in the U.S. that can produce this meal. I know. I’ve looked. I tried not to make a scene. I really tried. But between the huge eye rolling expressions and moaning I think saori was embarrassed to sit by me.
This place is a four minute walk from our apartment/church.
September 11, 2023
OK – the food situation here in Shibuya is MIND BLOWING. Within a five-minute walk of our apartment there are THOUSANDS of AMAZING places to eat. I’m not exaggerating. Hundreds of cafes. Hundreds of ramen shops. Hundreds of udon shops. I walk past 5 Chinese spots just on the 100-yard stroll to church. Plus Italian, Indian, Steakhouses, Katsu, Pizza, Gourmet Burgers, Curry, Bakeries, French Pastry Shops, Spanish Tapas, BBQ Chicken, and on and on. Then there’s the puppy cafes (where you get to hold a puppy while eating), the cat cafes, the hedgehog cafes, the Nintendo cafes. Yesterday we visited the Curious George Cafe where you can get a fresh banana parfait. I’ve already walked past half a dozen spots that use robots as waiters. All within 5 minutes of where I’m sitting right now. I can’t even begin to comprehend it all. Aaaahhh! My head may explode! The disappointing thing is that we won’t have enough time to go to the ones that look good, and it’d take a lifetime to see them all.
The meal you’re looking at below cost about $15. We splurged on it because it was our first night wandering around. Most places can get you a good meal for $5-10. The exchange rate for the yen is really good now. Since eating there, I’ve already found a place that will give me that exact meal for about $5.
Yesterday for lunch we went to an Udon noodle place and spent about $12 for the both of us. $6 each! That got us a huge bowl of noodles and a plate stacked with tempura. Saori cried while eating – it was so good. Here’s a pic. Zoom in on the receipt and divide by 145:
Elder & Sister Low 