Today, 11th March, is a time for remembrance and prayer. For the victims and all who were lost. For the communities destroyed. For a region devastated. For a country far from recovered. For a future still uncertain.
And then, from tomorrow, to continue the work and duty of living.
Following up on my piece that went up today on CNNGo, here are a few more images of the four restaurant chains I highlighted.
Uogashi Nihon-Ichi is totally worth knowing. I chose the branch on Shibuya's Center-gai, which needless to say attracts an eclectic clientele.
It looks just like any other low-end sushiya, apart from the fact there are no chairs. As I point out in the piece, no frills, no lingering: no problem.
Hidakaya, on the other hand, is really only recommendable for its prices. You can't argue with ¥390 for a bowl of ramen — and less than a ¥1,000 for the same with gyoza and a flagon of Ichiban-shibori nama beer.
For those prices, just don't expect any kind of ambience.
As for Tenya, the look is so bland and dull, there seemed to be no better way to illustrate the experience than a photo of the plastic display models. In the end a generic photo of tempura was used: I hope it doesn't raise too many people's expectations...
No reservations whatsoever about Otooya, though. This is one classy chain, and they serve nothing but good solid fare. The decor is cheerful and so are the wait staff. The menu is extensive and well laid out. And it's always great value.
You'll have a very hard time finding a better teishoku anyway in town. To quote: "Unless you have a Japanese mom, this is as close as you're likely to get to the taste of home cooking while you're in the country."
Anyone who thinks that the only wine produced in Japan is Koshu — or that it's only grown in Yamanashi — should think, and drink, again. San-Sun is a great little place to be re-educated.
Every day you'll find half a dozen or so bottles opened for sampling by the glass, many of them available by the whole bottle too. All produced inside the country, from Hokkaido, in the north, to as far south as Kyushu — there are wineries in every prefecture except Okinawa and Kagoshima, apparently — all are worth knowing, and some are excellent.
Even the Koshu doesn't necesssarily taste the way Koshu is supposed to taste. This one had a lot more in common with Sauvignon Blanc...
But there's no mistaking the grape in this Pinot Noir...
San-Sun (it's also written 3sun or 三sun) is a cosy little place with minimal decoration. Just counter seating for eight, plus room to stand at three small tables along the back wall...
It's very straightforward, bright, accessible, welcoming — which of course is a reflection of the young owners, Enomoto-san and his wife. They're doing a great job.
San-Sun lies in the little micro-neighbourhood — barely more than two rows of shops, restaurants and bars lining a side street — wedged into the corner where Inokashira-dori comes down to hit Yamate-dori.
Although the address is Uehara, think of it as a part of the Yoyogi-Hachiman enclave that got split off when the looming, hulking, newly expanded elevated section of Yamate-dori was built. It's less than 5 minutes from Yoyogi-Koen or Yoyogi-Hachiman stations.
San-Sun doesn't have a web site as such, but you can track them down via their Twitter page here.
Arriving at Iri — as introduced in my Japan Times column today — in the evening, all you notice are the huge windows, covering almost the entire facade of the low, free-standing house. Your gaze is drawn inside to the gleaming, spotless kitchen, the chefs at work, the counter seats and the dining room beyond...
The lines are clean; it feels spacious and contemporary.
In daytime, though, you see clearly that it's actually a traditional wooden residential house, probably 50 or 60 years old but beautifully refurbished.
You see the pillars, beams and ceiling boards, and the corners where the wattle and daub walls are exposed...
But mostly it feels all feels comfortable, organic, contemporary.
Just like the food. The basic ¥1,800 lunch starts with a generous serving of antipasti, including plenty of marinated vegetables and prosciutto sliced freshly off the ham.
You get a choice of main courses — basically pasta, fish or meat/chicken. On this occasion I plumped for the spaghetti, which was tossed with morsels of lightly cooked madai snapper and spring greens. It was seasoned so subtly I had to call for an extra sprinkle of salt and pepper (very unusual for me).
And that, apart from coffee, was it. Not exactly generous for the price, and clearly not aimed at the grab-a-quick-pasta-lunch-for-under-¥1,000 office crowd. But that's because there aren't many offices around here, and the clientele are mostly non-working ladies with the time and wherewithal to lunch at leisure and without too much concern for the bottom line.
At dinner it's a different demographic and a different feel: more couples, more romantic. At dinner last month (the set ¥4,800 menu) we nibbled on home-baked bread...
and a slightly more elaborate mixed antipasti plate.
Great pasta: hearty, home-made strozzapreti — don't you love the name: Italian for "priest choker" — topped with a rich, meaty ragu of wild boar meat generously sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
Followed by an excellent acqua pazza...
And then beef tagliata: seared, sliced and arranged with rocket greens and shavings of Parmesan. Not a delicate dish but beautifully prepared. Equal parts rustic and artistic.
We passed on the cheese platter and moved onto dessertand coffee.
And instead of lingering with digestifs, we decided to head down the hill for a snifter or two at San-Sun... But that's for another separate post...
Coming up in my Japan Times column tomorrow...
An intimate kitchen with counter seating and wine aplenty...
Dainty but with no shortage of flavour...
And a nice sense of style...
No ordinary neighbourhood restaurant.
Food writer and restaurant reviewer for the Japan Times contact: foodfile (at) me (dot) com
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