tokyo food file

reward at Rokurinsha

The line outside Rokurinsha in the new Solamachi mall can be as much as an hour long. The chances are you'll be ready for a beer when you get to the end of it. Something like a nice big flagon of Sky Tree lager.

It's not actually frozen beer, but the joki flagon came straight out of a refrigerator all lovely and frosted.

 

Perfect for while you wait (another 5-10 minutes) for your tsukemen to be served. That's a saucer of menma bamboo shoots on the side as the otoshi nibble to go with it.

Trivia: as everyone in Tokyo knows, 634 refers to the height of the new tower.

NB: If that long queue seems offputting, I was told the wait is as little as 20 minutes if you go at the quietest time of the afternoon (around 4 pm) weekdays. Though this may not be true once the summer holidays kick in.

Happy Fourth of July (plus three)

Like so many other holidays, both religious and national, July 4th tends to be just another work day here in Tokyo. The solution? Postpone the celebrations for a few days – no one back home will know the difference anyway – and then party (like it's 1776) at the weekend.

And I can't think of a better looking, better tasting American restaurant to do it than Martiniburger, over on the far side of Kagurazaka.

 

I wrote up Martiniburger on my blog and in my column in the spring of last year. Since then there have been plenty of changes and evolution — as owner Eliot Bergman explained when I dropped in the other day.

He now has a new head chef, Aki Asami, and she seems to be doing a great job. There are some good additions on her menu, such as these sliders, cutely called 'Tini Burgers on the menu. They're far from "teeny" though: three of them add up to quite a substantial snack.

Absolutely worth a close-up or two...

 

RIght now, Eliot's got a special drinks promotion going on, tied in with an exhibition of photography of New York (by Fumiaki Yamazaki). There are some great images, and they help add an extra NYC dimension to the dining room decor. 

 

But I was there for beer as well as burgers. Up to now Eliot has only offered just the one kind: Brooklyn Lager on tap. Now for the duration he's offering a couple of limited-edition bottled beers from the same brewery. Local 1 is a strong golden ale; Local 2 is a full-flavored Belgian-type ale. Robust and dark. Just right for the rainy season.

 

He's also offering a special cocktail — a shiso-yuzu mojito made with Absolut Citron which he's pairing with vodka-infused cured salmon served on excellent open-faced sandwiches.

That's assistant chef Maik getting his mojito mojo on...

 

Anyway anyhow, tomorrow (July 7th), Eliot will be marking the big annual holiday (albeit three days late) by handing out free hot dogs and sandwiches during the afternoon from 3 pm.

Best of all, that great offer is not just limited to Americans. So I may see you there!

More info on his Facebook page.

And check out the Martiniburger web site for more info on the promotion..

 

al fresco pizza, Shibuya salaryman-style

It doesn't get much better than this -- pizza and wine in the great outdoors... Who cares if the setting is not quite Chiantishire? Or the vino rosso is served in a paper cup? Just as long as the pizza is as good as the company...

 

You'll have to read Mark Robinson's excellent piece (up today on CNNGo) for the full story. But this is where to come for the photos in their full-size glory.

 

First things first: Yutaka Hazama makes a fine pizza. He's done his research and he's got the pie down nicely. Doesn't hurt that he's got a good woodfired brick oven, and he's tried and tested his recipe and technique till the results come out just right.

So what if his kitchen is the back of his van?

 

And so what if the setting is less than salubrious -- an empty lot off a salaryman's alley on the edge of Love Hotel Hill in Shibuya? The bottom line is it's tasty, it's fun -- and it's VERY Tokyo.

As Mark writes:

It’s noisy and convivial and our conversation turns briefly to gratitude -- for being able to sit here on this summer evening eating cheaply and authentically, and lapping up the passing circus.

And for the perennial wonders of Tokyo food culture -- its self-regulating chaos, its inclusiveness of all social statuses, generations, genres and genders.

Regardless of their ethnic diversity, the more parochial dining scenes of say, Sydney or London, simply don’t offer this laid-back mix.

 

I'll raise a glass -- or even a paper cup -- to that! 

More pizza truck action on a previous post here... and here...