tokyo food file

Ogawamachi izakaya action

Kanda-Ogawamachi – home to the excellent Kagiroi – is an old-school low-rise carousing district with plenty of izakaya action. It's not so big, but there are enough small alleys to make it feel like it's a demi-monde all to itself. 

Come and stroll it with me…

 

 

Ogawamachi is a short stroll from the Jimbocho Crossing – which means (counter-intuitively) that it's actually closer to Jimbocho Station than to the subway station called Ogawamachi.

And that means you will also be in striking distance of Kiwamiya Ramen...

And then, on the other side of the lights at Jimbocho, you find yourself not far from Kankyo Shuten… Or Craft Beer Market… Or, of course, the very wonderful Den…

On the map, you'll find it here…

Arakicho — lanterns, noren curtains and atmosphere

The narrow streets of Arakicho still echo with the memories of the time when it was one of the liveliest little pleasure quarters around. These days it does feel a bit empty and forlorn in the daytime. But in the evening, when the noren are put out over the doorways and the chochin lanterns are illuminated, it definitely still has atmosphere...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arakicho is just a short walk from Yotsuya — and even closer to Yotsuya-Sanchome.

Here's a map link…

And a link to Suzunari…

 

Keats House — a thing of beauty indeed

That over-quoted line from Endymion is the inspiration for Keats House in Yutenji, as introduced in my Japan Times column today. 

The handsome old edifice that houses this natural foods cafe-restaurant-lifestyle shop is indeed a thing of beauty. But nothing is for ever when it comes to architecture in Tokyo — least of all traditional timber buildings.

The very fact that this building has been preserved and given a new lease of life: that alone makes it worth celebrating. But it's been done with such care and enthusiasm it really is a very fine space.

There are a few ancient knick-knacks — most obviously the ancient hinoki ofuro bath tub outside — but inside it has a very clean modern feel.

 

The ground floor (the original shop space) houses the boutique, with its shelves of wholewheat bread, non-additive foods, biodynamic wine and "lifestyle goods".

The cafe/dining area is out back, in what used to be the yard. It's been given a timber deck and clear plastic roof — and currently is sealed in plastic to (not totally successfully) keep out the chill...

But the place to sit — just as long as no one has got there first — is the beautifully restored 2nd-floor chamber, with its high ceiling, wooden beams, antique glass in the windows and retro 1960s furniture. And kingyo goldfish (they're for sale, ¥40,000 apiece) as introduced in the vid I posted yesterday.

I just love the patterns in the old glass, especially when it's refracting the lights from the street outside at night.

Don't fail to check out the restroom, also upstairs, with its period furnishings and wonderful full-moon window, which has a slightly different design to its frosted glass (below)

In my column, I perhaps give the wrong idea: it's not a private space as such: it just feels that way because there's only room for two small groups of people (couples, threesome, or maximum four) at a time.

And what about the food? Well, it really falls into the "simple, wholesome, worthy" category. It's certainly not gourmet. But the curry is tasty and satisfying — with all that whole grain it goes without saying — and the veggies are fresh, colourful and organic.

This (above) is the chicken curry lunch platter; and here (below) is the steamed vegetable set meal.

But, bottom line, it's the space not the food that's special. Drop in during the afternoon for some organic coffee and the house special waffles (with maple syrup and whipped cream, or one of the fine (and vegan) Chaya Macrobi desserts.

a very fine galette indeed — more on Maison Bretonne

Just in case you can't see how exceptionally delicious that galette at Maison Bretonne looks (at The Japan Times online), here it is in a rather larger version.

 

There are two elements that are essential for making a great galette. First (obviously) is the pancake itself. Those at Maison Bretonne are exactly the way they should be: even thickness, crisp on the outside, still moist inside. They're made from a mix of Japanese buckwheat (flavorful but too light in colour) and Canadian (adding that nut brown hue). David Moreul says he'd love to use buckwheat grown in Brittany but at present it's just too hard to import.

The second element (equally obviously) is the quality of the ingredients used to fill the galette. In the photo above, that's jambon cru (Basque-style dry-cured Bayonne ham) draped over the salad greens. In the simpler galette complète, a different kind of ham is used, a wet-cured style known as jambon de Paris, which David makes himself. This (below) was the one I had there the other night:

 

Not to labour the point but... another Tokyo galetterie (newer and supposedly "authentic") that I visited recently uses spam-type processed pink mystery meat wrapped up inside its pancakes.

Back to Maison Bretonne: there are plenty of other things on the menu that are not to be missed. Such as the pâté d'agneau au thym (lamb pate nicely seasoned with thyme):

 

...and the cider vinegar pickles — pictured here with a glass of the kir Breton (that's farmhouse cider with a splosh of cassis):

 

But what I like best about Maison Bretonne is the immediate sense that it's a neighbourhood restaurant, a place you can feel comfortable dropping into at any time whether it's for a meal, a snack or just a drink.

And that's entirely a reflection of the friendly, welcoming personalities of owner-chefs David and Eiko Moreul. 

 

The Maison Bretonne web site is in French/Japanese.

For more info in English (and better photos too), it is now featured  on eat-pia.com.

And here is a direct map link...

To close, here are a few more images...