tokyo food file

Buchi: a final fond farewell

Last night we said sayonara to Buchi. After 10 years, this excellent pioneering little tapas-style standing bar has closed its doors. 

Over the last few days, friends and fans have been making their way up to the far end of Shinsen, dropping by for a final few drinks. We made sure to get there in good time for the final evening.

 

Of course, co-owner Hisae Iwakura was there, as dynamic and enthusisastic as ever, to welcome everyone — just as she was at the very start. 

And of course there was plenty of good food and drink to be had — after all, that has been Buchi's calling card since the start. Cold cuts, garlic toast with foie gras butter, artisan tofu with fresh-ground black pepper, smoked octopus, bruschetta, fresh figs with mozzarella, pasta, even venison meat balls…

On the junction of two busy avenues and with the expressway looming overhead, it was never a beautiful location. But there always was a great buzz, with the crowd often spilling out onto the sidewalk.

And that was the way it was yesterday, for one last time...

 

So what made Buchi so popular? These days it may not seem so remarkable, but when it opened back in 2004, Buchi rewrote many of the rules about standing bars. 

By giving the place a stylish logo and look, serving quality food and drink, both Japanese and Western – including the radical step of offering premium sake in single-serving one-cup jars – and staffing it with knowledgeable (and attractive) young women, it really struck a chord that translated into enduring popularity. 

This is how I wrote up the phenomenon in the Japan Times, not so long after Buchi arrived on the scene. 

 

Only one question remains to be answered: why the strange name? Well, in the dialect of Hiroshima, Iwakura-san's home, Buchi means "extremely" (similar to the Kansai expression "mecha").

So thanks Iwakura-san and all the staff: "Buchi yokatta da" — it was really great!

 

PS: This is certainly not the end for Iwakura-san and her husband, Higashi-san. They are as busy as ever, working on new projects and managing their existing ones: Kinsai, in Naka-Meguro; Bon Gout Noh, on the other side of Shibuya; Kitchen Cero in Meguro; and Cafe Bleu, just around the corner in Shinsen.

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…

Chef Shimada's asparagus and seasonal vegetables

Somewhere at the confluence of nikogori and aspic lies this vegetable kanten creation.

 

The full name was "asparagus and colourful vegetables set in jelly". 

An excellent cooling summer appetizer from Chef Hiroshi Shimada, which he is serving at Ore no Kappo, Ginza. 

Brasserie le Zinc: Basque accents in backstreet Kanda

The warren of streets around Kanda Station has always been one of Tokyo's quintessential old-school carousing districts. But change is arriving even here among the traditional watering holes… 

and there's no better example than Brasserie le Zinc. Equal parts wine bar, bistro and salaryman "standing bar," Zinc — it's pronounced the French way, "Zank" — sits halfway along one of the narrowest alleys in the area. You'd barely notice it among the modest izakaya taverns on either side, were it not for the glowing rotisserie machine by the entrance.

  

Inside, though, you find this 50-year-old two-storey wooden building has been refurbished to match its current incarnation: serving surprisingly good French brasserie cuisine with a strong Basque accent and a highly affordable range of wine.

 

Downstairs you stand and nurse your drinks at upturned barrels or prop up the counter — yes, it is made of zinc and white tiles, salvaged second-hand from a now-defunct Parisian bistro — which runs along the narrow open prep kitchen.

The mismatched tables and chairs on the second floor have likewise seen better days, but seem to fit the old timber-frame building perfectly. The menu, chalked over one entire wall, is not just extensive, it's a lot more sophisticated than you'd expect from the neighborhood.

 

Chef Takai — that's him on the right in the photo — spent three years in Europe, most of that time in the Pays Basque close to the Spanish border. He bakes his own focaccia and quiche, stuffs his own homemade garlic sausages…

 

…and produces excellent, hearty farmhouse dishes such as lamb terrine, cassoulet or axoa, a Basque specialty made from ground beef and lots of spicy Espelette pepper.

He also has plenty of lighter recipes for the summer months. The marinated ayu sweetfish hits the spot just right, especially with a glass of chilled Chardonnay (¥500 for a well-filled glass)…

and his lamb terrine or smoked duck pair nicely with the Pays d'Oc Pinot Noir (also ¥500).

The house wine (from ¥380) is even more affordable; and there is also a wide selection of local and Belgian beer (from ¥500). Ditto with the food menu, which boasts little over ¥1,000. These are honest prices that reflect the neighborhood and the spending power of the local clientele — and in no way diminish the quality of the food and drink.

 

Before heading over to Kanda, a couple of caveats are in order. The temperature inside Zinc is hot enough at the best of times if you find yourself standing close to the rotisserie; in summer it can be nigh-on unbearable. But if you're eyeing those tables upstairs, be aware that they are invariably booked solid, especially on weekdays. Just as you'd expect in this salaryman territory and with food this good.

 

Brasserie le Zinc, 1-7-1 Kajicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; (03) 3251-2233. Open 5-11:30 p.m.; closed Sun.

Closest station Kanda (Ginza, Keihin-Tohoku, Yamanote and Chuo lines).

Japanese menu; some French spoken. Wine from ¥380, beer from ¥500.

 

Here's a map…

Taken from my current column in The Japan Times...

Stand Bar Maru: enough said

When I wrote up Maru Sankai in the Japan Times a while back, I kind of glossed over the ground floor stand bar. That was on purpose — it's way too crowded as it is, and I didn't want readers to go all the way to Hatchobori to find they can't get in. [OK, I didn't want more people to go there at all. Period]

So even though I dropped it into the side story of my column yesterday, I'm not going to say much more about it, just put up a few photos and you can draw your own conclusions...

You'll find it inside the Miyataya liquor store, which these days deals mostly in wine, from the basic budget bottles on their rough and ready shelves to some pretty nice (ie pricy) vintages in their walk-in. And also discounted (mostly imported) food items, which spill out onto the street...