Job Discussion Forums

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Please help me make my Wednesday move faster! Wink

I would like to compile a nice little list of great places to eat and drink, given that Japan is such a bloody maze when it comes to going out. You can't walk two steps without hitting a restaurant of some kind... And it's hard to know what's decent and what's not. I'd say that most often I end up going to places that are recommended by word-of-mouth.

So, here's your mission, should you choose to accept it. What are your TOP 3 favourite RESTAURANTS in Japan? (Notice I said restaurants and not pubs or bars. I think that's a whole other category. If your favorite place is indeed a bar, then that's fine, but please focus on the food rather than the quality of their martinis or selection of cigars).

Because Japan is a big place, and I just don't have the chance to visit every little town where Dave's dwellers live, I would like to concentrate on larger cities. SO in order to participate, please choose one (or more) of the following: Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Sendai, Hiroshima, Fukuoka.

RESTAURANT NAME:
LOCATION:
ADDRESS (or directions if known):
TYPE OF FOOD:
PRICE RANGE:
WHY IS IT YOUR FAVOURITE?:
ADDITIONAL INFO (if known - e.g. website, tel. #, etc):

As always, I'll kick us off with my top 3. (In no particular order)

1.
RESTAURANT NAME: El Torito
LOCATION: Tokyo
ADDRESS (or directions if known): Odyaku Southern Terrace 1F 2-2-1 Yoyogi Shibuya-ku
TYPE OF FOOD: Mexican
PRICE RANGE: 900-1600 yen
WHY IS IT YOUR FAVOURITE?: Great-tasting food. Bottomless salsa and chips.
ADDITIONAL INFO (if known - e.g. website, tel. #, etc): I did a review on this restaurant here: http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=35716&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=60

2.
RESTAURANT NAME: The Aegean
LOCATION: Tokyo
ADDRESS (or directions if known): Oriental Bldg B1 3-18-3 Shibuya
TYPE OF FOOD: Greek
PRICE RANGE: expensive
WHY IS IT YOUR FAVOURITE?: Amazing food! Authentic. (Greek-owned) Great dolomades! Plenty of charm, and personality. Great place to take a date. Very private. Also a rare source of ouzo!
ADDITIONAL INFO (if known - e.g. website, tel. #, etc): They advertise almost every day in the Daily Yomiuri

3.
RESTAURANT NAME: Shakey's Pizza
LOCATION: Tokyo
ADDRESS (or directions if known): various (1 on Omotesando Dori, one near Ikebukuro Stn.)
TYPE OF FOOD: Pizza
PRICE RANGE: usually under 2000 yen.
WHY IS IT YOUR FAVOURITE?: Amazing pizza! A great reminded of "home"
ADDITIONAL INFO (if known - e.g. website, tel. #, etc): not at the moment.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

RESTAURANT NAME: Capricciosa
LOCATION: branches in Kyoto and Osaka
ADDRESS (or directions if known):
TYPE OF FOOD: Italian (spaghetti, pasta)
PRICE RANGE: 1,000-2000 yen per adult serving
WHY IS IT YOUR FAVOURITE?: Huge servings of spaghetti, delicious. Pizza and pasta are plenty for two people
ADDITIONAL INFO (if known - e.g. website, tel. #, etc):

http://www.capricciosa.com/

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

RESTAURANT NAME: Paraiso
LOCATION: Mizuhodai, Saitama
ADDRESS (or directions if known): In front of station, south
TYPE OF FOOD: Indonesian
PRICE RANGE: dunno
WHY IS IT YOUR FAVOURITE?: Excellent food, deep-fried ice cream, near, beer list to die for, but no NA beer

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan

RESTAURANT NAME:Chez Toto
LOCATION:Shin Sakae Nagoya
ADDRESS (or directions if known):@200m West from Shin Sakae Station 1
TYPE OF FOOD:French
PRICE RANGE:4000/head for a 3 course lunch
WHY IS IT YOUR FAVOURITE?:good food, reasonable price
ADDITIONAL INFO (if known - e.g. website, tel. #, etc):

more later

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

Bunryu - Italian

Takadanobaba station area, in the basement of the same building as Horindo bookstore, across from the station on the Big Box building side.

Japanese owner, but chefs all trained in Italy or Italian. Great lunches for 980 yen, salad, choice of spaghetti, and expresso or coffee. Recomended by Italian teachers, also have a bigger restaurant in Ikebukuro, same owner.

Kao Thai - Thai
Best Thai food in Tokyo, extremely hot, you have been warned. Thai owners, not a typical watered down place, though luncheon buffet is milder.

On Waseda Ave toward Waseda when leaving the Takadanobaba station. 2nd left off Waseda Ave., on left in basement. Dinners are better, lunches are buffets, great value but less choices.

Best Thai restaurnt I have been to in Tokyo

one more coming, need to get the name

Nagoyaguy · Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 425 Location: Aichi, Japan

Outback Steak House in downtown Nagoya. Just like the Outback at home. Great food, big portions. When you feel the need to be a carnivore, the Outback is the place to go. Probably 3000 yen each if you eat well.

luckyloser700 · Joined: 24 Mar 2006 Posts: 308 Location: Japan

Hey, Jim. Thanks for this thread. I love El Torito back home in California; glad to know there's one in Tokyo. I'm moving down that way next month!

Ai · Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 154 Location: Chile

Thanks for posting this. I'm going to check out El Torito ASAP!!

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan

Nagoyaguy · Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 425 Location: Aichi, Japan

Mark. Nah, it's an American chain that has Aussie pretentions. Anyway, the food is great. You're in Toyota, so you probably know where it is. In Sakae, on Hirokoji dori. Across the street from the Melsa shopping complex, in the basement of a building.

Yum yum yum.

wintersweet · Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 3:16 am Post subject:

I wish I could remember the names of places I ate at in Japan, but I did have some great honey toast at a ninnikuya in Gion.

The reviews at gnavi.com and bento.com are great fun to dig through (both are bilingual), and gnavi.livejournal.com needs more users.

TokyoLiz · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1548 Location: Tokyo, Japan

RESTAURANT NAME: Gyoza Lou
LOCATION: 6-2-4 Jingumae, Shibuya Ku, Tokyo
ADDRESS (or directions if known): close to Fujimamas, right off Omotesando, hang a right before Kiddyland
TYPE OF FOOD: Gyoza and moyashi with meat!
PRICE RANGE: Cheap!
WHY IS IT YOUR FAVOURITE?: It's open until 4:30 am, the menu's simple (painted in bold red kanji on the wall) and the staff are better than tv any day - they're all young, talkative and friendly.
ADDITIONAL INFO

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Well, keep em coming, guys. I should also point out, please don't feel like you have to limit yourself to 3 restaurants. If you have more OR less, please share. Also, even if you can't think of anything now, consider contributing at some point down the line.. (Like those people who haven't arrived in Japan yet but are on their way over).

In fact, let me just add ANOTHER favorite.... This one really R0XX0rz!

TOKYO
Kua' Aina
many locations (Shibuya for one) - plz visit the (2nd) web link for details
Hawaiian hamburgers
Around 900 yen or so (and up)
Absolutely out-of-this-world burgers!!! The only thing that can remotely compare, are home-made and grilled on your own backyard BBQ. In fact, go to the (first) website link and look at the photo. If you don't get hungry just LOOKING at it, then you must be a vegetarian!
tel. 03-3518-0050
http://www.four-seeds.co.jp/brand/08_kua_aina/index.html
http://www.kua-aina.com
Also, they have branches all over. I actually had this in Kamakura (near Yokohama).

TokyoLiz · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1548 Location: Tokyo, Japan

RESTAURANT NAME: Yuukiya Ramen
LOCATION: Kashiwa City, Chiba, down the block from Kashiwa Shrine
ADDRESS: Kashiwa 3-3-17
TYPE OF FOOD: red miso ramen, blending Sendai and Hokkaido regional ramen, and an white miso ramen Kyushu style
PRICE RANGE: Y750-800 a bowl, happy hour gyoza and menma
WHY IS IT YOUR FAVOURITE?: So flavourful and generous with the chashu.

ADDITIONAL INFO Kashiwa is home to the Ramen Fight!

guest of Japan · Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 1601 Location: Japan

I thought the Outback Steakhouse in Makuhari was horrible.

As for favorites:

I agree with Jim on the Hawaiian burger place.

Hinomoto in Yurakucho under the railroad tracks. Great izakaya run by a foreigner who married into it. The fish is fresh from Sukiji. I've even seen the manager on TV in America. He was at Sukiji buying fish on a travel show. Price - about 4000 each with alcohol.

Zonjiasu in Utsunomiya. Out of this world steakhouse. Out of this world prices. It'll cost you over 10,000 each.

Modern in Utsunomiya. It's a modern style izakaiya that was started by a long time foreigner and two Japanese partners. The foreigner is gone but the restaurant remains. It has good food and a great atmosphere. It's not so expensive.

TY Brewery in Shinagawa-great beer. I hear the food is good too.

Ninja in Akasaka. Really over-priced, pretty good food, but wickedly entertaining.

Fuyuki in Togane has great seafood if you are ever for any strange reason in Togane Chiba.

Kukurembo in Utsunomiya. Very tiny bar with good food and a great wine selection. The owner is a hillarious flambouyant bisexual man. It can get pretty expensive if you stay too long.

I also went to a terrific little gyytan restaurant in Sendai, but just can't remember the name. Bear in mind that I'm not a big fan of gyutan, but this place was great.