Jiyusan (じゆうさん) @ Eharacho, Tokyo

Cuisine: Soba

Map: Jiyusan (じゆうさん) @ Eharacho, Tokyo

Charged Price: JPY2,000 per person without alcohol

Visited: 13 November 2015

Food: 8/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Value for money: 8/10

Services: 8/10
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

Who knows "Soba" can be fabulously nice. Whilst people keep seeking and searching for high end sushi or sukiyaki, this little soba-specialised restaurant just out of Tokyo city centre offers such unforgettable soba: "Jiyusan". Apart from lovely soba, the atmosphere and services of this place are as equally great. Expect the warm welcome from owners, and quiet and peaceful ambient.

As it is out of city centre, arriving at Jiyusan can be a little tedious. What we did is taking a train from Ikebukuro to Higashi-Nagasaki (~ 5 minutes) and then followed by a short walk of around 10 mins. Trust me, it is not that difficult and worth a trip for dinner.

Jiyusan (じゆうさん) @ Eharacho, Tokyo

small but comfy restaurant

counter seats

When flipping through me here, we were not surprised the menu was all in Japanese. However, the owner was kind enough to recommend us to take Dinner Course which was priced at JPY2,000. This came into 3 parts. The first one was Soba on Bamboo for dipping - せいろ (9/10). Classic zaru soba that was well made. If you were Italian, you may say "al dente". Delicious indeed. Love the texture as well as well balanced dipping sauce.

Soba on Bamboo for dipping - せいろ

Then we were presented with a small bowl of Soba with Mackerel in Soup - 小さばにしんそば (8/10). This was mind refreshing. The soup was well made with flavour and a touch of tanginess. The saba (mackerel) was also tasty.

Soba with Mackerel in Soup - 小さばにしんそば

[soba water with remaining dipping sauce]

Lastly, the dessert was red bean jelly (8/10), I suppose. What a perfect way to end the course in classic Japanese style. Sweetness was well balanced. The flavour of red bean exploded deliciously. Soft on the texture. Love it.

Nothing much to say about this place, except "Must Visit".

dessert of red bean jelly

Jiyusan (じゆうさん) @ Eharacho, Tokyo

3-1-4 Eharacho
Nakano
Tokyo 〒165-0023
Japan

Open Hours: Tue-Sun from 11:00am - 03:00pm for lunch and 05:30pm - 09:00pm for dinner

Tel: +81 (0) 3 3951 3397
Web: http://www.bluewesco.co.jp/hp/jiyu-san/index.html

Sushi Tokami (鮨とかみ) @ Ginza, Tokyo

Cuisine: Sushi

Map: Sushi Tokami (鮨とかみ) @ Ginza, Tokyo

Charged Price: JPY10,800 per person without alcohol

Visited: 13 November 2015

Food: 9/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Value for money: 7/10

Services: 9/10
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

Hiroyuki Sato of Sushi Tokami is, in my humble opinion, a non-ordinary sushi master at his age. Not so much fancy for his almost flawless execution but things could be just so ozzzzz. Yeah.....it's umami in Japanese, I guess. This tiny sushi bar, of 8 seats, on basement floor of Seiwa Silver Building in Ginza is defitely an extraordinary one with future.

Sushi Tokami (鮨とかみ) @ Ginza, Tokyo

Seiwa Silver Buidling

where great sushi are prepared!!!

the energetic Hiroyuki Sato at his work

look like a delicious roll

The very first to arrive was Oyster Boiled with Daikon (7/10). It might not be standing out for this cold appetiser but surely enjoyable. Then the very first nigiri was Hirame (平目) - Flounder (8/10) which was fresh and possessed the right chewiness texture. Just only the overwhelmed fragrance of wasabi that was irritating. Sumi Ika (墨いか) - Cuttlefish (9/10) on the other hand was tender but with texture. Nice explosion of flavour without fishy saltiness.

Oyster Boiled with Daikon

Hirame (平目) - Flounder

Sumi Ika (墨いか) - Cuttlefish

After that, Baby Snapper (8/10) was brought on. Not sure whether I got the name right. What I heard was Katsuo (鰹) which usually means bonito but it was baby snapper for this incidence. Not a big deal though. Nevertheless, rather on the side of sourness piece of Akami Zuke (赤身漬け) - Marinated Red Tuna (9/10) came in rich taste and melted-in-mouth texture. Afther that, the perfect piece of Chu Toro (中とろ) - Medium Fatty Tuna (10/10) arrived in style. It just melted right away leaving so much of flavour behind.

Baby Snapper???

Akami Zuke (赤身漬け) - Marinated Red Tuna

Chu Toro (中とろ) - Medium Fatty Tuna

Moving on to kind of marinated sushi, Kohada (小鰭) - Gizzard Shad (9/10) at this instance was well made with excellent quality. Kuruma Ebi (車海老) - Tiger Prawn (10/10) was surely one of the very best alongside Sushi Saito and Sushi Mizutani. Nonetheless, Kisu (鱚) - Silver Whiting (8/10) which was just an oridnary fish, somehow presented itself rather ok. Sawara (鰆) - Spanish Mackerel (9/10) showed lime aroma with almost perfect mind-blowing texture.

Kohada (小鰭) - Gizzard Shad

Kuruma Ebi (車海老) - Tiger Prawn

Kisu (鱚) - Silver Whiting

Sawara (鰆) - Spanish Mackerel

The very last range began with Saba (鯖) - Mackerel (9/10) which was so sweet, so smooth and so without sea breeze aroma. A kind of shell, Hamaguri (蛤) - Clam (10/10), was the next one. It came with a kind of rather sweet sauce. Crisp, fresh, bouncy, and balance. Ikura (いくら) - Salmon Roe (10/10) which is one of my all time favourite had come just before the smoothy Anago (穴子) - Sea Eel (10/10) arrived. 

Saba (鯖) - Mackerel

Hamaguri (蛤) - Clam

Ikura (いくら) - Salmon Roe

Anago (穴子) - Sea Eel

As in other sushi restaurant, the Hand-rolled Tuna (10/10) and Sweet Omelette (9/10) came to be the finish items. The maki was at the very level of satisfaction. On the other hand, the sweet omelette was excellent too. It was just the texture that still cannot beat Sushi Mizutani. But the burnt caramel on top layer was definitely gorgeous. Surely look forward to the next visit at Sushi Tokami. Cheers guys!!!!!!!!!

hand rolled tuna

sweet omelette

miso soup with egg

Sushi Tokami (鮨とかみ) @ Ginza, Tokyo

Floor B1, Ginza Seiwa Silver Building (銀座誠和シルバービル)
8-2-10 Ginza
Chuo-ku
Tokyo 〒104-0061
Japan

Open Hours: Mon-Sat from 12:00pm - 02:30pm for lunch and 05:30pm - 10:00pm for dinner

Tel: +81 (0) 3 3571 6005
Web: http://sushitokami.3zoku.com/

Sukiyaki Ishibashi (鋤焼いし橋) @ Sotokanda, Tokyo

Cuisine: Sukiyaki

Map: Sukiyaki Ishibashi (鋤焼いし橋) @ Sotokanda, Tokyo

Charged Price: JPY14,000 per person without alcohol

Visited: 11 November 2015

Food: 9/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Value for money: 7/10

Services: 10/10
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

Sukiyaki, in my opinion, is a kind of Japanese dish that has put together many things in a meal: delicacy, tradition, joy, and even companion. It is definitely delicious which is full of umami sense from each bite. However, it is never just a quick quick meal then off you go like ramen or don nor lining up on a counter to be served with sushi individually. Sukiyaki is fun and is always good for family and friend gathering, and even business talk.

Ishibashi near Suehirocho Station is one of the magnificent in its category. Long history with almost 150 years. It is also situated in the traditional house which is indeed rare for such developed city like Tokyo. What I really like about this cozy place, apart from the taste, is the service and privacy. All rooms are private. So it is not a matter how many of you are visiting, you all get your own room.

Sukiyaki Ishibashi (鋤焼いし橋) @ Sotokanda, Tokyo

traditional private dining room

my pot is ready (^.^)

chopsticks are also ready!!!!

While waiting for Nakai (waitress) to prepare for sukiyaki, appetisers were served. The first one was steamed daikon which was so soft and sweet. Then it was a small portion of grilled salmon and ginkgo. So delicate and tasty.

appetiser 1: daikon

appetiser 2: salmon + ginkgo

At Sukiyaki Ishibashi, you do not have to do anything with the sukiyaki. Your job is only to eat. Nakai has her role in preparing, cooking, and serving. I believe there are choices of beef grade to be chosen. The one for our meal was from Kyushu Miyazaki. Just by looking, ones can tell this would be heavenly melting in mouth.

Nakai would firstly start with oiling the pan with beef fat before pouring in some of warishita sauce. The serving came in 4 rounds: 1) beef only, 2) beef with kombu and vegetable, 3) beef with mushrooms and onion, and 4) beef with kombu and vegetable. Of course, the delicious way of having sukiyaki is to dip with fresh raw egg. The combination of fat flavour from beef, its delicacy, the sweet and salty warishita, and fatty texture of yolk is just undeniable.

sukiyaki set

bird's eye view

1st round with beef only

subsequent rounds with vegetable and side dishes

a small bowl of heaven

To end the course, we also had ojiya which is rice cooked with the remaining sauce and egg. This was enjoyable and a good experience. Not at all the amazing one but good enough. I believe how rich the flavour would be, depend on the amount of remaining sauce though. Anyway, it was at satisfaction along with condiment.

Well, Sukiyaki Ishibashi is sure one with long history and its history tells you well how delicate and perfect this place is. Personally, I love this place and would not hesitate to return at all. Look forward to next trip here even so.

baked rice with egg in action

it is now ready

classic carb dish to end the meal

Sukiyaki Ishibashi (鋤焼いし橋) @ Sotokanda, Tokyo

3-6-8 Sotokanda
Chiyoda-Ku
Tokyo 〒101-0021
Japan

Open Hours: Mon-Fri from 05:00pm - 08:30pm (last order) for dinner

Tel: +81 (0) 3 3251 3580

Kenzo Estate Asuka 2012 and Rindo 2012

Date of Tasting: 10 November 2015

Wine Type: Red

Origin: California, USA

Appellation: Napa Valley
Web: http://www.kenzoestate.com/

Strolling around Roppongi Hills while waiting for the time to visit Tempura Yokota, surely girls would enjoy the shopping moment. However, one like me who seems to have only either food or wine in mind. With some googling research, I found that there is a wine bar of Kenzo Estate within Roppongi Hills. Hence, I did not hesitate to pop by for a few glasses before dinner.

Kenzo Estate is a winery in California which has been developed since the very beginning of 90's by inspirational Capcom founder, Kenzo Tsujimoto. The first vintage available was 2005 which consisted of Rindo, Ai, and Murasaki. For the shop in Roppongi Hills, wines definitely are shipped directly from the estate. On the 1st floor, it is more like wine bar with retail corner. Wines by glass are available for tasting from 11am until late night. While dining area on floor 2 is opened from 5pm. For my short visit, I did try 2 types from their range: Asuka 2012 and Rindo 2012.

Both wines are pretty similar in structure: USA cult wines. But they are delicious. Asuka range consists mainly of Cabernet Franc whilst Rindo is Bordeaux blend. They are rather ready for enjoying at this early stage but should age pretty nicely. Personally, I may enjoy Asuka more with its beautiful perfume. Nevertheless, pricing of Asuka is 3 folds of Rindo. QPR wise, Rindo represents much better value. For Rindo, it gives mouth coating structure with bold tannins. Earthy, leathery, and mocha too. Anyway, the charm of aroma of blue fruits from Asuka cannot really be ignored.

Well, I have to say I do like this bar of Kenzo Estate. If I do have time to visit Tokyo next time, I will surely pop by again. They may only present their range of wine but they are indeed a delicious range which is rare and can be experiencing. Cheers!!!

Kenzo Estate Asuka 2012

Grape Varieties: 94.1% Cabernet Franc, 5.9% Merlot

Alcohol: 14.8%

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR300

Chubby Appreciation: 94/100
Critics' Opinion: CT - 93/100

Kenzo Estate Rindo 2012

Grape Varieties: 53.0% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15.8% Cabernet Franc, 17.5% Merlot, 13.7% Petit Verdot

Alcohol: 14.8%

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR100

Chubby Appreciation: 92/100
Critics' Opinion: CT - 93/100

Fu Unji Ramen (風雲児らーめん) @ Shinjuku, Tokyo

Cuisine: Ramen

Map: Fu Unji Ramen (風雲児らーめん) @ Shinjuku, Tokyo

Charged Price: JPY1,000 per person without alcohol

Visited: 12 November 2015

Food: 8/10

Atmosphere: 5/10

Value for money: 7/10

Services: 5/10
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

Ramen can be found anywhere in Japan. They all look alike from outside. But surely you will need some info to discover a great one. Here is one for you in my humble opinion. Fu Unji Ramen is located in the well-known commercial district, Shinjuku and tucked on ground floor of a building called Hokuto Daiichi (北斗第一ビル). It is within walking distant from Shinjuku Station. This ramen store is typically small as for usual place in Japan. Perhaps around 15 seats for capacity.

Being one of those who do not fancy queueing much. So we decided to have early dinner by arriving before opening time of Fu Unji. As expected, the queue was already there but we were lucky enough to be placed in the first batch.

15 seats store of Fu Unji Ramen

Fu Unji Ramen (風雲児らーめん) @ Shinjuku, Tokyo

chef owner in action

At Fu Unji, there are only 2 choices of ramen: standard ramen or tsukemen. Tsukemen has the same type of noodle of ramen but it comes separately between noodle and soup. The other choices for you would be those minor touches e.g. ordinary or special size, added egg, extra char siu, and etc. You will also be paying at the machine first.

pre-payment machine - main menu

pre-payment machine - side dishes

We believe the ramen soup at Fu Unji is kind of different from others. Usually you would see pork broth being used but it is fish and seafood here. The aroma of both ramen and tsukemen is unique. I personally like it here but some may say the soup is perhaps too salty.

At the time of placing order, you can choose how much the amount of noodle you would like. A big boy may say large. But going for small if you would just like to taste. The noodle was excellent, I think. They were chewy but still soft on the touch. For Special Ramen (8/10), I like the fact that chopped spring onion played the balancing role well. It added freshness to the rich ramen. Egg was definitely boiled to perfection: not hard nor runny. Special Dipping Noodle - つけめん (Tsukemen) (8/10) also yielded similar kind of taste. However, the texture was more concentrated and showed more distinct flavour of dried-squid. The other point would be the form of char siu. Ramen came with big piece of char siu while tsukemen came in diced char siu. I personally prefer ramen due to spring onion and softer taste. Anyway, both were excellent.

If you do not mind queueing which can be longer than eating time. Fu Unji Ramen is sure a place worth exploring. The chef owner and staffs were polite and friendly too.

Special Ramen (JPY950)

Special Dipping Noodle (JPY1,000)

dipping noodle

Fu Unji Ramen (風雲児らーめん) @ Shinjuku, Tokyo

Floor 1, Hokuto Daiichi Building (北斗第一ビル)
2-14-3 Yoyogi
Shibuya-Ku
Tokyo 〒151-0053
Japan

Open Hours: Mon-Sat from 11:00am - 03:00pm for lunch and 05:00pm - 09:00pm for dinner

Tel: +81 (0) 3 6413 8480
Web: http://www.fu-unji.com/