Tokyo really rocks when it comes to food. I visited Ippudo for Tonkatsu Ramen and Hoshino for breakfast one day and a pre-train trip lunch the next day, a thoroughly mediocre Gyudon bowl at Sukiya, near my entrance to the Tokyo Station underground complex and a bento box from a random department store in Nihombashi.
Ippudo was a treat, though the ramen was only fair. Great staff, smooth handling of the people in line, worked well with single diners, ordering tablet at each seat, fast service and a cold Coca Cola in a glass bottle with my ramen. Pity the ramen was only fairly good, everything else was really good.
Hoshino is an interesting place, breakfast of Eggslut was pretty tasty, poached egg over creamed potato? House roast coffee was rather good, love the tiny little cream pitcher. The Egg Doria on the lunch menu was fluffy, rich and very good. Never had anything quite like it. The iced coffee was served in a brass mug and was very good. They put me in the left hand section both times, the overhead is just over 6 feet high and I am 6’4" so it was a tight fit but that is where the single top tables are.
Love the underground mall! Did i mention the decadence of the bento boxes at Daimaru? Are they still called bento boxes if they are just in a plastic container? Not sure. Somehow I bought the least attractive one I saw in two days. Not sure how that happened, I think I was just shopped out. It was time to go home so I grabbed the one closest to me at the time.
That is the mall at 6am, it is jamming most of the time.
A few more of the Tokyo Station underground…
Ramen Street, my fave from last year, I did not try it again this year since I wanted to try new ramen places.
Sukiya Tokyo Station for an only ok gyudon. Sad tale. The waitress was a sweetheart, I went to the payment screen as I arrived thinking it was the order screen. She smiled and herded me to the dining bar where I saw the order screen was in front of each stool. Smooth order process, I added pickled veg plus raw egg and got my order promptly. Unfortunately, it was very mild and there wasn’t much of it. The beef was bland and the veg was nearly unpickled, so I was digging deep into the red pickled veg that was in the tub that was at the bar, which kind of made me wonder why I bothered to order the extra pickled veg at all…
I hit Nihombashi Takashimaya Department Store and it was a year end madhouse. Loved it! I wandered about in a Google map induced state of total confusion, could not find anything while I was mobbed by a million avid shoppers. I can not imagine what it must be like to be 5 foot in a scrum like that, the only thing that kept me sane was the fact that I was taller than everyone and could see an exit on the horizon. LOL! Unfortunately the yakitori line was not moving so I bought a rather mundane bento box with soba noodles and a mixture of foods on top. Only so-so. The highlight of my department store visit was the old school elevator and the dude that piloted it. I actually masked up on the elevator since everyone else was wearing one, only times I wore a mask were on the elevator and on the subway. I am a 6’4" gaijin in a society of homogenous short people, I don’t need to stand out even more by not masking in crowded situations. LOL!
All in all, a few fun dishes but no real winner over the past day. Ichiran was my favorite so far. That was good ramen. Katsuneya was closed when I got to it so no good Gyudon. Rats.
Off to Kyoto next.
An oddly chilling rabbit at the Artizon.
Random beautiful architecture.
Are these ubiquitous bamboo decorations a New Years thing? They are nicely festive.
I’ve taken to ordering a “set” at ramen-ya’s and similiar.
