A Tokyo insider izakaya – well now the secret is out!

I find that I am always lucky when I am in Tokyo. There is something special about that crazy city – each time I go I am amazed at the intensity of the food culture and the drive for perfection. One might think that this pursuit of perfectionism would have little to do with the more casual izakaya culture, but you would be wrong. Just because an izakaya is a more casual dining experience doesn’t mean that the chefs aren’t as creative, or that presentation is less of a focus, or that the quality and execution aren’t important. In fact, Teyandei is one example of a classic izakaya dining experience that is a true representation of Japanese food culture, simple but thoughtful. Teyandei has been around for 30-40 years, an institution among locals and expats alike – it’s one of those places that is whispered about and passed on only by word of mouth, a true insider kind of place. Well now the secret is out.

It was in this way that I came to discover Teyandei. A friend who had lived in Tokyo for 20 years recommended it as her hands down, favourite restaurant in Tokyo. Bear in mind, this is no small remark considering all the Michelin-starred dining experiences available in Tokyo. We went with a local who also knew Teyandei well and speaks Japanese, always helpful, and asked her to take us on a tour of all her favourite dishes.

We sat at the bar so we could watch the open kitchen and agreed to start with sake. There is a tradition in Japan to serve sake in glasses that sit in wooden boxes. The traditional and proper way to serve sake is to overpour the sake so that it runs over the rim of the glasses and into the box. Our friend explained to us that this is a sign of good fortune and bountifulness – as if to say, “we will give you all we have.”

What followed next was an amazing parade of dishes – each one better than the last. We watched each dish we ordered get fired on the stove top or over the grill. The kitchen was small, so watching the kitchen was like watching a culinary ballet. The chef and kitchen staff moved in fluid moments around each other to produce perfectly executed executed dishes that came together in front of our eyes.

While we had about 8 dishes, we all uninanimously agreed that the best of the best was the:

Pork Belly with Potato Puree - silky potato puree with crisp-tender pork belly

Eel Wrapped in an Omelette - a tender filet of eel enveloped in a fluffy omelette

Spinach Salad with Mushrooms and Bacon - a classic, reinterpreted Japanese style

Japanese Yams - a preparation unique to Japan, deep fried bite-sized pieces of local yam, simultaneously sweet and savory

Shrimp Mayo - wow, just wow. We placed a second order for these. Crispy morsels of shrimp goodness, tossed in a creamy mayonnaise based sauce

Potato and Meat Croquettes - again, another classic, somehow elevated with the precision of Japanese execution

When I usually go to a city like Tokyo, I try to force myself to go to new restaurants. But now that Teyandei is on the radar, it is going to become a must do on each and every visit to Tokyo. I just hope the Teyandei secret doesn’t spread so widely that it becomes hard to get a booking!

Teyandei Izakaya
Nishi Azabu 2-20-1
Minato-ku, Tokyo
Telephone: +81 03.3462.6411

A gem of an Izakaya in Shanghai’s central  Jing’an District

After a trip to Japan, we became totally addicted to Japanese food, amiyaki, teppanyaki, yakitori, sushi…. you name it. I think the reason why I like it so much is that most Japanese food is thoughtful and intentional with the of goal of culinary perfection in mind – whether it be a simple bowl of rice or an elaborate multi-course meal. What I mean by thoughtful and intentional can be best observed in the details, like never a drop more sauce than one needs, or perfectly balanced plate presentation, or sushi apprentices who can spend up to 2 years just forming the rice before they even get to look at a fish. So when a friend in Shanghai offered to take us to an authentic izakaya named Makoto, we were out the door before you could say “sake.”

It was a very cold night, bundled in our coats we made our way through the Jing’an District of Shanghai to Makoto. My friend pointed out the warm glow of light ahead as the restaurant, and when we opened the door we were greeted by the standard Japanese welcome. “Irasshaimase!” As Izakaya’s usually are, the restaurant was simple but cozy. We shed our coats and made our way to the table where we decided to order sake. Makoto has an extensive sake menu. In fact, it is so extensive that we felt like we needed a little help. It was then that an elegant Japanese man came to our table and introduced himself as the owner. We spent a good 10 minutes chatting (his English was perfect) about sake and selected one that the owner recommended. It was exactly what we had in our mind’s eye….super smooth, with a crisp finish with a slight floral quality.

Next on to the menu! Since the menu is only in Japanese or Chinese, if you do not speak either of those languages you may need help from the English speaking owner. However, we were with some fluent Mandarin speakers, so we let them take the reins. They chose an assortment of small plates including fried fish in vinegar sauce, boiled vegetable with sesame, sashimi, fried mince meat, lotus root and grilled eel. As one would expect, everything was perfect. I think my favourites though had to be the fried fish in vinegar sauce and the lotus root. In fact the fish was such a big hit, we ordered another plate of it.

As we walked home from the restaurant, Paul sighed, “If only we lived in Shanghai, we could eat at that place all the time.” And he’s right. If we were based on Shanghai,  Makoto would become a regular haunt for us. It’s not fancy, nor is it expensive…. the focus is on simple food at the highest quality possible. How Japanese.

Makoto
177 Fumin Lu,
Jing An
Shanghai, China
Telephone: +86 21 5403 1943

Dun
Dan
Dun!

This post should really start with the iconic “Kill Bill Theme” theme song from the movie and play throughout. If you’d like to load it up to play in the background get it here : )

We had just finished watching the Tokyo Giants win the game with a homer in the 9th. The hot dog and yakitori we ate in the 2nd inning weren’t holding us over. As we debated food options (surprisingly not a lot around the dome) our friend, who is no stranger to Tokyo, suggested we hit up Gonpachi. The name didn’t register with me at first. Then she said all that needs to be said about the place, “the kill bill restaurant”. Dun Dan Dun. The music immediately started up in my head as a grin spread across my lips. Sure I said coolly, masking the kid-like joy bubbling up inside me.

For some reason I thought the restaurant was located outside of town in the countryside. Not so. It’s right smack in Roppongi, one of the busiest and foreign friendly parts of Tokyo. The building is almost quaint outside… a nice garden, some seats with umbrellas, but nothing flashy hinting at the sprawling room inside.

Inside the restaurant is simply, but wonderfully decorated. There are lanterns hanging from the ceiling and simple lighting throughout the space. The attentive hostess and manager quickly found us a table (unfortunately hadn’t planned this meal ahead of time and booked an upstairs booth) near the kitchen and we sat down to peruse the menu.

I was shocked by the relatively low prices. One would assume, with the fame the movie has bestowed on the place, that prices would be high…it is Tokyo after all. We decided to split a 6 course tasting menu (3500 Yen), and some other items between the three of us. First out was the Natural Tofu House Salad

Next out on the tasting menu was a Fried Shrimp Dumpling & Deep Fried Potato

3rd out was Tempura 3 ways

4th to come to the table was 3 types of Yakitori

Then came Soba noodles, which I didn’t manage to get a picture of and finally the dessert course – Pumpkin and Coconut Ice Cream!

To supplement the tasting menu we also ordered a lovely Blue Fin Tuna Tartare (950 Yen)

Also a Soft Shell Crab Roll from the 3rd floor sushi bar (1350 Yen)

Lastly was the Tataki – Seared Beef with Honey & Truffle Vinaigrette Sauce (780 Yen)

So all in all the meal totaled in about 22 USD per person without drinks….very reasonable for the amount and quality of the food served. The food at Gonpachi isn’t considered fine dining by anyone’s standards…including their own. It’s intended intstead to be an elevated Izakaya experience (modern country-style if you will). And this is why Gonpachi is a success in my book. Sure you can get better Yakitori and Sushi and other more specialized locations… but if you’re a tourist looking for a nice meal in Roppongi, a seasoned traveler who needs to entertain some out of town guests, or just a rabid Tarantino fan Gonpachi is a great value. Also the large space, long tables and secluded rooms are perfect for entertaining large groups. I think everyone should visit at least once, at least for a quick bite and beer before heading into manic Roppongi.

Gonpachi
1-13-11 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku.
Tel: 03-5771-0170.
Nearest stn: Roppongi or Hiroo.
Open: 11:30am-6am daily
Menu: English/Japanese

Organic & macrobiotic…not your average Izakaya

Eating healthy is important to me…so when I heard that there was a healthy version of an Izakaya, I was eager to try it. To put this in perspective, an Izakaya is basically a pub serving food to complement the drinking…so in its simplest terms, a bar serving bar food. While the food is quite good in izakayas, healthy is not a word one would necessarily associate with this style of eating. And macrobiotic to boot? – well we had to see it for ourselves.

Gaya is committed to an organic and macrobiotic offering – and in typical Japanese style, if it is worth doing, it is worth doing well. No detail is overlooked in considering how each dish can be made more healthful and wholesome – the Caesar Salad features dressing made with tofu, the ice cream is soy-based and all the rice-based dishes use brown rice. In talking to the manager Momoe-san, we learned that the owner had actually changed the direction of the izakaya 5 years ago following a heart-attack. His health scare inspired him to change his life and his food…and today he is running marathons and sharing his view on healthy eating at Gaya.

Fresh squeezed organic veggie and fruit juices are on offer and even the sake is organic. Vegan options are available alongside organic pork and chicken – there is indeed something for everyone.

I opted to try the Vegetable Sushi with brown rice (¥1380 / $14.15 USD). There were 7 types of sushi presented on the plate – and beautifully so. Some even resembling real sushi – the sweet seasonal Japanese ginger known as myoga, shiny and pink in appearance, appeared surprisingly fish-like perched upon a perfect rectangle of rice. The enoki mushroom roll was clever and tasty as well as the sushi of green and yellow strips of pepper. But my favorite was the tempeh and sesame roll. It was full of nutty goodness with the delicate flavors of brown rice, tempeh and sesame blending artfully in the mouth and tasting a bit like tahini.

Paul got the Cheese Risotto with brown rice (¥1250 / $13.10 USD). He was a little dubious at the idea of brown rice replacing the traditional Arborio rice, but curious enough to give it a go. I must admit when I saw Paul’s dish arrived at the table, I was immediately jealous. Presented tableside in an actual block of Parmigiano Reggiano, the risotto is scooped into a bowl and then the block of cheese is scraped by the serving spoon to yield large strips of Parmigiano Reggiano to garnish the dish. The presentation was impressive and so was the taste. While I really enjoyed my dish, I wanted my last bite to be Paul’s risotto ?

Given the success of the entrees we were interested to see how Gaya would do in the dessert area promising dairy free and sugar free desserts. Paul ordered the Cereal / Soy Ice Cream / Coffee parfait while I opted for the Cinnamon Donuts with Soy Ice Cream (both ¥700 / $7.65 USD each). Paul again, dubious…ice cream without cream? Whole grain cereal as dessert? But he was happy to be proven wrong – the soy ice cream (a chocolate orange flavour) was rich and satisfying. It was served with soy milk on the side, and when combined with the parfait, it yielded a healthy and delicious sort of milkshake. We both agreed though that mine was the best…whole grain donuts with the same chocolate orange soy ice cream on the side. Crispy on the outside and moist and cakey on the inside, the donuts made me forget we were eating healthy!

Beyond the food, it also bears mentioning that the staff was incredibly welcoming and attentive…wanting to make sure we were comfortable, explaining the dishes, and just exhibiting an overall hospitality that uniquely set them apart from some of the other dining experiences we have had. Even getting the bill was a pleasure – as it was presented beside an origami swan on a lovely piece of washi (decorative Japanese paper) with a handwritten note full of smiley faces. In fact everyone was genuinely warm and happy and seemed to want to share their good vibes with the customers – maybe it is the wholesome, healthy food that makes them feel so good?

Gaya Organic Izakaya
Basement floor, Kurusu Building
2-2-5 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku
Tokyo, Japan
+81 (0)3 3498 8810