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Dining Diary - Kono Pizza: Nishi-Shinjuku

Conical pizza? Sure, it's a gimmick, but the pizza cones at Kono (it's an Italian name) are actually pretty decent. Savory cones here come in fifteen different varieties, all starting from a tomato and cheese base. Some of the more recognizable pizza toppings include Margherita, Gorgonzola, Proscuitto-Rucola, Six-cheese, and Capricciosa (stuffed with ham, sausage, mushroom, artichoke, onions, and black olives). If you're feeling adventurous you can try more unusual combinations like Yuzu-kosho Chicken, Potato-Mentaiko, or Eggplant-Bacon-Miso.

There are also five dessert cones (we hesitate to call them pizza), with flavors like creme brulee, hot tiramisu, and seasonal fruit. The cones themselves are pleasantly crisp, thicker-than-average pizza crust baked into a conical shape and filled with the selected topping. Cones are made to order, so it takes about ten minutes or so from the time you place your order.

Savory cones are priced Y450-580 each, and before 5pm there are discounted set meals that include drinks, salads and other side dishes. Drinks include espresso beverages, wine, beer and cocktails. The cafe is fairly compact, with two tables plus a bit of counter seating. Everything is available for take-out or delivery within the immediate neighborhood.

Review - Restaurant I: Harajuku

While Chef Keisuke Matsushima is best known for the regional southern-French cuisine at his Michelin-starred restaurant in Nice, his newer venture in Harajuku adopts a more eclectic approach. The kitchen draws on French, Italian, Japanese and Chinese techniques, all filtered through a distinctive Tokyo sensibility. And it's a point of pride that nearly all the ingredients used here are sourced from Tokyo and the surrounding Kanto region.

Vegetables - beautifully colored, organically grown heirloom varieties in particular - play a starring role on Restaurant I's menu. During a recent visit we started with a generous selection of freshly procured Kamakura vegetables served with tiny, fried shirauo (icefish). The exotic radishes, greens and edible flowers somehow seemed more brightly flavored than the typical salad we encounter, and the vegetables and delicate fish were well matched with an assertive, but sparingly applied, anchovy sauce.

Our next dish was roast "Tokyo X" pork - a brand-name, locally bred hybrid of three heirloom breeds that's prized for its rich flavor and fat content. It was served with a whole market basket of Edo-yasai (traditional root vegetables from the Tokyo area) that included artichoke, lotus root, bamboo shoots, leek, and celery. The simple but perfectly prepared foie gras also benefited from its accompanying mix of market-fresh greens drizzled in a subtle balsamic dressing.

If one were putting together a list of the famous foods of Harajuku one would have to include the products of the neighborhood's popular crepe stands, and Restaurant I's pastry chef regularly creates his own playful interpretations of this Harajuku standby. To mark cherry-blossom season, delicately fluffy crepes were filled with a mix of cherries and a lightly whipped cream cheese base, perked up by a splash of kirsch and served alongside a refreshingly sour cherry sorbet. We also sampled an excellent lemon-meringue tart, served with tangy yogurt sorbet and several dollops of honey that we learned were produced by Tokyo bees.

Restaurant I's dining room is quietly restrained - the walls are decorated with tasteful artwork, but the main focus is on the expansive windows looking out onto the patch of greenery in front of the restaurant. Behind the main dining room is a more intimate seating area; there's a low wall between them that visually separates diners in the two rooms while still allowing a view outside.

The dining space is bright and cheerful at lunchtime, making this a very pleasant venue for an under-Y5000 luxury lunch. Prix-fixe menus start at Y3800 (+10%sc) at midday, Y6800 in the evening. Six wines are served by the glass, and bottles start at Y3800, with an impressive selection of French grands vins in the Y20,000-60,000 range for special occasions.

The schedule for days they're closed varies month by month, so call ahead.

Ishii: Shimbashi

If you're a sake afficianado you'll be delighted by the stellar selection at this unpretentious little izakaya. Chances are you'll make some interesting discoveries, and perhaps even meet a brewer who's dropped in for a drink while visiting Tokyo. The sake list changes weekly, and features many limited-edition, seasonal bottles from small craft breweries - the kind of selections that are seldom sold in retail stores.

Mr. Ishii's food menu is eclectic, focusing on simple dishes prepared from good ingredients. Everything seems to have been chosen to go well with any kind of sake, so you don't need to worry about pairing strategies here.

Our prix-fixe omakase menu during a recent visit started off with sayori (halfbeak) tempura served with its spine deep-fried until crunchy, followed by a practically greaseless Kyushu-style satsuma-age (deep-fried fishcakes). The sashimi platter wasn't quite so exciting, but the well-prepared dashimaki (grilled omelette) made up for it.

Then we moved on to the hardcore snacks - tofu marinated in miso, cream cheese marinated in sake lees, plus a trio of smoked items - baby squid, oysters and chicken - all well-suited to a relaxed evening of sake exploration.

The atmosphere at Ishii is quite casual - it's hidden in a tiny alleyway near Shimbashi station, and there are only sixteen seats, including six at the counter (so reservations are essential). The background music tends toward bouncy eighties pop. Budget around Y5000-8000 for dinner and drinks.

04/26-04/30 Belgian Beer Weekend in Nagoya

Launched in Tokyo in 2010, this Belgian beer extravaganza is expanding to Nagoya this year, with a five-day event held in Hisaya Odori Park.

It's a great chance to try out Belgian beers - seventy-seven different types will be served. You can also enjoy frites, waffles and other typical Belgian culinary offerings, with live performances of Belgian jazz and pop bands helping to set the mood.

Admission is free; beer and food are sold via a ticket system (Y3000 for a "starter kit"). Sponsored by the Belgian Embassy and various beer organizations and importers, the event will run from 4-9pm Thursday (April 26); 11am-9pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday (April 27-29); and 11am-8pm Monday (April 30). See the Belgian Beer Weekend website for more details.

Breakfast in Tokyo

Where to find the best omelettes, pancakes and croissants on a weekday morning
Picks:
Best all-day breakfast: "Power Breakfast" at On The Corner (Shibuya)
European-style omelettes and souffles: Lauderdale (Roppongi)
View (skyscraper): K'Shiki (Nihonbashi)
Waterfront bakery: Breadworks (Tennoz Isle)
Bottomless pastry tray: Andersen (Aoyama)
Garden setting: Garden Lounge (Kioicho)
Old-school toast and jazz: Kissa Ko (Jimbocho) ....

Callejon 19: Yotsuya

Rather than slavishly reproducing the tapas you might find in Seville or Madrid (or in a hundred other Tokyo tapas bars), the chef here takes a looser, more creative approach, turning out a mix of wine-friendly small dishes that are inspired by both Spanish and Japanese traditions. The menu changes daily, but on a recent visit it included brussels sprouts with squid in anchovy sauce, yam steaks, cod and prosciutto rice croquettes, and a refreshingly spicy cauliflower and bamboo-shoot ajillo.

Wines are very reasonable, starting at around Y2600/bottle. At lunchtime on weekdays the fare is more rice-based, with donburi sets and a Singapore Chicken Plate, all priced at Y700. Budget Y3000 in the evening for food and drink.

Ramukana: Yotsuya 3-chome

Beautiful heirloom vegetables, sourced from small farms all over Japan, are the pride of the kitchen at Ramukana. The menu's centerpiece is a hearty cheese fondue, served with raw vegetables, bread, and optional "toppings" such as the excellent smoked bacon chunks. A couple of nice Swiss house wines are available by the bottle, carafe or glass (Y5000 / Y2600 / Y900), along with reasonably priced French wines starting at Y3500.

Among the impressive array of starters and side dishes, the bagna cauda is a standout, with nine or ten different vegetables (described in loving detail by our waiter) paired with a well-balanced anchovy sauce and a dish of artisanal salt. The homemade pork sausage is also excellent, and the shrimp, salmon and avocado salad was so good we were tempted to order a second portion.

The atmosphere is very relaxed and casual, with a classic sixties-jazz soundtrack and homey, Alpine-village-in-Tokyo decor. Budget around Y5000 for ample food and drink.

Bankashien: Yotsuya

Bankashien's menu covers everything from budget noodle dishes to Szechuan and Shanghai-style standards, with quality ranging from pretty good to pretty fantastic. The hits here really stand out, so it's well worth exploring the menu over the course of repeat visits. Some of our memorable discoveries have included the meaty and garlicky gyoza dumplings and the tasty and beautifully textured spring rolls. The mabo dofu is another prize-winner - far spicier than average, with a pleasantly gloopy consistency that works quite well.

We were less excited by the rest of the dumpling menu - the har gow and the xiao long bao (shoronpo) were somewhat doughy for our tastes, as was the otherwise good fried chicken. The crabmeat-egg stir-fry was tasty but a bit vinegary. The fresh-tasting stir-fried greens were another highlight though, providing nice textural and flavor balance. The various noodle dishes also tend to be good, and good value.

As is true in many Chinese restaurants, the bigger the group you go with, the more fun you'll have trying out lots of different dishes. Bankashien's interior is ornate in the extreme; somebody here pulled out all the stops when it came to decorating the place, and it really adds to the experience. Budget around Y1500-3500 at dinnertime; cash only.

Devil Craft: Kanda

Excellent Chicago-style deep-dish pizza is served here, and the fifteen taps in the cozy ground-floor bar area dispense a good selection of craft beers from Japan and the US.

Pizzas are on the hefty side, piled high with artfully assembled toppings. The impressive "Devil Works" pizza somehow incorporates mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, tomato sauce, fresh tomatoes, salami, sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, red onions, green pepper, spinach, and black and green olives. Other choices include seafood (with shrimp, squid, scallops and clams); Greek (featuring feta cheese and tzatziki sauce) and BBQ chicken. There are ten kinds of pizza in all, prepared in small and large sizes, priced from Y1000-2800.

Rounding out the menu are assorted salads (Greek, Caesar, and spinach-chicken), tortilla chips with spinach-artichoke dip, and tasty Buffalo chicken wings. If you want a break from US and Japanese microbrews, the drinks menu also features Belgians by the bottle and a few Washington State wines. In addition to the ground-floor standup bar there's table seating on the second and third floors; it's a good idea to call ahead to reserve.

New - Libre: Ebisu

The chef at Libre hails from San Francisco, and his mission is to bring good Cali-style burritos to Tokyo. Indeed the food here seems to pack more oomph than what's on offer at some of the other burrito joints around town - it's assertively spicy (although a milder version is an option), with a solid dose of onions and garlic and just enough avocado for balance.

There are four types of burrito (pork, chicken, beef, and vegetable), starting at Y700, as well as burrito bowls, tacos, quesadillas, nachos and salads. There are eight counter seats in the shop, although most customers opt for take-out.

New - Wattaribozu (Tokyo Ryutsu Center): Ota-ku

The specialties at this casual basement izakaya are craft sake and regional cuisine from Akita Prefecture, including Hinaijidori heirloom chicken dishes and hearty nabemono stews.

Located one minute from Ryutsu Center station on the Tokyo Monorail, it's a nice place to stop for a snack and a drink after an afternoon of bird-watching at the nearby Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park, or on the way to or from Haneda Airport. (The main branch is located next to Gotanda station.) Budget around Y3500 at dinnertime, or Y800 for lunch.

Kamachiya: Ebisu

The WID restaurant group (Aburi Fudo, Torimikura) does an excellent job creating small-scale, comfortable izakaya with great food, nice sake lists, and simple but stylish decor. We're glad to say that Kamachiya is no exception. Menus vary from shop to shop, and here the food specialties are charcoal-grilled kushiyaki-style fish and meats, deep-fried and skewered kushiage, and a credible seafood-broth ramen.

During a recent visit some menu highlights were the spicy cucumber and bean-sprout starter, skewers of perfectly grilled pork belly, kushiage-style quail eggs and asparagus, and Okinawan champuru stir-fry, a hefty portion which included big tender chunks of chicken mixed in with the tofu and goya. We received sound advice on sake choices throughout the evening, and were pleasantly surprised by a nicely priced Juyondai that wasn't even on the menu. Budget around Y4000-5000 for dinner and drinks.

Nicolai Bergmann Nomu Cafe: Omotesando

A lot of upscale Aoyama shops seem to have an obligatory cafe area tucked into a corner somewhere, but the combination works especially well at this Copenhagen-based designer flower shop. While the food and drink aren't so very different from a dozen other area cafes, the lovely, plant-filled setting and the lively atmosphere set it apart.

Lunch is served from 10am-3pm, with choices of open-faced Danish smorrebrod and panini sandwiches, big organic salads and fresh fruit juices. A set lunch with a couple of sandwiches, soup, salad and coffee or tea runs around Y1500.

After 3pm is teatime, with a nice selection of freshly made muffins and pastries to accompany your beverage. Tucked away on a quiet side street behind Aoyama-dori, Nomu Cafe is a pleasant spot for an afternoon break when you're in the area.

Brews News #108

Reviews of Swan Lake Imperial Stout and The Beer Horn in Akasaka, and news of upcoming events in Tokyo in the Spring 2012 issue of our Japan beer newsletter.

Feature - Sushi menu vocabulary and fish/seafood glossary

Here is a guide to the different types of sushi that are available in Japan, followed by a sample sushi restaurant menu.

This includes a glossary of fish and seafood items that are commonly used in sushi, a guide to maki-zushi (sushi rolls) and other sushi menu terminology, and a few helpful phrases for ordering in Japanese....

Recipe - Satsuma-age (deep-fried fish cakes)

1. On a paper-lined sheet pan, lightly salt the mackerel fillets, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours....

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