Takadanobaba (west side)
It's a Tudor-style English tearoom right in the Baba - one with a casual, neighborhood-oriented atmosphere. Traditional dishes like shepherd's pie, steak and Guinness pie, and bangers and mash are all priced comfortably under Y1000, and in the evenings bottled English beers run around Y700, while Bass Pale Ale is Y500/bottle and a small draft Heartland is Y400. A traditional English tea is served on Saturday afternoons.
Takadanobaba 3-13-1, Noak Bldg 1F. Open 11am-2, 6-11pm. Closed Sundays.
Manaita is a small, friendly neighborhood izakaya with a very good sake selection. The decor is totally unpretentious, with seating at a slightly cramped counter that's occupied by local customers who seem to all know each other. The wide-ranging menu is hand-written (and can be rather difficult to decipher), offering everything from grilled meats and fish to inexpensive rice dishes and teishoku fare. Manaita is a small, friendly neighborhood izakaya with a very good sake selection. The decor is totally unpretentious, with seating at a slightly cramped counter that's occupied by local customers who seem to all know each other. The wide-ranging menu is hand-written (and can be rather difficult to decipher), offering everything from grilled meats and fish to inexpensive rice dishes and teishoku fare.
Some highlights from a recent visit included grilled anago eel, yakitori made with jidori chicken, and nama-fu (Kyoto-style wheat gluten cakes) grilled with miso dengaku-style.
We also had a vegetable tempura that was a bit oilier than we would have hoped, but the huge warm-vegetable platter, with at least ten different seasonal vegetables, was a winner. From the menu description we had expected a bagna cauda-style anchovy sauce, but what we got were several whole anchovies scattered among the vegetables - a pleasant surprise.
We ordered our first tokkuri of sake from the menu but after that the owner took the lead, suggesting sakes that would pair well with our food (including a sturdy nigori that stood up well to the anchovies). Budget around Y6000 for a very filling meal with ample sake and a few beers. [Show more] [Show less] Takadanobaba 3-33-3. Open 6pm-midnight. Closed Sundays.
This attractively appointed branch of a Tottori-based shop serves organic ramen in a beefy shio-style soup. The drinks menu features a house-brand organic junmaishu sake from Akita as well as beer and shochu.
Takadanobaba 4-10-14. Open 11am-3, 5-10:30pm daily.
This cozy izakaya specializes in himono (grilled dried fish), with a big menu of different varieties from around Japan. There's also plenty of good regional sake. Budget around Y2-3000 per person.
Rich, hearty "European-style" curries, served in generous portions with assorted optional toppings.
Takadanobaba 4-13-9. Open 11am-midnight (-11pm Sat, Sun) daily.
The unusual chicken ramen here is topped with lettuce, tomato and olive oil.
Takadanobaba 4-17-17. Open 11:30am-2:30, 6pm-1am (Sun -8pm) daily.
A budget chain serving two kinds of Nagasaki-style noodles - sara-udon (crisp fried ramen noodles topped with vegetables, pork and seafood in a thick sauce), and Nagasaki champon (similar to the above but in a pork-based soup). Side dishes include gyoza dumplings (regular, cheese, and mentaiko-cheese) and fried rice.
This simply named shop sells freshly made Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches in several enticing varieties, including roast pork (our current favorite), grilled chicken with honey and lemongrass, ham and liver paste, shrimp avocado, and vegetable-cheese, all served on fresh-baked bread with crunchy, not-too-sour pickled vegetables. This simply named shop sells freshly made Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches in several enticing varieties, including roast pork (our current favorite), grilled chicken with honey and lemongrass, ham and liver paste, shrimp avocado, and vegetable-cheese, all served on fresh-baked bread with crunchy, not-too-sour pickled vegetables.
Sandwiches are Y500, and you can spring for extra coriander, liver paste, etc. for a little more. They also sell fresh-baked rolls in various flavors for Y130. There's a tiny open-air seating area out front, but most customers are here for take-out. [Show more] [Show less] Takadanobaba 4-9-18. Open 11am-7pm (Sat -6pm). Closed Sundays, Mondays.
Ebisu (Izakaya). 3365-5875
A friendly izakaya offering a decent selection of reasonably priced craft sake to go with your food. The specialty of the house if Hakata-style motsu-nabe (organ-meat stew), but you'll also find tempting fried chicken wings, gyoza dumplings and spareribs. Budget around Y3000 for food and drink at dinnertime.
Takadanobaba 3-4-11, Babahatch Bldg 1F. Open 11:45am-2, 5pm-midnight. Closed Sundays.
Located in the middle of Takadanobaba's bustling "izakaya alley," Sakaeya is by far the fanciest drinking spot in this budget-conscious, student-filled neighborhood. It delivers excellent value for money, serving top-quality charcoal-grilled meats, creative seasonal dishes and decent sake for a very reasonable budget of around Y4000 per person. [See
FULL REVIEW.]
Takadanobaba 3-4-16, Dai-ni Futaba Bldg 1-2F. Open 5pm-11:30pm (LO; -12:30am Fri, Sat) daily.
Yakitori and yakiton (grilled pork on skewers) are the specialities at this inexpensive izakaya. Budget around Y2000-2500 for food and drink.
Takadanobaba 3-4-4, YS Plaza 1F. Open 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Good, authentic home-style Burmese cuisine is served at this very casual restaurant on Takadanobaba's lively shotengai. Lunches start from Y650, and at dinnertime curries start at Y600, with rice an extra Y200.
Takadanobaba 3-5-7. Open 11:30am-2:30, 5-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Takadanobaba (east side)
Tsukemen is the specialty here; it comes in three different sizes, but they're all the same price - Y720.
Takadanobaba 1-22-7. Open 11am-9pm daily.
Late-night cocktails, jazz, light meals, and garlic chips in a relaxed neighborhood bar. Some outdoor seating.
Takadanobaba 1-31-8. (to get there turn right from Takadanobaba station, turn right again and go up the hill past Big Box, keep walking for 5 minutes, then turn right again just before Suwa-dori - it'll be on the left) Open 5pm-3am. Closed Sundays.
A neighborhood hangout with jazz on the sound system, dim sum, Chimay beer and cocktails.
Takadanobaba 1-23-9. Open 1pm-midnight daily.
That's "mo mo" as in the sound a cow makes. The all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu and sukiyaki specials for Y1890 (90-minute limit) make this one of the best beef deals in town. There's also an all-you-can-eat-and-drink deal for around Y3500.
Takadanobaba 1-33-13, Sennen Bldg B1F. Open 5-10:30pm (Sat, Sun 11:30am-) daily.
Nicely prepared food in a modest basement coffee-shop setting.
Takadanobaba 1-26-5, FI Bldg, B1F. Open 11:30am-2, 5-10pm (LO) daily.
Thai and Vietnamese groceries and magazines; they also hold cooking and vegetable carving classes.
Takadanobaba 1-17-9. Open 10am-6pm (Sat -3pm). Closed Sundays.
Part of the Fealteria complex, this casual restaurant offers solid Italian fare, including pizzas, in an unpretentious, smoke-free dining room. Prix-fixe dinners are Y2100-5200. Weekday lunches run Y1000-3000, including several "salad lunches"; weekends are a bit fancier, from Y1500-3500.
The only restaurant in Japan serving Kachin-style cooking from northern Myanmar, Malihka has home-style dishes like fish steamed in banana leaves, tripe stew, and chicken and bean curry. Open to 5am Saturday and Sunday.
Takedanobaba 1-25-29, Sankoru Bldg 3F. Open 11:30am-2:30, 5pm-midnight. Closed Mondays.
Late-night cocktails and snacks, with jazz in the background. Terrace seating is available on the first and second-floor cafe areas.
A hole-in-the-wall bar serving Shan-style cuisine, which draws on influences from neighboring Yunnan and Sichuan in China. The adventurous may want to try the Shan-Iei (Y400) - a reddish-brown-colored Shan-style liquor that's about 25% alcohol, with a sweet flavor reminiscent of some kind of herbal remedy. Nong Inlay is truly a hole-in-the-wall patronized mostly by young Burmese men who all seem to know each other. Decor is very minimal, with folding chairs and wall-bench seating. Named after a lake in Burma's northeastern Shan state, Nong Inlay specializes in Shan cooking, which draws on influences from neighboring Yunnan and Sichuan in China.
Only a part of the menu is in Japanese, and descriptions are short and limited, so it is best to ask what's what. The Shan Chicken (Y800) was small chunks of chicken and vegetables stir-fried with hot peppers in a tangy miso-based sauce, and was a lot like Kung Pao chicken. The adventurous may want to try the Shan-Iei (Y400) - a reddish-brown-colored Shan-style liquor that's about 25% alcohol, with a sweet flavor reminiscent of some kind of herbal remedy. [Show more] [Show less] Takadanobaba 2-19-7. Open noon-midnight daily.
Spicy chicken wings, yakitori and Nagoya miso specialties.
Takadanobaba 2-18-6. Open 5-11pm (LO) daily.
A steady stream of students and local residents flip open their laptops and settle in for an afternoon of work or study at this well-populated three-story cafe. There's free wifi, with some window seats overlooking the Kanda River. Food is typical coffeeshop fare, although they do serve some interesting varieties of tea.
Takada 3-12-8. Open 11am-midnight daily.
Well-prepared Roman-style food at budget-friendly prices. Start off dinner with three selections from the extensive tapas case, then explore the pastas and main entrees, which include several good veal dishes. There's an above-average dessert menu with several tasty homemade sherbets. Seating is mostly at the large wrap-around counter.
Takadanobaba 2-15-10. Open 5-10:30pm (LO). Closed Sundays.
Ruby (Burmese). 3204-5121
Good Burmese food and ambitiously multi-lingual karaoke in Burmese, Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean. Highly recommended is the Tofu-joh (Y550), a Burmese style tofu made from yellow lentils and spice, and deep fried in small squares. The menu also includes Malaysian-style dishes like satay. Ruby is a friendly place that attracts a lively crowd of drinkers and eaters. It's in a long and narrow basement space, clean and brightly lit, with video monitors for karaoke at each end. (The shop card boasts they have karaoke in Burmese, Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean!)
They have a complete Japanese-language menu, listing some Malaysian-style dishes like satay in addition to a full range of Burmese food. Highly recommended is the Tofu-joh (Y550), a Burmese style tofu made from yellow lentils and spice, and deep fried in small squares. Served with a thick, sweet-hot-savory dipping sauce, it has a crunchy exterior and an interior texture like the corn masa in a Mexican tamale, but with a flavor closer to Indian papad.
The A-Soh-Na-Hin (Y780) consists of long-simmered chunks of stringy beef in a richly flavored sauce similar to a Northern Indian curry, garnished with a large sprig of spearmint leaves. Both rice and paratha (a thin bread) are also on the menu. Ruby can get very crowded on weekends, so call in advance. [Show more] [Show less] Takada 3-11-18, TTA Bldg. B1F. Open 11:30am-2:30, 5pm-mid. (5am weekends) daily.
Inexpensive Chinese-Singaporean cuisine in a brightly lit noodle-shop setting. Dumplings seem to be the specialty here, with especially good sui-gyoza. Interesting original dishes include a flavorful and crunchy Singapore lemon chicken and fantastic ebi-yuba harumaki (shrimp and tofu-skin spring rolls). And the Coca-cola-stewed chicken has its own special charm.
Takadanobaba 2-14-16. Open 11:30am-2, 5-11pm. Closed Sundays.
A very casual, home-style restaurant with many Burmese customers. You can assemble a hearty meal or a light snack from the extensive menu of small dishes - some 50 appetizers, salads, meat dishes, noodle items and desserts, most priced in the Y500-900 range. The food is nicely seasoned without being too fiery, with very distinctive flavors - coconut cream sauces, lots of garlic, northern Burmese pickles, and plenty of spices. Lunch is Y750, dinner in the Y1,700-3,000 range. Mingalaba is fairly spacious, with a standard decor of plain tables, bright lighting and video monitor mounted high in a corner. It seems to attract families and those looking for a simple evening meal. The Japanese menu is fairly complete, and the staff is eager to offer advice on what to order. Like Nagani nearby, Mingalaba gets a lot of non-Burmese customers.
Recommended are the many curry-like stewed dishes, particularly the Sei-Tah-Hin (Y900) made with chunks of lamb. The Che-Aie-Kun-Joh (Y600) is strips of chicken skin, lightly breaded and deep fried, very crispy and less greasy than one might imagine. [Show more] [Show less] Takadanobaba 2-14-8, NT Bldg. 3F. Open 11:30am-3, 5-11pm (LO) daily.
Intro (Jazz kissaten). 3200-4396
An old-fashioned "jazz kissa" where you can nurse your drink and nod your head to the music for hours on end.
Takadanobaba 2-14-8, NT Bldg. B1F. Open noon-midnight daily.
Although sometimes good, the food quality varies remarkably from visit to visit.
Takadanobaba 2-14-6. Open 11:30am-2, 5-10pm (LO) daily.
Perfect for a dignified yet unpretentious lunch or dinner date, this tiny dining room serves the best traditional French cuisine in the neighborhood, a bit of Paris's Latin Quarter in Takadanobaba. Service is prompt and cheerful, and there is an affordable prix fixe lunch (Y1200) and dinner (Y2000) with over a dozen appetizers and main courses to choose from. [See
FULL REVIEW.]
Takadanobaba 2-9-12. Open noon-1:30, 6-10pm (LO). Closed Mondays, some Tues.
A charming little backstreet cafe, Dekoboko serves well-executed, up-to-date versions of coffeeshop standards like chicken cutlet, ginger pork and hayashi rice at lunchtime, with an eclectic world-music soundtrack in the background. In the evenings there's a wider food menu and Italian wines starting at Y2000 per bottle.
Takadanobaba 2-7-13. Open 11:30am-3, 5:30-9pm (LO). Closed Sundays.
Great curries and a big take-out menu.
Takadanobaba 2-5-20. Open 11am-11pm daily.
State-of-the-art Hokkaido-style miso ramen. Occasionally there are lines, but they move quickly.
This cheap and cheerful late-night izakaya serves decent yakitori and izakaya fare and very cheap beer. The sprawling dining areas are usually crowded with Waseda students.
Slightly less crowded than the main shop, this branch is just around the corner on Waseda-dori, just east of Meiji-dori.
A branch of the famous Hakata ramen chain, featuring thin, slightly chewy noodles in a pork-based broth ("red" or "white"), with or without extra chashu. You can add your own freshly grated garlic.
Great, cheap noodles and crowds of Waseda students. Noodles are served in several different thicknesses and styles.
Nishi-Waseda 2-18-25. Open 11am-1am daily.
Ramen noodles in a classic shio-based soup, topped with pork. The decor is sparse, there are only five seats, and if the soup is less than perfect they don't bother opening for business that day.
Nishi-Waseda 3-15-7. Open noon-2, 5-9pm. Closed weekends.
Waseda
Mae Yao (Misc. Southeast Asian). 5273-3770
This popular Waseda student hangout serves various Thai and Indian-style curries. The two-curry set includes a yogurt drink and runs about Y1000.
Babashitacho 18-9, Akiyama Bldg 2F. Open 11-3:30, 4:30-9 (Sat. to 8). Closed Sundays.
Okubo
This 24-hour branch of the popular Tsukiji-based budget sushi chain offers good value for money.
In addition to their regular yakiniku menu, Ozakkyo offers three varieties of tasty barbecued pork to be grilled at your table and served in do-it-yourself lettuce wrappers. Portion sizes seem to be geared towards big groups - our platter of sundae sausage (Y1300) for example was easily big enough for 4-5 people. The kimchi gyoza - very garlicky but not especially hot - is another flavorful and voluminous side dish. In addition to their regular yakiniku menu, Ozakkyo offers three varieties of tasty barbecued pork to be grilled at your table and served in do-it-yourself lettuce wrappers. Portion sizes seem to be geared towards big groups - our platter of sundae sausage (Y1300) for example was easily big enough for 4-5 people. The kimchi gyoza - very garlicky but not especially hot - is another flavorful and voluminous side dish.
The decor is on the rustic side, with hundreds of seats spread over three levels. Background music is provided by K-pop videos shown on a big-screen TV. Drinks include fresh makkoli and makkoli cocktails as well as the usual beer and soju. Budget around Y2500-3500 per person with drinks. [Show more] [Show less] Okubo 1-12-27. Open 11am-midnight daily.
Meats and sausages, frozen goods, pouches of samgetan (chicken-ginseng soup) and spicy chige stews, and several different varieties of makkoli (Korean milky sake) are among the many imported foods and drinks you'll find at this large 24-hour Korean supermarket.
Kabukicho 2-31-11. Open 24 hours a day.
The unusual specialty of the house is Korean futomaki - fat sushi rolls filled with vegetables, bulgogi, cheese, kimchee, glutinous black rice - some ten variations in all, including a sampler set if you can't decide. The unusual specialty of the house is Korean futomaki - fat sushi rolls filled with vegetables, bulgogi, cheese, kimchee, glutinous black rice - some ten variations in all, including a sampler set if you can't decide.
Rounding out the menu are plenty of Korean standards (and a few not-so-standards) - nice garlicky gyoza dumplings, chijimi pancakes, bibimba and other rice dishes, chige stews, spicy stir-fried pork, and a whole page of noodle dishes - with makkoli, soju and beer to drink. Prices are cheap, and everything on the menu is ready to take out. [Show more] [Show less] A branch of Tokyo's best budget Taiwanese chain.
Kabukicho 2-41-5. Open 11am-3, 5pm-midnight daily.
Seafood-heavy paellas, Spanish omelettes and other typical Spanish fare in extremely unpretentious surroundings; full-course dinners from around Y4000.
Kabukicho 2-42-11, Casa Shinjuku Bldg. Open 6-11pm (LO). Closed Mondays.
Far less fancy than some of its newer neighbors, this long-running shop serves Korean home-style cooking, including a lot of hearty winter stews.
[Go to branch review] Hyakunincho 1-5-6. Open noon-2pm, 5-midnight (LO; -1am Sundays). Open every day.
Not quite as large as the nearby Kankoku Hiroba, this popular Korean grocery store offers housewares as well as a big selection of imported food and drink, including fresh produce.
Okubo 1-16-15. Open 10am-11pm daily.
A change of pace from the down-home Korean restaurants and boisterous makkoli bars surrounding it, Festina Lente has ambitions to be a proper cocktail bar. The barman operates his shaker with just the right degree of vigor, and he understands the importance of pre-icing your glass before the pour. On the downside, a very simple drink might take five minutes to arrive even when it's not busy. A change of pace from the down-home Korean restaurants and boisterous makkoli bars surrounding it, Festina Lente has ambitions to be a proper cocktail bar. The barman operates his shaker with just the right degree of vigor, and he understands the importance of pre-icing your glass before the pour. On the downside, a very simple drink might take five minutes to arrive even when it's not busy.
Along with standard and exotic cocktails you'll find Belgian beers and some nice Japanese sake on the menu, along with a basic food menu. The atmosphere is quite chilled-out, and you can relax late into the night if you're so inclined, as they don't close until four or five. In keeping with neighborhood customs, the background music is K-pop shown on a big-screen TV.
[Y300 cover charge; cafe time 1-6pm; bar time 6pm-4am.] [Show more] [Show less] Spicy chicken wings, yakitori and Nagoya miso specialties.
Somuo (Misc. Southeast Asian). 3366-8686
This festively decorated restaurant has a Southeast Asian resort theme and a menu offering Vietnamese, Thai and other nearby cuisines. Budget around Y2500 for food and drink.
Hyakunincho 1-11-24, Shirakawa Bldg 1F. Open 11am-11pm daily.
The main branch of this popular Thai restaurant is simply called Khun Mae and is located a few doors down the road; the confusingly named Khun Mae 1 handles some of the overflow. (Apparently they start their numbering at zero.) Whichever number you choose, the food is reliable, fairly authentic, and reasonably priced. The main branch of this popular Thai restaurant is simply called Khun Mae and is located a few doors down the road; the confusingly named Khun Mae 1 handles some of the overflow. (Apparently they start their numbering at zero.) Whichever number you choose, the food is reliable, fairly authentic, and reasonably priced.
In addition to curries and other Thai standards, the extensive dinner menu includes chef's specials such as deep-fried black sea bream with garlic sauce; soft-shell crabs stir-fried with black pepper; raw shrimps with spicy sauce; and Isaan-style sour sausages. If you're on your own and on a budget, there's also a selection of five set dinners priced at Y1260.
During the daytime you can choose from sixteen main dishes as part of the Y840 lunch special, which also includes a bit of salad, a tiny dessert, and a drinks buffet with hot or iced coffee, iced Thai tea (an interesting vanilla-ish flavor), and mango and grapefruit juices. For an extra Y105 you can add on a mini-bowl of Thai ramen. [Show more] [Show less] Hyakunincho 1-10-11. Open 11:30am-11pm (LO) daily.
One of Okubo's better Thai restaurants; budget around Y3000-4000 at dinnertime.
Hyakunincho 1-10-7, Omori Bldg 1F. Open 11:30am-3, 3-11pm (LO) daily.
Sahara (Middle Eastern). 5338-6989
Good Tunisian and Moroccan fare, including tajine stews and fish dishes. Budget around Y3500 for food.
Hyakunincho 1-11-1, Urban Bldg B1F. Open 5:30-11pm (LO). Closed Tuesdays.
While they many not win any awards for their rather basic decor, this late-night shop offers decent curries, friendly service and good value for money. And everything on the menu is available for take-out. If you somehow miss their 5am closing hour, they also have a 24-hour branch nearby (03-5272-6336).
Nicely textured noodles in a tasty fish-based broth are topped off with excellent home-made menma (pickled bamboo shoots). They also offer a rather novel ramen pizza.
Kita-Shinjuku 1-4-1, Arma Bldg B1F. Open 11:30am-11pm daily.
Manaita (Izakaya). 3362-1198
