Bestie C and I jetted off to one of my favorite cities ever for the weekend: Tokyo! We got in pretty late and by the time we checked into our hotel room and ventured out for dinner it was already nearly 12 am. Our hotel was located conveniently in Shinjuku and was also right next to Kabukicho, Tokyo's red light district. We wandered around looking for a place for a quick dinner but kept finding chinese restaurants... NOT what we wanted! We started feeling a bit uncomfortable with all the hostess clubs and nightclubs flashing around us but finally found a charming traditional restaurant. We rushed in and felt as if we traveled back in time. We were greeted by a lovely old lady who had relatively good english although we still had to use a lot of hand motions throughout the meal to converse. What resulted was one of the most memorable and enjoyable meals I've had during my travels. It was one of those great travel moments that stays with you. An amazing way to start the trip!
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Hand written menu
We had no idea what it said... but loved how it was hand written. We ordered a set meal for two which consisted of sashimi, vegetables, tofu, meat, and seafood. Everything was so fresh and of great quality. |
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| We traveled to another era |
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Potato and konnyaku skewers
Konnyaku is a japanese weight loss/health food made from the corm of the konjac plant. It is basically 97% water and a huge block of it is only 10 calories but it is very filling. The konnyaku was roasted and sprinkled with salt before being served. The texture is quite unique and might not for everyone, but I loved it. It was very interesting, chewy, and springy. |
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| Super fresh and beautiful presentation. Everything was edible! |
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| Scallops and chicken gizzard and heart |
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| A nice cup of tea after a great meal! |
The food wasn't the best I have ever had, but it was made and served with such care and was so simple and delicious. By only using basic seasoning such as salt and homemade miso paste, the true flavor and the sweetness of the ingredients was enjoyed to its full potential. The lovely old lady was the true star of the meal. She was incredibly welcoming and humorous, she brought each course out and personally grilled each bite to perfection. It was very touching and inspiring to see someone put so much effort and thought into every detail. She was also so sweet and although we had a language barrier we shared jokes and had light conversation. When we left she reminded us to be careful because it was late at night and made sure that we knew our way back to our hotel. Unfortunately I was unable to find the address for this shop but if I am ever in Tokyo again I would definitely return!
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