Hirakuya x Osteria @ Midorigaoka

June 30, 2019 Dave Perry

***Burdock and devil’s tongue gorgonzola salad***

***English style battered cod and chips***

***Jalepeno peppers stuff with cream cheese***

Set amidst a quiet residential neighbourhood, Hirakuya x Osteria’s open facade and pet-friendly terrace face on to the charming ‘green route’ between Midorigaoka and Jiyugaoka.

The warm, polished wooden interior’s rich red and green wine bottle tones and collection of 60s and 70s vinyl sleeves evoke a Scandinavian lodge.

Offering a mix of lightly grilled, fried and simmered dishes encompassing Hokkaido, Italian and English cuisines the Euro-Japanese menu expands upon the casual dining theme of the original Jiyugaoka sister shop with a more focused (although less variable) offering.

Hirakuya Osteria

03 6459 5585

Itasoba Kaoriya @ Ebisu

April 22, 2019 Dave Perry

***Dashimaki omelette with scallions and grated daikon***

***Soba with onsen-boiled egg and perilla-wrapped chicken tempura***

Itasoba Kaoriya is a popular (30 minute queues are not uncommon) soba-ya specializing in country-style soba praised for their flavour and fragrance.

Amidst the comfortably rustic interior, eager customers sit at crowded communal tables enjoying a range of side dishes, such as the fluffy dashimaki tamago or juicy yaki-kamo, while awaiting generous portions of flavoursome, al dente ‘itasoba’ buckwheat noodles.

Served in traditional wooden ‘itabako’ storage trays, the noodles come in one of two ways; regular or thick cut (we prefer the thicker cut for its chewier texture), with soba tsuyu (soy) or gomadare (sesame) dipping sauces, accompanied by assorted tempura and takikomi gohan.

Itasoba Kaoriya

03 3449 8498

Sanchan Shokudo @ Shin-Maruko

April 12, 2019 Dave Perry

A Shin-Maruko institution, Sanchan Shokudo has been delighting customers with its quintessential Showa dining experience for over a half-century. Since its inception in 1967, Sanchan's mission statement has been to provide cheap, fast, delicious, large food - something it achieves with aplomb.

Although its origins as a ramen and gyoza canteen (this is no izakaya) catering to local workers and students are still proudly displayed on the noren hanging before the entrance, over the decades the offering has expanded to cater to patrons’ changing tastes. The result as an expansive menu of classic Japanese and ‘Chinese’ comfort foods. The aji fry, chicken cheese roll and fried rice are our favourites, although the shop speciality is undoubtedly the voluminous yakiniku ricebowl.

The retro decor (complete with topless calendar) and happily inebriated, chain smoking clientele combine to create a lively old school atmosphere. Hugely popular, weekends tend to be especially crowded with brief waits for a seat at one of the long rows of trestle tables to be expected.

Sanchan Shokudo

044 722 2863

Saru @ Jiyugaoka

April 7, 2019 Dave Perry

***Sicilian style mackerel ragout pasta***

***Sardine confit with marinated mushrooms***

***Smoked tuna head with wasabi tapenade***

***Veal cutlet with blue cheese sauce***

***Ezo venison steak with wild rocket and balsamic sauce***

***Chocolate terrine with semi dried grapes***

After a soft launch in late 2018 and successful reboot as Saru Apero Bistro early this year, the fifth restaurant in the Saru family is now a thriving Jiyugaoka favourite.

Set amidst a broad wooden dining counter, the small open kitchen delivers on the restaurant's promise of a 'delicious European-style eatery' with a handful of lunch plates and plenty of a la carte options by day as well as an extended menu of northern European, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern inspired ‘small bistro dishes’ by night.

The menu is complimented by a selection of Japanese and eastern European 'historic world wines.’

Saru Apero Bistro

050 5266 0440

Trunk @ Meguro

March 3, 2019 Dave Perry

***Andive, apple, blue cheese and walnut salad***

***Shizuoka mushroom and ham Caesar salad***

Our favourite Meguro restaurant, ‘osteria, tavern and wine bar’ Trunk is a gem of conviviality secluded amidst an aging warren of bars and restaurants, offering hearty cooking and a carefully selected range of ‘casually approachable’ world wines.

The restaurant itself evokes a worn, rustic European charm. The small kitchen proffers a delicious menu rooted in Italian and French cuisines accented with Japanese sensibilities. Eclectic fish, game meats and risottos punctuate a menu of classic salads, pates and pastas.

Update: Trunk’s sister shop, Iron House, opened in November 2020.

Trunk

050 5594 6662