Plat Home @ Kanazawa

Assorted pickles - cauliflower, aubergine, daikon, perilla leaves

Roasted ginko nuts and chestnuts

Sashimi of tuna, bonito, Japanese sandfish and yellowtail

Parma ham wrapped asparagus

Tempura of lotus root and Japanese sandfish with mushrooms

Roast beef with seasonal vegetables

Adding a touch of sophistication to an otherwise drab part of town, Plat Home specializes in a contemporary blend of Japanese and western cuisines prepared with locally sourced seasonal ingredients. 

Set in a renovated storehouse, the tastefully pared down interior and antique furnishing provide the perfect backdrop to chef Okagawa’s cosy open kitchen.  

Portions tend to be small, lending themselves to tapas-style dining and the sampling of a variety of dishes and cooking styles. 

Plat Home

076 256 5075

 

Curio Espresso and Vintage Design @ Kanazawa

Caffe latte

Croissant

Chocolate chip oatmeal cookie

Greek style chicken sandwich with potato chips and orange

Greek style chicken sandwich with onions and tomatoes

Pulled pork with cabbage and cheese sandwich

Espresso

A must-stop on the Kanazawa tourist trail and a popular community space for locals, Curio Espresso and Vintage Design is the creation of a husband-and-wife team hailing from Seattle and Kanazawa who bring their knowledge of Seattle’s coffee to this charming coffeeshop located near the Omicho market.

Deliciously punchy Seattle-style coffee using a house-blend from Kanazawa roaster Ally Caffe, teas and a small selection of wines and craft beers ensure a relaxing visit. The kitchen serves wholesome food, including vegetarian and vegan options, ranging from croissants and carrot cake to greek-style open sandwiches and not-to-be-missed barbecue pulled pork. 

A favourite stop for breakfast and a coffee fix, Curio Espresso and Vintage Design is the perfect place to start the day, glean local knowledge from the proprietors or unwind after sightseeing. 

Curio Espresso and Vintage Design

076 231 5543

 

Trattoria Mode @ Ebisu

Corn mousse with sea urchin

Truffle topped fluffy soufflé omelette

Risotto with foie gras and wasabi in parmigiano and red wine sauce

Shrimp and tomato pasta

Wild boar and chestnut ragout pasta

Grilled sea bream

Beef bistecca with mashed potato

Roast Hokkaido venison with vegetable tempura

The trifecta of Chef Inamura’s delicious trattoria style cooking, excellent cost performance and airy, terrace style street-side dining make Trattoria Mode one of our favourite lunch destinations.

Although a la carte and lunch-set options are available the two sizable set course lunches are great value for money for a more indulgent dining experience. 

By evening, the monthly ‘Menu Special’ set course should not be missed. 

Trattoria Mode

03 6721 9305

 

Taro @ Meguro

Pork, cabbage and black pepper sauté

Fried rice

Shokoshu (Shaoxing wine)

Gyoza

Liver, Chinese chive and wood ear sauté

Miso ramen

After 45 years’ brisk trade on the Hiroo shotengai, on June 30th Taro served its last customers before relocating to the Meguro station area in early July. 

Thankfully, little has changed. 

Although the budget sake and self-serve takuan are sorely missed, the same team attends to customers and mans the kitchen providing the familiar service and home style cooking for which it is admired. The only real change is a welcome one; a modern, airy space allowing for improved social distancing and kitchen hygiene.

Taro

03 3449 8301

 

Tonkatsu Jinya @ Kaminoge

Bamboo shoot otsumami

Nihonshu - Yamada Nishiki

Tsukemono

Potato salad

Kaki (oyster) fry

Sesame

Special fillet katsu

Special fillet katsu

Loin katsu

Loin katsu

Jinya is a textbook Showa era tonkatsu-ya situated off a residential side-street close to Kaminoge station. Although usually busy with local customers, the raised koagare dining floor and counter seating provide a sense of space and adequate social distancing. 

The lunchtime set menu provides excellent cost performance but is limited to rosu (loin) katsu. As such we prefer to order from the evening dinner menu to enjoy the ’special’ hire (fillet) katsu. Portions are extremely generous, including the rich tasting miso soup, pickles and shredded cabbage. The pork is excellent; clean, lean and light in colour. The rosu katsu in particular is dense and moist but not too oily. 

By evening the menu expands to include a variety of izakaya staples to accompany alcohol. 

Tonkatsu Jinya

03 3703 4711