Uminekoya, Nishi-Ogikubo 海猫屋、西荻窪

Not having visited Nishi-Ogikubo for several years, I was delighted when Uminekoya, a small, neat and beautifully executed restaurant a brief stroll from the station's south exit, was suggested as a dining venue.

The shop’s façade and interior were modest; the latter dominated by a long dining counter and open kitchen, and the bustle of activity therein. The proprietors, two gentleman in their late-middle years, ran the whole show, from taking orders, preparing and cooking a host of excellent dishes to serving them all – along with sturdy pints of heartland beer or crisp white wines – with a smile. 

If one complaint could be raised, it would be that this two man show sometimes struggled to keep pace with countless re-orders and requests from a crowd of diners (a pleasant mix of families, smart young ladies and couples) clearly intent on enjoying as much of the varied and interesting menu as their stomachs could handle.

Not only was the menu varied – ranging from South East Asian through Japanese to European dishes – but every dish was also extremely well proportioned, nicely presented and undoubtedly lovingly created with high quality, fresh produce. The prices were very reasonable, with some being criminally cheap considering the volume and quality of cooking. For example, the thick, juicy slabs of roast pork with garlic roast potatoes, or the huge, mouthwatering pile of steamed vegetables that the diners on the neighbouring table ordered after (sadly) my dining partners and I had already eaten more than our fill.

Carpaccio of sole (delicate flavour, melted in the mouth)

Spring herring marinade (perfect combination with oil and black olives)

Thai-style spicy spring noodle salad (surprisingly spicy)

Marburu dofu (even spicier)

Succulent roast pork, with roast potatoes, garlic and herbs (perfection; and a zillion times better than that I recently had at Le Lion)

Margherita

Quattro formaggio (very good, but not a patch on da Isa’s take on this classic pizza)

Cheese plate (the weakest of entire meal, but not unexpected)

Uminekoya is a praiseworthy restaurant, of which the gentlemen in the kitchen can be proud. Not recommended for raucous piss-ups, but perfect for a peaceful (smoke-free), stimulating meal with favourite dining companions. Very much looking forward to visiting again.

03-3333-4466

Uminekoya

Sen Ri Ba, Tokyo Midtown 千里場、東京ミッドタウン

Sen Ri Ba is a no nonsense Chinese restaurant, focused on Shanghai cuisine, situated among the cluster of eateries in Akasaka’s Tokyo Midtown complex.

Clean, tidy, and with an almost canteen-like atmosphere, a filling lunch can be had for around ¥1,000.

The chicken karaage set came with soup, rice, pickles, a minuscule dumpling and a small dessert. Refills of the already sizable bowls of rice were offered, too.

03-5413-3688

Sen Ri Ba

Fermata, Jiyugaoka フェルメータ、自由が丘

Having sampled the Neapolitan magic contained within da Isa’s pizza only a few days prior to my visit to Jiyugaoka’s Fermata, I didn’t have particularly high hopes for this humble pizzeria situated 5 minutes from the station, just down the road from the Peacock supermarket.

To its credit, the understated façade and simple ground floor interior – a rude wooden counter before an open kitchen and wood burning oven – appeared both inviting and redolent of an authentic pizza experience. The 2^nd floor dining space was small, rather Spartan and could have done with either with a lick of paint or a hose, but was busy.

Orders were slow to be taken, but once accomplished my dining companion and I weren’t forced to wait too long for our lunch.

Complimented by under-chilled Asahi Premium, an unremarkable but quite edible starter of ham, pepper, mushroom and leaves drizzled in olive oil soon arrived.

The reason for visiting, of course, was the pizza; a somewhat uninspiring marinara (the base was pretty good, but nowhere near as stupifyingly moreish is those at da Isa, but somehow the tomato did little to excite) and a bacon, cabbage and mozzarella creation, which proved to be far more satisfying than the aforementioned marinara, even if less subtle in design and flavour.

Would visit again, most likely to try the ground floor counter and a margherita by night.

Fermata also has outposts in Kichijoji and Funabashi.

03-3718-5084

Fermata

Le Lion, Ebisu ル・リオン、恵比寿

Being both shocked and dismayed by the queue outside L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, my dining partner and I trundled on over to Le Lion, a small Lyonnaise bouchon-styled French restaurant, in the Ebisu backstreets between Meiji Dori and the station, not far from the excellent Hainan Jeefan Shokudo.

Not large, the restaurant interior looked inviting enough, and the covered terrace area provided for a nice atmosphere (surrounded by surprisingly well behaved pet dogs) on a warm and admirably rain free afternoon.

Although both Tokyoeater and Terry thought well of Le Lion a few years ago, this particular lunch excursion found it somewhat wanting. Either time has taken its toll, or the lunchtime business doesn't do that later in the day justice.   

An amuse of dry bread proceeded our mains; steak and roast beef, respectively, both propped up with a miserly splash of mashed potato and over-cooked, under-represented, vegetables. The steak came with mustard puree that served to moisten the bread a little. Both pieces of meat were of the fatty persuasion so beloved of Japanese diners, and thus too oily and soft-textured for my liking.

For dessert, lemon tart and a delicious, sickly-sweet chocolate mousse that would have faired better after an evening meal.

03-3445-8131 

Le Lion

Da Isa, Nakameguro ダ イーサ、中目黒

The best pizza I’ve experienced was at a perfectly unassuming, quietly dedicated neighbourhood restaurant in the back streets of Torino, Italy, by the name of Totò (being a nickname for people named Salvatore, but also the name of one of Italy’s most lauded actors from Naples: Totò [Antonio Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comneno De Curtis di Bisanzio Gagliardi], better known as Antonio De Curtis, or so I’m reliably informed).

Back in the day, at Totò 

Totò’s pizza was so utterly divine that I’ve ever since worried that I may forever more owe a debt of deepest gratitude to those most dearest of men and sparkly of dining partners by whom I was introduced to the delights of truly authentic Italian pizza. 

Thankfully, having at last dined at da Isa, the highly regarded and much frequented Nakameguro establishment of world-class pizza chef and Presidente, Yamamoto Hisanori, I feel at least partially confident in my ability to return an introductory favor.

Yamamoto-sensei won the World Pizza Cup – in Naples, the spiritual home of pizza – three years in row, so he’s pretty good at his trade; knocking out mind blowing pizza for hoards of ravenous diners.

Not far from Nakameguro station (about 8 minutes walk down Yamate Dori toward Ikejiri), da Isa is hardly one of the neighbourhood’s best kept secrets. Packed most of the time, queues are to be expected, and evening reservations (if you can) are advised. Weekday lunches can be had for ¥1,000 which, considering the quality of pizza, is a bargain.

The shop interior and pavement dining area look and feels pretty much like the real deal, nothing fancy and (thankfully) not overly adorned with faux-Italian decoration. A team of busy floor staff wait the dining area with great efficiency, and do a competent job of turning tables without ever making you feel rushed.

As @izakayasanpo had pointed out, the drinks err on the small side, although my dining partner (rather sparkly, too) thought they were fine. Drink volume aside, we were in complete accord when it came to the perfection of the pizza.

The menu offers a comprehensive selection of pies, none of which will break the bank, along with a handful of antipasti and sundries. Best of all, all the pizza are cooked by Yamamoto-sensei himself, with the open kitchen providing the opportunity to watch the master work his oven and wooden paddle.

Having placed an order, the pizzas were turned out briskly, and without theatrics – no tossing the dough around or other such party tricks – he simply pummels it into shape, slaps it on the paddle and flings the topping on before shoving it into the oven. Although no expert, I assume the extreme heat and speed with which the pizza is cooked are the secret behind the incredible flavour and to-die-for chewy base that results.

After giving the menu due consideration, we eventually went for the Margherita Alla Roman (pomodoro, mozzarella, basilica and anchovies) and 4 Formaggi (mozzarella, gorgonzola, teleggio and parmiggiano), both of which were unquestionably superb. Moist and gooey without being too sloppy, the cheeses pungent, the base chewy but not too heavy; in sum, totally moreish.

The size of each pizza was more than adequate, leaving us feeling stuffed by time we were done, although they were so delicious that a second round didn’t seem such a bad idea…

03-5768-3739

da Isa

Kushikatsu Tanaka, Oyamadai 串カツ田中、尾山台

Kushikatsu Tanaka is a small chain of izakaya, specializing in deep fried kushi, providing surprisingly tasty food and a lively atmosphere at bargain prices.

They’re dog-friendly, too, so should you be inclined to dine with your wan-chan you can do so. They tend to request that your dog be clothed, but being a gaijin, my dining companion politely declined to plumb the depths of Japan’s canine apparel industry, instead pointing out that as the pooch was short-haired it shouldn’t be a problem.

These izakaya are immensely popular – certainly the Oyamadai shop is packed every night of the week with a mixture of students, families feeding their kids on the cheap, and local salarymen. Although the interiors are rather basic, the ambience is warm, welcoming and a lot fun.

The menu focuses on meats, seafood and vegetables deep-fried in bread crumbs, along with a smattering of less usual dishes, such as banana, and sundry dishes ranging from potato salad to basahi. The kasu-udon are worth a look, too.

Drinks are cheap – mostly beer, shochu, whiskey highballs and extremely potent Hoppy and shochu sets.

Upon sitting down to eat, diners are presented with a bowl of raw cabbage and a tub of rich-tasting dipping sauce with which to spice up the kushi. The house rules state that in the interest of hygiene each morsel can only be dipped once.

Potato salad

Renkon, ham, asparagus, beef and fish kushi

Octopus

Tomato, garlic, sausage and shrimp kushi

Kasu-udon

Hoppy and shochu set

Nikomi

Kimuchi

Rakase (cooked peanuts)

Chicken wings 

Ham and bacon kushi 

Pickled cucumber 

Basashi

03-3701-3228

Kushikatsu Tanaka

Kiyoka, Koenji きよ香、高円寺

Back in March of last year, I finally got around to visiting one of Koenji’s esteemed Okinawan izakaya, Dachibin. A little over a year later, and I found myself invited to enjoy another evening of Okinawan cuisine at Kiyoka, the honten – now in its sixth decade – of the family-run chain of Okinawan businesses located not far from the station’s north exit.

Huddled down a sidle alley between lurching, half-rotten looking bars and eateries, Kiyoka is much smaller, and thus more intimate, than Dachibin, providing a more peaceful, leisurely dining experience, too. The service was patient and friendly, which always helps.

The menu is pretty much the same – plenty of Okinawan staples, only with less focus on the lower-end of the category, such as spam and scrambled eggs, as is usually encountered at less authentic Okinawan establishments.

We started the meal with some pungent tofuyo, a dense, cheese-like tofu eaten in small amounts as an accompaniment to liquor.

Dumplings followed, and didn’t last long. Would have preferred slightly thicker skins, but they were tasty nonetheless.

The goya-champuru was good, mostly because if contained real pork instead of spam. This dish seemed less bitter-tasting than it ought to, which might have been down to a bad batch of goya or something to do with the season, perhaps.

The sunui (a type of seaweed) tempura was very good, and could have easily been ordered a second time without complaint.

As could the gurukun, deep-fried fish so crunchy you can eat the whole thing.

We finished off the meal with a kind of spicy minced meat dish (the name escapes me), eaten by wrapping the meat in lettuce leaves, and some standard yaki-soba.

Keen to go back for some more. Although not as lively as Dachibin, I preferred what Kiyoka had to offer. 

03-3339-5722

Kiyoka