My Lunch :: March 13th :: Zenya Ramen Akasaka

There are a few new shops opening up just in time for the nice weather. Zenya Ramen specializes in Hakata ramen but also makes other varieties such as miso and tsukemen. Hakata style ramen uses a thinner noodle and the broth is cloudy since it is a variation of tonkotsu (pork bone) broth.  I got the basic Hakata ramen which comes with green onions, half of a soft boiled egg, a slice of charshu (roast pork) and a nice fatty piece of pork belly. I love pork belly, so this was a welcome change to my ramen routine.

Zenya reminds me of a popular Hakata ramen branch, Jangara, but I think Zenya is better because they have better eggs. Over boiled eggs - ladies, that's a deal breaker! There are 4 other locations in Japan, with the Akasaka station the newest of the bunch and only 1 of 2 in Tokyo.

Zenya Ramen
5-1-1 Akasaka
Akasaka Station (Chiyoda)

Ogo's in Akasaka:: Award Winning Poké

This is the award winning Teriyaki Ahi Poké from Ogo's in Akasaka. It is definitely worth a visit. You should really go there and try it. They also have a super yum macaroni salad and their kahlua pig plate is addicting. I haven't had a ton of Hawaiian in my life, but being in Japan gives me an opportunity to try some great American food.

As with most Hawaiians, they're HUGE U of H football fans, so don't go in talkin' trash.

Ogo Ona Loa
5-1-4 Akasaka, Minato-ku, 5F
Near Chiyoda Line Akasaka Station and Ginza/Marunouchi Akasaka-Mitsuke Station
Behind Akasaka Sacas - look for the confederate flag from an inappropriate western bar nearby.


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My Dinner :: Dec 3rd :: Ecclesia Cafe

Roomie and I finally ate at the cafe across the street from our "manshon" (all tall apartment buildings are called that in Japan, but it makes me feel so hoighty toighty). This meal was actually not that memorable except for the very cute heart shaped rice.

Ecclesia Cafe
Akasaka 2-chome

Neyn Donuts

There is a very cute donut shop called Neyn, down the hill from where we live and as I learn more and more about the shop, the more I love it. The donuts are very unique - they are all handmade and most are baked rather than fried and more cakey in texture. Don't let that fool you - they're still quite tasty. My favorite is the fromage donut which is covered with organic powdered sugar and filled with a sweet cream cheese. They also have matcha, chocolate, cassis and orange chocolate varieties. The design of the cafe is European and authentic. The coffee is strong and tastey - kind of rare of Japan.

What makes this shop pretty bitchin' is the story behind it. The owner, Yoshihisa Yamada is a 45-year-old bad ass. I really admire people who have "made it" in the business world. I guess maybe because I used to work in that kind of environment, I understand how hard it is to be successful and not just another paper-pusher/middle-management drone (like I was...wah wah). Yamada's resume is truly impressive: he graduated from the best University in Japan (Tokyo University), got an MBA from Harvard, worked at both the Bank of Japan and Goldman Sachs, then became the man in charge of Rakuten Travel, the largest online shopping operator in Japan, kind of like the Amazon.com of Japan. Did I mention he's only 45?

Thankfully for sweets lovers, he decided to take his smarts and invest it into a donut shop. It might seem kind of random, but he has such a good business-oriented reason as to why he chose a donut shop. From a Japan Times article:

Yamada decided on doughnuts because their popularity in Japan is a constant, and because there aren't all that many competitors. He said he could have tried the fashion business or a patisserie, but Tokyo already has a ton of those and he wasn't sure if he could set his company apart...

"Creating value-added products and bringing them overseas — that's what I'm interested in doing."

He also chose his location, Akasaka Sacas, because of the high density of Office Ladies (called OL's in Japan) in the area. Office ladies are kind of their own demographic here. In short, OL's are young women who work in big offices, taking care of the workers by fetching tea and snacks. They live at home with their parents and stop working once they get married. The whole point of being an OL is to find a husband...or at least this is what I'm told. Most cute cafes and lunch spots are catered to OLs, and Neyn is one of them.

Neyn seems to be doing pretty well for themselves. Aside from their main shop in Akasaka, they opened an experimental 1-year shop in the swanky Tokyo Midtown building. I hope this shop does well. Anyone who thinks that donuts are a value-added product is someone I can get behind.


Neyn Donuts

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My Lunch :: Oct 20 :: Le Bilboquet

Croque Monsieur from Le Bilboquet in Akasaka. I had such high hopes for this French staple but it was pretty gnarly. I'm pretty sure the bread was Wonderbread and there was zero butter on it whatsoever. It was mushy and very hard to eat. It will probably do the trick in fueling my run later this afternoon, but I'm going to need to have a snack to wash this taste off my tongue. Blech.

My Lunch :: Oct 15 :: M Cafe de Chaya

I am a little obsessed with M Cafe so I got another bento today. This one consists of basil rice and soy nuggets. Soy nuggets sounds really gross, but they're pretty tasty. If you have ever had Inari, it tastes like the tofu skin around the rice. I am also obsessed with eating tiny pieces of chocolate from 7-Eleven. There are some pretty wacky flavors to choose from (sweet potato, azuki bean, vegetable) but I prefer white chocolate with chocolate cookie (i.e. cookies and cream). The juice is also a new discovery - muscat juice. You can find this juice in tiny cans in K-Town and other Asian markets in The States, but the tiny cans have chunks of muscat and jelly floating around. It's not bad, but sometimes you want to just have juice. Now I found it and I'm pretty stoked.

M Cafe de Chaya, Akasaka

Akaska Biztower B1F

Akasaka Station (Chiyoda) 

My Lunch :: Oct 13 :: Fresh Bakery Akasaka

Katsusando from Fresh Bakery in Akasaka. Katsu is deep fried pork with a special sauce. Usually, it is served over rice witha side of shredded cabbage. That is called Tonkatsu and it is a very popular Japanese dish. Put it between two slabs of soft white bread and you have a Katsu-Sando or Katsu Sandwich. Yum yum yum. It's pretty hard to get a bad katsusando since there are so few ingredients so it makes for a safe meal. 


Fresh Bakery is in the Akasaka Sacas building in front of the Chiyoda line ticket machines.

My Lunch :: Oct 1 :: Kinokuniya

Bento and potato salad from Kinokuniya Entree. Eating lunch at my office desk. Feels like I'm in NY again, except without a giant Lebron poster staring down at you. Kinokuniya is one of those places that would do really well in New York because it is a quick place to get something to eat that is not a salad bar or a Subway. You can also find some good fancy groceries (cheese, exotic stuff and cured meats) and wine but it is a bit pricey. They are almost always inside/near a Tokyo Metro station which leads me to believe that there is some sort of partnership there.

Kinokuniya, Akasaka
Akasaka Biz Tower, B1F

My Lunch :: Sept 18 :: Daisugen Ramen

Shouyu Ramen at Daisougen in Akasaka. Passed on the chance to try Miso Ramen with CHEESE. Hmm...I like that they're trying to be inventive, but I much prefer traditional ramen. Portions are pretty big for lunch, at least for someone like me, but that just means it's a pretty good deal.

Daisougen Ramen
Akasaka Mitsuke Station (Marunouchi, Ginza)

My Lunch :: Sept 16 :: Zoka Coffee Roaster

Mushroom quiche and an apple spritzer from Zoka Coffee Roaster. Tempted to try their salted caramel latte next...I am quite familiar with Zoka as I am a UW Husky and Zoka's original shop is in the U-District in Seattle. I used to study there and often saw Dave Matthews sippin' on some coffee and being bald. Most Japanese people dislike the taste of strong coffee, but better cafes and baristas are popping up in Tokyo which is a good sign. There are 3 Zokas in Tokyo but I have only been to the one in Akasaka Mitsuke, which is right behind the Akasaka Mitsuke station on Sotobori Dori.

Zoka Coffee Roaster


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