Tonchang - Korean BBQ - Shibuya, Akasaka, Shinjuku, Gotanda

Tonchang - Korean BBQ (pork)
December 2006 (Shibuya)
March 2007 (Akasaka)

2F 2-6-2 Dogenzaka, Shibuya
Shibuya-Ku Tokyo
Ph (03) 3462-7057
Open 17:00 - 05:00
http://www.tonchang.com/store4.htm

2F 2-32-3 Akasaka
Minato-Ku Tokyo
Ph(03) 5573-9271/2
Open 17:00 - 06:00
http://www.tonchang.com/store2.htm

2F 5-28-12 Gotanda
Shinagawa-Ku Tokyo
Ph (03) 5475-5877/8
Open 17:00 - 05:00
http://www.tonchang.com/store7.htm

You should print off a coupon from the website here
http://www.tonchang.com/sinzuku.htm
for your free Chijimi (Korean pancake) or salad.

Summed up - Traditional Korean home cooking, love the heat!
Best Dish - The kimchi rice at the end, order it with cheese.
Cost - BBQ meats from 1,000 yen. Side dishes around 1,000 yen.
English friendly - Menu is Japanese and Korean only but the waiters speak a little English.
Seats - 40
Atmosphere - casual
Food - Rocking
Service - Average
Wine list - Wine? Who wants wine with this food? Nice icy cold beer.

Monsoon Cafe - Thai

Monsoon Cafe - Azabu Juban
January 2008

6F Festa Azabu Building
1-7-5 Azabu Juban
Tel. 03-5775-6900
Open 7 days 11:30am - 5:00am
http://www.monsoon-cafe.jp/en/casual/home/welcome

Also located in Chiba, Kanagawa, Osaka, Daikanyama, Ebisu, Ginza, Jiyugaoka, Minami Aoyama, Nishi Azabu, Odaiba and Shibuya. See the website for more details.

Best Dish - Vermicelli Salad
Cost - Dishes go up to 1,380 yen each
English Friendly - Yes
Atmosphere - Tacky interior but the outside deck is lovely if the weather is nice.
Food - Average
Service - Average
Wine list - A good selection of Champagne and cocktails but only house wine.
Private Functions - Yes
Non smoking areas - Yes
Vegetarian Options - Yes
Family Friendly - Yes

Bairan - Shibuya - Yakisoba

Bairan - Shibuya
December 2007

2-9-1 Dougenzaka
Shibuya-ku
Tel. 03-5489-0866

No Review Available yet. Meals are less than 1,000 yen.

Legato - Shibuya - Fusion

Legato - Shibuya
April 2007

3-6 Maruyama-cho
15F E Space Tower
Shibuya-ku
Tel. 03-5784-2121
email: legato@global-dining.com
www.legato-tokyo.jp


No review available yet

Tuscano's - Shibuya - Brazilian

Tuscano's - Shibuya
March 2007

Shibuya Fhontis bld B1
2-23-12 Dogenzaka
Shibuya-Ku Tokyo 150-0043
Tel. 03-5784-2661
Open for lunch Mon-Fri 11:30 - 14:30 and Sat 12:00 - 16:30
Open for dinner every day 17:30 - 22:30
www.pjgroup.jp/tucanos/index.html

Best Dish - Garlic Steak and the chocolate fountain for dessert
Cost - All you can eat food is 3,000 yen/person or 3,500 with dessert. Add 2,000yen for drinks.
English Friendly - Yes
Atmosphere - On weekends a live Brazilian band plays.
Food - The meat is very fatty
Service - average
Wine list - Mostly from Portugal
Private Functions - Yes
Non smoking areas - Yes
Vegetarian Options - No
Family Friendly -Yes

Beacon - Aoyama - Steak

Beacon - Aoyama
February 2007

1-2-5 Shibuya
Shibuya-Ku
Ph. 03-6418-0077
Lunch: 11:30 - 15:00
Tea time: 15:00 - 17:00 (Sat, Sun, Hol)
Dinner: 18:00 - 22:00
Bar: 18:00 - 23:00

This place was recommended to me for lunch but since I am usually busy during the day we had to settle with dinner. The decor is similar to that of modern restaurants all over the world with dim lights, high ceilings and a slightly Japanese influence.

The menu has a wide range of fish and meat dishes with a few vegetarian dishes also available. To start with, we had the prawns and the wagyu beef carpaccio matched with the pinot noir (by the glass). The prawns are served in a deliciously spicy sauce and crispy bread to dip in. I was a little disappointed when the carpaccio was served. It looked more like beef tataki with thick slices of slightly seared wagyu arranged on the plate but it did taste good. The pinot by the glass was average.

We had a salad between courses and were a little surprised when the waiter arrived with a Caesar salad. On the menu it was called Romaine Salad, Romaine lettuce leaves are also known as Cos lettuce leaves. It seamed like our waiter did not have much to do. He continually looked over us, waiting for us to finish our meals and as I was putting my fork down from the last bite, his hand was already on the plate taking it away. It was a little disconcerting having the feeling of being watched while eating our meal. As another waiter reached across the table to put a fresh glass of wine, his sleeve went straight in my food.

For mains we ate wagyu steak and braised lamb shanks with garlic mash on the side. We drank a glass of Shiraz and a glass of Merlot. The Shiraz was typically barossa with rich peppery aromas but the Merlot was definitely the pick of the day and it went perfectly with the lamb. The mash had one garlic clove on top but other than that I could not taste any garlic mixed in with the mash. The steak was as expected very marbled and became a little too fatty towards the end (it was quite large). The braised lamb shanks were a special and I don't think they will last long on the menu. The meat did not fall off the bone and the flavours on the sauce did not match the lamb.

Best Dish - Prawns to start
Cost - For 2 people including 2 glasses of wine each we paid around 16,000 yen.
English Friendly - Yes, English speaking waiters and an English menu.
Seats - 100
Atmosphere - International.
Food - Stick with steak.
Service - Below average.
Wine list - Good.
Private Functions - Yes

Non smoking areas - No

Vegetarian Options - A couple of dishes.

Yajima - Shibuya - Sushi

Yajima - Shibuya
February 2007

1-26-31 Higashi
Floor B1 大島Building
Shibuya-ku
Tel. 03-3499-6019

No review available yet

Mo Mo Paradise - Shibuya - Shabu Shabu and Sukiyaki

Mo-Mo-Paradise - Shibuya
February 2007

31-2 Udagawacho

6F 渋谷BEAM Bldg

Shibuya-ku

Tel. 03-3461-2941

All you can eat shabu-shabu and sukiyaki (they also have kimchee nabe) from just 1,690 yen. All you can drink for an extra 1,500 yen. You can't go wrong! The beef is not very fatty which I prefer with all you can eat. This is a great place to bring kids.

Best Dish - shbu-shabu with pork or sukiyaki with beef

Cost - All you can eat 1 kind 1,690 yen. 2 kinds 1,890 yen. Add 450 for rice and 1,500 yen for beer. 90mins.
English Friendly - Yes, English menus available but the staff do not speak much.

Seats - lots!
Atmosphere - food food food
Food - Average
Service - Average

Wine list - Only a couple.

Private Functions - Yes

Non smoking areas - No
Vegetarian Options - No

Kina - Shibuya - Izakaya

Kina - Shibuya

2-2-17 Shibuya
Ph (03) 3400-2244
Open for dinner 18:00 - 04:00 daily

No Review Available Yet

Pasutakan - Okonomiyaki - Shibuya

Pasutakan - Okonomiyaki
January 2007









Various shops, see the website for details
http://www.towafood-net.co.jp/pasutakan/

Best Dish - Buta (pork) and Kimchee Okinomiyaki.
Cost - 1,500 per person including a beer.
English Friendly - No, although most of the waiters are young and can speak a little.
Seats - Depends on the shop, Shibuya has around 30.
Atmosphere - Loads of young people but I guess that is the area.
Food – Good.
Service - OK.
Wine list - None
Non smoking areas - No.
Vegetarian Options - Yes.