Macchan (aka Mat Jjang)

Sam gyup sal, a popular Korean dish, is uncured pork belly, fried crispy and eaten dipped in fermented soybean paste, wrapped with lettuce, and washed down with a cold shot of Korean soju. It’s a lot like bacon, except unsalted and unsmoked so that the natural savory flavor of the pork can shine through without distraction. I call it “crunchy fat” because when grilled to perfection, the outside layer of the pork belly is crispy and crunchy, giving way to a tender layer of meat in the middle. Carnivores and omnivores who appreciate the velvety, rich texture and taste of kurobota pork will love the juicy, savory perfection that is sam gyup sal.

Japan’s fondness for extra-marbled, extra fatty meat has ensured an abundance of sam gyup sal restaurants throughout Tokyo, but one of the city’s best is Macchan in Shin Okubo. Macchan is the katakana-ized version of the Korean for “Mat jjang” which literally means “best flavor.” The slices of pork belly arrive at your table about 3 centimeters thick, which one of the busy servers will grill for you on a sizzling cast iron grill. After the meat has browned to the desired crunchiness, dip a piece in the salt-sesame oil sauce or dwenjang, Korean fermented soybean paste similar to miso, then wrap in a lettuce leaf and enjoy. Mmmm…crunchy fat – delicious!

After you’ve had your fill of crunchy fried pork fat, ask for a serving of fried rice, which is prepared on the same grill so that none of the pork fat goes to waste. If the main branch of Macchan is packed, as it often is, try Macchan #2 or #3, located on the same street to accommodate the overflow of hungry customers in search of sam gyup sal.

Ssam (wrap) items for samgyupsal - lettuce, perilla leaves, bean paste, garlic

Samgyupsal

Ingredients for fried rice

Prepared fried rice - delicious!

Food rating: *** and a half
Bang for buck rating: 4

The essentials:
http://r.gnavi.co.jp/fl/en/a673500/index.htm
Location: Shin Okubo
Average price of dinner for two (with drinks): 5000 yen (~$55)

See review for the Tokyo Weekender here: http://weekenderjapan.com/?p=17508

Ippudo

The best ramen in Tokyo is at Ippudo in Roppongi. I realize that's a very bold statement to make in a city with more than 4000 ramen shops, but I stand by my claim. Ippudo doesn't make trendy ramen or gourmet ramen (such as ramen shops with gold flakes) or innovative ramen (such as shops with corn or butter or cheese ramen). It just makes the best freaking bowl of tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen you will ever have in your life. The broth is amazingly rich and savory and decadent - like melted down lard, in the best possible way. In fact, I'm pretty sure that the tiny mysterious white flecks floating in the Akamaru ramen broth ARE lard.

My favorite is their Akamaru modern, made with miso paste and black garlic oil, but the Shiromaru classic is a cleaner version, with less oil. A variety of condiments are available to add to your taste - spicy marinated bean sprouts, pickled ginger, pickled greens, sesame, garlic, etc.

Your happiness of eating this ramen makes us happy!

Condiments for ramen

My prepared Akamaru modern ramen - happiness in a bowl!

Food rating: *****
Bang for buck rating: 5

The essentials:
http://www.ippudo.com/index.html
Location: behind the Softbank at Roppongi Crossing
Average price of meal for two: 2000 yen (~$22)

Seoul Ddookbbaegi

A friend recently introduced me to a rarity in Tokyo: a Korean restaurant that serves FREE banchan (side dishes). That alone is reason to visit Seoul Ddookbbaegi, on the ground floor of the same building occupied by Hyungboo Shikdang, another one of my favorite Korean restaurants in Tokyo. But here are a few more reasons: the banchan is delicious, the kimchi is delicious, and the seollungtang (beef bone soup) is delicious. Seollungtang is especially good to prevent or cure a hangover, so if you're out late drinking or partying in the Akasaka area, head over to Seoul Ddookbbaegi for a delicious bowl of steaming, satisfying seollungtang.

Seollungtang - beef bone soup, the best hangover cure!

Free and delicious side dishes!

Sign is only in Korean

Food rating: *** and a half
Bang for buck rating: 3.5

The essentials:
No website
Location: 2-13-17 Shintomi Bldg, Akasaka, Minato-ku
Average price of dinner for two: 3000 yen (~$33)

Gonpachi

So many websites and travel books recommend Gonpachi that I would like to offer an alternative viewpoint: Gonpachi is overrated and mediocre, don't go there.

I have no photos from Gonpachi because I've never been impressed enough by the food to merit taking any photos, and I don't ever plan to go again because there are too many great restaurants in Tokyo to waste my time going back to Gonpachi (I've been 3X and was not impressed on any of the visits). Depending on which floor you go to, Gonpachi serves sushi, tempura, soba and various grilled items on skewers. You can find better sushi, tempura, soba and skewer places within a ten minute radius of Gonpachi, I promise.

I don't understand why people go, except that the warehouse-style restaurant at Nishi-Azabu crossing was the inspiration for Kill Bill. Honestly...who cares?! A restaurant is only worth visiting if the food is delicious.

Food rating: **
Bang for buck rating: 2

The essentials:
http://www.gonpachi.jp/jp/casual/home/welcome
Location: various, but the one of Kill Bill fame is on one corner of Nishi Azabu crossing
Average price of dinner for two (without drinks): 8000 yen (~$90)

Elio Locanda

My first visit to Elio Locanda was truly memorable - delicious house-made pasta, creamy risotto, fresh mozzarella, perfect cannoli and cappuccino...a Japanese colleague recommended it as the best Italian restaurant in Tokyo, very high accolade for a city with some of the best Italian cuisine on the planet, and it didn't disappoint. On my first visit.

I couldn't wait to revisit, so I recently went back for dinner, expecting the same great food and service as my first visit.

After we were seated and gave our order, we were served a basket of bread. We waited, watching our neighbors get served salad, then antipasti, then pasta. We waited through two birthday cakes/songs. And waited.

Then a waiter (different from our original waiter) arrived and asked if he could confirm our order, asking us if we had ordered the chef's menu. We had not. We gave our order again, and commenced waiting, again. We were served our salad. Then waited another 20 minutes for our pastas to arrive. To be fair, the salad and pastas were good (although not great). And the staff brought us tiny pieces of brushchetta and flutes of blood orange juice as "gifts" for keeping us waiting. However, our dinner took 2.5 hours, 2 of which were spent waiting. If Elio Locanda was truly sorry for keeping us waiting as long as they did, they could have comped the meal - I think if you keep your patrons waiting that long, it's the least you can do to maintain goodwill. But the bill came with all our items listed, minus only the 600 yen per person service charge. We paid, we left. And I will never be back. Good job, Elio - you made 6500 yen but lost me as a patron and an advocate.


Tagliolini with basil tomato sauce and gnocchi with parmesan and tomato

Food rating: * and a half (3.5 stars for quality of food, minus 2 stars for inexcusable service and lack of adequate remedy)
Bang for buck rating: 1.5

The essentials:
http://www.elio.co.jp/
Location: exit 1 of Hanzomon station
Average price of dinner for two (without wine): 9000 yen (~$100)

Aux Bacchanales

Tokyo is full of excellent bakeries and patisseries and pretty much all of them offer an excellent array of croissants, whipped cream cakes, Japanese style breads filled with red bean or chestnut or sweet potato, and uniquely Japanese-French fusion breads. I've tried many pastries at many bakeries but the one I go back to time and time again is Aux Bacchanales. And the reason I go back is primarily for a single item: the magically delicious croquant.

From what I can tell, a croquant is a confection that falls somewhere between bread pudding and brittle. Buttery bread pieces are soaked in a sweet cream mixture and baked with a mixture of caramelized nuts, then glazed with a melted brown sugar brittle. With a glass of milk or cup of coffee, a croquant is the ultimate afternoon snack, although probably not good for your teeth or your waistline.

"Aux Bacc"'s other pastries are also excellent, and their cappuccino is hands down the best I've had in Tokyo. The brasserie also serves excellent versions of traditional French cuisine.

Croquant - the perfect pastry!

Food rating: *****
Bang for buck rating: 5

The essentials:
http://www.auxbacchanales.com/
Location: several throughout Japan, including in Ark Hills, Akasaka
Price of croquant: 210 yen (~$2.50)

Tsukumo Ramen

When I was a kid, I used to make Korean Neoguri brand ramen with less water (to make the soup more concentrated), then add milk to the cooked bowl of ramen, which resulted in a creamy, spicy ramen - quite possibly one of the most delicious culinary creations ever. My family and friends would raise their eyebrows and exclaim "gross," but the creaminess of the milk added the perfect balance to the chewy ramen noodles and savory soup base.

I think the folks at Tsukumo Ramen are cut from the same cloth as me, because their pork broth-based ramen topped with a mound of shaved cheese (which melts into the ramen and makes the broth creamy and buttery) encompasses the same concept - that is to say: creamy ramen!

Cheese tonkotsu ramen

"the harmony unexpecter cheese of combination and fermented soybeen paste play whis pork bone soup seemingly is the taste of the nonesuch" ....um...what??

Look for this awning in Ebisu

Food rating: *** and a half (loses stars for being a bit too salty)
Bang for buck rating: 4

The essentials:
http://ramendb.supleks.jp/shop/16
Location: 8 minute walk from Ebisu station, toward Hiroo
Average price of meal for two: 2000 yen (~$22)