lambretta76

I guess I'm dredging up an old thread, but no sense in starting a new one and having to explain it all over again. Well, Jewel Bako Robata came and went here in NYC and I never got to see what the buzz was about (it was apparently the only authentic robata-yaki establishment EVER in the US). Anyways, is this still popular in Tokyo and, if so, are there any places that do this style of cooking justice without breaking the bank?

Kamakura Oboro sounds great - do you know if they do a lunch set or is it just a la carte. While you're at it, since it seems to be your home turf, can you recommend anything in Yokohama? I spent about two weeks at the Pan Pacific back in 2002 but never really got to try anything good in the area. (I really want to go back to the Sakuragicho station for nostalgia sake...) That's not true, we stumbled across a wonderful tempura stand off one of the back streets across from the MM21 district that turned out some amazing shrimp and veggie tempura, but I'd never be able to find it again. And I don't want to get lost trying to do so again... Is the ramen museum all that it's cracked up to be?

I apologize if the point of this thread was to find good foods native to these areas - and I am somewhat interested in that aspect. However, I would like to plan a day trip from Tokyo to Kamakura. Can anyone recommend any good restaurants in this area serving a localized Japanese cuisine, or - perhaps - just a great restaurant that's not too expensive. (Outdoor seating near the ocean would be a big plus.) Thanks!

Is Daiwa Zushi still considered to be the best sushi value in Tsukiji? I went there three years ago and was blown away, but I'm curious if there's something better out there now... also, can anyone make any recommendations on what to try, or is it entirely market driven (of what's good in the catch that AM.) Also, I'm trying to find a great kaiten-zushi, as my travelling companion has never been to one. There was a place on the Omatesando that I really liked, but I can't help to think that there's better out there while not being very expensive. The recommendation for Kaitenzushi Tsukiji Nonten (回転寿司築地本店) sounds interesting as things are only 100 yen a plate, but I imagine there are better that aren't too much more expensive. Just found a great round-up of Tsukiji restaurants posted by the esteemed Eric Eto over at Chowhound.com, which he translated from the December issue of OTONANO SHUMATSU magazine: Isozushi Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 10 03-3542-1954 Open 7am-9pm This place specializes in maguro/toro from the Indian Ocean (indo-maguro). Premium nigiri set costs around 3150 yen. Ryuuzushi Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 1 03-3541-9517 Open 6am-2pm This place specializes in seasonal and wild (non-farmed) fish. Omakase course for about 3150 yen. Sushi Bun Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 8 03-3541-3860 Open 6am-2pm This place has been in business for 150 years. Specializes in seasonal and wild (non-farmed) fish varieties. Omakase course for about 3650 yen. Sushi Maru Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 10 03-3541-8414 Open 6am-3pm The sushi rice here is reddish in hue because they use a red vinegar for the rice, which matches well with the lightly grilled/torched fatty fish. One of their specialties is a monkfish nigiri. Sushi Dokoro Okame Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 6 03-3541-5450 Open 5am-2pm This shop specializes in toro. Aburi toro is the specialty. The day the reviewers ate there, they had a superb toro from tuna caught near Ireland. Omakase course for around 3650 yen. Yamahara Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1 (Adjacent to Area 1 and 4) 03-3541-8747 Open 11am-2pm, 6pm-9pm The shime saba is one of the highlights from this shop. Sushi for one from 2500-3500 yen. Daiwazushi Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 6 03-3547-6807 Open 5am-1pm This toro specialist uses tuna primarily from Japan's Aomori area. Omakase course around 3150 yen. Umai Sushikan Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 4 03-3541-2458 Open 5am-3pm, 5pm-9pm This shop is known for the variety of fish they offer, as opposed to many who specialize in a few items. Their nigiri course for 3500 yen offers the most pieces and good value. Bentomi Chuo-ku Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 8 03-3541-1503 Open 5am-2pm This very traditional shop excels with their shime saba, kohada, and anago. Omakase course for around 2600 yen. Sushi Dai Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 6 03-3547-6797 Open 5am-2pm Very good premium fish at this shop. The saba and shirako (cod sperm sacs) were topnotch. Omakase set for about 3670 yen. Iwasazushi Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 1 03-3544-1755 Open 5am-2pm, Sat 5am-3pm This shop specializes in torafugu (blowfish) nigiri. While fugu sashimi are sliced thin, here the fugu piece is thick sliced (530 yen). Omakase set for about 3600 yen.

I am planning a day trip to Nikko and was curious about any must-try restaurants in that town. It seems that the town is famous for its yuba - is there anywhere that does this any particular justice? Or, perhaps there's another cuisine for which this city is famous that I haven't discovered? I'd love to hear your opinions.

While we're on the topic - does anyone know of any "authentic" Mexican restaurants in the Huntsville area? Looking for a place that doesn't feel the need to pour something regarding Chef Boyardee sauce over top of everything...

For those looking for some good tacos in Brooklyn, the famed (at least in some circles) Red Hook ball fields are again open for the summer. Saturdays and Sundays down towards the end of Clinton Street in Red Hook. Had a very tasty chorizo one with a spicy avocado sauce and pickled jalapenos. Yum!

Had dinner and (way too many) drinks here last night. The food was adequate to good (the squid in the okonomiyaki was way too tough), but the great part is the drinks. A pint of Sapporo will run you just $1.50, nearly a half-pint of passable sake just $2.50. The karaage was tasty, my curry udon exactly as described, and the aspara bacon - bacon-wrapped aspargus, as good as it sounds. Edamame is just $1. Great place to grab some snacks and get faced. Plus, free DIY cotton candy when leaving.

Oh, and I haven't been too blown away by del Valle's mole, but I really like their pipian. That, my friend, is good eatin'.

For fancy tacos, I like the tiny ones on offer at Mercadito. A good variety, and the tilapia and manchego ones were really tasty. However, at $9 for three TINY tacos, definitely overpriced. But, they are very tasty, and their ceviches are interesting to boot. For 'real' tacos, my palate takes me to either Tulcingo del Valle (I do not like their guacamole either) or Tacos Nuevos Mexicos on 5th Ave. in Park Slope. I also like the taco truck on the north side of Roosevelt in the mid-60s in Woodside/Jackson Heights. Very tasty lengua and cabeza tacos.

Heading out to Donovan's in Woodside tonight for the burger - are there any particular toppings they do well (Irish bacon or something) or should I just stick to a plain burger. Also, is it only available at the bar, or can it be had in one of the dining rooms?

So - as I frequently travel to Huntsville for work, I'd like to find a couple of decent places to eat down here. So, please share some of your off-the-beaten path recs, and I'll share some of mine. As for sushi, I'm always fairly surprised by the quality of the fish at Edo in Madison. For being an almost-landlocked state, they have surprisingly high-quality fish. And, they do a number of other Japanese standards fairly well. Plus, they sell Pocky and other strange Japanese items. It doesn't compare to the better sushi joints in NYC, but for where it is, I'm quite impressed. Well known, but quite tasty, is the vinegar-heavy ribs at Dreamland. Warning: don't go near closing time or you may be served some past-their-prime ribs. However, their 'nana pudding is heavenly - worth a trip in and of itself. Avoid the Atlanta Bread Company in town (on University) - no idea if it is indicative of the entire chain but I've never had anything competently prepared at this place - undrinkable espresso, burnt coffee (and not style-wise ala Starbucks, but genuinely burnt), rubbery eggs, and undercooked muffins. Absolutely disgusting. I'd like to hear more of the hidden gems of Huntsville, along the lines of the BBQ restaurant on the Armory...

Last night I went to a local izakaya and sampled their Nagoya-style tebasaki. Well, I was absolutely blown away by the wonderful contrast of sweet, salty, spicy (black pepper-spicy), and fried. I am going to make a distinct point of sampling this dish the night before I leave Japan, a night I'll most likely be spending in Nagoya (or the whereabouts...) So - who has the best rendition of this dish? (Preferably an informal izakaya-type setting, but I'll go anywhere for the good stuff...)

Thank you very much for all of the information - I was getting a bit worried, but this sounds exactly like the experience I am looking for! (On my last trip to Tokyo I was at a luxury hotel in Minato Mirai 21 down in Yokohama. While not a bad set up, I could have been in Toronto, or Houston, or Frankfurt - it was just a big soulless business enclave.) Hiroyuki - I will be sure to check out Taishoken. (And yes, I do love a good ramen.) Sanrensho - I am intrigued by the mamacharin comment. I tried to search for this but came up with nothing on google - is this a bike rental outfit or something near train stations? Domo arigato gozaimasu!

So, I'll be spending a week in Nakano, about two blocks from Nakano station. Can anyone make any recommendations of worthwhile eateries, markets, supermarkets, food stalls, etc. in the area that will be worth checking out? I'll be making my rounds of the greater Tokyo area, but would like to have some easy stuff planned out for when we don't feel like going very far. Also, it seems that no guidebooks have anything to say about this neighborhood - is there really nothing there? I know that this isn't always the case, as I haven't seen a guidebook mention Daikanyama, yet, and I love that neighborhood... Many thanks!

Can you recommend any particular dishes? I'll be there in a couple of months and might want to give this place a try...

Hiroyuki - Thank you very much for the tip - that place sounds perfect! I'm assuming that the menu, if there is one, will be written entirely in Japanese. Is there a kanji character for ayu? And yes, I did say "with a good value set lunch" - as I assumed that it would be prohibitively expensive at dinner time. I was going to try and grab some on the way out of town the next day - this way - I don't have to! Thanks! Now, I just need to find a new shukubo in Kyoto - my old favorite - the Gesshin-In Temple, closed last August.

Has anyone sampled the brunch options here yet? I noticed in last week's New York that Café Gray had begun serving brunch, though the website and menupages.com do not make a note of it. (On Café Gray's website it is listed as "coming soon".)

Done some extensive googling and still haven't found a place that specializes in this - can anyone recommend any places, perhaps with a good value set lunch, that serve this fish?

You could always mug Mario Batali

Another great brunch option is the Dutch pancake - a single panacke about two-inches thick, served with a kind of caramel apple topping. Outstanding.

Had another fine example - perhaps the best I've had from a "Latin" restaurant in the City. (And I have to say, my heart and expanding waistline dictate that this will be the last cubano I'll be having in a while.) Anyways, I sampled a fine rendition at El Sitio, a Cuban restaurant in Woodside, Queens. When I sat down I was presented three thinly pressed slices of garlic bread - if it wasn't made from real Cuban-style bread then it was a damn fine copy. Anyways, I ordered the (off-menu) cubano ($4.5), hoping for the best given the chance of good bread, and I'm glad to say I wasn't disappointed. The bread was nearly spot on, crusty, buttered, pressed ultra-thin. The pork was deli-sliced, as was the ham, but both were warm and appropriate. Swiss cheese, pickles, and a nice, garlicky mayonnaise, with a touch of mustard. Washed down with a Materva yerba mate soda ($1.25), this was quite a treat. El Sitio 68-28 Roosevelt Ave. (Queens) 718-424-2369

Nina Lalli of the Village Voice did a short article on the cubanos at Havana Chelsea, along with a brief history lesson.

I just realized that ayu is the aforementioned fish - do any restaurants, carts, river-side grills, etc. - do this fish any justice? I'd love to try it, that is, if it's not some ridiculously expensive delicacy. (I will be there on May 27th/28th, so I have no idea if this is ayu season or not - there's a big festival on May 11 - perhaps that signals the beginning of the season?)

I'll be staying in Gifu the night before I hit the Expo in May and was wondering if there were any good eats near the Meitetsu Station in Gifu City? Especially ones that will be open late (past 10 pm or so) as or flight doesn't land at Centrair until 7:30 pm. Also - I noticed the cormorant fishing thing in Gifu - are there any dishes that are specifically made from these fish? (Also, how long in the evening does this spectical go on until - if I go check it out at midnight will there be something to see?) Thanks for all of your help!