Tokyo Restaurant Tips by Wild_Orchid

Restaurant Name: Mo~Mo~ Paradise

There are many Mo-Mo Paradise outlets across town. The one I visited was at Shinjuku, across the road from Isetan. It was located at a corner, on the 8th Level. I read about this restaurant on VT'er Achikochi's Tokyo pages.

How did I get there? Well, we walked towards Shinjuku East, and towards Isetan. From there, using the print out from the website cited below, I was able to get a very kind lady (those that sell lottery tickets at street corners) to point us in the right direction.


There is another Mo Mo Paradise located in the same or similar area. I stumbled upon it when wandering around the streets of Shinjuku during my visit in October 2006. The price was slightly different so in the end, I still went back to the one I had been to before. :-)

Favorite Dish: Syabu-syabu or sukiyaki.

They are similar, but with different types of broth. Sukiyaki is beef and vegetables, and usually served with raw egg that you can throw on top, while syabu-syabu's main focus is on the thinly sliced raw beef that you cook yourself in a hot pot, with some vegetables.

How to eat:
Hot broth is placed in front of you in a large metal bowl. You get a bowl for each person.
The staff will bring you plates of thinly sliced beef and a bowl of rice (refillable). You cook these slices of beef in the hot broth. Once you have finished one plate of beef, you can ask for another plate and continue to fill your tummy till you can't eat anymore. You serve the vegetables (which are raw-you have to cook them in the hot broth) and cold drinks yourself from a nearby pushcart.
Now site, back, relax and enjoy!

We had the lunch, all you can eat menu at 980 yen (about US$10) each. What a steal! For dinner, it costs twice as much.

The only unusual thing that I encountered was that the drink that looked like cold tea, but tasted like chicory or coffee!
**************
Update: Oct 2006
I brought my husband here & we had a friend with us. we ate a lot. Besides beef, we also tried the pork shabu shabu. They were both good but in the end, we still enjoyed the beef more.
We also stuffed up on lots of vegetables, enoki mushrooms and slices of tofu. The bill came up to around 4500 Yen for the three of us. mmm oishi (delicious) & good value for money!

Leave a Comment

Theme: Japanese/Sushi
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Address: *there are several shops in the city*
Website: http://www.wondertable.com/app/tenpo/gyotai

Restaurant Name: Daidaya Restaurant, Shinjuku

Stepping out of the lift of the Shinjuku Nova building and into the restaurant, my senses were calmed and relaxed by the combination of soothing music, subdued lights, and hushed sounds that greeted us. The decor was expansive, modern, and elegant and makes you feel you are cool and beautiful. The food is similar. It is very modern, extremely creative, and beautifully presented. The menu calls it nouvelle cuisine japonaise.

Best of all, apart from being fun to eat, it really tastes out of this world!

Favorite Dish: Service: was good, very attentive at all times, and although the staff did not always understand us, they did make an effort to get someone who could help us. Menu was in Japanese and English, with prices stated accordingly.

Instead of having an appetizer, main course and desert each, to fully appreciate the extent of Daidaya's creativity and variety, I do recommend that you order a number of entrees, a couple of mains and share them. Don't forget to save some space for the deserts... which were so good, my tastebuds came alive with every bite.

Favourite Dish:
Do I really have to pick one? Everything was good, but here are some of my personal favourites:
- Beef medalions that you grill yourself
- Salad with Seared Pork Strips
- Lightly seared tuna sashimi
- California Rolls
- Home-made Mango Ice Cream
- Fresh Fig Cheesecake
-Home-made Sesame Ice-Cream

**caveat: sorry, I'm not sure of the exact names, but I am sure you'll know, when you taste them!

Leave a Comment

Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 03-5362-7173
Address: Shinjuku 3-37-12, Shinjuku Nowa Bldg. 3F
Directions: Dinner is about US$50-US$80 per person, including drinks, which is a good deal, when you consider that you're in TOKYO!

Open from 5pm to 1 am daily

Reservations are necessary as they attract a good crowd.

JR Shinjuku-(East Exit I think)
Website: www.chanto.com

Restaurant Name: Daidaya Restaurant, Ginza

Outstanding elegance. Creative food that is fun to eat and best of all, it's really delicious!. The presentation of the food was always interesting and fun. For example, some of the dishes require you to grill your own food, others involve breaking open pastry shells to get to the goodies inside. Even plain ole rice becomes exciting when presented in tidy present-like parcels made out of bamboo leaves!

We visited the Daidaya in Shinjuku, but apparently at the Daidaya at Ginza, you can sit around a Zen sand garden, or in a heavily draped room, or at a 60-meter sushi bar.

Favorite Dish: Some menu items:
Omakase: Japanese Full Course Dinner: Yen4,000 - 10,000

ala carte menu averagely: Y580 - 1,400 per entree or main course
Wine: We had the Australian Wolf Blass Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 vintage Y4,200

Adding it all up: Expect to pay Y5,000 to 10,000 per person

Don't forget to make reservations!

If you think this is expensive, it really isn't. Compare this with a bowl of ramen with pork slices at an ordinary noodle shop at Y1,500 or Y3,000 for set sushi lunch.

Leave a Comment

Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Address: Ginza Nine Building 1
Directions: Ginza Nine Building 1, 2nd floor, 8-5 Saki Ginza-Nishi, Chuo-ku; telephone: 03-5537-3566; (Shimbashi - Ginza Line)
Opens from 5pm-1.00 am daily

Also at Asakasa and Yokohama.
Website: www.chanto.com

Restaurant Name: Syabu restaurant at Basement of Core Dept Store

Syabu-syabu is hot-pot done the Japanese way.

The emphasis here is on the home-grown Japanese beef - there are several cuts available and the best beef will be charged at a higher price. Different syabu-syabu restaurants pride themselves on the quality and taste of their sauces. (you can also buy it at the supermarket, if you want to try this at home. Our group bought several jars of the sauce with the help of our tour guide.)

(Sorry-the name of the restaurant was in Japanese and there was no English translation-but it's not hard to find.)

Favorite Dish: Syabu-syabu, of course!

Every diner sits around a large table where the chefs work from the middle "island". You will have your own pot of clear soup. Syabu syabu is served with two types of sauces-a sesame based sauce or a darker sauce which I didn't try. There are jars of finely cut shallots and fresh chopped garlic-these are to be mixed in with your sauce or thrown into your soup.

The preciously few slivers of beef is served with rice or noodles, some pickles, a handful of raw vegetables and shiitake mushroom.

Cooking & eating tips:
Blanch your beef in the soup to cook it just the way you like it, then dip it into the sauce, and pop it onto your tongue and feel the tender beef melt in your mouth!

We were with the tour group and had the set lunch. I had to ask for a second round of rice, just to fill up my tummy...what can I say, I have a healthy appetite when I am travelling!

Leave a Comment

Theme: Japanese/Sushi
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Address: Core Department Store, Ginza
Directions: at the basement of the Core Ginza department store is a sushi restaurant and also a syabu-syabu restaurant.

The restaurants opens at 11.00 am. Go early to avoid the office crowd.

Restaurant Name: Yoshinoya Beef Rice Stalls

Fast food-the Japanese way. Dispel your original ideas that eating out in Tokyo is expensive. Visit the Yoshinoya chain for the best breakfast, lunch or dinner deals around.
They have the famous beef rice, chicken with rice and Japanese beef curry & rice.

Note to Malaysians & Singaporeans-the chain here is not like the one that is found in Malaysia and Singapore. The menu is all in Japanese and the curries are not at all what we are used to. It looks like thick brown sauce and is slightly sweetish, but still rather delicious. Can't speak Japanese? No worries, just point to the one you like and pay!

Favorite Dish: Delicious Grilled Beef Rice-so satisfying.

Cost: 400 - 500 Yen for a bowl of gyudon
(don=rice with gyu=beef)
Gohan=rice

Leave a Comment

Theme: Japanese/Sushi
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: Throughout Tokyo
Directions: (there are many, check the URL)
Website: http://www.yoshinoya-dc.com/