It’s been 5 years since I was last in Tokyo, a city I long to get to know, but never have enough time or patience to fully understand. I’d had a trip planned for March 2020, but we all know what happened then… So when Japan finally re-opened late last year, there was no doubt in my mind that I’d return in spring of 2023.
Tokyo isn’t my favourite city in Japan, but I can’t deny the incredible eating and drinking the sprawling megalopolis has to offer. My goal on this trip was to stay off the heavily travelled (tourist) paths of eating andI set my agenda on Tokyo’s highly focused cocktail scene. I was only in Tokyo a few nights at the start and end of my 2 week trip, so I decided to pick 2 areas and concentrate solely on these.
I chose Ginza & nearby as my first stop in Tokyo to focus my attention on. Ginza proper is pricey to stay in, so I usually look for a hotel Shimbashi/Shiodome which is a few blocks away, but walkable to the area.
Landing in Tokyo in the evening, I was exhausted but buzzing from the excitement of being back in Japan. I quickly dropped my bags in my hotel and rushed to start my adventure. Getting through the airport had taken longer than I’d anticipated, so I thought I’d only had time for 1 cocktail stop. But even before that I knew I had to put food in my stomach.
Yurakucho Sanchoku Yokocho, is an alley filled with izakaya-style restaurants serving locally sourced ingredients located under the Yurakucho JR train station. It was a quick walk from my hotel and as I got there, I wandered the length of it and decided to chose one that specialized in seafood and filled with locals.
The menu was in Japanese but thankfully there were photos. I ordered the oyster with uni & ikura along with a broiled oyster. The scallops turned out to be an mis-order because it was actually an onion salad. Well, this is how Japan is for me, I point at menu items and hope for the best.
With food in my stomach, I was ready for my first cocktail in Japan. Tender Bar is located on the 9th floor of one of Tokyo’s typical narrow multi-story buildings. Walking off the elevator, I hesitated as I reached the door of Tender as it felt like I’d come to a private club (uninvited). It was just after 10 when I arrived and as I was sat at the bar, I was given clear instructions that last call was at 10:30. I’d just come off a chaotic travel day so I knew there would be no problem drinking my first cocktail quickly in time to order my second before last call.
As I sat back trying to decompress, I realized I’d forgotten how serious Japanese bars & bartenders can be. This feeling was amplified by the fact I was solo, as were the only other 2 people at the bar. There was no conversation between staff and guests, so all attention was focused on Uyeda-san preparing cocktails.
Uyeda-san created the hard shake technique which moves the ice around the shaker rather than just back and forth which creates more aeration in the cocktail. It was a mesmerizing thing to watch, especially in my weary state.
I looked through the menu but was too tired to choose so I asked for recommendations. My first was vibrant, citrusy gin-yuzu cocktail and way too easy to drink. My 2nd was the Kings Valley, created by Uyeda-san in a scotch competition many years ago and is made with Scotch, Cointreau, lime and blue Curacao. It was a curious drink that was peaty sweet, definitely unlike anything I’d tasted before.
My cocktails at Tender were masterfully executed but after all of the incredible cocktails I’ve imbibed in the past few years in bars I’ve been treated with amazing warmth and hospitality, I left Tender feeling underwhelmed. It was late, and I was ready to return to my hotel when I realized that Bar Orchard was in the same building located 2 floors down. I thought I’d try to see if I could get a seat for “one last” drink.
There was one seat at Bar Orchard when I arrived, which I was happy to occupy. I was warmly welcomed at the bar (filled with jovial tourists) and my energy quickly changed. Bar Orchard doesn’t have a menu, but a huge tower of vibrant coloured fruit that you’re advised to pick a flavour from.
Determined to drink everything yuzu while I was in Japan, that was my first choice. I was served a tasty yuzu gin cocktail with matcha presented in a bucket and watering can. The idea is to “water” your cocktail over ice. My second was a mezcal yuzu ginger cocktail served in a test tube & syringe in a garbage can When I’ve researched Bar Orchard in the past, I’ve been turned off by their kitschy serving-ware. But despite my feelings, the cocktails at Bar Orchard were delicious and the creativity (& gimmicks) helped make for a festive mood in the bar, which I gladly welcomed in my evening.
With only one full day in Tokyo, I carefully chose my eating itinerary to make sure I was satisfying my cravings. First up was an early morning visit to Tsukiji as has been our ritual on our past many visits to Tokyo. Our plan is always to get there before 7am to beat the hoards and eat at the secondary location of Sushi Zanmai in the market. When we arrived, I was somewhat surprised to see that the market was already teeming with tourists and that the vendors in the outer market had changed their sales tactics to mostly serve ready to eat servings. The lines for people waiting to have tamago, wagyu beef cubes, strawberry mochi, grilled fish collars, all served on sticks was overwhelming. As we weaved through the hoards, I was hoping that Sushi Zanmai Bekkan wouldn’t have been “found” with a long line up.
Much to my surprise, the Bekkan location which used to be 24 hours, is now only open from 10:30-8pm. We walked around to Zanmai’s original location, (still open 24 hours) which was busy but we were able to get a seat at a table. As we tried to navigate our way through ordering off an iPad, a few seats opened up at the bar, which we quickly requested a move to because sushi at the bar, ordering on whim from what looks good is much better than ordering without interaction on an iPad.
Happily satisfied from my sushi breakfast, I went to wander one of my favourite quiet spots in Tokyo, Hama-rikyu Gardens. I knew from walking around the city that cherry blossom season was almost over, but I enjoy the quiet serenity from its wide open spaces at any time.
I had arranged for a lunch at Shunkeian Arakaki, a Michelin started tempura restaurant a short walk from Ginza’s core. High-end tempura is something I always seek when I’m in Japan as it’s unlike anything I can find outside of Japan. I found Shunkeian Arakai through pocket-concierge.jp, a booking service that helps foreigners access restaurants that are difficult to get reservations to.
Shunkeian Arakaki seats only 8 people at a beautiful cypress wood bar. On my visit there was only me and a couple, so I was ready for another serene experience focused on Arakaki-san’s preparation of our meal.
Lunch started with a series of seasonal-ingredient driven small plates which were beautifully presented and delicious. I wanted to hold back as I was worried that I would fill up before the end of the meal, but when there are only 3 people dining, I couldn’t not finish everything on each plate.
As the first courses were being served, Arakaki-san started carefully preparing each ingredient that would eventually be fried. His precise cutting techniques matched the many different knives that he used. Then each ingredient was treated to a light dusting of flour before being battered and fried and singularly presented so the diner could focus solely on each perfectly fried piece placed in front of them.
Completely satisfied for my choice of a splurge meal in Tokyo, I headed off towards teamLab Planets. I’d booked a ticket for my last trip to Japan that never happened and at the time, I was eager to check out the multi-sensory art exhibition experienced through different rooms (in other words, an instagrammers heaven). This trip, I knew I was “over it”, even before I entered the building but in hindsight, it would probably have been a better experience shared.
Tired from the constant crowds, I made my way back to Ginza for a quiet hideout. Higashiya is a delicate & serene Japanese confectionary shop that serves beautifully presented wagashi normally paired with tea. When I went to book my reservation, I noticed they did a cocktail pairing as well, and because I was cocktail focused for this part of the trip, I decided to reserve this option.
As usual, the wagashi at Higashiya were wonderful, but I felt I would have been better off with their tea pairing rather than their tea-inspired cocktails, which were “interesting” but didn’t make as much sense to me in pairing as the teas normally do.
As I left Higashiya and wandered down Ginza’s main street, I remembered that I’d seen another tea-inspired cocktail experience nearby on the 50 Best Discovery list and decided to make my way there to see if I could improve on the experience I’d just had.
Mixology Salon is located on the 13th floor of the modern, upscale Ginza 6 shopping center. I was worried that the refined atmosphere of GInza 6 would translate to an(other) unapproachable bar experience at Mixology Salon. As I arrived without a reservation, I was shocked to find the tiny bar packed (with foreigners) at 4pm. The staff apologized that they only had a seat for me if I was ok to have just an hour before the seat was needed for a reservation. This suited me just fine as I just wanted one taste and to check out the space. Mixology Salon had the warmest, most hospitable staff I’d experienced in Tokyo so far. I ordered their specialty, a green tea Old Fashioned which was the perfect combination of smooth earthiness. I was happy for my short visit and will definitely return.
Feeling tired of being surrounded by hoards of tourists and hearing english everywhere I went in Tokyo, I decided that for dinner, I wanted to get off the beaten track. After my late afternoon of cocktails, I was craving fatty proteins, and decided yakitori would be perfect. Instead of asking for suggestions from the hotel, my parents and I started walking down the quieter back streets in Shimbashi and let our noses lead the way. We opened up a few doors here and there until we found a deliciously smelling yakitori restaurant packed with locals. The thing about most neighbourhood restaurants in Japan is that there’s a good chance the food will be delicious, or it wouldn’t survive. We took the chance knowing this and we were rewarded. I was happy to be with my parents who navigated the menu in Japanese for me. We ordered skewers of various parts of chicken along with some other izakaya staples. I don’t love chicken and never order it at home, but yakitori, slow cooked over charcoal, each piece glistening with fat and perfectly seasoned simply with salt is another one of those things that’s high on my list of musts on every Japan trip.
With time for 1 last bar on this leg of my Tokyo stay, I decided to return to a legend,. I’ve been to Bar High Five 3 times before and have been served wonderfully delicious cocktails. In the past, I’ve enjoyed that at the bar, guests are served attentively by staff who pay special attention to your needs and will happily engage in conversation. Bar High Five was the first in Japan (that I can remember) that hired English speaking staff (mostly international) for this purpose and it’s one of the reasons why I’ve felt so comfortable there. I was surprised when I arrived to see the bar’s owner Ueno-san behind the bar, which he hadn’t been on my previous visits. My first drink was a wonderful refreshingly delicious citrus-y gin cocktail that I feel I’ve been served there in the past. For my second drink, my request was for Ueno-san could make me something special. I was served the White Lady, his signature drink. Both cocktails were wonderful but perhaps lacked the “wow” factor I’m now crave.
I left my whirlwind visit in Tokyo satisfied that I’d had satiated many of my cravings, but also feeling again like I only scratched the surface of all that the city has to offer. I was happy to know I’d be returning at the end of my trip to spend a day exploring Shibuya, an area I haven’t spent much time in. That post follows soon…
Call Me a Food Lover... 