Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on September 2010

Photo courtesy of Zetton Corp.

A&P with Terrace is too raucous to be called a restaurant and too food-focused to be considered a pub. Instead, it embodies the distinctly Japanese type of venue known as a “dining bar.”

Located atop the recently renovated More’s building, the space is split into a counter bar, a main dining room, and a semi-enclosed deck overlooking the bustle of Yokohama station. The Asian-themed drinks list is heavy with primary-colored cocktails: Singapore Slings (¥800), Mai Tais (¥800), Tahitian lemonade (guava, lemon and red wine; ¥800), and an offbeat but delicious rosehip sangria (¥600). The good news on the beer front is that there are brands from throughout Asia; the bad news is that all of them are of the mass-produced lager/pilsner variety: Singha, Tiger, Phuket, Bintang. We settled on a 333 Export Lager from Vietnam, which at least had the advantage of being new to us (all beer ¥600).

The food is where A&P with Terrace really shines—all our dishes were fresh, zesty and amply spiced. Yam makhua (¥400), a sweet-and-sour Vietnamese salad with grilled eggplant and minced pork, came topped with freshly chopped cilantro. The spicy Thai papaya salad known as som tam (¥840) had an admirable kick. Our favorite dish was the kitchen’s original take on pad kee mao (Thai-style rice noodles), which was served with goya (¥870). The only misstep was the bland pad thai (¥880).

A&P with Terrace draws a crowd of hip young shoppers from the retail floors below. It’s surrounded by lots of competition—the top two stories of the More’s complex are given over to dining—but judging by the buzz that suffuses the place from late afternoon on, business couldn’t be better.