Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2013
Situated on a low-slung balcony under a spiraling metal sculpture in Ochanomizu’s new Waterras development, Blue Note Japan’s new Café 104.5 restaurant fulfills both gastronomic and auditory desires—with a sound system as elaborate as its menu.
Directly inside is a mini deli laid out with jamón ibérico, olives, vinegars and oils and other goodies. Local workers will be tempted by lunch boxes including the roast beef sandwich (¥880).
Walk along the wooden counter and emerge into the wide dining space, walled by red brick and wood. On the left is the bar, with the DJ deck tucked inside it. The wooden cylindrical speakers that hang from the ceiling emit quality sound at a decent volume that still somehow enables conversation.
Weekday lunches run at ¥1,280, featuring your choice of mains like beef shoulder, pasta Amatriciana or steamed fish, alongside a creative starter. Meanwhile, the weekend “brunch” menu offers pancakes, though its monstrous wagyu burger, with slabs of beef instead of a patty, seems more appealing (¥2,380). The shop is entirely nonsmoking until 3pm.
Ale drinkers can sip the recently ubiquitous Punk IPA (¥790); though they could do a lot worse than house brew 104.5 Ale (¥590)—its smooth hoppiness fits the jazz club-style surroundings. For red wine, sample Japanese label Mazekoze (¥900/glass)—it’s slightly cloying, but balanced by an intriguingly rough undertone. Wagon riders have plenty of mocktails, like the refreshing vinegar and mint (¥540) one we tried.
The beef jerky/dry mango combo (¥580) is small but spectacular. Strips of divinely chewy cured meat make a stellar match to the strips of tropical fruit. The tomato and onion salad is a standout, but wins no prizes for size. We’ve had salads under that name before, but none had an umami jellified garnish. Fried shrimp (¥680) are served for scoffing popcorn-style from a paper bag—heads and all.
From the plancha (grill), don’t miss the quality Japanese beef rib (¥1,890)—actually more of a lean rib steak. One criticism is the seasonal veg sides cost extra (from ¥380).
Little touches make for culinary fusion, such as the mushroom flan (chawanmushi) with foie gras, and the curry udon (both ¥980). For dessert the maruta roll (from ¥660) is a soft spongy cake that may appeal to Japanese palates, while the panna cotta style pudding (¥480) was just the creamy goodness with which to finish—like the modal flourish of a tenor sax.
