Visitor Vibes

August 7, 2014

Visitor Vibes

Treat your guests to these Tokyo classics

By

Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on August 2014

 

Akita Pure Rice Sake Bar

Savor the smooth taste of Akita in a relaxing bar environment. Just 1 minute’s walk from Tokyo station’s Yaesu North exit, take a seat at Japan’s first bar specializing in Akita junmaishu pure rice sake. Choose from a large selection of seasonal specials and high-end sake that can only be tasted on-site—and just so you don’t have to limit your experience, you can get a three-sake taster set from ¥800. The shop is located inside Abeya, which specializes in yakitori and other dishes using Hinai Jidori, chickens crossbred from Akita’s Hinai chicken, a protected breed recognized as a natural living monument of Japan. So slide on by for a tradtional taste of the north!

Special Offer

  • 3-sake taster sets from ¥800

Shop Info

  • 2F 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku (in Kitamachi Dining). Tel: 03-6256-0518. Open Mon-Fri 11am-11pm, Sat-Sun & hols 11am-10pm. Nearest stn: Tokyo (Yaesu north exit). http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g286919/lang/en/

Horumon Dedesuke

Among the high-class avenues of historic Ginza, there is an affordable, top-quality yakiniku place to put paid to your carnivorous cravings. Instead of purchasing different cuts of beef like other restaurants, Horumon Dedesuke leaves nothing to chance. Its practised chefs buy up a whole cow every month. And it’s not just any basic bovine they’re talking about. They make sure to purchase an A5-ranked kuroge wagyu—famed as source of the best meat this side of a Buenos Aires steakhouse. Step in for a hearty dinner—or a juicy weekend lunch. Peruse the menu, or talk to the chefs so they can carefully match something to your taste and appetite. Among the recommended cuts is the “Zeppin Wagyu Zanmai Mori,” an assortment of the rare parts of top-quality A5-rank Japanese beef. The restaurant is open well into the early hours for those requiring a meaty end to a late night out.

Shop Info

  • 1F Kaneko Bldg, 3-3-9 Ginza, Chuo-ku. Tel: 03-5250-7767. info@azabu-skinclinic.com. Open Mon-Fri 11:30am-3:30pm (lunch)/5pm-4am (dinner), Sat 11:30am-4am, Sun & hols 11:30am-11pm. Nearest stn: Ginza or Yurakucho. http://j.mp/dedesuke

Kamata Hakensha

Established in 1923 with a history spanning four generations, Asakusa cutlery maker Kamata Hakensha knows how to slice it. The company’s 800-strong product lineup includes top-grade handmade knives as well as factory-made ranges. These blades have made repeat customers of some of the world’s finest chefs, thanks to stringent quality checks and a 100-percent satisfaction guarantee. All the knives are designed by the owner, created by skilled craftsmen, and individually edged. Free engraving and an inexpensive sharpening service seal the deal on a fine gift idea. They can engrave your name for free on any knife selected in just three minutes. Perfect for a gift or souvenir of your stay in Tokyo.

Special Offer

  • Metropolis readers making any purchase over ¥10,000 will receive a large nail clipper for free.

Menu

  • Japanese 17-layer-steel 2-knife set, hard case, ¥17,400
  • 17-layer stainless steel Santoku, ¥6,800
  • 17-layer stainless steel Santoku with Japanese wooden handle, ¥9,800
  • 17-layer stainless steel small knife with Japanese wooden handle, ¥7,500

Shop Info

Robot Restaurant

Who hasn’t seen the large Valkyrie-like female robots on trucks whizzing around Tokyo to a pumping soundtrack? These pulchritudinous automatons are waiting in the heart of Shinjuku’s red-light district at the Robot Restaurant. The venue is a dizzying design of gold, glittering mosaics and shiny surfaces. The all-action show involves massive robots, teams of bouncy dancers, mindblowing flying machines and more. Lest you think this a guy thing, the audiences are always a merry mix of girls and boys, young and old, foreign and Japanese. Make a reservation before your visit, then confirm by phone one hour before the show. The future is here and it’s kaleidoscopic and robotic… as well as an unforgettable experience.

Special offer

  • Each customer who brings this copy of Metropolis or displays this ad on their mobile device (one per person) will receive ¥1,000 off admittance to the show

Prices

  • Entrance fee: ¥6,000/person
  • Meal fee: ¥1,000/person

Shop Info

  • B2F Shinjuku Robot Bldg, 1-7-1 Kabukicho, Shinjuku. Tel: 03-3200-5500 (9am-10pm). Open daily 6pm-11pm. Nearest stn: Shinjuku. www.robot-restaurant.com/E/

Tamiya Plamodel Factory

Get your geek on at the Tamiya Plamodel Factory in Shimbashi—where you can find every single plastic model kit, RC model and Mini 4WD model produced by world-famous maker Tamiya, Inc. With 6,000 items on sale over two 170m2 floors, you can get your hands on all types of cars, tanks and aircraft, as well as RC models and Mini 4WD vehicles plus upgrade parts. The site also offers model-making classes and exhibitions, while the upper floor is a multipurpose space with a circuit for racing Mini 4WD cars. The Plamodel Factory is stocked with everything you need to prepare the perfect kit, from enamel and acrylic paints to high quality airbrushes, tools and model guidebooks, as well as a selection of unique Tamiya products normally only available online. Keep an eye out for items featuring the popluar Tamiya twin star logo—and even if you don’t want to build anything, Tamiya T-shirts, stickers and pens make for popular gifts.

Special Offer

  • Receive a copy of Tamiya Model Magazine with purchases over ¥1,000

Shop Info

Yamano

A5 is the highest grade of kuroge wagyu—a particularly succulent type of Japanese beef. And that’s what you’ll get at Yamano, a cozy yakiniku restaurant just one minute’s walk from Akihabara station. Yamano’s culinary crew prepare their own yakiniku sauce to make the wagyu shine, or you can opt for simple rock salt to up the ante. Popular at Yamano are marbled steaks, rump beef, skirt steaks marinated in special sauce and the king of beef—sirloin—all selected by the experienced owner-chef. You can always get your barbecue on by roasting your carne at the table yourself, but if you’d like to take it easy, just ask the staff to grill it up in advance. It also offers meat and vegetables grilled in miso sauce, and fresh organs (horumon) cooked in a Japanese hot pot with Osaka-style soy-sauce soup. Vegetable dishes are available too, as well as a host of other options à la carte.

Menu

  • Aitchbone: ¥1,700/80g
  • Rump beef: ¥980/80g
  • Sirloin: ¥2,600/80g

Shop Info

  • 2F Atsumi-yakuhin Bldg, 1-21 Sakumacho, Kanda, Chiyoda-ku. Tel: 03-3253-3329. Open Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm (lunch)/5:30-11:30pm (dinner), Sat-Sun & hols 11:30am-2pm (lunch)/5pm-10pm (dinner), closed over New Year’s holidays. Nearest stn: Akihabara. www.yamano29.com