Showing posts with label Ginza. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ginza. Show all posts

Chikappa (Tokyo)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Address: 4-3-6 Chuo-ku, Ginza (Nagoya Chamber of Commerce Hall 1F)
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/%E3%81%8A%E5%8F%96%E3%82%8A%E5%AF%84%E3%81%9B%E3%83%90%E3%83%BC%E3%83%ABChikappa-GINZA/325180354274159?id=325180354274159
We wandered into Chikappa by chance after walking around Ginza and wanting to stop for a break. With its cheerful exterior Chikappa seemed welcoming and hence we entered and found a charming Italian restaurant. With reasonably priced craft beers and wines from around the world – I had a decent cabernet sauvignon for ¥500 – there’s great options for anyone.


On their other hand, their food tended to be pricier in relation to drinks. We ordered some appetizers to tide us over before dinner, the first dish a cheese plate (¥1,200). Containing a luxurious black pepper goat cheese, creamy brie and salty cheddar there was a nice combination of textures and flavours. If only there were more than just two slices of bread for so much cheese.


Wanting some vegetables, we ordered a simple cucumber and tomato (¥680) with a thick miso dipping sauce. Although it was plain, the vegetables were fresh and a great quality. For some reason it tasted really good to me after not having many North American type vegetables.



Overall, even though we just stopped by for a snack and drinks, my husband and I were happy with the experience and would recommend it if you’re looking for a resting place in Ginza.

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 ____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Kimuraya 木村屋 (Tokyo)

Posted on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 by
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Address: 4-5-7 Ginza, Chuuou (beside the Wako department store by exit A10 of Ginza station)
Website: http://www.ginzakimuraya.jp/bakery/index.html  

Few businesses last for decades let alone for centuries. Kimuraya is one of these rare companies that started in 1874 and still exists today, right beside the Wako department store near exit A10 of Ginza station.

Yasubei Kimura, the founder of Kimuraya, also invented the anpan a sweet bun filled with red bean paste. The dark red paste is common in Asian desserts where azuki beans are mashed and sweetened. Today, Kimuraya also sells buns with various other fillings including sesame, white beans, chestnuts, etc.
The oldest bakery in Japan is fairly small and busy during my weekday visit. Prefilled bags of bread and rolls were prepared on shelves and cakes & other pastries sit in the back in a display case. But, the busiest section lies at the front of the store – wooden boxes filled with dozens of rolls and women stand bagging them to order. Since there was no English signage, it was difficult for me to decipher what was bagged, so I played it safe and waited in line at the front where the wooden boxes at least display buns so you can guess at what fillings were inside.
Keeping with tradition, I purchased two red bean and two black sesame buns for my husband and I.  One was ¥150 per bun while the other ¥170, which is fairly expensive for a scone sized roll. 
You may be wondering, other than the history, what makes it so special? From what I can gather, it has a higher filling to bun ratio and the filling is set perfectly in the middle of the bun for even distribution rather than off to one side like competing products. Moreover, the filling itself is thicker and uses a lot of the ingredients so you really get the natural taste of the red bean and sesame without it being overly sweet. Sorry for the poor picture quality, but I just remembered to snap a photo of the filling while gobbling down my second bun.

Aside from sweets, Kimuraya is also known for their tofu bread, but I wasn’t able to find it due to the lack of labels. Overall, if the queue isn’t long and you’re in for a snack, drop by Kimuraya when you’re shopping around Ginza to try out one of these historical baked goods.

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