Obon-de-gohan - Happiness Connection

Restaurant Review by A. I.

Today I will introduce Obon-de-gohan (おぼん de ごはん). This restaurant serves handmade food for a balanced diet in a cafe style. The menu items are mainly vegetables, meat, and fish, and these ingredients are used in their cooking. And there are various types of rice, such as polished rice, gokoku hijiki rice, and black rice. These are healthy varieties of rice. Even the desserts are healthy. For example, other restaurant's desserts are made of flour, but this cafe uses soba flour. Regular flour is higher in calories (368 kcal, per 100g), than soba flour (359 kcal, per 100 g), so soba flour will help you stay slim.

There are about 58 menu items. All of the items offer a balanced diet, such as the set meal with beef, the set meal with fish, and the set meal with vegetables and tofu. If you order the set meal, you can choose freely a main dish and the type of rice, and you get a small bowl of miso soup. You can have as much rice and miso soup as you like. You also get a big bowl of salad and pickles.


The salad set comes with a stone oven roll, pumpkin soup, and dressing. The dressing is original, and there are grated carrots and onions. Udon comes in a small bowl with pickles. You can order udon warm or cold.

Ochazuke comes with polished rice, soup, a small bowl of seasonings, bean curd, pickles and spice. You can order as much rice and soup as you like. The menu has a drink and dessert set. Desserts include crepes, cake, parfait, and ice cream.

The price of all menu items is about one thousand yen. The seven dish set is a good deal at that price.

I went to the Tsurumi store's Obon-de-gohan. I ordered the ochazuke (yakishake-to-ikura-no-oyakodashichazuke.) The price was 983 yen. I ate this meal for the second time. The soup stock had a peculiar flavor. Generally, ochazuke is soup stock, tea and hot water, but this soup stock combined kelp and chicken soup.The rice and soup stock taste is very delicious.

I recommend putting the salmon roe, salmon, konbu, and a leaf on the rice, and pouring the soup over it. It is the most delicious way to eat it!! I had one helping of rice, so I was full.

The cafe's atmosphere is good. When I went at dinner time, this cafe was crowded and there were mostly women in the cafe. I think this restaurant provides a healthy meal. Obon-de-gohan is a relaxing cafe, so when people finish eating, they stay a long time.

Obon-de-gohan is on the sixth floor of Cial Tsurumi at the east exit of JR Tsurumi Station. Dusk is the best time for a  good view. If you go to Cial Tsurumi, you should go to Obon-de-gohan!!

Obon-de-gohan (おぼん de ごはん Tsurumi location) 
Address: Cial Tsurumi 1-1-2, 6F
               Tsurumi-ku, Tsurumi-chuo,  Yokohama
Phone: 045-508-5896
Open: 11:00-22:30 (Last order 22:00)
URL: http://www.obon-de-gohan.com/about/

Beef Addiction - Red Rock

Restaurant Review by M. N.

I would like to introduce Red Rock ( レッドロック ), a shop I recommend. The restaurant is famous for its big roast beef bowl. I waited in line about 1 hour even though it was afternoon. There were more young women than men at the restaurant.

Red Rock is located in several places, including Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto and Harajuku. I went to the Harajuku location on a day when my friends and I were out shopping. It takes around fifteen minutes to get to Red Rock from Harajuku Station. Before entering the restaurant, you have to order at a vending machine. There are English names for the items, so people who cannot understand Japanese do not need to worry when they order.

I ordered a Roast Beef Don (￥880) which is the most popular meal in this restaurant. Red Rock serves its Roast Beef rare, but it was not bloody. You can add special yogurt sauce if you like.

On the other hand, one of my friends ate Steak Don (￥950）which is the second most popular item.

Roast Beef Don (￥880)

Steak Don (￥950)

According to comments on the internet, this restaurant is crowded with people everyday. I think the only problem is the wait time. If you have a chance to go there, you should avoid  lunchtime. Unfortunately, you cannot make a reservation there, and the restaurant has only 48 seats in spite of its popularity. However, in my opinion, these meals are worth waiting for.

Red Rock ( レッドロック 原宿店)
Address: 3-25-12 Fuji-building B1F, Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo
Phone: 03-6721-1729
Hours: 11:30 a.m to 10:00 p.m
URL: http://www.redrock-kobebeef.com/

Taste the Authentic Sushi - Sushi Uotada

Restaurant Review by H. T.

Today, I want to introduce Sushi Uotada. This restaurant is a Japanese seafood style restaurant. They serve hand-rolled sushi, arajiru, dessert and rice wine (sake). This restaurant is located in a residential area of Hiratsuka. You can get there on foot in 10 minutes from Hirastuka Station south exit.

This restaurant is operated by an elderly couple. In the restaurant there are counter seats and parlor seating (座敷). At the counter seats you can watch and enjoy as the shopkeeper makes the sushi before your eyes, and you can enjoy making small talk with him when you go there alone. In the parlor, there is a Japanese style partition in between the seat next to you, so you can  enjoy a conversation with your family.

Counter Seats

The Parlor

I went to this restaurant with my family. We seat at the counter seats, and my father ordered Chef's Choice (おまかせ). The shopkeeper gave us cooked tuna, shellfish, mackeral (さば), sea urchin (ウニ), shrimp, fried eggs, and he served us at the pace that we were ready for.

The wife of the shopkeeper gave us arajiru and green tea jelly. Arajiru is a soup made with shrimp. This arajiru does not smell fishy and it's easy to drink even on a full stomach. Green tea jelly is for dessert. The taste is a little bitter but the fruit in the jelly was sweet and fresh.

arajiru

green tea jelly

With "Chef's Choice" you can change the order if you have a favorite, so the cost depends on what you choose, but the price is also ￥5,000 ～￥10,000. On that day, my mother came home from a trip, so my father treated us.

Sushi Uotada 【寿司　魚忠】
Address: 13-26 Momohama-cho Hiratsuka Kanagawa
Phone: 0463-31-2147
Open: 11:00 am - 22:00 pm

Manshuen - Chinese Cuisine

Restaurant Review by Y. K.

I would like to introduce the restaurant, Manshuen (満州園). Manshuen is a Chinese restaurant. The staff are almost all Chinese. Unfortunately, the staff's behavior was not good because they look upset most of the time. But the waitresses poured water as soon as I emptied my glass. The water was seasoned with lemon. I liked it.

Manshuen is located in the underground restaurant floor of the Fuga Building near Tsurumi Station. There is no music. I could hear just laughter. The customers are mostly middle-aged men. We can enjoy Chinese food with beer, and we can drink various kinds of alcohol. It's so nice, isn't it ?

This is a part of menu. The price range is around 1000 yen. This restaurant serves only Chinese food and all items are delicious according to a customer who talked to me.

My picture (below) is not good. The real things look more delicious. At the time, I ordered gyoza and fried liver with Chinese chives. Gyoza is the most popular item in this restaurant and it was so tasty. It was chewy and crispy. The taste was savory and little bit garlicy. The fried liver with Chinese chives was tasty too. It was a heavy meal. There are a lot of vegetables and a big pieces of liver. I took a long time to eat and I was really satisfied. If you want to eat Chinese food at lunchtime, you should try the lunch set. I had the

lunch set several times when I was a junior high school student, so I recommend  going to  Manshuen!

Manshuen (満州園)
Address: 2-2 Toyooka-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama
Phone: 045-571-1198/045-583-6329
Hours: Lunch 11:00～14:30 / Dinner 16:30～22:30
Access: 3-minutes walk from Tsurumi Station

il Chianti Beache

Restaurant Review by Y. S.

I will introduce my recommended restaurant, il Chianti Beache. It’s located in front of the sea. I often go there after surfing with my friend. I like the natural scenery as well as the dishes. The restaurant is so popular that you have to wait. Many tourists come to this restaurant every summer.  I recommend reserving a table. My favorite dish is seafood chili pasta. This dish is called Mayonakano Pasta. The amount of pasta is very large. I can’t finish it by myself. Let’s look at this spoon! This spoon is too large, and you can’t put it your mouth.
This dish has fresh tomatoes, bacon, onions, white mushrooms, octopus, squid, and scallops. Mayakano Pasta is not too spicy, so it’s mild in its taste and it’s quite right for my appetite.

Let’s view the fried potatoes! This potato differs from normal potatoes. You can choose from
3 flavors of seasoning; tomato ketchup, salt and matcha salt. This dish is made from local potatoes. It’s moderately hot and juicy.

Next let’s view the pizza! This dish is called shirasuno-margherita. Do you know shirasu’s secret ingredient? The secret ingredient is anchovies (iwashi). Shirasu gives a good flavor to the pizza.

At il Chianti, you can enjoy the atmosphere as well as good dishes.

Please go to il Chianti when you get the chance!

il Chianti Beache (イルキャンティ　ビーチェ) - Katase Enoshima Location
Address: 2-20-3 Katasekaigan, Fujisawa-shi, Kanagawa-ken
Phone: 0466-26-0234
Hours: 11:00 a.m.~ 23:00 p.m.
Holiday: None; open every day
URL: http://www.yyjam.com/beache

Yomenya-Goemon - Many Kinds of Spaghetti

Restaurant Review by H. E.

This spaghetti restaurant is located at Yokohama Station in Sotetsu Joinus B1. Most of us pass by here, but I was not able to find it easily. This restaurant is a chain store, but they are not everywhere. I thought it was a Japanese restaurant at first when I found it. When I knew that it was a spaghetti restaurant, I was surprised.

Goemon is place where we can relax. The restaurant is not very light. However the spaghetti has a very nice taste. We waited around 20 minutes, which is a little long. For this review, we tried the Mediterranean-style crab and prawn soup spaghetti (￥1,100) and a spaghetti carbonara (￥1,050). These is much quantity and I was full after only one spaghetti.

The dinner price is a little expensive for students, but the spaghetti is big, so we can share!! If the normal size is not enough, you can choose the set with a drink and large size pasta for + 300 yen.

Yomenya-Goemon
Address: Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Sotetsu Joinus B1F
Phone: 045-565-9468
Hours: 11：00～23：00（last order 22：30)
Please try this restaurant.

Sunday Bake Shop - A Place to Go Frequently

Restaurant Review by H.G.

I will introduce my favorite café, Sunday Bake Shop in Shibuya-ku and located in a residential area. The location is a short walk from the confusing Hatsudai Station. It is a popular shop for young and old alike. This shop is only open on Sundays,Wednesdays and Fridays. On Friday, it's a coffee shop, and on Sunday and Wednesday they have baked sweets.

There are a lot of baked sweets. The prices are ￥200~￥500. This bakery is a good place to go with your friends, but I also recommend going when you want to dine slowly alone. The shop is cute and a good smell drifts though the room. This restaurant is not famous, but the neighborhood is popular.

I recommend the vanilla cheesecake. The vanilla cheesecake is 420 yen. It is delicious and rich and very sweet. It is the most popular sweet in the shop. Banana pound cake is also popular. The price is ￥350. You can also enjoy different sweets for carry out because the menu items change seasonally and by day.

Sunday Bake Shop
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Honmachi, 1-58-7
Hours: Sunday 9:00~19:00; Wednesday 7:30~17:30; Friday 7:30~19:00
Facebook: https://ja-jp.facebook.com/Sunday-Bake-Shop-221589104598012/

Monstyle - Colorful Vegetable Plate

Restaurant Review by M. S.

I’d like to introduce one of my favorite cafés, Monstyle.

Monstyle combines a café and a clothing store. Organic seasonings and local vegetables are used. This café is run by a family. It has been open for six years. At lunchtime we can eat a plate lunch and pork curry. At dinner time, you can drink alcohol. Natural cookies and chocolate muffins can be taken out.

I went there with my mother. I ate the one plate lunch. It looked small at first, but I became full. Various types of vegetables were used and all were fresh. There are many kinds of  vegetables and natural desserts. The lunch costs 1000 yen-1500 yen.

I drank the enzyme juice. It was refreshing and delicious. We can eat shaved ice using natural ice in the summer. The syrup is handmade too.

The atmosphere at Monstyle is very good. You  can relax and be happy. The location is near Yokosuka Chu-ou Station. Mon Style is open from 12:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m. Holidays are every Monday. There is no parking, but there is a coin parking area nearby.

If you want to eat a delicious lunch, you should go to Monstyle!

Monstyle
Address: 19 Ogawacho, Yokosuka, Kanagawa
Phone: 046-821-5888
Hours: Tues-Sun 12:00-18:00
           Thurs       12:00-21:00
Website: http://monstyle.jp

Silver Rock - Best of Tsurumi

Restaurant Review by R. T.

Actually, I do not want to introduce Silver Rock because I often go there. Silver Rock is a bar. You can hear western rock music. The "rock" in Silver Rock comes from the owner's favorite music style. Go there if you like western rock music.


The bar owner's name is Ramon. He manages Silver Rock alone. His service is good. He remembers me and  the faces of all visitors well. Therefore Silver Rock is popular. The atmosphere of the bar is very calm and it's suitable for drinking.

Food
The food menu has very low prices. All food matches the liquor and is delicious. Among them my favorite food is asarimushi. Butter is in the asarimushi, so it`s very rich. We drink up all the soup in the plate. And then he gives us popcorn for free. He brings more popcorn immediately when I finish my bowl.

Drinks
The recommended cocktail at Silver Rock is gin tonic. It's a little sweet, so it's easy to drink too much carelessly. Drinks cost 500-600 yen.

This bar is a little expensive for students, but it is nice. You should go to Silver Rock.

Silver Rock
Address: Tsurumi-tyuo Tsurumi-ku Yokohama-shi
Hours: Monday~Thursday 19:00~3:00; Friday~Saturday 19:00~5:00
Holiday: Sunday

Pizza Slice - Original Sliced Pizza from New York

Restaurant Review by N.  I.

I'll introduce one of my favorite restaurants Pizza Slice. This restaurant is a NewYork style pizza restaurant. It is located in Shibuya and Aoyama. I went to the Shibuya shop. It's between Daikanyama Station and Shibuya Station. It takes about 15 minutes on foot from either station.There are many kinds of pizza, but we ordered a normal pepperoni pizza. When we went there, it was my friend's birthday. We made a reservation a few days earlier and we ordered this pizza.

This pizza is so big. We were seven people, but the pizza was just the right size! This shop sells beer, but when we went there, we bought soft drinks. Not only the pizza, but also the soft drinks are big!

A meal for one is ￥1000 to ￥1500. It's not expensive. You pay at the register when you go out. When you want to eat a normal delicious pizza, please go!

Pizza Slice
Address: Tokyo, Shibuya-ku, Sarugaku-cho 1-3
Phone: 03-5248-5166
Access: Shibuya and Daikanyama Station, 15 minutes walk.
URL: http://www.pizzaslice.co/

Barbacoa - Brazilian Barbecue

Restaurant Review by T. N.

This restaurant is located in the Keikyu Shopping Plaza Wing Takanawa West. It's near Shinagawa Station. This chain restaurant is also in Aoyama and Roppongi. There are 9 restaurants in Osaka and Tokyo.

At this restaurant, you can enjoy churrasco, which is Brazilian traditional BBQ. This restaurant is buffet style with a 2 hour limit. The price is 3600 yen at lunchtime (from 11:00-15:00), 5400 yen at dinner time (17:30-23:00). You can drink unlimited wine and beer if you pay an additional charge. It's 3200 yen at dinnertime.

It is a little expensive for students, but I think that it is a good restaurant to go on special days. If you want to spend a happy time in a slow atmosphere with your special person, go to visit this restaurant.

BARBACOA
Address: Keikyu Shopping Plaza Wing Takanawa West-2 3F, Minato-ku, Yokyo
Access: Shinagawa - take JR Yamanote Line / Takanawa exit, 1-minute walk
Hours: 11:00-15:00, 17:30-23:00
Phone: 03-5447-5229
URL: http://barbacoa.jp/takanawa/