Crissross - All-Day Café

Café Review by S. I.

I would like to introduce the café Crisscoss. This café is located in Omotesando. It is open from 8:00 to 22:00, therefore it is an all-day café where you can enjoy breakfast to dinner. 

Crisscross has many appealing menu items. My recommended menu is buttermilk pancakes with sausage and fried eggs. The price is ¥1,750. As the product name suggests, this is 3 pancakes with sausage and fried eggs. Some people feel that three pancakes are a lot. But there are two ways to enjoy them; as a meal with a fried eggs or sausage, or as a dessert with maple syrup. I was able to eat it without getting tired of the taste. There are also salads, sandwiches and French toast on the menu.

Crisscross has a stylish interior and an open-air terrace where many people can dine at the same time. The terrace is like a park and you can relax and enjoy your day off. The staff is very friendly and speedy. They also hand out reception numbers so you can wait elsewhere until it's your turn. Because it's a popular café, you may have to wait a bit. But I want you go there. It will definitely give you an extraordinary feeling.

Crisscross
Address: 5-7-28 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Access: Omotesando Station
Tel: 03-6434-1266
Hours: 8:00~22:00(21:00 L.O.)
URL: https://www.tysons.jp/crisscross/en/

Favorite Hamburger Restaurant - Kua 'Aina

Restaurant Review - M. T.

I would like to introduce Kua 'Aina. This is a hamburger restaurant that comes from Hawaii, so the staff wear aloha shirts and the whole restaurant has a Hawaiian atmosphere.  You can eat authentic Hawaiian hamburgers in Japan. I'll introduce two of my recommended menu items now.

First, the picture shows my favorite item "Hamburger". It contains 100% beef patties, onions, tomatoes and lettuce. You can choose bread from Kaiser roll, Brioche and multi-grain wheat, but Kaiser roll is recommended for hamburgers. The price of the single item is ¥880 and the set is ¥1,100. The set comes with a hamburger, French fries and your favorite drink.

I also recommend the "Teriyaki Burger". It's more expensive than a hamburger and the price is ¥1,030 and the set is ¥1,250. The contents are the same as the hamburger with teriyaki sauce. This is also very delicious but it's hard to eat, so please be careful.

You can also take out items at this restaurant. If you want to take out, you should order by phone because this restaurant is crowded.

This is a chain restaurant and there are 15 restaurants in Tokyo and Kanagawa alone. Recently it also opened in Kawasaki. I think this restaurant is cheaper than other burger restaurants. If you like hamburgers, please go there!!

Kua 'Aina in Yokohama
Address: 1-10 Kinkochou, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama bay quarter 4F 221-0056
Access: Yokohama Station
Tel: 045-450-7202
Hours: 11:00~20:00
Regular holidays: Open everyday
Website: https://www.kua-aina.com/shop/87.html

Akariya Kosen - Favorite Soba Restaurant

Restaurant Review by M. I. 

I would like to introduce you to the soba restaurant Akariya Kosen. This restaurant has been open for about 10 years now, but it has been my go-to place for about the same amount of time. It is located a one-minute walk from Yanokuchi Station on the Nanbu Line. The parking lot is not large, so it is recommended to go by train. This restaurant has a very nice atmosphere with warm colored lights and Japanese style interior.

Akariya Kosen has many delicious soba dishes. There are many hot and cold soba noodles there, as well as a menu that changes with the seasons, making it an enjoyable place to visit again and again. When I visited here, they were serving lemon flavored soba. They also have shiso-flavored and cherry blossom-flavored soba, so you should pay attention to the seasonal soba when you visit here. My favorite dish is the "oroshi soba" (¥1,050) in the photo. This is a dish served with grated radish in the dipping soup. This grated radish is spicy and addictive. 

In addition to that, there are many other side dishes to choose from besides soba. This picture shows my favorite "Omakase yasai tempura" (¥1,200). There are several kinds of vegetable tempura, which are crispy and very delicious. There are also fresh sashimi, dashimaki eggs, and chicken dishes. They don't serve alcohol at the moment, but the Japanese sake here is really good, so be sure to try it when they start serving it.

Akariya Kosen
Address: 310-10 Yanokuchi, Inagi City, Tokyo
Phone: 042-379-9225
Hours: Lunch→11:30~14:00
          Dinner→17:30~20:00
Website: http://www.akariyakosen.com/index.html

Umeya

Restaurant Review by K. D.

I will introduce a restaurant called Chinese Soba Umeya. This restaurant is located in Kanazawaku, Yokohama City, and the nearest station is Kanazawa Bunko Station on the Keikyu Line. It takes 3-4 minutes on foot from this station. It's very close to the station, so you can get there without getting lost.

This restaurant serves Chinese noodles and flat noodles in ramen. I ordered the popular Chinese soba at this restaurant (¥770). I thought it would be  rich because it was ramen, but it was surprisingly light and not strong in taste, and the soup stock made from bonito was delicious. 

Also, the noodles had a firm texture, which was filling. I would like to order another menu the next time I go. In addition to noodles, rice is provided, and there are several kinds of rice, and they are a good deal. The service offers a 100 yen discount on all meals on weekdays only. This is limited to 11:30 a.m. to 14:00 p.m. and will end as soon as they run out of rice.

This restaurant is loved by locals and there were some locals when I went there. The staff's service was good and friendly. There are many good things about this restaurant. That's because the atmosphere of the restaurant and the staff's service are good. Also, the reasonable price makes it easy for students to go and various services. Be sure to go to this restaurant.

Umeya
Address: 16-13 Kamariya Higashi 2-chome,
    Kanazawaku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa
Access: Kanazawa-bunko Station (Keikyu Line).
    About a four-minute walk from the station.
Phone: 045-788-3112
Hours: In the morning → 11:30～14:30
     Afternoon → 17:00～21:00
     Thursday → 11:30～14:30
     Wednesday → Closed
Website: https://umeya2005.jimdofree.com

Hawaiian Restaurant - La Ohana

Restaurant Review by M. S.

I would like to introduce my favorite restaurant La Ohana. It is a good Hawaiian restaurant. La Ohana is located near Higashitotsuka Station. It takes less than 10 minutes by car from Higashitotsuka Station to La Ohana.

When guests arrive at La Ohana, the staff greet the person with a smile and say "Aloha" and put a flower necklace called lei on the person. La Ohana has a calm atmosphere and a spacious dining area. It is also available for anniversaries and offers anniversary pancakes and decorations. It's a great place to celebrate with friends and family. You can go without making a reservation, but it is often crowded there at lunchtime. I often go to this cafe for lunch with my family and friends. I went with my family this time.

There are so many items on the food and drink menus. The main dishes on the food menu include steaks, hamburgers, loco foods, pancakes, and so on. There are also plenty of appetizers here. I like shrimp, chicken and locomoco at this restaurant. They are very delicious. Also, you can order take-out of La Ohana's menu items on the Internet, so you can enjoy La Ohana's cuisine outside or at home.

The drink menu also includes coffees, cafe lattes, smoothies, frozen cafes, alcohol, and so on. More than 20 types of alcohol are served, and cocktails decorated with fruits and flowers are very cute. In addition, there are five kinds of beers called Kona Beer, which is native to Hawaii. The taste is described in detail on the menu, so even those who have never tried them can enjoy Kona Beer. I ordered fruit tea soda and it was refreshing and delicious with strawberries, pineapples, blueberries and kiwis.

There is a set where you can eat main dishes, pancakes, and drinks for ¥1,580 (+tax) from 10:30 to 17:00 on weekdays. Drinks that you can choose from are limited, but they are very affordable. If you want to eat Hawaiian food, this is a good restaurant!

La Ohana
Address: 3-20-33 Gontazaka, Hodogaya, Yokohama, Kanagawa 240-0026
Phone: 0570-019-977
Hours: 9:00-23:30
URL: https://www.skylark.co.jp/la_ohana/index.html

Sta.

Restaurant Review by N. N.

I would like to introduce the dining bar restaurant Sta. This restaurant is located in Shibuya. This restaurant has a mysterious atmosphere like a secret base, and the entrance is hard to find. The inside is dark and only indirect lighting is on. And there are only counter seats.

There aren't a lot of menu items, but they're all creative dishes and they're all elaborate. We ordered three kinds of homemade appetizers (¥1,000), brussels sprouts and fukinotou tempura (¥850), shrimp and bamboo shoots spring rolls (¥900), sweet potato chips (¥400), and pork Kakuni (¥1,300). All of them were delicious, but my favorite dishes were brussels sprouts and fukinotou tempura. I really liked the texture of it. There are desserts that are delicious, beautiful and popular, but we didn't order them this time. Also, the menu changes a little depending on the season, so I think you won't get bored no matter how many times you visit.

This dining bar restaurant has recently become popular and is attracting attention mainly from young women. So if you visit this restaurant with your friends or family, I recommend you make a reservation. I haven't been there at lunchtime yet, but I would like to try it someday.

Sta.
Address: 11-7 Maruyamacho Shibuya City, Tokyo
Access: Shinsen station
Tel: 03-6455-2056
Hours: Lunch 11:00-14:00, Dinner 17:00-20:00
Regular holiday: Last Wednesday of each month
URL: https://online-sta.com/

Japanese Style Café - Komeda Nagomi Café Okagean

Restaurant Review by K. I.

I'd like to introduce one of my favorite cafés, Komeda Nagomi Cafe Okagean. This café is a sister store of Komeda's Coffee and has only 11 stores all over Japan. In Kanagawa Prefecture, it is located in Yokohama and Yamato. The café here is a short walk from Yamato Station, so it's easy to access. There are 92 tables and all seats are non-smoking. There is a takeout menu. 

Unlike Komeda's Coffee, you can enjoy a Japanese style café. The atmosphere is also different. For example, the inside of the café is made like a Japanese-style room, and they serve Japanese food such as zenzai, warabi mochi, and dumplings. In addition, they are proud of their Japanese drinks, such as matcha, roasted green tea, and soybean flour. 

I ordered an ice matcha au lait. It comes with a separate gum syrup, so you can adjust the sweetness yourself. Surprisingly, you can choose a set just for the price of a drink called Morning Set until 11 a.m. so I chose the ochazuke set. It was very delicious and the drink was also delicious. I recommend going by 11 a.m. because you can enjoy it at a good price. In addition, there are four types of morning sets, including an onigiri set.

I ordered the dumplings, which is a specialty of this café. The characteristic of the dumplings at the café here is that you can grill them yourself. This photo is soy sauce flavor, but there are also soybean flour and red bean paste. In addition to dumplings, there are various menu items such as soba, noodles, and shaved ice.

This café is spacious and very comfortable, and it's a rare café in Japan, so please go there. I'm sure you can enjoy it. 

Okagean (おかげ庵)
Address: 1-2-1 Yamato Minami, Yamato, Kanagawa 〒242-0016
Access: Yamato station (Sotetsu Line, Odakyu Line)
Phone: 046-200-6155
Hours: 7:00~20:00 (Business hours changed to prevent coronavirus infection)
Regular holiday: No regular holiday
Website: http://www.komeda.co.jp/okagean/

Vietnamese Restaurant "Thi Thi" ティティ

Restaurant Review by K. T.

Thi Thi (ティティ) is a Vietnamese restaurant located in Kamata. The restaurant was made famous by the drama called ''Kodoku no Gurume'' (孤独のグルメ).

When you enter the restaurant, you can feel the smell of Vietnamese meals and it seems like you are in Vietnam. First, I ordered Vietnamese-style okonomiyaki. It's called banh xeo in Vietnamese and looks like an omelette. This is ¥1375. Let me teach you how to eat banh xeo, Cut the banh xeo, wrap it in lettuce, and put in nampura sauce. It is a good match with nampura sauce and is very delicious. It has a lot of vegetables, so it's good for your health.

I also  ordered a Vietnamese sandwich. This is ¥600. It's called banh mi in Vietnamese and it is very famous, so it's  sold out every day. Among them are paté, Vietnamese sausage, mustard, chili peppers, picked carrots and radishes, onions and coriander. The bread was crispy and homemade paté and sausage was very delicious. Banh mi in this restaurant is my favorite food among Vietnamese foods.

Finally, I ordered 3 color tapioka dessert. This is ¥550. It's called che ba mau in Vietnamese. It looks like a drink but it is not drink. It is made with sweet green beans, sweet red beans, tapioka, jelly, crushed ice and so on. It is mixed well to eat. It was sweet and you can taste various textures.

There are lot of menu items. If you are interested in Vietnamese food, you should try visiting Thi Thi. 

Thi Thi ティティ
Address: 5-26-6 Kamata,
    Ota-ku, Tokyo, B1F  〒144-0052
Access: Kamata Station (JR Keihin Tohoku Line or Keikyu Line )
Phone: 03-3731-1549
Hours: weekdays 16:00~20:00 holiday 12:00~20:00
Regular holidays: Monday
URL: https://instagram.com/thithi_restaurant?utm_medium=copy_link

Full of Smiles - Daruma Kozou

Restaurant Review
by K. N.

I would like to introduce a yakiniku restaurant called Yakiniku Kazoku Daruma Kozou. This restaurant offers delicious meat at relatively low prices. Many people may think that yakiniku does not change wherever you eat it. However, the difference between this restaurant and other restaurants is that the cost is quite low. I often eat at this restaurant when I go out with my high school clubmates. I will show you in more detail what kind of restaurant it is.

When you enter the restaurant, employees in baseball uniforms and easy to move pants will guide me. They take you to either a table seat or a tatami room seat. I was alone on this day, so they guided me to a table seat.

Tatami Seats                                      Table Seats

I was there during lunch time that day, so I chose the yakiniku set meal on the right from the lunch menu.（¥946 including tax）

We can choose from the menu. All products include seaweed soup, kakuteki kimuchi.

Charcoal grilled meat is more appetizing. I think that if you grill delicious meat carefully one by one, it will taste better. The original yakiniku sauce goes well with rice, so you can eat a lot of rice.

And by the time I finished eating the set meal, an employee served me almond jelly. Almond jelly is kept ate cold temperature and served at the right time for eating.

There are many other menu items. We can also enjoy salads, cold tofu, alcoholic drinks in this restaurant. You can buy BBQ meat and lunch boxes.

If you have a chance, please go there.

Yakiniku Kazoku Daruma Kozou

・Tokaichiba main location

Address; 814-10 Tokaichiba, Midori, Yokohama, Kanagawa
Access: Tokaichiba Station（JR Yokohama line）
Phone: 045-981-2915
Hours: Lunch→11:30~14:30（Lo.14:00）
　　　  Night→17:00~23:00（Lo.22:30）
Regular holidays: Wednesday

・Fujigaoka location

Address: 1-16-10 Fujigaoka, Aoba, Yokohama, Kanagawa
Access: Fujigaoka Station（Denentoshi Line）
Phone: 045-979-2915
Hours: Lunch→11:30~14:30（Lo.14:00）
　　　  Night→17:00~23:00（Lo.22:30）
Regular holidays: Wednesday

Delicious Ramen - Gaki Daisho

Restaurant Review by C. S.

Do you like ramen? Maybe everyone likes it. Today, I would like to introduce Gaki Daisho. This is a famous ramen restaurant in Fujisawa. Gaki Daisho has a lot of ramen menu items,so you'll be able to find something you like. There are three kinds of ramen bases: soy sauce (￥650), miso (￥750), tontan (￥800). You can choose the toppings. (eggs, laver, cabbage, roast pork, butter corn, etc.)

If you want to eat more, you can choose medium (+￥100) or large (+￥200) size.

Also, if you order ramen, you can get rice service anytime. If you want rice, don't forget you should say "Please give me rice." when you order. You can order gyoza from 3 pieces. If you want to enjoy gyoza at home, you can also take out.

I ordered soy sauce roast pork ramen and 5 gyozas. The noodles are thick. There are lavers, green vegetables and 3 roast pork slices on top of the ramen. The soup uses pork bones. This ramen tasted like a "iekei ramen". The gyoza was very juicy. 

If you are lucky, you can eat while enjoying the  scenery outside. There is no problem on sunny days, but be careful on rainy days and windy days. This place is well ventilated, so you don't worry about corona.

Gaki Daisho is a little far from Fujisawa Station, so you should take a bus. Also, there is parking, so you can go there by car.

I want to visit this ramen restaurant again.

If you visit Fujisawa, how about going to Gaki Daisho?

Gaki Daisho
Address: 772-4, Kawana Town,
    Fujisawa city, Kanagawa 〒251-0015
Phone: 0466-23-8800
Hours:  11:00-16:00
Holiday: Monday
Access: near Fujisawa Station
On foot ;20 minutes, by bus; 9 minutes, car parking about 6 spaces

 

Chigasaki Ice Cream Café - Plenty's

Café Review by M. S.

custom ice cream cones

I would like introduce an ice cream café called Plenty's. The location of this shop is in Chigasaki. I go there with my friends in summer. You can eat delicious ice cream and sweets at a reasonable price. This café is a trendy shop so it became one of my favorite cafés.

There are many variations at this shop. You can choose Plenty's Ice cream, Single and Double. You can customize one of your favorite ice cream flavors and two of your favorite fruits and sweets in Plenty's Ice type. (¥470). You can choose two ice cream flavors in Double (¥450) and one ice cream flavor in Single.(¥350) What is more you can customize the cone type (¥150).

I ate a strawberry ice cream and strawberry sherbet, and I customized it with a nut chips cone as in the picture above. My friend ate a vanilla and strawberry ice cream and she customized it with a coconut cone like on the left. It was delicious and cute. They are perfect for a hot day. This shop serves not only ice cream but also crepes and birthday cake. The cake can be ordered in advance, but you have to go to the shop. I have never ordered it, so I would like to order one someday.

Plenty's
Address: 1-7-28 Higashikaigankita,
    Chigasaki, Kanagawa〒235-0053
Access: Chigasaki Station (JR Higashinihon)
Phone: 0467-88-0031
Hours: 9:00~21:00,  No Regular Holiday (open every day in July and August until 22:00 p.m.)
URL: https://plentys.net/chigasaki-honten

Grand Buffet Takeout

Takeout Review
by H. S.

Grand Buffet can also be enjoyed in takeout!

Have you ever reserved a takeout product and ate it at home? I think you will definitely do it at least once. I think the number of people who get takeout has increased due to the influence of covid-19. So I decided to try takeout from Grand Buffet and eat it at home instead of eating it in the store.

At Grand Buffet, there are many kinds of Japanese, Chinese and other dishes, but there are only a few take-out menu items. Let me introduce you to the takeout menu. There are fried potatoes, deep-fried food, Potekara (set of fried potatoes and deep-fried food), 3 kinds of roast beef (different sizes), 4 kinds of pizza and pizza set (set of Potekara and pizza). Among them, I brought margherita pizza (¥400), fried potatoes (¥300), pizza set (from meat cheese and Potekara; ¥900), and roast beef (¥800). It was ¥2,400 in total. I recommend it because I think the price is good if you have a favorite item.

There are two things to be careful about when ordering takeout at Grand Buffet. The first is, as I said, the menu is small. The second is about the smell. The smell of food is strong and the smell can spread when you are in the train on your way home. Let's be careful. 

Grand Buffet is near Kamioooka Station and I think it takes less than 5 minutes including elevator time. Why don't you take the opportunity to enjoy Grand Buffet takeout at home?

Grand Buffet
Address: 〒233-8556
Keikyu Department Store 10th floor, Kamioooka nishi Kounanku 
Yokohama, Kanagawa
Phone: (045)848-7353　
URL: grandbuffet.jp
Access: from Kamioooka Station, go into Keikyu Department Store and take the elevator to the 10th floor                                                                               

                                              

Yakiniku Toraji - Favorite Yakiniku

Restaurant Review
by K. S.

I’d like to introduce Yakiniku Toraji. This is a grilled meat restaurant. This restaurant is not all-you-can-eat. It is located a minute's walk from Shinyokohama Station. If you get out of the ticket gate and use the elevator to the 9th floor, you'll find the restaurant.

The course and individual items are rich in variety and the volume is perfect. The course is divided into four parts. Standard course (¥6,050) is the cheapest course on which you can enjoy meat. Toraji Special course (¥8,580) is the best course to enjoy Toraji’s meat. Premium Course (¥11,000) is a little expensive, but you can enjoy a lot of lobster and special meat. The Royal Course (¥14,300) is the most expensive course in Toraji. It's a course that gives you the best hospitality.

The course I recommend is the Toraji Special course. My recommendation is special sirloin. It's a little different from other meat, and it's really soft, juicy and delicious! You can eat special meat at a low price with this course. Also, the bowl with sirloin and eggs on it was very delicious.

This restaurant is a little expensive, so many people use it for anniversaries and celebrations. I recommend going to this restaurant at night because the night view is very beautiful.

Yakiniku Toraji
Address: 100-45 Shinyokohama, Kouhoku-ku,
Yokohama, Kanagawa 〒222-0033
Phone: 045-470-2929
Hours: Lunch→11:00~15:00
Dinner →17:00~23:00
Website: https://www.ebisu-toraji.com/shop/kanagawa/yokohama/shin-yokohama/

Uni Coffee Roastery

Cafe Review by A. S.

I'm going to introduce one of my favorite cafes. The shop's name is Uni Coffee Roastery. I went to the Yokohama Nihon Oodori store (横浜日本大通り店) which just opened on March 20. It is located near the Aka Renga Souko (Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse) and Zou-no-hana park. This shop is really fashionable and looks really good. If you want to take an instagrammable picture (インスタ映え写真）I recommend visiting there.

I ordered ice roasted green tea latte and cannelé. It's not so expensive, so I often go there when I had a free time. Ice roasted green tea latte costed \540, cannelé costed \250. Total is \790! You can have really delicious tea or coffee or Frappuccino. I also recommend ice mocha latte which costs \510. Ice mocha latte is not too bitter, but not too sweet. This is the perfect balance for me! 

If you think you want to eat some hot sandwiches or hot dogs, you can eat them here. This store serves not only drinks and sweets, but also light meals. If you like avocado, you should order the avocado open sandwich. I think you are going to like it, because this sandwich has a whole avocado! 

If you order with the app, you can get one free drink! Please try it if you are interested in this cafe. 😋

Uni Coffee Roastery - Yokohama NIhon Odori.(横浜日本大通り)
TEL:050-3177-2116
ADDRESS:〒231-0007
1-1, Benten do-ri, Naka-ku, Yokohama city, Kanagawa.
(神奈川県横浜市中区弁天通1-1)
Hours:7:30~20:00