天のや (Amanoya)

My sponsor (aka my mom) and I learnt about this place through TV, they were doing an episode on the best 'Sashi-Ire' (a Japanese custom to give an offering to a guest/friend/colleague) and the egg sandwich from Amanoya came in first place. It just so happened that the shop was a 10 minute walk from our house. We actually had already tried going last week, but it was completely sold out by 2pm. So today my sponsor and I tried again, although they were only selling takeaway boxes today we were able to grab 3 boxes for the price of $35. Yep.. $35 for egg sandwiches.

Japanese people sure love wrapping everything.

1,200 yen for a box of plain egg sandwiches. Fluffy eggs sandwiched with a mustard spread. Simple is best?

Tamago-Sando (Egg sandwich)
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1,200 yen (per person/serving)

Okay so I've had a dilemma with egg sandwiches ever since I had one when I was 12 at a friends house and it was really goopy. I remember struggling to eat the whole sandwich thinking 'Never again...' When I saw that Amanoya served an egg sandwich totally out of this world, obviously I had to give it the benefit of the doubt. It was absolutely delicious. It was just a fluffy thick cut slice of egg, with a thin layer of mustard/mayonnaise spread held together with soft moist slices of bread. I don't know what else to say about it but I don't think I'll ever come across a egg sandwich so simply good. - Mari

P.S Daniel is in Florida at the moment and I'm still in Tokyo finishing up on finals, but we are glad to say we are BACK in the food blog game this summer!

P.P.S Get ready for some food bloggin' from Malaysia and the Philippines next month!

Eishin (永新）

Hole in the walls don't get any better than this. It used to be a restaurant that I'd always walk past without giving it a second glance. Today my father craved Chinese food but because our first choice restaurant wasn't open, we reluctantly went into Eishin hoping for the best. And boy did we get it. -Mari

Dan-dan Noodles 坦々面
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1000 yen 

This is easily the best dan-dan noodles I've ever had. It completely blows the ones I've had in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia out of the water. The broth is nutty and thick and sticks to the noodles without having to gulp down soup with each bite. No matter how much I ate the amount wouldn't decrease. So if you're ever hungry and in Azabu-Juban, Eishin will not disappoint! -Mari

Wood ear, egg and vegetables rice 木耳卵丼
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900 yen

  Everything in this dish tasted amazing. I reluctantly offered Mari a bite and she almost didn't give me it back because it was so good. -Daniel

Gyoza 餃子
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950 yen

It's not a chinese meal without Gyoza!

Bara-Ya（薔薇屋）

You know how food made with love tastes that much better? An elderly couple run this hole-in-a-wall Japanese restaurant in Azabu Juban street. The husband makes everything, whilst the wife takes orders and serves rice. It's a perfect example of team work. 

Tekka-Don 鉄火丼
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1000 yen

 The maguro in the tekka-don melted in my mouth. It was so fresh and the marinade turned each bite into a bite of heaven. Even the sides took me to cloud nine. I made sure to pretty much polish my rice bowl after this meal. -Daniel

Ten-Don 天丼
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1100 yen 

Tempura is always a hit or miss. It either comes out too oily or too dry. This ten-don amazed me though. At first I was a little sad that the amount of rice seemed a little scarce, but it was actually the perfect ratio to the amount of tempura I had. Kudos to the wife, great eye-measuring skills! Not to mention the home made taste of all the side dishes which included tofu, tsukemono (pickled vegetables), a mini salad and miso soup. It's a home away from home kind of meal. -Mari

A little London in Tokyo

It was 4:15 and we hadn't eaten all day. When we came across The Tipplers Arms, the Sunday Roast and Fish and Chips looked like they would hit the spot. The lunch menu was only served until 4pm,  but it was a few minutes past. Daniel went in and asked if we could still sit down and have their lunch- you should've seen how thrilled we were when we got a 'Yes'.

A little tinkering with the Fish Eye effect on my camera

Sunday Pork Roast
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1200 yen

When the food came out I was amazed at how much there was for the price. The plate was almost overfilled with a mountain of melt in your mouth pork, delicious caramelized onions, yorkshire pudding, steamed veggies, and roast potatoes. There was a little wasabi sauce on the side to try out on the meat, which was an enjoyable little twist. -Daniel

Fish and Chips
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1200 yen

Having lived in England before I'd like to think I know good fish and chips when I see it. I was worried I was going to have to eat defrosted fish and chips, so I was surprised when I looked over and saw the owner batter the fish and fry them himself. A wave of nostalgia hit me when I took the first bite of my fish with malt vinegar. Flashbacks of being back in Cobham and eating at their local pub hit me instantly. A problem I had though was that the plate was too small and it made my eating experience a little difficult. -Mari 

Afuri

Aaaaand we're back in Tokyo! Of course the first thing you have to eat when you're back in Japan is ramen.

Soy Sauce Ramen 醤油ラーメン
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750 yen

Afuri's ramen is more of a modern approach on one of Japan's most iconic dishes. The soup broth isn't as rich as locals might be used to, which is why it's great that you get to avoid the food coma afterwards. The char-siu (pork slice) is grilled in front of you as you order it, none of that packaged meat laying on the counter since the morning! The egg isn't completely boiled to the core either so the yolk melts into the soup and it's oh-so-great. It's definitely not heavy on the stomach so it's refreshing to the last bite. -Mari 

OVERALL

Afuri is the place to go if you're craving ramen but want to feel good about it afterwards. The service is great, the food is even better, and the atmosphere is interesting. The music is a little out there (listening to Nicki Minaj while you eat ramen), but it makes it fun. It's open until 4 a.m. so all you party goers (or night owls) could finish a great night with a great bowl of ramen. -Daniel