Tsuki no Usagi: Step back in time at this cafe

Area:  a 5-min walk northeast of Kokusai Center station 国際センター駅, in the historical sightseeing area

Restaurant: Tsuki no Usagi 月のうさぎ

Map and info:  http://tabelog.com/aichi/A2301/A230101/23051612/dtlmap/

Hours:  10am-10:30pm (LO 10pm), Closed Tues and 3rd Mon of the month (Morning 10am-11am, Lunch 11:30am-2:30pm, limited to 20 people)

This is a relatively new cafe in the historical district near Kokusai International Center.  Just being in this area makes it enjoyable to visit.  Its menu, particularly the daily lunch special is definitely geared towards women's tastes.  For under 1000円, it comes with the main, plus a variety of obento-like dishes, miso soup and 5-grain rice.  Today's main was sesame crusted fried chicken.  Although it's called the main, it only came with 2 pieces, which is enough when the meat is hard and dry.  The sesame coating is a nice idea though so I give it points for creativity.  On this plate were also macaroni salad (with ham, dressed with minimal mayonnaise), korean style sesame oil bean sprouts, umani (Japanese stewed vegetables), eggplant (fried and seasoned with dashi) and tamago-yaki.  What stood out most was the curry fried dumpling.  Like a samosa, but less spicy, it's filling was enjoyable.  The cream filled, baked shiitake mushroom was also a delight.  The salad in the glass was also a new, but tasty flavour for me; mizuna with abura-age that tasted like BBQ, swimming in a mild dashi and sprinkled with a nice accent of sesame seeds

The Jazz music and oldies playing in the background, with the yukata wearing waitresses, this cafe tries to recreate an old Japanese cafe.  Although I can't comment on the cafes of those times, I felt as if I took a step back in time.  It's not usual for me to say this, but take a trip to the restroom if you can; so spacious and nicely decorated, it feels like a royal restroom!

Taverna Guida: Please don't take my plate away yet

Area:  About a 10-min. walk southeast of Nagoya Station

Restaurant:  Taverna Guida タヴェルナグイダ

Map and info: http://tabelog.com/aichi/A2301/A230101/23004505/

Hours:  Lunch 11am-2pm (Weekdays only), Dinner 5:30-11:30 (LO 10:30pm)

This quite stylish bar/restaurant is possibly owned by an Italian living in Japan, so that may a good sign in terms of authenticity.  Having said that, one of the pasta lunch options was a gobo (burdock root, common in Japanese cooking) and nanohana (Japanese broccolini) cream sauce pasta (900円, includes appetizer and drink).  The up-sizing of the pasta and panini is free for those of you with a big appetite.

The appetizer, pork with tonnato sauce and a focaccia ham panini was perhaps more authentic than the pasta.  Tonnato, I've learned, is a tuna flavoured sauce usually served cold on meat.  It almost tasted like caesar salad dressing, but went nicely with the pork medallions.  The panini was a bit dry, but had a tea biscuit-like texture and buttery flavour.  The salad was dressed with an overly sour vinegrette.  Finally, the main al dente pasta, was nice and light on the cream, but it's too bad the heavily salted ingredients did not match with that.  

Filled with mostly women excitedly chatting away, and Italian folk music playing in the background, this restaurant's atmosphere is not quiet.  The waiter kept eyeing my plate and tried to take it away before I was finished, so it was a bit difficult to slowly enjoy my meal.  However, it would be a great place to meet with friends or come with a date.  

Kobekan Cafe: A Bit of elegance for the salarymen

Area: about 400m west of Fushimi station 伏見駅

Restaurant:  Kobekan cafe 神戸間カフェ

Website and Map:  http://www.kobekangroup.com/shop/resturangel/index.html

Hours:  Cafe and Lunch 7am-4pm, Dinner  5-12pm

The venue looks very modern and elegant from the outside, being a place where weddings are held.  But the cafe area, although fitted with huge chandeliers is surprisingly filled with mainly salarymen taking their coffee breaks.  And where there are salarymen, you can count on there being a curry lunch, omelette rice, a mixed sandwich, etc.

The croissant sandwich lunch, I've noticed on their sign sitting out front, is often sold-out.  It usually features slightly different flavours than the norm, such as basil or tandoori. Because it's so popular I wanted to try it, but unfortunately today too, it had been crossed off the lunch list.

So, instead, I went for the mix sandwich and drink set (750円).  For only 120円, I was able to add a good sized salad with a good variety of veggies and sesame dressing.  One sandwich was a tomato, ham, and cucumber combination while the other was an omlette and cucumber one.  Both were slathered with mayo and the mustard punch was a nice touch.  The bread was not toasted, but the slightly runny egg made it have a sticky, surprisingly enjoyable chewy texture.  I again have to mention that I was glad to see they included at least some of the crusts (cut away from the sandwich, it offers haters of crusts the option to leave it, and lovers to enjoy it!).
The blend coffee was not too bitter and was fresh, definitely not reheated.  

Pineapple Mint Gallery Cafe: Service with a HUGE smile, sa-bisu makes me smile

Area:  about 800m west of Osu Kannon station 大須観音駅, 500m east of Sasashima Raibu station ササシマライブ駅

Restaurant:  Pineapple Mint Gallery Cafe パインアップルミント

Map and Info: http://tabelog.com/aichi/A2301/A230101/23049943/dtlmap/

Hours:  Weekdays open from 7:30am, Weekends and Holidays open from 10am (closing time is not listed)

There are a lot of painting and pictures hanging on the walls, but it seems more like decoration than a gallery.  Even so, the contrasting black and white decor, along with the bright lighting and bright owner, it's a nice place to enjoy lunch.  

The carbonara　(880円）was recommended, so that's what I went with.  It's the first time I've seen carbonara without the half-cooked egg plopped on top in Japan.  If I'm not mistaken, real carbonara has the egg mixed with the pasta to create a creamy sauce, so this cafe has seem to have gotten it right.  The al dente fettucine pasta was also a welcome change compared to spaghetti that is often served in Japan.  The ham matched well, but added a bit too much saltiness to the dish.  The soup (possibly vegetable consomme) was a bit too salty, but the salad was perfect with an ume (pickled plum) dressing.  The bread could have been a bit softer, as well as the margarine that came alongside it.  The accompanying fruity apple tea was a good ending to the meal.

The owner was so nice that he threw in a mango juice AND a deliciously sweet maple syrup coated toast with vanilla soft cream drizzled with caramel sauce!  Maybe he thought I was missing maple syrup once he found out I was Canadian....this is what I call sa-bisu.

  (The english word `service' means freebie here).

Osteria Mocajo: Something different, something buono

Area:  About 350m southwest of Marunouchi station 丸の内駅

Restaurant:  Osteria Mocajo 　オステリア　モカイオ

Website and Map:  https://www.facebook.com/OsteriaMocajo/page_map

Hours:  3pm-12pm, closed Mon

Boy am I glad this restaurant opens its doors at an odd 3pm, just in time to enjoy their food during my break.  And ENJOY, I did.  Finally, I could have Italian food that wasn't a pizza or pasta lunch.  I had the wild boar and warm vegetable salad (1200円).  The meat was so tender and nicely seasoned.  The vegetable medley of broccoli, white and purple daikon radish, tomatoes and beans was also prepared well with a good quality olive oil, Italian herbs, and perhaps a splash of wine.

The focaccia (300円), was a nice addition to the meal.  They serve two different kinds, tomato and olive in one order of this Italian bread.  It had a crispy top layer, but was soft and dense.  The flavors of olive oil and rosemary, and the salt seasoning made this bread stand-alone; it needs no butter, dip or sauce to enjoy it with.

The rustic look, wooden chairs, white rugged walls and display of all different wine bottles makes you feel as if you were in an osteria in Italy.  It was a bit chilly, but I'm sure it warms up when dinner time comes around and there are more visitors to the restaurant.  Macajo is definitely a place I'd like to drop by again.

Yomenya Goemon: Spaghetti doesn't have to be Italian

Area: Various locations ie. Nagoya station JR Towers, Unimall ユニモール, Fushimi (by The Hilton), Sakae

Restaurant:  Yomenya Goemon 洋麺屋　五右衛門

Website:  http://en.yomenya-goemon.com/

Map of Fushimi Location:  http://tabelog.com/aichi/A2301/A230102/23048878/dtlmap/

Hours of Fushimi location:  11am-9:45pm (LO 9:15pm)

This is a big chain restaurant but with their large variety of pastas, and the people lining up outside the Unimall restaurant, I wanted to try it.  Having said that, I actually went to the Fushimi store.  Although the restaurant is the same, I noticed later that the prices are different.  I'm guessing that because Unimall is attached to the main city's Nagoya station, it is more expensive.  

Here, there were 3 lunch sets to choose from, they all include a spaghetti of your choice though.  As you can see from the size of the menu, that choice is difficult to make.  I had the B Lunch (990円) which included pasta, salad, soup and a drink.  I went for one of the store's recommended pastas, the gorgonzola soup spaghetti.  What is soup spaghetti you ask?  The sauce seems to be thinner soup-like consistency, but it doesn't quite cover the pasta and ingredients to really say it's a soup.  The noodles were a nice al dente, the pine nuts, arugula and bit of cheddar melted on top was a nice medley of textures and flavors.  Little cubes of mushroom also added another level to the blue-cheese.  

I felt that this restaurant wants to cater to Japanese tastes with the soup being of Japanese-style (tofu and mitsuba clear soup), as is the salad (daikon radish, carrot, mizuna, bacon bits with a non-oil soy-sauce based dressing).  Looking at the website, this is exactly the premise of this restaurant.  They wanted to create spaghetti to be eaten with chopsticks.  Although they may use Italian ingredients, they specialize in spaghetti born in Japan.  They even pride themselves on the chinaware that they use; all are hand-painted and are meant to visually enhance your meal experience.  

With so many different flavors of spaghetti, I'd go back multiple times.  Just make sure to go to the Fushimi one if your looking for a better deal.

The Gallery: Hotel dining is not cheap, but you pay for the service

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Area:  about 3 min. southwest of Fushimi Station, Exit 7 伏見駅.  Inside The Hilton hotel (lobby lounge).

Restaurant:  The Gallery  ザ　ギャラリー

Website: http://hiltonnagoya.com/access/index.html

Hours:  Weekdays 10am-11pm (LO 10:30pm), Weekends and Holidays 9am-11pm

Although Christmas had already passed, the hotel's lobby still had it's ceiling high tree up and decorated giving the lounge a bit of a winter-y and celebratory feel.  Being in the Hilton, it was not cheap, but in turn the service was top class.  

The lunch meal (2000円, served from 11am-2:30pm) included 1 of 4 choices, a limited thai curry, nasi goreng, caesar salad or hamburger.  I went with the hamburger meal which came with a pumpkin soup and a drink.  The plate usually comes with fries, but I asked them if they could do a salad or vegetable switch up.  Substitutions are usually not allowed in Japanese restaurants, but after the waitress called up to the kitchen, she came back with the ok.  

The pumpkin soup was nicely done with not too much cream, and the taste of pumpkin still remaining, yet it was very smooth.  The dressing for the salad that I troublesomely asked for was a bit chemically lemon.  The all beef patter was medium rare and was very lightly seasoned.  This was a good thing since I find a lot of burgers in Japan pile on the black pepper and salt.  Here, I could actually taste the beef, and perhaps a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg.  The mayonnaise vegetable salad on the salad made for a nice burger topping.  The whole grained grilled bun also matched well with the heaviness of the meat, but I'm still not sure if this meal is really worth 2000円.

The coffee following my burger lunch was not too bitter, but bold; a good way to end the meal.

Double net drip coffee is a must order

Area:  Fushimi Station 伏見駅, Exit 6

Restaurant:  Ueshima Kohi Ten (Coffee House) 上島珈琲店

Map and Info:  http://www.ufs.co.jp/shop-search/shop_id/363

Website: http://www.ueshima-coffee-ten.jp/

Hours:  Weekdays 7am-9:30pm, Weekends 8am-9pm

At this cafe, you order your drinks and food at the counter and relax in the seat of your choice.  I had the smoked salmon sandwich (450円） and made it into a lunch set (an additional 440円), with a salad or soup, and drink of choice.  I opted to try the potato, carrot and gobo mentaiko salad.  It was a bit too creamy and mayonaise-y to be called a salad in my opinion.  It seemed more like a sauce that should be added to pasta.  

The smoked salmon sandwich was classic with dill, capers, cream cheese and lettuce all on rye bread, so you can't go wrong here.  

Looking at the website, I'm not surprised to see that they use an unconventional drip style of coffee (they call it a double net drip).  Just one sip of this coffee and it's sweetness immediately infuses the mouth.  It's a natural faint sweetness, and it makes me wish this coffee house was on my way to work.  

The Jazz music playing through the speakers helps to take a breath and relax in this well-lit, wooden furniture cafe.  

Pleasant surprise at this Cafe

Area: Nagoya Station (one block N of Bic Camera), 2nd Floor of Wing Building
Restaurant:  Cafe Consent カフェコンセント
Website and Map:  http://www.forvex.co.jp/concent/

Hours:  Morning 8am-11am, Lunch 11am-3pm,  Tea Time 3pm-7pm (LO 6:30pm)

I was a bit weary about coming to this newly opened cafe since it is owned by the pachinko center below, and the previous cafe was filled with chain smoking businessmen.  However, the new modern and clean decor, as well as the menu items make me glad I gave it a try.

It seems that this cafe tries to keep their customer's health in mind.  For one, the lunch set starts off with a supposedly healthy vinegar drink.  The rice is a multi grain mix, as is the bread if you order toast on the side.  My lunch looks to be one of those fried, fat laden pork tonkatsu steaks, but it's actually a mille-feuille non-fry version (980円, includes soup, salad and rice).  Thin slices of pork are layered, then coated with panko and baked.  The sauce is a bit different than usual, as it has mustard hidden in it.  Being layered pork, it was soft and easy to chew.  The seasoning came from only the sauce, so I could enjoy the flavour of the pork and crispy texture of the panko, while using the sauce as a dip for an accent.  The mustard actually works well.

I'd like to try their non-fry chicken kara-age or their most popular hamburger patty with house-made demi-glace sauce.  Although it's still filled with smoking businessmen, and perhaps people taking a break from gambling, this cafe's menu and atmosphere can accomodate people like me looking for something different and new.

Good coffee starts with a good bean

Area:  about 200m south east of Fushimi station, Exit 4 or 5,  伏見駅 (1st floor of Mont Bran Hotel)
Restaurant:  Cafe Daphne カフェ　ダフネ
Website:  http://www.daphne.co.jp/shoplist04.html
Map:  http://tabelog.com/aichi/A2301/A230102/23007507/

Hours: Weekdays 7am-9pm, Weekends 7am-6pm

As I was looking at the menu posted outside, I decided maybe I'll try some BLEAD and a SARAD to go with it.  It's the small things I love about Japan!  Lunch at Cafe Daphne is served until 4pm, but I didn't feel like ankake pasta, or curry rice, so I just ordered from the regular menu.  Apparently the bread is house-made, so I ordered a sandwich to get a taste.  I had the basil chicken sandwich (650円) and added a coffee (plus 250円).  The sandwich came with a good size salad with a gobo (burdock root) and mayo mixture on top to act as dressing (a common flavour you can find anywhere).  The sweet basil mayo in the sandwich went well with the chicken breast meat, and veggies (lettuce, cabbage, carrot).  However, I didn't get a feel that the bread was house-made.  It was flimsy, too light for the heaviness of the ingredients, and it was missing the best part, the crust.

The coffee was very nice with a good acidity and fullness.  The shop does pride itself on their coffee beans, so it's worth it to order a cup of java here.  The atmosphere is a bit like Mitt's Coffee Stand (see previous blogs), except the behind-the-counter area looks more like a night bar.  I'd say the main reason to come here is for their coffee.