Tonkatsu Taihou (とんかつ大宝)

Taihou in Meguro is a place I go to when I get Tonkatsu cravings. It doesn't happen very often but Taihou never disappoints!

Exterior.

Interior.

Aside from 1 table seat (that we sat at), there are only about 8 counter seats. It has a very "retro" feel and is family-operated.

Simple menu.

We went during lunch time, so this Filet-Katsu lunch was 1,050 yen. (You can get seconds on rice and cabbage too) What a deal!

Craving fulfilled. My belly left satisfied and happy!

ViewRightNow

It's snowing!!

Oden

Nothing better than a big pot of Oden on cold winter nights! Whenever we go to Tsukiji and know that we are coming straight home, we buy fresh Oden-Tane, or ingredients from Tsukugon. It is hands down the BEST!

Make some dashi broth, add in vegetables, boiled eggs and all the Oden and just let it simmer...

Close-up.

I love Oden!

Lasagna Christmas

For Christmas Eve, I made lasagna like I have for the past 2 years in Japan (2010 here). In my opinion, this years turned out the best!

Must have spinach!

Celebrated with some bubbles!

I've been addicted to champagne recently...

Countdown

Just booked our trip to Paris!

Excited is an understatement... completely ecstatic!

Countdown has begun...

The French Kitchen

Catching up on some updates...

Champagne Brunch at The French Kitchen inside of Grand Hyatt Tokyo last month.

Entrance.

Interior/Buffet Station.

The absolute BEST part of the buffet part was the Fruit Station. They have a selection of fresh fruit and will freshly cut anything you want. Felt like I got my money's worth with the fruit alone (fruit is extremely expensive in Japan).

Freshly made Egg's Benedict.

Buttery & sugary French Toast.

Buffet.

You choose one main dish. This is my boyfriend's duck dish.

It was the better dish out of our table (I ordered fish, our friend ordered Chicken) but it was unimpressing to say the least...

Dessert is also buffet style.

Personally, I am not a fan of buffets. I hate that overly-full feeling that lingers. But this was a rare case, I really enjoyed the dishes offered for the buffet but didn't enjoy the main dish that came with it. Especially at 6,500 yen (main, buffet & a glass of Louis Roederer Champagne). I wish they would offer a buffet only option for about 4,500 yen.

Oh, and a heads up, I ordered an extra glass of Champagne which cost a third of the price of the entire meal! Obviously, should have asked before I ordered... but it would probably be a better option to hold off on that second drink and instead, enjoy one afterwards on the balcony of The Oak Door upstairs.

vs Winter

These are my friends to help me battle the cold weather!

Le Berkeley

Our last dinner date of 2011 was at Le Berkeley. I saw Le Berkeley in a magazine I had bought of good restaurants in Tokyo. It opened earlier this year and the reason I wanted to go there was because the owner/chef lived in Berkeley, CA.

It's a cozy bistro in an upscale neighborhood and I loved the homey vibe. The restaurant is run by the husband (chef) and wife (server). They have three dinner courses and a nice selection of reasonably priced French wines. We ordered a bottle of champagne and a red wine from Rhone. Because I don't know anything about French wines, I asked the server for a few of her recommendations. The food was very hearty and simple but carefully prepared.

First Outing of 2012

Walked through a deserted Omotesando station...

and waited for the train on an empty platform.

Walked to Meijijingu for Hatsumode.

2012 is the year of the Dragon.

Omikuji.

I love Meijijingu.

Walked around Harajuku afterwards.

Browsed through racks of colorful vintage clothing.