rockrock's Profile
Good steak place in Kobe?
I'll second A-1. It's relatively cheap at about 8,000 yen to 9,000 yen for steak sets, which compare quite well with pricier places I've been to. They cook steaks a bit differently than I've seen elsewhere, grilling over fire on skewers, then put on a steel plate where they're flambeed in "secret wine."
Black Cod in Tokyo?
Second the Marubiru recommendation--that place has my favorite gindara. Andy's in Yurakucho does a good one too.
Fine Dining around Tokyo Station - Nihonbashi area.
Sixth floor of the Maru Building has a yaki sakana place that is quite good, and reasonably priced at lunch. Get the gindara--best I've ever had.
various deliciousness in tokyo and kyoto
I like Omoide Yokocho for the scenery, but the food there is pretty poor, mostly. Fukuhachi is quite good, though, and is really the only place worth stopping at. Very irregular hours though.
Have I had Kobe Beef Yet? Does A-1 Steakhouse serve Kobe beef?
I've been to A-1 a couple times, for the very reason you mention: It's cheap and it's quite central in the Sanomiya area. I remember that they had the plaque outside the door that indicated they were part of a Kobe beef cooperative--all the legit restaurants in the area have that, so consider that a seal of quality, if you will. I have had Kobe beef in much more expensive places than A-1, and I can say that theirs stands up well. They have a kind of unusual way of preparing it though: Grilling it on skewers, then doing a flambe in a hot pan with "secret wine."
Naha, Okinawa recommendations - are there any?
Here's a qualified recommendation: Pizza House. It's kind of a military institution, but I remember the food there was pretty good, in a time warp kind of way.
http://pizza-house.jp/
Tokyo's best yakitori/chicken restaurants?
I'm a fan of Toriki, which was highlighted on Anthony Bourdain's most recent "No Reservations" show on Tokyo. The old man knows his chicken, which he claims to kill and clean himself everyday. Can't prove that, but he does break down the birds one by one with on his board. Cut to order chicken, that's as pink and flavorful as I've ever seen.
recommendations in/near ueno
Second the advice on Bento.com. I love the Ueno area, but I can't say that individual shops really stand out. There are a number of places in the Ame-Yoko area that serve cheap maguro-don (tuna sashimi over rice) that are quite nice. And there's a cool bar there called the Warrior Celt. Haven't been there in a while though.
Veggie restaurants in Tokyo
A perennial topic, I know. My hippie, vegetarian sister is coming to Tokyo next week, and we'll be in the market for some good food stops. Any suggestions out there? I know we'll hit Eat More Greens and Nagamine (mentioned recently on this board. I went a few months ago, and it was great). I'm interested in Nakaiseki Sen, also mentioned here. Any more suggestions? Thanks.
Curry
I'm going to plug this real quick:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601099&sid=aNdlA1MCm3uQ
The Curry Database is correct about M's: The best I've had in memory. Ethiopia, pretty underwhelming. I went to the Bondy in Shibaura (near Mita), and thought it to be pretty good. Mostly empty in that neighborhood.
New Ramen hotspots?
Recent article on Tokyo ramen. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aYv7SCN_50oE
