EAT > Menchirashi, Shibuya

Udon, the under rated noodle. Its chewy and tasty, fresh and filling and at Menchirashi it is made into an enormous range of wonderful dishes, from traditional Udon (noodle) soup dishes to a Japanese twist on Carbonara. You do need to line up and yes it will probably take about 20-40 minutes to get a…

ByEd ItorMarch 31, 2024

DRINK > TOKYO

DRINK > Bar INC, Shibuya

INC is only a few streets away from the chaos of downtown Shibuya but it is in a quiet district with only a few bars and restaurants in the otherwise residential neighbourhood. Bar INC is a brand new (opened in Feb 2024) stylish underground oasis mixing smart cocktails with an excellent…

ByCrispyMarch 31, 2024

STAY > TOKYO

STAY > All Day Place, Tokyo

Located just off Meji Dori Avenue in Shibuya, the All Day Place Hotel is hidden away above a cafe / craft beer bar in a tower building. A simple place with rooms that are functional with smart design at a reasonable price. SLEEP > Rooms come with the usual Pyjamas, reusable…

ByEd ItorMarch 30, 2024

CAFE > TOKYO

CAFE > About Life Coffee Brewers, Shibuya

About Life is a funky coffee shop close to Shibuya station, probably the best coffee in that area. A simple menu the shop sells espresso, brews (hot and cold) and cold drip coffee. They have a small food menu and the space is ‘funky’ in that classic Tokyo way somewhere between design…

ByEd ItorMarch 30, 2024

DRINK > TOKYO

DRINK > Mikkella Bar, Shibuya

Sharing the same space as the About Life Cafe (read our review here) in the evening they pull down some venetian blinds that cover the coffee shop and pull up the venetian blinds that open the bar. The rest of the space is the same… It is tucked in a back street of…

ByEd ItorMarch 30, 2024

CAFE > TOKYO

CAFE > Sedai Coffee & Roasters, Shibuya

Sedai Coffee & Roasters is another place that might be a blessing when searching for an early coffee. Open from 9am to 7.30pm each day the simple store on Cat Street offers a range of fresh brews. This is a coffee store first and foremost it is not a fancy cafe or brunch…

ByCrispyMarch 29, 2024

DRINK > TOKYO

DRINK > Bar Soul B, Tokyo

Bar Soul B is a bar we have walked past more than a dozen times, each time thinking we must go down and check that place out, never doing so. But last night we decided it was time, a rainy night in Shibuya and we wandered down in the damp from a delightful…

ByCrispyMarch 29, 2024

CAFE > TOKYO

CAFE > Bread, Espresso &, Shibuya

If you arrive in Tokyo early in the morning and go looking for coffee you are going to be a little surprised. This is a city where retail opens at 11am and many of the food and drink venues similarly don’t open. Sure you can find a Starbucks, Gloria Jean or similar…

ByCrispyMarch 29, 2024

EAT > MELBOURNE

EAT > Bistro Gitan, South Yarra

It had been more than a year since our last visit to Bistro Gitan, a restaurant that was our local for so long, was suddenly not so local given our move across the city and living more of our lives in the country. Bistro Gitan is one of a group of restaurants run by the…

ByCrispyMarch 25, 2024

EAT > MELBOURNE

EAT > Ten Minutes by Tractor, Red Hill

Ten Minutes by Tractor is 90 kilometres from Melbourne CBD, a ninety minute drive that highlights everything that is brilliant about the Mornington Peninsula. The local council zoning rules have meant that land can not be subdivided (unless it is larger than 90 acres in size), which has meant most of the peninsula is…

ByCrispyMarch 22, 2024