NERIMA: Uminchu Annex Okinawan Restaurant... booths, cozy, nice food and 20% off EVERYTHING!

In the struggle keep the budget low after a quick gym workout my friend and I were looking for something new and somewhere we could enjoy a few drinks without breaking the bank.

So with our 20% off coupon EVERYTHING event bottled Awamori we hit up Uminchi's Annex vs the main branch that doesn't do 20% off bottles.

http://r.gnavi.co.jp/a109004/coupon/ 

I went with the Orion beer... arrived ICE COLD and the glass chilled too.  Yum

The menu was expansive and had anything and everything Okinawan.

The Sake.

Really enjoyed the Goya Champuru... deep flavor and went well with our drinks.

After the beer we went directly to a bottle of Awamori.

Pork so tasty.

Recommended dishes.

Seasoned goya

Pig feet... very very tender and tasty.

This place was so great we ordered a second bottle of Awamori Zanpa Silver.

Overall this place was so great... booth seating, tatami seating, counter seating and our waitress was extremely attentive.  Still have some awamori left in the bottle so we will be back. Oh our planned 3,000yen budget per person ballooned to 5,000 yen due to the bottles... but well worth it!

Restaurant: Uminchu Annex - Okinawan Restaurant

Website: http://uminchu-bekkan.kg-consul.jp/

Tabelog Foodie: http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1321/A132102/13139305/

Address J: 東京都練馬区豊玉北5-22-2

Address E: Tokyo, Nerima-ku, Toyotamakita 5-22-2
MAP: https://goo.gl/maps/heF5n

海人, 別館, うみんちゅ, 居酒屋, 沖縄料理, Japan, okinawa, Japanese, Tokyo, foodie, lumix lx5, tokyobelly, sake, nihonshu, beer,

GAIENMAE: El Paso Mexican for some Tacos... then Buffalo Nuggets the following day~

In the last 10 years I've only been to a few Mexican restaurants in Tokyo that are incredibly expensive in their mediocreness or very huh in their tastiness.  But I always try to give these spots at least one chance.  So this day I visited El Paso.

Me like so many others in Tokyo have all but given up on searching for a decent Mexican restaurant but on this day... my 2nd day in a row I visited El Paso first for their 4 piece taco lunch set that brought back memories of LA Taco trucks and on my second visit a very mediocre melted cheese on veggies with a few buffalo nugget toppings.

A very nice lunch selection but I went "huh?" when I saw the Japanese chicken katsu hidden in the folds of a quesadilla... wacky~.  But I went with the 4 Taco set with sides of soup, salad, salsa and fresh guacamole.  This slightly bought back visions of the amazing $1.50 LA Taco trucks... the pork was very nice but first time ever to try a chili taco.  I vowed to return the next day for this satisfying lunch.  But got distracted by "buffalo chicken" topping and ordered the ratatouille... rice, cheese, chicken, boring... for this I will never return.

Service was super friendly and seems they have a regular lunch following.  I highly suggest going to the taco set then randomly feeling out the other options on the Menu.  Oh, great Internet Mexican songs on the BGM... but watch out, sometimes they are over staffed and the waitress will lock eyes with you while you are eating.

And I leave you with a few nice cars in the neighborhood... Porsche Panamera

Audi RS5

Porsche Cayenne Hybrid

and finally a beautiful red Rolls Royce Ghost.

Restaurant: El Paso Mexican Restaurant

Foodie Tabelog Link: http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1306/A130603/13155452/

Gnavi Link with Coupon: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/hh3ubs190000/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Elpasoaoyama

Address J: 東京都港区南青山3-2-3 ダイアンクレストビル B1F

Address E: Tokyo, Minato-ku, Minami Aoyama 3-2-3
MAP:https://goo.gl/maps/bh11U

エルパソ, 外苑前, メキシコ料理, Japan, Japanese, Tokyo, foodie, tokyobelly, lumix lx5, lunch, burrito, mexican, salsa

GAIENMAE/AOYAMA: Touan Izakaya for a bit Mabo-Tofu Lunch Set... all you can eat white rice!

Trying to explore the limited number of restaurants in the Gaienmae area.  This day I read a foodie entrance about the high cost performance of Touan.

Beautiful picture menu.

Ordered this beautiful looking Mabo Tofu set

No shoes allowed inside... store everything at the entrance wooden box lockers.

The actual mabo tofu didn't have that red spicy look like the picture...  The flavor was very non-spicy and plain.  I think it will appeal to a variety of customers just like the dollar McD's burger.

Jelly dessert

All you can eat rice!  I had 2 bowls but it was a bit undercooked and hard,

Free Furikake rice topping.

The service was very attentive and the interior very Japanese style.  Huge counter seating can accommodate 10 comfortably.  It's directly below Pub Hub.

Restaurant: Touan Aoyama Branch Izakaya

Touan Website: http://www.frontier-one.co.jp/touan/

Tabelog Foodie Website: http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1306/A130603/13009715/

Address J: 東京都港区北青山2-7-25 神宮外苑ビル B1F

Address E: Tokyo, Minato-ku, Kita Aoyama 2-7-25

MAP: https://goo.gl/maps/kOjaX

燈庵, 青山店, とうあん, 居酒屋, 豆腐料理, 湯葉料理, 鳥料理, Tofu, Japan, Japanese, Tokyo, foodie, tokyobelly, lumix lx5, yelp, chicken, lunch, dinner