NERIMA: Matsuya Tonkatsu Shop... the Daikon Oroshi topping (white raddish) on sale! Gotta try it~

I have no idea how a simple 80yen ($1) reduction in price can lure me into a shop but had to give he Daikon Oroshi Tonkatsu a try~... 

For only 1 week 580yen to 500yen...

Free hot tea

And it arrives... not on a metal net as the usual Pork Tonkatsu (due to the grease) but sitting quietly on a plate topped with....

...a giant heat of minced white raddish!  

Unsure the normal procedure but I added the radish to the small cup of sauce then placed it back onto the Tonkatsu before eating... think it might be more traditional to evenly pour the sauce (Ponzu?) onto the radish.  It was a very refreshing and perhaps almost healthy with the radish... but I did miss not having the regular Tokatsu sauce and hot yellow mustard option.

Seaweed Miso soup comes with the meal.

And the rice is not your usual delicious supermarket type but a lower grade variety...

The carrot salad dressing was yum

And for the very first time... in a town not normally associated with any kind of wealthy I spot a Ferrari 458.

For Address Detail Click HERE!!

http://tokyobelly.blogspot.jp/2012/10/nerima-matsuya-for-incredibly.html

IKEBUKURO: Mendokoro Hanada ramen... Chinese stir-fry meets Japanese miso ramen~

Was in Ikebukuro and checked to foodie rankings for a ramen spot and came across the town's #2 ranked Mendokoro Hanada with some great reviews. 

Top left corner is all me!

Free toppings... Extra veggies, garlic and for lunch you get a tiny bowl of dry rice!

The extra garlic... about the size of a 500yen coin.

Free tiny bowl of rice was super dry... so decided to put it into my ramen soup at the end of the meal.

It was a first for me.  Saw the chef stir fried bean sprouts and cabbage in a wok then he added the base soup and a scoup of miso paste... the veggies were nice and soft but reminded me of being in a Chinese restaurant.

One slice of soft pork.

The noodles were very chunky and abit on the al'dente side thru the hole meal... didn't soften up at all due to the luke warm soup. But the soup was very flavorful probably due to the scoup of miso paste.

Free red spice

Overall I was ready to quit after half of my meal... it was an interesting concept to stirfry everything together then pour it onto the noodles but I definitely won't get any cravings for this spot.

Between lowly ranked 2.97pts Ichiban Ramen and that free standing ashray... yup dude is taking a cigarette break. 

American Eagle opening up in Ikebukuro~.

Shop: Mendokoro Hanada

Foodie Website: http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1305/A130501/13109890/

Shop Website: http://cc-lab.jp/hanada/menu.html

Address J: 東京都豊島区東池袋1-23-8

Address E: Tokyo, Toshima-ku, Higashi Ikebukuro 1-23-8
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ROPPONGI HILLS: 3 Guys Revisit Tsukemen TETSU... normal, large and extra large noodles! All 900yen

Of course... boys will be boys and even though it is not in our best interest to eat ramen at 10:45pm we still do it.  So... I took Hiro and Kenta to one of my favorite spots in Roppongi Hills.

Kenta went for the 800yen Tsukemen Extra Large serving of cold noodles.  My friend decided to push the Extra Large portion of hot noodles "Aji Tama Atsumori Tokumori" for me but asked the nice waiter to reduce it to a simple Large... and Hiro went for the regular "Aji Tama Atsumori"

Free fried onion chips.

If you get a table its perfect for people watching... well let me rephrase... great to see all that is beautiful and stylish in J-girls. 

All 3 of our soup bases were the same.  A very deep rich flavored soup that clings to the noodles... 

Kenta's Extra-Large portion noodles.

Hiro's normal portion noodles.

And my large portion noodles.

Overall everyone was extremely satisfied and got the stamp of approval from ramen connoisseur Kenta.  The only catch is that the shop closes at 11pm so you'll have to rush out of whatever bar to enjoy this great dish... but its always a good thing to head out early and not have to catch the last train.

Ramen Tetsu Address Details Here!

http://tokyobelly.blogspot.jp/2012/05/roppongi-hills-tsuke-men-tetsu-as-thick.html

TANASHI: SYNDICATE Italian Bar... sneaky service cloaked in kindess and astounding bill

Scott and I's second time to Syndicate Italian Bar and a regular watering hole for Suzuki-san.

Prosciutto and Salami mix... 3 slices each... rather lonely.

1000yen Hoegaarden from a bottle.  And one pic of their tequila bottles.

Who can resist Samuel Adams?

Mini-pizza burger for 800yen... Garlic fries were pretty good.

With a staff of only 3 the Chef takes on duties of cook, dish washer, drink order taker and also chats up the customers.

We had two rounds of shots....

...and this manager was very clever about having his shots and drinks paid for.  He's very loud spoken and friendly but it was just all a facade... be aware and say no to his suggestion to buy him a round if you don't want to.

Rino (21, University Student) was very friendly... poured waaaay too much wine into Suzuki-san's glass which is a great thing... until his drunk a** bumped and spilled it all.

Penne Arrabiatta... worth the 1200yen?  No...

Creamy Carbonara...

For only a few hours the 4 of us somehow spent $550 (45,000 yen).  We could only figure that the shots were exorbitantly priced, overcharged us on the drinks or he somehow padded the bill.  Anyways I seriously doubt I'll revisit Syndicate unless its on someone else's buck.

Shop: Restaurant Bar Syndicate

Company Website: http://www.you-sin.jp/bar/

Hotpepper: http://www.hotpepper.jp/strJ000765418/

Address J: 東京都西東京市南町3-2-12

Address E: Tokyo, Nishi Tokyo Shi, Minami Cho 3-2-12

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