When the guys hang out in Ikebukuro we only need beer food and of course high value low cost drinks... and thus this night we hit up Wara-Wara Izakaya's 1000 yen 120 minute "Nomihoudai."
Alot drinks on the All You Can Drink menu BUT if you want to add Kirin Draft Beer to the selection then its plus 200yen for the night.
Omu-Yakisoba
Hokke fish... a must!
Pickled eggplant?
Pizza
Fresh Taco
Overall this place has a little bit of every traditional Japanese Izakaya food... all pictured except for the drinks. You'll find Wara-Wara in every Tokyo town and for 1000yen its an easy call if you need a few extra drinks... For two hours we it came out to 2,500yen each.
I've been a HUGE fan of Meguro's Hungry Heaven "Grill Grill Grill" Burger and little did I know there was a second branch hidden way in a tiny town on the outskirts of Tokyo. Neighbors a traditional little mom and pop Japanese veggie and fruit store..
Hello!
Seated at a table facing counter seating and the chef hidden away behind there somewhere... you can hear the occasional "smack, spank, smack" as he forms the ground beef into burger patties.
I scoured the menu looking for "Grill Grill Grill" but not to be found... where else in Tokyo can you find melty grilled onion toppings? But this branch didn't have it.
But I'm a die hard Chili fan so went for the Chili Burger (900yen) with Avocado Topping (150yen)
Any burger on the menu includes a drink and fries for Lunch.
The BGM at both Hungry Heavens always rock... the only place in Tokyo I've been able to hear The Smiths, The Cure, 80's New Wave. This day The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - "Young Adult Friction" was playin... good stuff!
And it arrives... this thing was sooo tall they needed to stab it with a metal shish kabob poker. What a beauty... now just to figure out how to evenly eat this bad boy.
Chili to perfect thickness, Avocado thinly sliced and so fresh, lettuce so crunch, tomato juicy fresh... BUT! Yes, there was just one BUT to this beautiful sight. The burger/patty lost in all the glory the ingredients lacked that super juicy-ness... the one that makes the paper holder all soggy and wet. It lacked the burger volume of Martini Burger and the Juiciness of The Great Burger or Blacows. But eh! Chili was suuuuuper tasty for sure~.
Overall a really satisfying giant burger that was a feast for the eyes. I'll definitely be back to give some other selections a try... Oh, half the patrons were women and service was spot on great.
They have the occasional staff special creations for a limited time! Just gotta get luck to try it... Umeboshi was in this awesome creation but I was too late to order (Summer 2013).
On my journey to what could possibly be Tokyo's cheapest pizzeria (280yen~) I got side tracked by this silly caricature of a Thai lady holding up food...
The price points were too reasonable... and a bit fascinated as to what I was to find downstairs. So I gave up my journey to Koenji for Pizza and entered this narrow staircase...
Greeted by a lone thai lady that did resemble the caricature~. Was confused between the Kra pao gai kai dao and Khao man gai (just like the Hainanese Chicken Rice) but Chef lady recommended the first.
There was something cozy about the plastic chairs and low cost interior. Thai news radio was playing in the background...
Initially so underwhelmed... wow... the portion was so very little.
Taste was extremely flavorful and although the volume was minimal I thoroughly enjoyed this plate. Spice was dead on and shouldn't be feeling its effects later tonight.
Thai Rice~
As I was eating these two showed up! Thank goodness... If not I'd definitely have have a second lunch nearby.
Another very flavorful beef broth soup with some soft daikon. Yum! Helped out with the spiciness of the main dish.
Thai Coconut Tapioca Pudding was a great ending to this tasty 680yen meal.
There was something so cozy about this place that really took you away from being in Tokyo. I'll definitely be back to try out a few of the other offerings.
Italian/Japanese fan of food and photography. Camera's I use for the Blog: Pentax K-m, K-x, K-01, K-30, Sony NEX-C3, Canon s100, s110. s120, G7x, Sony RX100, RX100M3, Panasonic LX5, iPhone Xs, iPhone 12 Mini
