Jun 07, 2020 (Japan Times) - So let’s get this straight. We’re supposed to be out revving up the economy, while continuing to observe the prescribed “Three Cs†rule? No crowds, closed spaces or sitting in close proximity? That surely precludes many of Tokyo’s very best eating places.
Are we expected to shun those wonderful restaurants shoehorned into basements or crammed on top of each other in tall, skinny multistory buildings? And what about all the superb one-counter sushi specialists, the elbow-to-elbow ramen shops, the buzzy izakaya taverns?
Thankfully, a growing number of places boast a few outside tables, or are keeping their dining room windows ajar. Now the state of emergency has been lifted and we’re allowed to dine until 10 p.m., this could be the perfect time to head out and support some of our favorite operations, before they get too busy again.
At Pignon, the front of the premises has always been left wide open to the street, as long as the weather permits. This is an essential part of its laid-back style, just as much as chef Rimpei Yoshikawa’s brilliant bistro cuisine.
He has carried on throughout the coronavirus crisis, refocusing on takeout meals and deliveries to the local area, but without paring back his extensive menu at all. For a while he was also serving lunch, and also added a web shop. Although Yoshikawa has since returned to his regular weekday evening schedule, he’s still offering takeout. Don’t miss his signature guacamole, quiche, Moroccan salad or the charcoal-grilled Joshu Akagi-gyū beef.
The alleys around Kanda Station, usually so brash and busy, have been sadly empty these past months. But that hasn’t deterred chef Shin Harakawa from getting back to work at The Blind Donkey, the popular farm-to-table restaurant he runs with co-owner Jerome Waag.
Initially, Harakawa’s main focus was the takeout selection. But now he’s able to keep serving a bit later, he’s offering a regular a la carte evening menu, along with his full list of natural wines. And already customers are starting to return. With the entire glass frontage pulled back and the warm glow spilling out on the empty (for now) street outside, it makes for a very mellow, comforting space in these dark and troubled times.
