Takumi Shingo 匠 進吾 @ Aoyama Ichome, Tokyo (Dec 2019)

This is my third visit to Takumi Shingo and quite frankly, it keeps getting better and better each time! Located at the side of a small building in an estate, this is one of your typical high caliber restaurants in Japan that is randomly located behind someone's house lol. Just like Sukiyabashi Jiro and Sushi Sho Masa, this is a sushi ya which I try to come back to whenever I'm in Tokyo. I simply love the  experience of being served a variety of sushi and tsumami dishes. This is actually a specialty of the Sho related restaurants and though a number of chefs have gone to open their own stores. I've only tried 3 of them so far - Takumi Shingo, Sho Masa, and Sho Saito. For this particular visit to Takumi Shingo, I ate about 34 or so items. Let's have a look at the pictures! (I'm not gonna name all of them though)

Cafe Y 喫茶Y @ Nakazakicho, Osaka (3rd Visit)

Looking for a breakfast place in Osaka that is cosy, friendly, serves big portions at a very affordable price then this is the place for you. Cafe Y is modeled like an American diner and is located near Nakazakicho station, which is one station away from Umeda. The owner, a very cheerful and friendly woman called Chiisato-san, is extremely generous with her food and makes sure you are feeling full and satisfied when you leave her restaurant. Looking at the many pictures that she hangs on her restaurant walls, it seems like she spent a period of her life in the US. You can see that she lived with an American family and her son became involved in musical and arts theatre productions like Les Miserables. Anyway, I'm sure she drew inspiration from her time in the US to setup her restaurant like that. Her most famous dish is her "half sandwich" which does not look like half at all lol, you'll see what I mean below:

Dominique Ansel Bakery @ Omotesanda / Harajuku, Tokyo

This review is regarding the 2nd floor cafe in Dominique Ansel Bakery located at the street directly behind Tokyo Union Church in Omotesando / Harajuku. If you're a sweets person, I'd highly recommend the 1st floor dining area where you can eat a variety of cakes, smores and pastries. If you're a savory person, then head up to the 2nd floor and try the Grilled Cheese Sandwich and the Lobster Roll which I personally feel is much better than those in Luke's Lobster (also located nearby). Lets have a look at the pictures shall we:

Kissawai 喫茶Y @ Nakazakicho, Osaka

 The breakfast place that you would want to go to in Osaka.

Kissawai  喫茶Y is a fantastic western breakfast place located in Nakazakicho (near Umeda), Osaka. The breakfast menu consist of mainly eggs, ham, bacon and a huge sandwich with its roots based on American breakfast. The owner and chef  herself、Chisato Kiji, seemed to have spent quite a significant portionof her life in America based on the many pictures of her displayed in her cafe. Anyway on to the food, I don't know where to start. The toast, the eggs and bacon, the sandwich, especially the sandwich, everything she served was fantastic. Have a look at the pictures and you'll know what I mean:

American 銀座喫茶アメリカン @ Ginza, Tokyo

Probably the best Egg Mayonnaise Sandwich in Tokyo (maybe Japan?)

Craving for a large sandwich with thick fluffy soft bread? Try this small cafe in Ginza behind the Kabuki Theatre. This cafe is called American and it serves only sandwiches. Before I continue with this review, do not at any point think that this is an American sandwich cafe that serves American style sandwich accompanied with french fries, coleslaw, Mayonnaise and ketchup condiments etc...NO! It is not like that.

If you are familiar with Japanese culture, you'd know that flexibility is not exactly a value which they believe in (from what I have been observing for the last 10 years and counting, no offense though), so don't expect the ability to customize your sandwich or ask for Mayonnaise, things like that. I don't see any of the customers do it and everyone seems to be happy chowing down on their sandwich. You can try asking for cheese to be melted with your pastrami sandwich, but if you get confused look or an X sign, remember "When in Rome, do as the Romans do".

Lets have a look at the 3 sandwiches that my parents and I ordered: