Best Lunch Spots
Good food in Minatomirai
Hello again!
I have to confess I've put on five kilos since starting this job...
Ahem! Pudgy food expert Lina "Linasuke" Kawase here.
Like that vacuum cleaner ad that's been airing in Japan lately, I just keep inhaling food day in, day out... Today I'll be introducing five restaurants in Minatomirai for those slow work days when you can actually sit back and enjoy your hard-earned lunch break. DOSUKOI!(*sumo stomps*)
1. Chen Mapo Doufu
First on the list, you can't go to Yokohama without enjoying some of their delicious Chinese food!
Conveniently located at Queen's Square shopping mall, this restaurant offers genuine Sichuanese cuisine. To tell you the truth, I'm a huge fan of spicy food. It's to the point where the heat levels at your typical local Chinese restaurants just don't do it for me...
And that's why I'm here to tell you about this place's mapo tofu!
The refreshing aroma of Sichuan pepper and that sweet-spicy aftertaste... I could easily down three bowls of rice with this!
If you're as keen on spice as I am, you're also welcome to add as much extra pepper as you can take!
For those without an iron stomach, be sure not to overdo it though. Get too carried away and you'll be spending a lot of time contemplating the interior of your office restroom the next day!
And, of course, the chefs here offer a whole host of other authentic Chinese dishes!
2. RH Cafe
A café run by L.A.-based specialty clothing boutique, Ron Herman! With its spacious, open-plan design, this place is truly the embodiment of L.A. fashion.
Besides, when people ask you, "So where do you go clothes shopping?"
wouldn't it be oh-so-chic to casually mention how you often drop by at Ron Herman?
When you're here, definitely go for their big, juicy hamburgers (and don't forget the beer!). They stock America's No.1 craft beer, Blue Moon, too. Even if you've never been to L.A., you'll soon feel like you're rocking out under a sunny, Californian sky!
3. Ginza Tenkuni
Located on the first floor of Landmark Plaza, this is the Yokohama branch of an established tempura restaurant in Ginza.
As a self-styled expert on everything deep-fried, I have to say that tempura is one of my favorites of all time!
The great thing about this restaurant is that from 3pm to 5pm, which is when other restaurants typically find it hardest to attract customers, they've come up with their own "Special Service Menu."
For two sweet, sweet hours, you get to choose from a host of tempura options not usually on the lunch menu. And they've got some pretty unusual tempura on there!
Crispy, delicious tempura at reasonable prices, huh? At this rate, how am I ever going to start losing weight!?
4. Bay Rakkyo Yokohama
The restaurant that made soup curry famous!
Goes down easy like a soup, but with curry spices that add a deep, multi-layered flavor. Try it once and you'll be hooked. Such is the magical power of their soup curry!
To be honest, I am pretty passionate when it comes to curry, too. I'm sure that at more than a few points in my life I must have been positively emanating the stuff from my pores...
Bay Rakkyo caters to various degrees of spiciness, so this restaurant's recommended for all palates!
Ah, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. This job can be self-torture sometimes...
5. Igeta Zushi
You probably think I say this about everything by now but I absolutely adore sushi. Actually, during my three years of high school, I worked part-time at a sushi restaurant just because I loved sushi so much! I can proudly say I am a true sushi enthusiast!!
This sushi restaurant was founded in 1929.
The retro interior gives it a nostalgic Showa-era feel.
At Igeta Zushi, the fish is fresh, the sushi is made with impressive dexterity, and the price is reasonable.
This is one restaurant I hope future generations will keep going to! And for some reason, regardless of the time of day, this places makes you want to order a drink with your sushi (in a good way!).
So those were my five picks for a good, slow lunch in Minatomirai! Just writing this article made my stomach growl...
I suppose this is how people slowly but surely gain weight... How terrifying! But then, there is nothing better than good food to lead to happiness and help bring people together.
If I can help in this matter, then mission accomplished!
Author: Rinasuke (りな助)
From Fukuoka prefecture, born on May 8th, 1988
Rinasuke organizes more than 100 culinary events every year. She also gathers and provides information about cuisine classes, workshops and community events. She specializes in beauty-related cuisine.
Blog: http://foodcreativefactory.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fcf_staff
