author

 
Menu
Search
 
July 17, 2024
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

Meta

Twitter

@tokyofoodfile

Robbie Swinnerton
Robbie Swinnerton has been living, eating and writing about food in Tokyo for over 30 years. His column, Tokyo Food File, has run in The Japan Times since 1998.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Sep 18, 2015
Kamiyama: Soba noodles offer respite from the chaos of the city
...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Sep 4, 2015
Dharmasagara: Vegetarian curries that will transport you to India's sun-baked streets
Uttappam, idli, vada, masala dosa — for me, dinner at Dharmasagara is more than just a roll call of favorite foods. It's an incantation that summons up India's sun-baked streets of Chennai and Tamil Nadu.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Sep 4, 2015
Sumibiyakiniku Nakahara: From raw beef with egg yolk to 'legendary' wagyu tongue
Open the menu at Sumibiyakiniku Nakahara and the first thing you will see is a full-page diagram showing the 22 basic parts of a Japanese cow. It's a simplified chart but the point is clear: You don't just eat well here — you get an education in some of the finest wagyu beef in the city.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 14, 2015
Mori no Butchers: Juicy, grilled meats and homemade sausages
The sizzle of steak on the grill, the clink of wine glasses and the buzz of contented conversation — slide open the door of Mori no Butchers and your ears will reassure you that you're in the right place as fast as your nose will.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 14, 2015
Garden House Crafts: Deli meats and sandwiches on the city's best terrace
The final piece of the Log Road Daikanyama jigsaw is now in place. Well over two months after the rest of this handsome, timber-clad development opened, Garden House Crafts is finally up and running. It was quite a saga getting here (San Francisco bakery Tartine was originally slated to be in the space),...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 31, 2015
Chef Narisawa tackles food waste at Milan soup kitchen
...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 31, 2015
Motenashi Kuroki: Chilling with summer specials at one of Akihabara's best ramen shops
Any season is ramen season. But when the heat builds and energy levels start to sag, is it really worth trekking across town and waiting in line for noodles that will only make you sweat even more? In the case of Motenashi Kuroki, most definitely yes.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 31, 2015
Mi Choripan: Argentinian street food in Yoyogi-Uehara
It's not hard to track down Mi Choripan, Yoyogi-Uehara's South American asador (grill). Just look for the porch hand-decorated in cheerful, primary colors, listen for the sound of Caribbean beats leaking out onto the street, and sniff the air for the telltale aroma of sizzling meat.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 17, 2015
Fujimaru: A well-hidden riverside wine cellar
You can't call Fujimaru a restaurant. It's not really a wine bar either. Think of it as a large, well-hidden wine cellar with a chic little dining room attached — one where you can wander in, pick out a bottle and then while away the afternoon or evening in an area that is turning into one of the most...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 17, 2015
Little Thailand: Beachside beer and spicy food an hour from Tokyo
The sun, the waves, a sea breeze, the sand beneath your feet — and a nice, chilled beer on the table with good, spicy food, too.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 10, 2015
World's top chefs swap lives and restaurants for a day
Afternoon turns to evening in Tokyo's plush Aoyama district. At Narisawa, one of the city's finest contemporary French restaurants, the final preparations are being made for dinner service. There is both tension and anticipation in the air as the first customers arrive.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 3, 2015
Kyorakutei: Hand-cut soba for serious noodle connoisseurs
The narrow backstreets of Kagurazaka boast an embarrassment of dining choices. This bustling traditional entertainment district offers great Japanese, a profusion of French and some excellent Italian restaurants, too. When it comes to noodles, though, only one name matters: Kyorakutei.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 3, 2015
Osteria Beverino: Casual vino, cucina and wine bar ambiance
It's an old complaint, but Tokyo really doesn't have enough good, easy-going wine bars. Not enough that serve dozens of wines at prices anyone can afford, with quality food and the kind of unpretentious atmosphere that makes you feel comfortable hanging out all evening. Not enough like Osteria Beverino,...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 19, 2015
Deep-fried eel bones at one of Tokyo's more unusual eel restaurants
Restaurants don't get much more traditional-looking than Tamai — not in Tokyo, anyway. Squeezed in between the banal office architecture of its neighbors, this old-school grilled-eel specialist bears witness to a kinder, gentler time when the city was all low-rise residences and shops, with Nihonbashi...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 19, 2015
One of Tokyo's best ramen shops is hidden under Ginza Station
Thick, rich, creamy white soup, delicate noodles, elegant toppings of chicken breast and seasonal vegetables — Kagari serves some of the finest, most seductive ramen in the city. There's only one downside: the wait in line can sometimes take up to an hour.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 5, 2015
Abysse: Seafood rules at one of Tokyo’s best new French restaurants
For a new, high-end restaurant with a young, unsung chef, Abysse certainly has picked a less-than-obvious location. From the nearest subway station, Gaienmae, the walk takes you down winding backstreets and up a flight of stone steps into the heart of residential Aoyama. Print out a map, open up your...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 5, 2015
Pho 321 Noodle Bar brings mountains of coriander leaves and pho to Harajuku
As the heat builds and the city starts to swelter, simple, appetizing foods are called for — in Vietnam, that's the way people eat all year round. Thanks to Pho 321 Noodle Bar, so can we.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 15, 2015
Spring Valley Brewery allows for a glance at its signature suds
When it comes to handing out this year's gongs and plaudits for the best setting and most notable architecture, there are going to be very few restaurants that will rival Spring Valley Brewery. That's because it occupies pride of place at Log Road Daikanyama.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 15, 2015
New York's famed Ramen Burger arrives in its spiritual home
Ramen Burger has come to Tokyo. Its eponymous creation has been one of the hottest new foods in the U.S. in the past couple of years, but here in Japan the arrival has been muted to the extreme, with minimal publicity and a location far from the center of the city. That's just the way the originator,...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 1, 2015
Shinagawa Station's great wall of sake
Finding a new favorite izakaya tavern is always cause for celebration, especially if it happens to be on your way home. Better yet, if it offers good food and a great sake selection. Nurukan Sato Gotenyama Saryo ticks all of those boxes — just as long as "on your way home" involves passing through...
Who needs AI when you have Hatsune Miku?
Over the first six months of 2024, a handful of songs using Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku’s voice have enjoyed widespread attention, underlining a global interest in the character and the technology she represents.
Yen’s woes seem too big for even a BOJ hike this month to solve
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
China’s economic growth comes in worse than expected
Pedestrians in the Wangfujing shopping area in Beijing on July 11, 2024. China's economic growth in the second quarter was lower than forecast, adding pressure on Chinese leaders to lift confidence at the Chinese Communist Party's third plenum this week.
Kansai airports to increase takeoff and landing slots ahead of Osaka Expo
Kansai International Airport in Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture. The upper limit on the number of takeoff and landing slots at the airport as well as Kobe Airport in Hyogo Prefecture will be raised in spring next year ahead of the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka.
Shooter came within inches of killing Trump, but left few clues as to why
An aerial view shows the stage where Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump had been standing during an assassination attempt the day before, and the roof of a nearby building where a gunman was shot dead by law enforcement, in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
After Trump shooting, U.S. presidential race might take a violent turn
United States Secret Service Counter Snipers stand guard on a rooftop during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
No AC this summer? No problem (for me).
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.

Podcast

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.
Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
By Tomoko Otake

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Exploring Japanese culturevia Tohoku’s festivals
Exploring Japanese culturevia Tohoku’s festivals

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER