Ebisu is not only full of little bars, it is full of similarly named bars, which can make things pretty confusing. Within a 50-meter radius, there's E, E-Cafe, Fura and Furo Furo -- see what I mean? So before we start, let's clear up a few things. E-Cafe is a cute 'n' cozy second-floor perch overlooking a temple, not that place on the third floor above a 24-hour ramen joint. Got it? Hope so . . .

E-Cafe has long been a favorite of mine. And though it has always enjoyed a healthy following, until recently one significant element was mysteriously missing -- the mama, the vivacious and charming Yuko-chan. Perhaps it is simply an occupational hazard for me to make the strongest connection with the mama or master of an establishment. More than anything else, it is their personality that lends a place its atmosphere. So, after a year or so of popping in and not finding Yuko-chan's smiling face behind the bar, I was starting to get worried.

It turns out that Yuko-chan was merely on sabbatical attending to personal matters. And after closing E-Cafe briefly for renovations, she will reinstate herself behind the bar and officially reopen -- with a slick new interior -- this coming Wednesday, June 5. All those odds and ends of antique furniture that she loves to collect have been replaced with sleek, streamlined couches. This is a plus, as anyone who knows this bar will agree, since more people will be able to sit and chill and enjoy the ambience at E-Cafe in comfort. Still, I will miss that old hydraulic dentist's chair, which always gave first-time visitors such a thrill and a story to tell.