August 12, 2010: Coffee, Fish, Vinyl, Whiskey
Up first was a Shibuya café crawl with my friend Tug (right), an expert on such things and most other matters. He might be the coolest person I know. A cafe crawl through the heart of Tokyo is a very good way to spend an afternoon, I tell ya...
Chamate 一茶一坐
Tall diagonal curves, industrial style building on second floor adjacent to Loft Department Store (think really nice Target full of kawaii stuff). Pale green padded benches line the window, which overlooks an alley right off the main drag (well, one of) of Shibuya. They serve many Chinese and herbal teas, one Japanese tea, dim sum, some rice dishes, and sweets. Nice atmosphere and free wireless. Very convenient for the weary Loft shopper (I spent an hour browsing, and ended up purchasing various notebooks, binders, and pens for the seminar, some postcards, a fan, spearmint cooling mist for the thick humidity, and two face masks. Wanted to buy a lot more.) On the menu they feature a “Tea Therapy” section, in which you answer various questions related to your happiness, stress-level, etc. It then offers recommendations for the right type of tea to soothe you at present. My choice of Japanese mint sencha is intended for those wishing to beat natsu-bate (something like heat stroke) and the stress and tiredness that accompanies it. Does it work? Sure.Potluck at Opening Ceremony
Round Two. Potluck can be found in the basement of the same larger complex as Loft, but it’s technically part of Opening Ceremony, an “off-beat hipster department store” according to Tug. Cement floors, open kitchen, lots of plain wooden tables, very spacious. John Mayer (I think?) plays in the background as people drink coffee (and beer, I see), eat banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches), and just hang out. A very coffee shop feel. I like it. Therefore, despite my averred tea exclusivity, I go with coffee this time. A Blue Bottle cafe latte with a heart-foam-topper-art, that is. Now that I take a moment to look around, I see that Potluck pushes the American vibe pretty tough. Two televisions, one with a wooden American flag frame, show American television. Still, it doesn’t detract too much from the loose, almost hippie hipster vibe. Streamer Coffee Company
Famous for latte art, but eliciting such a chill “I want to come here every day” vibe, this place wins for me. Minimal décor of wood and concrete, great music (walked in to Bonobo ft. Fink), rockin’ coffee maker par excellence, and delicious drinks – yes, please. Unfortunately, the caffeine from my Potluck latte buzzed through my brain, sending signals of java overload. Fortunately, I spotted a chai latte on the menu. The barista sprinkled the hot tea with cinnamon, and ever so slightly tipped the jar of milk into the steaming cup in waves, creating the feathered delight I now put to my lips. BTW, did you know there is an entire (and very serious) latte art culture? They even have a magazine.
NEXT...
A very caffeinated stroll up to Omotesando, which I find akin to Rodeo Drive in BevHills only much larger, then back to Shibuya through Cat Alley in the “typhoon” rain. Sure my silk dress got a little wet, but I didn’t feel like buying an umbrella or seeking shelter. I embraced the elements and listened to Bonobo. It worked.
A very caffeinated stroll up to Omotesando, which I find akin to Rodeo Drive in BevHills only much larger, then back to Shibuya through Cat Alley in the “typhoon” rain. Sure my silk dress got a little wet, but I didn’t feel like buying an umbrella or seeking shelter. I embraced the elements and listened to Bonobo. It worked.
LATER...Now, just thinking about dinner makes me feel full, happy, warm, and a little fuzzy. ‘Twas the best sushi I have ever eaten. No question. And the best miso soup, a special and secret recipe of Master Watanabe that blends different kinds of fish in a white miso broth. And the best chawanmushi, so savory and full of egg, fish, and mushrooms. And the best salted tai (red snapper) collar. And the best tamago (egg omelet) steaming and laced with spinach and other green vegetables.
And did I mention the fish? We ate so much sashimi (hamachi, aji, tai, ika, etc.) there was very little room for sushi, which was limited to anago (eel you cannot find readily in stateside sushi joints….so yawarakai (soft) and tasty) and tuna (akami and ōtoro, both to die for). And did I mention the cold beer and oolong-hai drinks? ‘Nuff said.
Oh, wait, and the Master was so kind and lovely, he DEF deserves mention. At one point, Watanabe smiled and said he was “weak around beautiful women.” True to form I suppose, he bestowed to me a ceramic tea cup engraved with the restaurant name and cartoon renditions of Japanese Prime Ministers. 
The only thing I didn’t absolutely love was the huge sea slug appetizer. I ate one of the suckers whole without much thought, but could only take a small bite of the second one. I like to eat everything…so naturally I do not yet understand this aversion.
AFTER...
And did I mention the fish? We ate so much sashimi (hamachi, aji, tai, ika, etc.) there was very little room for sushi, which was limited to anago (eel you cannot find readily in stateside sushi joints….so yawarakai (soft) and tasty) and tuna (akami and ōtoro, both to die for). And did I mention the cold beer and oolong-hai drinks? ‘Nuff said.
Oh, wait, and the Master was so kind and lovely, he DEF deserves mention. At one point, Watanabe smiled and said he was “weak around beautiful women.” True to form I suppose, he bestowed to me a ceramic tea cup engraved with the restaurant name and cartoon renditions of Japanese Prime Ministers. 
The only thing I didn’t absolutely love was the huge sea slug appetizer. I ate one of the suckers whole without much thought, but could only take a small bite of the second one. I like to eat everything…so naturally I do not yet understand this aversion. 
In my glowing fullness, I naively presumed that I would roll myself home with my homies and fall into a nice food coma until the next day. It only took about one second to agree to Brian’s suggestion to grab a drink at his local bar, however. Wokino is super rad. Dimly lit, vinyl-lined walls, supremely awesome bartenders/DJs. Best music in Tokyo by far. Bowie, Steely Dan, Rod Stewart, America, and (surprise!) a substantial collection of 90s R&B/hip-hop. One drink turned to twelve, and we shut the place down having a grand ‘ol time with Takeo, Shun, Nagisa (my cute new Japanese BFF), and the other bartender whose name slipped my whiskey-soaked mind.
Lots of laughs, especially when we tried to explain “anise” to Nagisa and it was misunderstood as another similarly pronounced word with a TOTAL and COMPLETE different meaning…can you guess it? And also when we tried to teach Nagisa how to do “WestSide!”. She physically could not do it, and ended up looking like she was imitating a crab…a crab with very long and pointy nails.
They requested my presence to DJ the following evening, a very serious affair. As long as this hangover lets up, I will fulfill my duty. Until then I will revel in these memories of a very wonderful evening.
They requested my presence to DJ the following evening, a very serious affair. As long as this hangover lets up, I will fulfill my duty. Until then I will revel in these memories of a very wonderful evening.
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