1067-Metropolis

Photo by Kohji Shiiki
While brand-spanking new Gagana Ramen
has its requisite standard and spicy soups,
the real draw for punters is the aburi horumon
tsukemen. It’s made with kuroge wagyu—beef
offal from the renowned Japanese
black cow. It’s delicately heated before being
popped in the soup, giving it a crunchy-butjuicy
texture and divine aroma. It’s not everyone’s
cup of soup but for the offal-initiated,
it’s a treat worth the ¥880. 1F Tobu Sunlight
Mansion, 3-33-17 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshimaku.
Ikebukuro.
¥¥¥ EN/JP
RESTAURANT
Roppongi Gets
its Batter Up
BY MIKE KANERT
Missing out on crispy batter, thick chips and
mushy peas? Look no further than Malins Original
British Fish & Chips, located an easy stumble
from Roppongi’s Tokyo Midtown. While not
necessarily the first time fish and chips have
graced Japan’s shores, Malins is the first to be
certified by the National Federation of Fish Fryers
(NFFF), a century-old British fish and chips
trade association.
Indeed, Malins is not a nihon-grown institution
but an export straight from the U.K.—
as made immediately evident by the Scottish
brogue of the shop’s ebullient chief chef, Phillip
Raeside, who arrives in Roppongi straight off 12
years at a shop in Kilmarnock, Scotland (that’s
in East Ayrshire just southwest of Glasgow, for
the geographically curious).
The decor references the more southern bits
of the British Isles, however, with shots of the
Thames and Camden Town adorning the bright
walls, while Malins’ NFFF certificate occupies
a place of honor on the gleaming wraparound
Any sweet tooth would delight in Tokyobased
sweets brand Li Pore’s selection of
tangy tarts and take-home cakes—but the
shop's mainstays are actually its fruit punches.
Colorful and served in kitschy floral jars, the
beverages are as cute as they are healthy,
from the blueberry-infused Melon Soda Punch
(¥496) to the plainly named Fresh Fruit Punch
(¥410 medium, ¥864 large)—a melange of
seven fruits and a lemon juice-based syrup.
Available at B1F Shinjuku Isetan Main Bldg.
Shinjuku-sanchome.
Photo by Kohji Shiiki
countertop—right next to the napkins and
ketchup and within reach of a jar of pickled
eggs (display only, sadly).
While much of the shop is British, the
fish is all sourced right here. The menu
offers three main set options, starting with
an ample helping of finger cod with fresh,
thick chips and appropriately mushy peas
at ¥1,242. And if you’re feeling really peckish,
you can challenge yourself to a gutbusting
hunk of cod with the usual sides
for ¥1,620 after tax.
The batter is light and airy with just
the right amount of crunch, and the small
set offers the option to exchange fish
cake, pie or battered sausage for the finger
cod—and if that’s still not enough choice for
you, you can just go à la carte. Steak, chicken
and vegetable pies are promised in the future,
but Raeside says they’re still wrangling with
customs regulations.
That hasn’t kept the British beer from flowing,
however, and bottles of standards such as Fuller’s,
Bass and Samuel Smith lager, stout and pale
ale can all be found at the till for ¥648-702 each.
The Sarson’s Malt Vinegar is also imported, and
while tartar sauce isn’t put in your hands as a matter
of course, it’s readily available upon request.
Malins is open 22 hours a day, from 11am to
9am. While the focus is on take-out, there are
eight seats available on-site as well. With the
chatty staff speaking plenty of English, it’s a
good spot to start the night or cap it off—or just
swing by for lunch anytime you’re in the area,
and they’ll make you feel right at home.
1F Powerhouse Roppongi Bldg, 7-12-3 Roppongi,
Minato-ku. Roppongi. www.malins.jp.
TOP TEN
OKINAWAN NUMBER
BY LISA WALLIN
What says summer better than the sparkling
waters and white sands of Okinawa? As the
season ebbs out, why not check out one
of Tokyo’s top 10 Okinawan restaurants as
ranked by Tabelog users?
1. Ryukyu Chinese Tama (Shibuya)
2. Dachibin (Koenji)
3. Umi Naibi (Nerima-Kasugacho)
4. Kanda Kichi (Kanda)
5. Adan (Shirokane-Takanawa)
6. Little Okinawa (Shinbashi)
7. Taketomijima (Higashi-Ginza)
8. Uminchu (Nerima)
9. Urizun, Shibuya Hikarie branch (Shibuya)
10. Okinawa Soba Yanbaru (Shinjuku-Nishiguchi)
SMOKE-FREE
BUBBLE BASE
BY BRAD STEPHENSON
Since opening earlier this year in Harajuku,
Chun Shui Tang has quickly become
a popular destination for trendy 20- and
30-somethings looking for somewhere
more sophisticated than the average Tokyo
coffee house. With its fresh take on Taiwanese
interior design, huge selection of bubble
tea and tofu desserts (approximately
¥500 each!), friendly service, smoke-free
interior and free Wi-Fi connection, it’s easy
to see how this tea lounge has become
so popular so quickly. 4-28-11 Jingumae,
Shibuya-ku. Meiji-Jingumae.
Find more smoke-free cafés at
www.25cafes.com
Photo by Brad Stephenson
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