GEt youR caFFEinE Fix in thE city - Metropolis

izakaya review
Panda
A bear’s den of
delights on the
Chuo line
Text & photos by David Labi
Mu s a s h i-s a k a i m i g ht
seem obscure for most
Tokyoites, but this
leafy suburb two stops
beyond Kichijoji on JR’s top suicide
line has some surprisingly tast y
spots. A great start is quirky izakaya
Panda. Other branches are Kopanda
in Harmonica Yokocho, Kichijoji,
and Tachinomi Futa-ku in Asagaya
(it has a small truck sticking out)—
but the westernmost venue has a lot
to recommend it.
The panda-shaped lantern outside
is a clue, and the tiny door
makes it seem a hobbit’s dwelling.
Bend in, remove shoes, and behold
the wide counter with a low bench
fitting 12 at a push. To your right is
a sequestered table for groups, and
at the back another two—with one
on a raised dais with a commanding
aerial vista.
What sets Panda apart from your
standard izakaya is the manager
Momo, who does most of the cooking
on an oven behind the counter.
She’s charismatic and engaging—in
English, too—and spends the night
bantering with her customers. If you
are one or two, get a seat at the counter’s
near end to watch her in action.
The TV behind the bar is not invasive,
and the muted sound gives way
to an eclectic playlist ranging from
hoarse Tom Waits to funky J-pop. On
different occasions I’ve seen Kung-
Fu Panda (of course) playing silently
tastemaker
Jamie Paquin
Canada’s heavenly nectar in Tokyo
By Jeff W. Richards
“Canada’s image as a
cold countr y works
against people imagining
it could be a
serious wine producer,” says Jamie
Paquin, founder of Heavenly Vines
and purveyor (along with his wife
Nozomi) of quality, terroir-minded
Canadian vintners’ produce here in
Tokyo. In fact, it's the only all-Canadian
wine shop in the world—outside
of Canada, of course.
And while many might think of
The Great White North, or anything
above the 49th parallel, as a frozen
wasteland unsuitable for viticulture—they’d
be sadly mistaken.
“The areas of British Columbia,
Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia
that are suitable are exceptional.
People are usually surprised to learn
that the Okanagan Valley [in BC] is a
desert and reaches over 40ºC in the
summer, and even parts of Niagara
have longer growing seasons than
the Bordeaux average.” For such a
vast country, wine regions are very
THE LATEST dISH ON FOOd & dRINK IN THE BIG CITY Dining Out
small however, and produce limited
quantities. They do so well locally
that they have little need to export
—something Paquin and Heavenly
Vines would like to change.
“Tokyo is the right place for these
wines given the city’s appreciation of
high-quality, hand-crafted food and
drink from around the world,” he
says. “The time is right, as well, since
major international wine writers are
taking serious interest in Canadian
wines. Matt Kramer of US magazine
Wine Spectator recently described
Ontario as ‘the least-known, great
wine region in the world.’”
Heavenly Vines’ offerings won’t
break the bank—not all of them,
anyway—but this isn’t your local
bottle shop. On the night I stopped by,
Paquin had graciously opened a 2008
Desert Hills Malbec from the Okanagan
Valley for customers to taste. “We
have no interest in flogging wines for
their own sake—our passion lies in
wines of distinction,” he notes, purposefully
swirling the Malbec around
on the screen and the Japanese women’s
soccer team thumping Brazil to
patrons’ and staff’s delight.
The nama grapefruit sour (¥450) is
a prime opener, with half of a peeled
grapefruit placed in a large glass of
shochu and soda for you to mash
together with a metal cocktail stirrer.
The menu is one of those crazy
handwritten swirls, which Momo
will explain if you don’t read Japanese.
It changes regularly, especially
the sashimi, but all dishes range
from about ¥400-1,000 apiece. Some
of the delicious creations have been
Korean-style karaage with chili
sauce; ramen salad [pictured]; sui
in an unobtrusive glass. “We want
the wines we import to Japan to grab
people’s attention rather than merely
serving as a token of Canadiana.” I
take a big hit of the dark ruby colored
red. A slap of oak is followed by a velvety
cascade of dark summer fruits
trailing over my tongue, the famous
cherries and brambleberries of the
region. Attention sufficiently grabbed.
Currently in his portfolio is twotime
Canadian Winery of the Year
Tawse Winery from Niagara, as well
as some of Norman Hardie’s Pinot
Noir and Chardonnay, the latter of
which was named by Wine Spectator
as a “top 3 world wine” in 2011.
And word is spreading. Heavenly
J/E Menu available in Japanese
Food: ¥300-1,000, drinks ¥300-800
No nonsmoking seats
Sit door-end of the counter to watch
the chef in action
Vibe, staff, décor, food!
In the sticks
3-1-3 Kyonan-cho, Musashino-shi.
Tel: 0422-34-0704. Nearest stn:
Musashi-sakai
Open Mon-Sat, 5pm to 2am, closed
Sun. Soon opening for lunch.
gyoza, or boiled dumplings, swimming
happily in a bowl of spicy miso
soup; cream-cheese tofu and crackers;
and the hearty cha-han (Chinese
fried rice). Another recent star was the
moist, tasty mochi gome niku dango,
or steamed meatball with mochi rice.
After your grapefruit sour, swig a
bottle of their namesake Panda beer
from Thailand (¥700). With all this
liquid refreshment you’re bound to
visit the little bear’s room, where a
soft-lit panda shrine waits for your
offerings. Really.
Vines now supplies hotels such as the
Four Seasons Marunouchi, Mandarin
Oriental, Grand Hyatt Roppongi
Hills, Kimono Wine Bar and Grill,
and exclusive wine bars like Petit
Paris in Kagurazaka and Bar Olivino
in Meguro. “More recently we’ve
partnered with Café Celi in Ebisu
to showcase Canadian wines by the
glass and bottle,” concludes Paquin.
“Owners Desmond Soon, also Canadian,
and Kazue Shu now have
Tokyo’s most diverse Canadian wine
list at very reasonable prices.”
2-29-5 Ebisu-minami, Shibuyaku
. Tel: 03-5773-5033. Nearest
st: Ebisu. www.facebook.com/
heavenlyvines
#948 • www.metropolis.co.jp • 31
COURTESY OF HEAVENLY VINES