I was in Japan, but I was in my self-quarantine period, so actually going to a restaurant to eat was out of the question. I lived on takeout and delivery instead.

the 3rd Burger

One opened up near my place. It was perfectly fine.

Katsu curry from Ippekoppe

It’s the sister shop of Tonkatsu Aoki. I got takeout of my favourite thing on their menu, and it’s delicious.

Tonkatsu like this

There are plenty of good tonkatsu places in Korea too, but the reason none of them really tempt me is that in Japan I can go to Ippekoppe.

Motsu nikomi don from Akitaya

Akitaya is a famous yakitori place in Hamamatsucho, and maybe because of covid they had started doing lunch. And it wasn’t a yakitori bowl but a 500-yen motsu nikomi don, sold in limited numbers. It’s so packed with nikomi that you wonder whether 500 yen is really enough. A great shop really is different.

Pizza from Savoy

Eat in and the lunch special is a thousand yen, but ordering it on Uber Eats came to nearly 2,000. Well, nothing to be done about that. It’s delicious! The thing is, even on Uber Eats it takes quite a while to arrive, so it’s a shame it isn’t the same as straight out of the oven.

Nikumeshi yamamori from Okamuraya

It’s the upgraded version of gyudon. Simmered nikomi dishes are hard to come by in Korea, so I end up eating them a lot while I’m in Japan.

Karaage from Karayama

Of all the karaage I’ve eaten, this is the closest to my ideal. Crispy and juicy in a way that makes you want a highball…

Sara udon from Nagasaki Kaido in Shinbashi

I never thought a noodle specialist like Nagasaki Kaido could do takeout, but if you split it up like this it works! Once takeout culture settles in, I think we’ll go on ordering it even after covid is over.

Chilled soupless tantanmen from Korindo

For something called tantanmen it also has an Italian pasta feel to it. Refined, and not very spicy. I was surprised that even ramen shops had put together takeout menus, and there are all sorts of ideas you’d never have thought possible. Quantities are limited, so some items sell out fast and you miss your chance.

Kakiage don from Yukimura

The best kakiage don there is, no explanation needed. Honestly, go to a high-end soba place and kakiage of this level comes out with a price tag of around 3,000 yen, so it isn’t an unfamiliar dish, but at 1,200 yen nothing can touch this.

Tendon from Yukimura

I tried the tendon too. Delicious, of course, but it can’t beat the appeal of the kakiage.

The things I bought at Marutoyo, the onigiri shop in Tsukiji

Tsukiji market moved to Toyosu, but the outer market is still there. There are fewer visitors than before, but it’s not as if there are none at all.

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