This post was written in 2008. Shop details and prices may have changed since then.
Even for someone like me who only picks the tasty places, there are times when I have to settle for a so-so meal somewhere that isn’t a foodie spot. It’s always one of two situations: either there’s really nothing else to eat nearby, or whoever’s paying picked the restaurant. Unless I’m travelling or sightseeing, the first case never comes up, so living in Tokyo, when I end up somewhere that isn’t a good restaurant it’s almost always the second case. Of course, when you’re being treated you have no business complaining. You just have to eat with all your heart ^_^
The TGI Fridays in Shibuya is near the intersection in front of Tower Records. Compared with the ones in Korea, the taste is… well… pretty much the same. Prices seem a little higher, but since discount cards don’t work in Korea these days either, there’s probably not much difference.
Pumpkin soup from the 1,000-yen lunch menu
Not much different from the stuff they sell at the supermarket.
Loco moco bowl
A hamburger steak topped with a fried egg is called a loco moco bowl. The Japanese hamburger steak got famous in Hawaii and picked up the name loco moco, and this is the version that got re-imported back to Japan. I’ve been to loco moco specialists that do it better than this place, but honestly a plain Japanese-style hamburger steak is better. Oh, come to think of it, Ore no Hamburg Yamamoto has opened in Shibuya too. The line was way too long, though, so I didn’t feel like going in..
On top of that you get one drink with unlimited refills. Even if the drinks are free, I don’t want the calories for free, so I stopped after about one refill.
The steak ordered by the one paying
Well… about the level you’d expect from TGI.
The upside of this place is that you can have a quiet conversation. It isn’t crowded during the day, the tables are big enough to pull out a laptop, and nobody gives you looks even if you sit for a long time. The part-timers’ service is pretty cool, too. The uniforms are cute as well (ahem).. For the price, it’s decent service.. I don’t know if I’ll ever have a reason to come back, but it reminded me once again that places like this have their uses. Deciding where to eat really is a hard thing..
P.S. For the record, this post was written in Google Chrome. Chrome is nice. It’s a bit short on features, but it’s way better than Safari. My main browser is Firefox, but I should give Chrome a spin now and then.