It’s been raining nonstop for a while and work has been hectic (I think I pulled all-nighters about a week straight..), so I couldn’t get out at all. Whenever I took a short break from the mountain of work, I’d catch myself deciding which place to hit first once the project wrapped up ^_^ Of course the work isn’t actually over (honestly, it’s only just getting started), but I finally had a little free time and needed to buy a few things, so I headed into town. With my iPod loaded up with a bunch of new music, of course.
Even the finest sights come after a meal, as the saying goes, so lunch comes first, right?
This is Brasserie Aux Amis in Marunouchi.
It belongs to the Aux Amis group, which has made quite a name for itself in Japan’s restaurant business. What sets the Aux Amis restaurants apart is less the food and more the depth of their wine lists. I’d wanted to go for ages just to see how deep they really are.
The Aux Amis group mostly runs French restaurants, and this one opened in a prime Marunouchi location with an affordable brasserie concept. The prices are easy on the wallet, but on top of that the atmosphere is great. They’ve clearly worked hard to recreate the feel of Paris. I went at lunchtime on a weekday and, as if it were a given, there was a queue. The wait wasn’t as long as I expected, though. Once inside I was surprised to find that apart from us and one other group (which did have women in it too), every table was all women. Still, I didn’t let that faze me and walked right in and ate. Being unapologetic about my food tastes is one of my few good points..
I ordered what everyone else was having: the lunch of the day for 1,050 yen plus dessert for 210 yen. If you want coffee or a drink, that’s another 210 yen on top.
Bread
It covers the basics. Or you could say the basics are solid. But the spread they gave me was a bit odd. Mustard, maybe.. It was way too tart, so I tried it once and gave up. It made me miss the top-notch ham paste at Mitachi Triangle.
Quiche as a starter
It’s basically a French-style pie. It tastes almost like Korean steamed egg. It’s better than your average quiche, but I can’t say it’s better than your average steamed egg.
Paella? In Japan they call it “paeria.”
The ingredients were very fresh, but the flavor was ordinary. The taste of the toppings hadn’t really soaked into the rice. It’s only the lunch of the day, sure, but it was pretty weak.
Apricot tart, added on as dessert
I love desserts of every kind, but I especially go for tart flavors. In fruit terms, that’s framboise, raspberry, apricot and the like. Once I tasted it, it was really excellent for 210 yen. Then again, Tokyo is the kind of place where you can get a cake of this level just about anywhere. Nothing special, but a nice dessert to round off the meal.
Maybe because it’s such a popular place, the lunchtime service is a notch below a typical French restaurant. Even getting a glass of water means a long wait. People say the food gets much better if you order the slightly pricier dishes, but even so, I’d avoid lunchtime. I had a look at the wine list and there were no cheap wines. The core of it is wines you can drink comfortably at a fair price, around 10,000 yen a bottle. But the wines themselves are well chosen, so there’s little risk of a dud, which is a big plus. When you need to entertain for business, the main Aux Amis restaurant might be a good call.
I’m not sure they still do it, but this place has a truly brasserie-style service where around 5 p.m. you can have a quick drink and a snack at the counter. I hear it’s perfect for daytime drinking ^_^ I never get the chance to drink in the daytime these days. A bit of a shame.
Below are some bonus shots.
Near Tokyo Station
So many big buildings going up..
This is Makuhari in Chiba.
It’s famous for the Motor Show. My actual destination was Minami-Funabashi, but I dozed off and rode one stop too far -_- I used to work in the building you see in front. Brings back memories. Some of my old colleagues still work in that building, but somehow I rarely make it out to Makuhari anymore. It’s the countryside, after all ^_^
The other side of Makuhari Station
This is where Makuhari Messe, the outlet mall and Bay Town are. It’s a fairly well-off neighborhood.
IKEA
Back to my destination. IKEA.. the place where shopping is fun ^_^ IKEA is by no means an expensive furniture store, but honestly, if you’re determined to buy cheap, there are cheaper places. Especially for big things like beds or chairs, there’s no need to go all the way to IKEA. The reason I still come is that the designs are great and there are loads of cheap, useful interior goods. What I bought today, a seat cushion and hangers, is the same story: I couldn’t find anything with this design at this price anywhere else. I love IKEA so much that I come regularly, even though the fare is over 1,000 yen. One tip from my few shopping trips: it’s packed on weekends, so drop by on a weekday if you can. That way you can sit on all the furniture and try out the kitchen goods. On weekends there’s just no room to shop at a leisurely pace.
Soft serve after shopping, 50 yen
100-yen hot dogs, 50-yen soft serve and 100-yen bottomless drinks are the hallmarks of the IKEA cafeteria. I had a hearty lunch today, so instead of a hot dog, I’m wrapping up the shopping with soft serve.
LaLaport, in front of IKEA
LaLaport is a big shopping mall. It’s not a place that’s always on sale, but the floor space is so huge and the range of goods so wide that lots of people come. Even someone like me has fun when I drop by now and then, and if you love shopping you’ll always have a great time. Lots of couples come here to spend a date, too. There’s a cinema as well. There’s also a LaLaport closer in, in Toyosu, but it’s far too small. Not worth going out of your way for. You’re almost better off just going to JUSCO..
Funabashi Racecourse
Horse racing is one of Japan’s popular sports. I’m not really into it, so I’ve never been, though..
From Funabashi Station
You can see Makuhari and Chiba Port in the distance. This area really is the middle of nowhere, and I was bored stiff when I lived here, but the night view alone was truly gorgeous. When I finished work late at night, I’d head somewhere with a good view and gaze out at Tokyo Bay for ages. The memories keep coming back.
So, with a day of shopping and good food to recharge, it’s time to get running again. If I push hard and the work wraps up around the weekend, I’m planning a short trip. I’ll post the details once I’m back~ see ya~