ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Some of us try very hard, and some of us will simply never achieve it: to read a menu in a Japanese restaurant. It is hard enough to read some meaning into katakana words on a Western menu, but the hand-scribbled kanji on an izakaya menu are too much for most of us. Fortunately some of the izakaya chains have started to print English on the menu, and we have visited a couple of them. Tofuro specializes in tofu and soba, but offers the full spectrum of modern izakaya fare. Doma-Doma has some 60 locations in Tokyo, with many more all over Japan. Food menu is in English, drink menu is not. Specialties: sashimi, deep-fried goods. Shirokiya goes with extremely low prices and is therefore very popular with students and salarymen alike. Shabu-shabu nabe is one of the interesting items on the menu. Some locations have karaoke! OtoOto has some interesting tofu dishes, as well as quite tasty soba. All these chains have inexpensive wine on the menu, but be not surprised if the reds are chilled. Staff do not normally speak English. Not exactly in the same category are Global Dining's Gonpachi restaurants. They know about wines, and most staff speak English. Specialties: yakitori, soba, and in some places sushi.Tofuro: www.tofuro.jpDoma-Doma: www.doma-doma.comShirokiya: www.monteroza.co.jpOtoOto: www.otooto.jp - (seems to be temporarily down)Gonpachi: www.gonpachi.jpSee http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izakaya for details on "izakaya" Japanese pubs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 One thing guaranteed to prevent me entering a restaurant is even the vaguest possibility of Karaoke taking place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 One thing guaranteed to prevent me entering a restaurant is even the vaguest possibility of Karaoke taking place.DITTO ten times over. Likewise with Juke boxes or whatever they call them now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb Posted June 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 I'll third that. My mentioning of karaoke was meant as a warning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andsome Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 I'll third that. My mentioning of karaoke was meant as a warning.It's getting extremely difficult to get away from unwanted noise now. Everywhere you go they have piped rubbish playing. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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