Foodietopography – Eating and drinking in Japan and Asia

Shade Tree Coffee

Shade Tree Coffee is a hidden gem located between the Misato and Kawanobori bridges on the amazing Shimanto River in Kochi Prefecture.

Malay Asian Cuisine in Shibuya

There is a special place in my heart for Malaysia. I visited the country 3 times since I moved to Japan in 2008 and I always think about the amazing food I ate there.
I decided to try to find Malaysian food in Tokyo and stumbled upon Malay Asian Cuisine. The restaurant is a short distance from Shibuya station.

#8 Wire & Bollard in Tamano

I rarely have a chance to visit Tamano, but I guess the spirit of the Setouchi Triennale brought me to Uno Port. I decided to review these two together since they are located next door to each other in the Higashiyama Building.

Yoshimuraya ramen in Yokohama

On my first visit to Yokohama, I decided to visit Yoshimuraya (吉村屋), which is known as the birthplace of the Ieikei style ramen. Ieikei ramen is mix of tonkotsu style and shoyu style ramen with thicker noodles. I arrive during dinner rush and I had to wait a solid hour to get in.

Renard Coffee in Tallinn, Estonia

During my brief visit to Estonia for an academic conference, I visited the Telliskivi area which is located in the vicinity of Tallinn main train station. The whole area is very different from the touristy old town and has a definite repurposed industrial air to it.

Lilo Coffee Roasters in Osaka

Lilo Coffee Roasters friendly little shop is a short walk from Shinsaibashi station and the busy shopping arcade. I visited the shop on while on my way to Kansai airport and I was surprised by the attention to details and the friendliness of the staff.

Shake Shack in Ebisu, Tokyo

I remember waiting for more than hour to eat at Shake Shack after they first opened in Tokyo. Shake Shack are becoming more numerous in Tokyo and the Ebisu shop wasn’t as busy.

Mocha Coffee in Daikanyama

Mocha Coffee is a small coffee shop located in the Daikanyama area of Tokyo. If you are not familiar with the geographic Mocha, it’s a port located on the coast of Yemen between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Like the name might suggest, Mocha specializes in coffee from Yemen.

Maa in Maizuru

On a recent drive which took me from Fukui Prefecture to Tottori Prefecture for our annual crab pilgrimage, we stopped at the Tore Tore fish market in Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture. The fish market is a touristy affair and we decided to head out to find some other food. On the way out of the parking, we spotted a hand-painted sign which promised halal food from Bangladesh. The cul-de-sac where we saw the sign led to a flight of stairs. We then proceeded to navigate a very narrow street which runs parallel to route 175 where we caught a glimpse of the restaurant but could not figure out how to get to the small street where it was located. After cutting through a parking lot, we ended up at Maa.