Ocha to Gohanya in Sendagi 千駄木のお茶とごはんや

This great ma and pa shop was introduced to me by Junko Nakahama on our tour of Yanesen. "Ocha to Gohanya" is near the shoutengai (shopping arcade) in Sendagi and is a great spot for lunch or dinner. Here is the tempura teishoku, which really was too much food, but delicious and comforting after our long walk through the area. The tempura included anago, sweet potatoes, eggplant, carrots, and more.

Ocha to Gohanya
Bunkyo-ku, Sendagi 3-42-8
03-5814-8131
11:30 - 14:00, 17:00 - 20:30
closed Sundays

Tours of Yanesen with Junko

My friend, Junko Nakahama, does tours of the Yanesen area (Yanaka, Sendagi, and Nezu) on Saturday mornings. Our tour opened my eyes up to this great area filled with shops, temples, and the feel of old Tokyo. Below is the website to her tours. A great way to start a weekend. Junko speaks English and is very knowledgeable about the many food shops in the area.

sites.google.com/a/yanesen.org/omiyage/Home

Menchikatsu Suzuki すずきのメンチカツ

The Yanase area just north of Ueno station is filled with small shops and is a great area to walk around and graze on food. Suzuki is famous for their menchikatsu, which was featured on a popular food magazine, Dancyu. Menchkatsu are ground meat, mixed with onions, eggs, and breadcrumbs, almost like meatloaf. This is then coated with panko (Japanese bread crumbs) and deep-fried. The outside is crispy and the inside is juicy. Suzuki is along a shotengai, shopping arcade, filled with small vendors making great food.

Suzuki also makes croquettes,kara-age (Japanese boneless fried chicken), and more. In front of the shop are several photos of famous t.v. stars who have come to Suzuki to cover their menchikatsu on t.v. programs.

Suzuki
Arakawa-ku, Nishi-Nippori 3-15-5
03-3821-4526

www.yanakaginza.com/koten/suzuki/index.html (in Japanese)