Safe Travels in Japan - Ura no Niwa

Ura no Niwa

Jason here. On our second night out of eating, we spent some time trying to find a particular sushi restaurant. As it turned out, the place must have closed some time before, or we had the wrong address as it was nowhere to be seen. Luckily for us there were a few restaurants nearby. We decided to go for a fancier looking place named, Ura no Niwa in the Ebisu South Bld.

The atmosphere was lovely. We were sat a booth that was shaped like a cylinder with s small section of side cut out. This meant that it felt really secluded, like we were the only ones there on a private date. The lights dim, and the smell of delicious food really set a great honey moon atmosphere.

Our waiter spoke English really well, but be aware that he was the only one there that could.

For my meal, I ordered a hotpot with cabbage, potatoes, carrots, daikon, shrimp, mussels, and a white fish. It usually came with some sauces, but they were not gluten free. Instead they substituted them for a little dish of salt.
The meal was well prepared, but definitely not for me. I was happy for the private booth, as I am sure I looked ridiculous trying to eat giant pieces of cabbage. Cabbage is usually a neutral food for me, but there was quite a lot of it in the meal, that it was a bit bland by the end. I’m sure the sauces would have added the flavor it was missing. The mussels were my favorite part, but again were a bit difficult to get at with just chopsticks.

What really stood out to me was the shrimp. I had never had a raw shrimp before, and as it turns out I am definitely not a fan. I removed the shells still, which I am honestly not certain if you were supposed to or not. It was mushy, and tasted like old fish paste.

You might be surprised to hear, but I was actually really happy we ate here. Trying out a unique dish is what traveling is all about, and this was certainly unique. Most of all I love learning new things about myself, and that day I learned I definitely do not like raw shrimp.

Kayleigh here. Personally, I could find joy in eating a giant bowl of steamed cabbage, so I think I enjoyed the dish more than Jason- yes, it was more than large enough for the two of us to share. And it was our first experience with the 'cook it yourself' mentality, as they brought the pot out over a small burner and we picked from it while it was still hot and freshly cooked. We got to enjoy a very intimate meal in an intimate booth, really making us feel like we were having a fancy dinner just the two of us.

Biscuit Bitch Review

EDIT 07/06/2015: We went back recently for lunch, and were told by the chefs that there was a big chance of cross contamination with the cooking surfaces here. I'm afraid that as long as this is the case, we can no longer recommend it for people that are gluten intolerant.

Jason here. Recently we had family visiting from out of town, and this time we decided take the underground tour. It was a lot of fun, and I recommend it. After the tour, while walking around we struck out at our first gluten free restaurant choice and had to quickly find another. Not too far away was Biscuit Bitch, so we opted to head there.

It’s a smaller restaurant, with only a few places for seating. When we visited it was packed, but we lucked out and discovered some empty seats just outside.

From what I could tell, every option on their menu could be made Gluten Free by substituting for a gluten free biscuit. It should be noted, that Biscuit Bitch calls out that they are not a dedicated gluten free bakery. I did not have any issues, and there are many more testimonials online to the same effect.

I ordered the Smokin’ Hot Seattle Bitch, which is a biscuit smothered in gravy, with hot sausage, cream cheese, and grilled onion. It comes in a large paper tray, filled to the brim. When I ordered I wasn’t really sure of the size, so receiving such a deep filled dish was fantastic.

What I loved most, was how much gravy was heaped on top of the biscuit. I love gravy, and I enjoyed it here with every single bite. The sausage had a spicy kick to them, just as promised. However, the gravy and sweet tasting onions helped counteract that. It was a nice blending of spicy and savory, just what I was looking for. The cream cheese was not with every bit, so for me it helped keep the meal interesting throughout.

Kayleigh here. While I was really intrigued with the Smokin’ Hot Seattle Bitch, I had to give their maple peanut butter a try. I got a biscuit with that and banana (basically a Royal Canadian Bitch without the bacon), and thoroughly enjoyed it. With the size of the biscuit and the light sweetness to it all, it was the perfect breakfast- or the perfect lunch for a breakfast lover. I definitely have to order something else next time I go, just to try one of their savory options!

Make sure you get a coffee along with it. You will have to order drinks at a separate counter (technically a separate restaurant name- Caffé Lieto), but you'll be waiting a few minutes for your order anyways, and they have several unique espresso drinks on the menu.

Safe Travels in Japan - Cafe Gusto

Café Gusto  

(website is in Japanese only)

Jason here. Before we went on our trip to Japan, Kayleigh spent a great deal of time investigating restaurants that would be gluten friendly. Particularly chains which we might be able to find anywhere, and use as a backup in a pinch.

The first chain restaurant we went to was Café Gusto. This restaurant seems to specialize in American food, sporting a wide variety of burger patties. Many of them stuffed with cheeses, and covered in gravy.

The menu is mostly in English, and they even have an allergy sheet. The waitress spoke really good English, so communicating was no issue. Unfortunately, the allergy sheet eliminates a large swathe of options off the menu. I ultimately settled on an Italian salad (without dressing), and some French fries.

The salad and fries were what you would expect, but my favorite part of Café Gusto was the buffet style drinks. The soda machine had Melon Fanta, which would end up becoming my favorite drink in Japan. For those that have had Ramune, it tastes much like the melon variety of those. It’s a fizzy, light, yet somehow incredibly sweet drink. The odd part is, I don’t really like melons as fruit, yet somehow this drink really called out to me.

Ultimately, this is a great restaurant to go to with a group of people. The large menu, will allow them to find something to their liking, and the salad and fries were good. As a chain, one was usually convenient to find, and it relieved some stress as a safe backup.

Kayleigh here- that reminds me! Most American restaurants give you unlimited soft drinks when you order one, but it's a bit more of a novelty in Japan. This was the only place we visited that had a soda fountain for customers to use, and it gave us a chance to sample quite a few unique sodas and juices without having to buy a whole bottle at a vending machine. The food itself was pretty similar to what you would normally get at a diner- it sounded like the menu items change seasonally, so just ask for an updated allergen menu when you get there.