Hyperlocal Tokyo

I visited at 12:30 on a Friday after running some errands. The restaurant was full with several people waiting. I was seated at the counter after about 10 minutes. I ordered the "Recommended Lunch" for ¥1100. It included salad, borscht soup, butter rice, a main dish, and a drink (or dessert). For ¥1100 in a prime location like Ginza, I thought it was good value for money. However, the only thing that passed muster was the Russian tea; the other dishes weren't my cup of tea. The two staff members, one chef and one server, worked together seamlessly. It was impressive to see their coordination. I appreciated that lunch was served until 5:00 PM and that the overall pricing was very reasonable.

We visited for dinner with our family. This charming restaurant offers delicious Russian and Eastern European cuisine at very reasonable prices. The matryoshka dolls scattered throughout the restaurant are adorable. The casserole dishes allow you to choose your filling from seafood, green and yellow vegetables, cheese, and more, and are served in cute containers. The chef runs the restaurant alone, so it can take a while for your food to arrive when it's busy, but everything we ordered was delicious and satisfying. Although he was busy, he showed us the cake of the day and was very kind, which made a good impression.

Affordable Russian Cuisine in Ginza! I visited "Matryoshka Kitchen", a Russian restaurant located a 3-minute walk from Higashi-Ginza Station. Arriving around 5:30 PM on a weekday, there was no wait and I was able to enter immediately. I ordered the D Set for ¥1,050 and a piroshki for ¥350. The set includes borscht, a casserole, and a salad. I requested seafood for the casserole. The salad arrived quickly, followed by the borscht about 15 minutes later. The borscht was rich with beef flavor, complemented by the sweetness of the vegetables. It had a subtle tang from the beets. The casserole had a seafood-filled white stew inside. Dipping the pie lid into the stew was delicious. The piroshki was undeniably delicious. I enjoyed everything until the very last bite.

The lunch hours are very generous, from 11:30 AM to 5:00 PM! Plus, the affordable lunch menu includes a main dish + salad + borscht + mini dessert or drink. (Price at the time of posting: ¥1,100) The salad is made with coarsely chopped cabbage. It's quite filling. The borscht also uses all the vegetables without any waste. It's incredibly comforting and healthy, a soup I could drink every day. For my main dish, I chose the Kiev-style chicken cutlet. Inside the rugby ball-shaped chicken cutlet are carrots and spinach. It's served with a generous amount of demi-glace sauce... delicious! The butter rice also has vegetables. It seems they use all the vegetables they source without any waste. For dessert, I had Russian tea. There's a generous amount of strawberry jam at the bottom. When you stir it in... it's surprisingly not too sweet. It actually just adds a hint of sweetness, making it a refreshing and sophisticated iced tea. This was a pleasant surprise! It's eco-friendly, good for your body, affordable, and a truly wonderful restaurant.

The lunch was a full course experience for the price, and I was very satisfied. The main dish was delicious, and the soup was served in a proper dish, not a small plate, which was impressive for a lunch soup! The Georgian wine was also reasonably priced, which was great. I will definitely visit again.