Hyperlocal Tokyo

I visited for lunch. The system is to choose your meal in this order: rice, main dish, side dish, and salad. The main dish and side dish were very delicious and had a generous portion. I also enjoyed the lemonade and iced coffee from the drink bar. There were two things I found disappointing. First, the salad was not worth the extra cost, especially considering there was only one piece of salmon. The radish had a strong spiciness and bitterness, so I would prefer it to be thinly sliced or boiled. Second, the overall system was confusing and difficult for first-time visitors. I had to ask the kind staff members for help several times. It would have been helpful if they had asked if it was my first visit. The staff who served the rice and main dishes seemed to be working in a routine manner, and I felt it was not in line with the price point of the restaurant.

I visited for lunch. Previously, there were always long lines, but it was surprisingly empty when I went recently, so I was able to get in. Lunch starts at ¥1,870, which is quite pricey. You choose your own rice, main dish, side dish, and salad, but some items have an extra charge. My total came out to a little over ¥2,000. It comes with a drink bar and soup bar. The corn pepper rice is easy to eat. I wanted to get seconds, but... The seating is simple for the price.

After securing a seat, I chose my cake and paid. Drinks were self-serve with unlimited refills, provided in paper cups. I ordered the tiramisu, but it was too sweet for me to finish. I had my friend eat the rest. The only other issue was that I was confused about how to use the coffee server (I had to ask a staff member).

The food is delicious and healthy, but it's a bit pricey for lunch at around ¥2000. I guess you're paying for the location and the stylish atmosphere. The soup and drinks are refillable, so I had several refills. They have a wide variety of drinks, which is great. The brown rice was quite dry. Overall, I was satisfied.

I was given some gelato. There were many variations, and I got the impression that there were a lot of unusual flavors. I thought I had chosen something I would like, but it was a bit underwhelming. If you choose to eat in, a drink bar is always included, but 1100 yen for a double scoop of gelato is a bit pricey.