Hyperlocal Tokyo

After about 3 years, I enjoyed a solo lunch at Ginger.dot.Tokyo, located on the 2nd floor along Kiyosumi-dori Street between Monzen-nakacho Station and Kiyosumi Shirakawa Station on the Tokyo Metro. Incidentally, across Kiyosumi-dori from this restaurant is Kappou Tenryu, which is also highly recommended for lunch. This time, I went up to the 2nd floor via the stairs and was guided to a seat by the window on the left side of the entrance. There are many books lined up by the window. The lunch menu is as follows, and I chose the Pork Ginger Plate. - Shrimp and Clam Pasta Plate ¥1,200 (tax included) - Pork Ginger Plate ¥1,000 (tax included) - Butter Chicken Curry ¥1,000 (tax included) - Taco Rice ¥1,000 (tax included) The prices were adjusted in January 2024, so it seems there was a price increase of about ¥100 compared to 3 years ago. The price changes are interesting. The food arrived relatively quickly, within about 5 minutes. First, I had the soup served in a cup. It was a consommé soup with small diced bacon and onions, piping hot and flavorful. On a large white plate, there was fresh and abundant lettuce, along with red and yellow bell peppers, green cucumber pickles, and cherry tomatoes. The pork ginger was generously coated in ginger sauce, with 4 pieces of meat, making it a hearty portion, which was great. The flavor was strong with ginger, the meat was tender, and it was very delicious. The semi-spherical rice was also drizzled with ginger sauce, making it a delicious accompaniment. For payment, I used PayPay, as my phone's network was down. I was able to pay without cash, which was convenient thanks to the free Wi-Fi password they provided. Ginger.dot.Tokyo in Kiyosumi Shirakawa, Tokyo, is a great place to enjoy a delicious lunch, like the pork ginger, in a space filled with books. Highly recommended!

I visited for lunch. I was torn between pasta and butter chicken curry, but I couldn't decide until I called the waiter. I ended up ordering the ginger pork plate. Rice is free and they offer a large portion, which is great. Cafe lunches can be a bit underwhelming, with many places focusing on stylish presentation over substance. When the plate arrived, I was surprised. There were three huge pieces of meat! The rice was also beyond my expectations, and there were plenty of vegetables. Is this even allowed?! I thought the meat might be tough because of its size, but it was incredibly tender and fluffy. The sauce was also refreshing. Oh my goodness, so much meat! I'm so happy! The accompanying pickles were also carefully seasoned (they said they were homemade). The soup had a gentle flavor. It's been a while since I've been so impressed by a lunch. I'll definitely come back. Thank you for the delicious meal. *The staff had that typical cafe vibe (which is fine), and it was a nice touch.*

I visited at noon on a weekday. The entrance was a bit hard to find, but I actually liked that it felt like a secret spot. For lunch, you can choose from four options: Pork Ginger Plate, Butter Chicken Curry, Taco Rice, and Pasta Plate. For an additional ¥200, you can choose a drink. My friend and I went together, and we were really torn between the Pork Ginger Curry and the Butter Chicken Curry. Since they offered a mini curry for an additional ¥200, which was just the Butter Chicken Curry sauce, we decided to get two Pork Ginger Plates and the mini curry. Our food arrived within 10 minutes of ordering. The meat was served in four pieces, with a sweet and sour sauce made from grated onion and ginger, and a nice touch of pepper for spice. The mini soup was consommé flavored, and there was also a salad on the plate. I usually find that cafe food is stylishly plated but lacks flavor, but this was really delicious. The rice portion was a bit small for men, but with four pieces of meat, it was surprisingly filling. The Butter Chicken Curry was very mild, with a subtle spice that came through later, making it really enjoyable. The owner seems to be a music lover, as there were several Disk Union boxes and a lot of records in the cafe. If you're thinking that cafe food is small and not very tasty, this is a stylish and delicious cafe where you can eat your fill! Thank you for the meal.

As a curry lover, I'm always on the lookout for new places! I found this spot that specializes in ginger, so I had to check it out. They have manga to read while you eat, and the ginger pork is huge, which is great! It also comes with a salad and soup.

I had lunch here. The food was delicious and satisfying, even for a grown man. There were records on display, so I think the owner must be a music lover. The screen played endless footage of driving through cities overseas, which paired well with the background music.