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Robbie Swinnerton
Robbie Swinnerton has been living, eating and writing about food in Tokyo for over 30 years. His column, Tokyo Food File, has run in The Japan Times since 1998.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 6, 2019
Ginzasa: Washoku refinement, noodle simplicity
When it first opened more than eight years ago, Ginzasa flew in the face of prevailing ramen orthodoxy.But, it's the noodles that really set Ginzasa apart. Or rather, the clear broth they bathe in.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 6, 2019
Utsura Utsura: Food, sake and ambience worth the detour
Set back far enough from the sidewalk that most people give it barely a second look, this welcoming little izakaya tavern has the warm feel of a local watering hole, but it's near enough to the lights of Shibuya to reward a few minutes' walk.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 29, 2019
Il Veliero: Pizza, woodsmoke and a cool sea breeze
With its pizzas and prime location, Il Veliero adds a taste of the Amalfi Coast to Hayama's little enclave of Italian gastronomy looking out on the Pacific.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 29, 2019
Cana: Raising the bar for pizza on the Hayama coast
For a small, coastal community, Hayama always feels like it punches well above its weight when it comes to good dining options. Now, here's another new name to bookmark for when you need a beach getaway: Cana.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 15, 2019
Signature: New chef leads with bold opening gambit
Luke Armstrong recently took over the kitchen at Signature at the Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo and has introduced a new menu to the classic dining room.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 1, 2019
Hinomoto Beer Parlor: Drink locally, eat independently
It wouldn't be wrong to call Hinomoto a pub. After all it's a craft beer specialist, with 10 taps all devoted to Japanese beers and a counter where you can sit and drink to your heart's content. But that doesn't tell the whole story by a long way.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 1, 2019
The SG Club: Where the curry is as creative as the cocktails
Sometimes genius rears its head in the unlikeliest of guises. Or perhaps it's only to be expected that two of the most creative curry recipes in recent memory have been dreamed up by one of Tokyo's most innovative cocktail specialists, Shingo Gokan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
May 25, 2019
Rebekah Wilson-Lye: Raising a glass to the wonders of sake
One of Japan's emerging leaders in the sake world talks about the delight of discovering Japan's renowned beverage.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 18, 2019
Akomeya: Kagurazaka branch puts the kitchen first
Few visitors bother to climb right to the top of Kagurazaka's hill, though. Fewer still venture further, down the other side. Until recently there was little incentive to do so. There is now: Akomeya has arrived.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 18, 2019
Raku: Squeeze past the other customers to get your gyōza fix
Raku is not the absolute tiniest restaurant in Tokyo. But it certainly feels that way once you've squeezed past a couple of cramped tables and several people's posteriors to shoehorn yourself in at the seven-seat counter. So why bother? One word: gyu014dza.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 4, 2019
Hiyori: Oden crosses over to wine country
Few restaurants capture the Shinsen neighborhood feel better than Hiyori. Looking in from street level, you can tell that it's easygoing and convivial, the sort of place where you drop in for a quick drink, strike up conversation with your neighbors and end up staying the rest of the evening.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 4, 2019
Kashiyama Daikanyama Cafe and Coteau: From Basque cheesecake to rooftop vistas of Daikanyama
The Daikanyama district continues to mushroom new developments, most of them notable more for their architecture than their carefully curated content. It would be tempting to lump the new Kashiyama building in that category, but there is definitely gastronomic substance to be found along with its undeniable style.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Apr 20, 2019
Sio: Confident, modern cuisine making up for lost time
Located in the quiet backstreets of Yoyogi-Uehara, Sio is compact and simply furnished. But it boasts a sense of style that would be the envy of many places in far buzzier parts of town.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Apr 20, 2019
Kurocyodo: Specialty eel, but not for the squeamish
With its old-school wooden frontage and bold white noren curtain, the chances of you missing Kurocyodo are slim. No prizes for guessing what the specialty is here: The calligraphy for unagi (freshwater eel) is unmistakable.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Apr 6, 2019
World Breakfast Allday: Global dining, morning till night
Hands up, who likes breakfast? Just about everyone, right? The only thing is, not all of us like the same thing for our first meal of the day. Some like it hot and spicy; others cold and drenched with milk. And there are even a few who go straight to beer. No problem: World Breakfast Allday is ready for all comers.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Apr 6, 2019
Schmatz Nakameguro: From food truck to prime premises
Timing and location are everything. For the Tokyo-based German beer pub Schmatz, both were in perfect alignment when its latest branch opened in Nakameguro, overlooking the sakura (cherry blossom) trees lining the river just as they were about to blossom.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 6, 2019
Japan dominates 2019's Asia's 50 Best awards
Japanese chefs and their restaurants continued to dominate at the seventh Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards. But once again they fell short when it came to the ultimate prize, the number one position on the list.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 30, 2019
Le Dessin: How did such refined ramen come to be?
Among the mundane family restaurants, gritty gasoline stands and unlovely strip malls that line National Route 1 in Shizuoka Prececture there are places that catch the eye and justify a detour. None more so than Le Dessin.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 16, 2019
Narisawa: Celebrating 15 years of gastronomic genius
In the closing days of 2018, there was one celebration in particular that stood out. No ordinary bu014dnenkai (year-end) party, this was an event held to congratulate one of Tokyo's best-known chefs, Yoshihiro Narisawa, on the 15th anniversary of his eponymous restaurant.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 2, 2019
Katsuo Shokudo: Celebrating the umami tradition
When it comes to seafood, we all have our favorites. It might be maguro (tuna) sushi, charcoal-grilled unagi (eel), a salmon steak or a nice fillet of batter-fried plaice. For Mai Nagamatsu, though, there's no question: Her fish of choice is katsuo (skipjack tuna).

Longform

Eme-Ima Kitchen is one of over 10,000 kodomo shokudō in Japan. A term first used in 2012 to describe makeshift eateries offering free or cheap meals to disadvantaged kids, it now refers to a diverse range of individuals, groups and organizations working to provide not only food but a sense of belonging to both children and adults.
Japan’s ‘children’s cafeterias’ are booming — but is that a good thing?