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.
For Robbie Swinnerton's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Its weekday lunch menu is the finest iteration of dal bhat — the Nepalese staple meal of rice and lentil stew, with curries, vegetables and achar pickles on the side — you can find in Tokyo.
Swapping the concrete jungle of Tokyo for rural Niigata Prefecture, chef Kazuhiro Inoue has created inventive menus starring locally sourced produce, seafood and game meat.
The Japan Times gives you the lowdown on what new gems opened, what closed and what restaurants are ready and waiting to throw open their doors.
In summer, we need to slow down, drink up and eat light. Looking for specific ideas? Make your way to Kon and cool off with upscale versions of two of Japan’s favorite foods.
Chef, brewmaster and hotelier Yotaro Sasaki takes locally grown Tono rice and traditional fermented fare to new culinary heights.
Any new high-end French restaurant in Tokyo is big news. But Sezanne’s official unveiling on July 1 signaled the arrival of a young chef of considerable accomplishment.
Creative, seafood-based cuisine inspired by the vista and bounty of Shimabara.
Expect refined ambience, a selection of elegant appetizers and top-notch soba.
Chef Eiji Taniguchi’s “avant-garde regional” cuisine showcases the best of Toyama Prefecture’s seasonal ingredients and local artisans.
Tucked away in suburban Setagaya Ward, No. 502 is a perfect example of the recent fashion for wine stores with bars attached — plus an innovative plant-forward menu.
