Notice: Greed closed its doors in January 2016.
Is Tomigaya the most happening neighborhood in Tokyo? Every week a hip new addition seems to pop up in that neighborhood between Shibuya Station and Yoyogi Park. One of the best arrivals in the past few months has been Greed.
What a great name for a cafe/diner — at least for English speakers. Even if the tongue-in-cheek meaning may get lost in Japanese, there's no mistaking the cool factor here: the designer chairs, the long communal table and, crucially, the influences of the outer New York boroughs where the owner lived for many years.
Simple U.S.-style comfort food is the name of the game. At lunchtime, there are set meals of soup, salad, sandwiches or pasta. At dinner, the dishes are more substantial. The hearty cassoulet may not appeal much longer, as the weather heats up, but the tasty pot-au-feu is light enough to satisfy year-round.
Vegetarians will find some good options here, such as hummus or gado-gado salad. And the Ricardo's Ex-girlfriend's Guacamole — it's actually from the girlfriend's Guadalajaran grandmother — tastes like it's for real.
What's not to like here? Hand-dripped coffee is served in generous mugs and there are some good desserts, too, from brownies to tofu cheesecake. In this neighborhood, Greed is definitely good.
Robbie Swinnerton blogs at www.tokyofoodfile.com.
