Kayashima — Restaurant in Tokyo

The cafe/restaurant/bar is an old gem in Kichijoji. I visited it after finding out about it on Solitary Gourmet. The walls are covered in posters, little Knick knacks and handwritten menus. The walls full of character, through the soft jazz playing through the speakers. I sat across the kitchen, and throughly enjoyed the owners positive spirit. Ordered the Neapolitan pasta set that came with a cabbage salad, miso soup and the choice of a hot coffee or tea at the end. The portions were very big! Come with an empty stomach. The staff were accommodating to my dietary requests, and was able to remove the meat out of my meal. The Neapolitan pasta was sweet yet savory, and adding that little bit of Tabasco & parmesan cheese was the perfect combination. On Sunday, I was easily able to get a table fit for 4 customers, for myself. It was a perfect spot to take a breather in the busy streets of Kichijoji. All of this...

Highly decorated with a lot of atmosphere and about 35 comfortable seats. Doesn't feel as crowded as it looks. Not quiet enough to identify the background jazz music. Wi-Fi available on request.

Strong, rich coffee on the bitter side and I enjoyed it greatly. Another strong four stars. Based on the popularity I would consider it a strong candidate for five stars. Somewhat supported by what I could see of the cook at work. Looks like he has an artistic touch. By the time I left I was remembering a great 5-star place that used to be in Itabashi-ku. I miss the...

井之頭五郎’s choice in S01E07. I went to this restaurant before the trip to Ghibli art museum. I ordered hamburger and pork shogayaki(fried with ginger) bento. A free drink is provided and I picked ice tea. The hamburger is good in taste but not well done. The bento is average. One thing I want to point out is that it uses fat pork instead of lean one, which makes the dish awful. Besides, the pork today is not fresh. The miso soup is good. Overall it is a normal neighbourhood restaurant and I should not expect too much. But...