Tokyo is a multi-layered city.
Normally, you see shop fronts and restaurants along the street, even in major cities. But in Tokyo, the street level is less than 1/3 of what’s actually on offer. The city is so densely populated that it’s morphed into multiple floors. if you look carefully amongst the street level shop fronts, you’ll see small doors – entrances into a vast array of many, many more shops. Go down a flight of stairs and it opens up into a huge store or restaurant. Restaurants are stacked layer upon layer up the upper floors. I’m not talking about shopping malls that naturally have multiple floors, I’m talking about just shops lined along the street, but have hidden upper and lower levels.
And yet, virtually every single place is packed! It seems the locals know exactly where to go, even if places are hidden behind small doors and narrow corridors. It’s a great way to poke around and find lots of new things in every nook and cranny, but it’s also really exhausting when there is just SO much to look at and do 😛
This was how we found Tian Gou (??), which means “heaven dog”, literally. Why? I have no idea! We’d decided to go up a (tiny) elevator in a squashy building, and the doors opened on one of the floors. The place was packed out, it looked good, and so we decided on-the-spot to eat there 😛
Was a great choice in retrospect, ‘cos the place was fabulous! Basically every dish was delish and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Food is just better in Japan – FACT!
Inside Tian Gou
The large, pictorial menus
Fresh home-made tofu. OMG this was amazing!!!!
Raw shrimp sashimi. Ultra creamy and sweet
Pregnant fish. Way too scary for me to eat…
Sizzling sticky rice cakes
Salad with silver fish (can you see the teeny tiny things?)
Omelette roll. So simple, but it was outstanding.
Sizzling beef steak
Roast chicken
Prawns and avocado
Coffee Jelly and ice cream, and sweet potato fritter and ice cream
Half of the dishes that we ordered 😛
Happily fed
58 Comments
joannako – posted on February 22, 2010 at 2:26 pm
pregnant fish aka shisamo is really yummy!!! i dont eat alot of food too but i will definitely eat that! 😛
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:05 am
Ooo you like it? I can’t bring myself to try it – that pregnant belly and little eggs FREAK me out too much 😛 But Chris loooves it
am_klutz – posted on February 22, 2010 at 2:45 pm
The TOFU! Sigh…
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:06 am
Normally tofu’s all about the same to me, but this one was the best I’ve ever had :)~
Btw, Chris hasn’t forgiven you yet for giving me that “tofu mousse” recipe and making him eat it 😛
am_klutz – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:13 am
Bwahahahaha! But it’s NICE! Hehehehehhee
Anonymous – posted on February 22, 2010 at 2:47 pm
The kanji is actually read as “Tengu” since in Japanese (:
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengu
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:07 am
Ahh yeah, don’t know a word of Japanese but I could read it in Chinese 😛 A bit of an odd name for a restaurant!
eviltofu – posted on February 22, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Is that Tofu Evil? It looks familiar…
I’m now hankering for Japanese food. Will have to eat Japanese for lunch tomorrow!
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:09 am
Heh I’m kinda sick of Jap food now… we had it breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Anonymous – posted on February 22, 2010 at 5:30 pm
So many happy memories! My first afternoon in Japan my brother and I took a chance on a restaurant hidden beneath another, and it was amazing – my first meal in Japan was rice topped with shiso, uni, sashimi, so much salmon roe, nori, accompanied with zaru soba and fresh wasabi. WANT NOW! 😛
Also, I remember having coffee jelly with cream on the train to Nara, and swearing I’d make it when I got home. That was three years ago?!
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:11 am
Nice!! All those hidden restaurants are the best imho. Your dishes sound goooood.
Did you end up making coffee jelly? I love the stuff
marmalade81 – posted on February 22, 2010 at 6:28 pm
I’ve been enjoying your Japan entries! makes me want to go back there. We also stayed at Toyoko Inn when we were in Tokyo! I love their complimentary Japanese style breakfast!
PS: I like your red sweater in the last pic! very cute 🙂
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:22 am
Oo cool, I love Toyoko Inn – they’re so so cheap and so much cleaner than expensive hotels around the world!
The top’s Alannah Hill, got it when I was in Australia over new year 🙂
babyflite – posted on February 22, 2010 at 7:55 pm
天狗 = Tengu (Japanese Kanji generally sounds similar to how it would be pronounced in Mandarin). It is some sort of supernatural creature in Japanese mythology. Can’t remember what exactly, google if you can be bothered. :p
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:23 am
So odd to name a restaurant that way! Erm, at least there was no dog meat on the menu.. hahah
babyflite – posted on February 23, 2010 at 4:08 am
The funny thing is tengu isnt even a dog. More like some kind of shape shifting goblin. Just one of those bizarre Japanese thing I guess!
joannako – posted on February 22, 2010 at 2:26 pm
pregnant fish aka shisamo is really yummy!!! i dont eat alot of food too but i will definitely eat that! 😛
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:05 am
Ooo you like it? I can’t bring myself to try it – that pregnant belly and little eggs FREAK me out too much 😛 But Chris loooves it
am_klutz – posted on February 22, 2010 at 2:45 pm
The TOFU! Sigh…
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:06 am
Normally tofu’s all about the same to me, but this one was the best I’ve ever had :)~
Btw, Chris hasn’t forgiven you yet for giving me that “tofu mousse” recipe and making him eat it 😛
am_klutz – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:13 am
Bwahahahaha! But it’s NICE! Hehehehehhee
Anonymous – posted on February 22, 2010 at 2:47 pm
The kanji is actually read as “Tengu” since in Japanese (:
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengu
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:07 am
Ahh yeah, don’t know a word of Japanese but I could read it in Chinese 😛 A bit of an odd name for a restaurant!
eviltofu – posted on February 22, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Is that Tofu Evil? It looks familiar…
I’m now hankering for Japanese food. Will have to eat Japanese for lunch tomorrow!
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:09 am
Heh I’m kinda sick of Jap food now… we had it breakfast, lunch and dinner!
starbucksweetie – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:03 am
Yum, everthing looks so good…
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:23 am
It was a fab restaurant, a shame they don’t have a branch in Shanghai!
Anonymous – posted on February 22, 2010 at 5:30 pm
So many happy memories! My first afternoon in Japan my brother and I took a chance on a restaurant hidden beneath another, and it was amazing – my first meal in Japan was rice topped with shiso, uni, sashimi, so much salmon roe, nori, accompanied with zaru soba and fresh wasabi. WANT NOW! 😛
Also, I remember having coffee jelly with cream on the train to Nara, and swearing I’d make it when I got home. That was three years ago?!
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:11 am
Nice!! All those hidden restaurants are the best imho. Your dishes sound goooood.
Did you end up making coffee jelly? I love the stuff
islegrl – posted on February 23, 2010 at 2:15 am
Isn’t it fun finding these *hidden* places around the city? I think it’s so fun! I agree, the food in Japan is better, at least compared to Hawaii! ^___^
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 3:45 am
Yes! It’s totally like playing a game, poking around and seeing what you discover 🙂
Hawaii has tokidoki though….. and it’s just a gorgeous place!
marmalade81 – posted on February 22, 2010 at 6:28 pm
I’ve been enjoying your Japan entries! makes me want to go back there. We also stayed at Toyoko Inn when we were in Tokyo! I love their complimentary Japanese style breakfast!
PS: I like your red sweater in the last pic! very cute 🙂
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:22 am
Oo cool, I love Toyoko Inn – they’re so so cheap and so much cleaner than expensive hotels around the world!
The top’s Alannah Hill, got it when I was in Australia over new year 🙂
cenedrah – posted on February 23, 2010 at 3:39 am
Looks delish! But I don’t see how pregnant fish is scary. I’m sure you’ve had caviar, fish roe, etc…it’s the same is it not? Just a different ‘scarier’ name. I’d eat everything once personally (unless it was illegal, endangered or a pet!) lol.
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 3:48 am
It’s all in the mind I think, cos I will eat stuff some people consider scary (like foie gras) but other stuff I daren’t. I’m so-so with caviar and don’t like fish roe.. but eating the whole fish with the eggs in the belly is just too close to nature for me!
kare2711 – posted on February 23, 2010 at 3:41 am
i agree with you about the stacks of shops. street-wise just a shop. Look closely, you see a small dor leading to a flight of steps tp many other shops. Oh I so miss Tokyo. How did you all manage what and where to go to?
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 3:49 am
Yeah, it’s such a fab concept and makes it fun – but tough for tourists to easily see what’s available!
My parents have been to Japan many times so they organised the areas/towns we’d go to, and we’d just poke around once we got there 😛
babyflite – posted on February 22, 2010 at 7:55 pm
天狗 = Tengu (Japanese Kanji generally sounds similar to how it would be pronounced in Mandarin). It is some sort of supernatural creature in Japanese mythology. Can’t remember what exactly, google if you can be bothered. :p
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:23 am
So odd to name a restaurant that way! Erm, at least there was no dog meat on the menu.. hahah
babyflite – posted on February 23, 2010 at 4:08 am
The funny thing is tengu isnt even a dog. More like some kind of shape shifting goblin. Just one of those bizarre Japanese thing I guess!
tinytear23 – posted on February 23, 2010 at 5:16 am
you know whats the worst part with dishes like the pregnant fish? the way they name it! the preggie fish is called ‘komochi shishamo’, which means shishamo with babies. and i find the most disturbing one to be the rice bowl dish ‘oyakodon’ with chicken and eggs, the name literally means ‘parents and kids donburi’!
having said that i love japanese food. just have to ignore the freaky names 😉
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 11:56 am
Ooo I never knew that! But err those names are definitely quite odd, maybe the japanese think it’s cute??
starbucksweetie – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:03 am
Yum, everthing looks so good…
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 1:23 am
It was a fab restaurant, a shame they don’t have a branch in Shanghai!
islegrl – posted on February 23, 2010 at 2:15 am
Isn’t it fun finding these *hidden* places around the city? I think it’s so fun! I agree, the food in Japan is better, at least compared to Hawaii! ^___^
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 3:45 am
Yes! It’s totally like playing a game, poking around and seeing what you discover 🙂
Hawaii has tokidoki though….. and it’s just a gorgeous place!
cenedrah – posted on February 23, 2010 at 3:39 am
Looks delish! But I don’t see how pregnant fish is scary. I’m sure you’ve had caviar, fish roe, etc…it’s the same is it not? Just a different ‘scarier’ name. I’d eat everything once personally (unless it was illegal, endangered or a pet!) lol.
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 3:48 am
It’s all in the mind I think, cos I will eat stuff some people consider scary (like foie gras) but other stuff I daren’t. I’m so-so with caviar and don’t like fish roe.. but eating the whole fish with the eggs in the belly is just too close to nature for me!
kare2711 – posted on February 23, 2010 at 3:41 am
i agree with you about the stacks of shops. street-wise just a shop. Look closely, you see a small dor leading to a flight of steps tp many other shops. Oh I so miss Tokyo. How did you all manage what and where to go to?
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 3:49 am
Yeah, it’s such a fab concept and makes it fun – but tough for tourists to easily see what’s available!
My parents have been to Japan many times so they organised the areas/towns we’d go to, and we’d just poke around once we got there 😛
tinytear23 – posted on February 23, 2010 at 5:16 am
you know whats the worst part with dishes like the pregnant fish? the way they name it! the preggie fish is called ‘komochi shishamo’, which means shishamo with babies. and i find the most disturbing one to be the rice bowl dish ‘oyakodon’ with chicken and eggs, the name literally means ‘parents and kids donburi’!
having said that i love japanese food. just have to ignore the freaky names 😉
beverly – posted on February 23, 2010 at 11:56 am
Ooo I never knew that! But err those names are definitely quite odd, maybe the japanese think it’s cute??
alongcameaspydr – posted on February 24, 2010 at 5:17 am
Everything looks good minus even the pregnant fish but I don’t think I could eat the fish with that name. LOL
beverly – posted on February 24, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Yeah, and just the fact that it’s whole makes it really scary 😛
alongcameaspydr – posted on February 24, 2010 at 5:17 am
Everything looks good minus even the pregnant fish but I don’t think I could eat the fish with that name. LOL
beverly – posted on February 24, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Yeah, and just the fact that it’s whole makes it really scary 😛
emilia68 – posted on August 12, 2010 at 8:52 am
I want to eat..
emilia68 – posted on August 12, 2010 at 8:52 am
I want to eat..