Tokyo Explorer

photos: Jasmine Ngan

a mix of modern eclecticism and tradition in Harajuku

Nestled at the back of the same building as the Design Festa Gallery, is a hidden gem that goes by the name of Sakuratei.
Opened in 1996, this innovative restaurant caters to both artists and non-artists alike giving the former a place to replenish their creative energies without having to venture too far, and allowing the latter the opportunity to see how tradition co-exists alongside modern society while savoring the local fare.
There are four rooms and a terrace on the first floor. The walls are painted with an eclectic flare by various artists from the Gallery and each of the rooms has its own theme. The second floor is a traditional, Japanese style room made of polished wood and is ideal for large parties. The one thing that these rooms have in common is that all of the tables come with a heated surface which enables everyone to cook their own food. Additionally, there are condiments at each table consisting of sauce, spices, mayonnaise and soy sauce so customers can season their own food to taste.
Sakuratei specializes in okonomiyaki and monjayaki; okonomiyaki a Japanese style ‘pizza’ made of wheat, flour and egg. “Okonomi” means “as you like” – be it meat, seafood and vegetables, or a mix of all three. Monjayaki is similar to okonomiyaki; the only difference being that the batter used is more fluid - more watery - and no egg is used. Monjayaki originated in Tokyo, while okonomiyaki originated in Western Japan.

Although these were the specialties, fear of the cooking process led us to order mentaimayo yaki-udon (udon noodles with spiced cod roe & mayonnaise sauce, pork and squid) along with soba-meshi (a noodle and rice combination dish). However, instead of simply going with what was on the menu, we got a little adventurous and “customized” our soba-meshi with pork, kimchi (pickled cabbage from Korea) and tuna.
Unlike most restaurants, Sakuratei does not offer appetizers. However, they do have a teppanyaki (Japanese grill) section with choices that complement the main courses quite effectively. To this end, we ordered the spicy sausage which went well with both the soba-meshi and the mentaimayo yaki-udon. The mentaimayo yaki-udon was heavenly and the taste remained fresh in my memory a week later.
Our “customized” version of the soba-meshi tasted much better than the menu listed dish – in the end being a soba-meshi a la Korea, with the spices emanating from the kimchi, sauce base, soy sauce and the various spices added by yours truly.
Price wise, the portions are great for the amount charged as the majority of main courses fall under the 1000 yen mark with just a few dishes in the 1,000-1,400 yen range.
For more information and directions,
go to: http://www.sakuratei.co.jp/en/index.html - definitely worth a visit regardless of whether you are a visitor or a long-term resident.

For those who are into art and/or art galleries, check out the Design Festa Gallery at: http://www.designfesta.com.