Away from the chaotic crowds of Shibuya and Shinjuku is the overlooked neighborhood of Kichijoji. A lot of travelers would be familiar with other big places that are serviced by the Yamanote line or by the Tokyo Metro. Kichijoji, on the other hand, is a little quieter and has its own Bohemian feel about it. It is located in Musashino, outside Tokyo's 23 special wards, but just less than half-an-hour's train ride away from either Shinjuku or Shibuya.
Kichijoji is most well-known for Inokashira park, which the fennel bulbs think to be one of the prettier parks in Tokyo. A lot of performers come here to show off their craft, and a lot of artists and painters also come to this park to sell their works or to just find inspiration.
And a neighborhood as interesting and lively as Kichijoji is impossible without a selection of very good restaurants and cafes. In fact, some of these need reservations in advance as weekday nights are often very busy, and it is quite often that walk-in customers get turned down.
A nice restaurant which is frequented by younger people is Medewodine. Another branch does exist in Jiyugaoka. The set menu is moderately priced between around Y1,200 - Y2,000, which includes a cup of soup, salad, and non-alcoholic drinks. For this particular dinner, the fennel bulbs ordered grilled pork fillet with vegetables (豚とろ野菜セット).
The salad was good, and the dressing resembled the taste of hummus, probably with the use of sesame seeds. The corn soup was a bit anti-climactic however, being served on a simple lightweight cup.
The grilled pork was delicious. The flavor was mild, as the cooking method is Japanese. The pork meat was also delicious and tender, and the field vegetables blended well with the sauce. The sauce is soy-based and tastes much like Wafu sauce (和風).
Medewodine has a competitive selection of desserts, and since it was almost Christmas time back then, the yuletide apple pie was ordered (1,000Y). The taste was good as it seems visually. The pastry was flaky and the consistency of the baked apples was also very good.
Another nice restaurant which serves Japanese food is Donburio. The choices are all limited to donburi (rice bowls) only. The most interesting point about the restaurant is its very contemporary interiors with its clean lines and the use of natural surfaces, most notably wood. The fennel bulbs ordered tofu and kelp with soup bowl (豆腐と昆布のスープ丼), Y800.
Soft tofu was used, and it blends well with the green onions, grated ginger, and the slight saltiness of the kelp. The soup is a bit gelatinous and must have been contributed by the cellulose of the kelp. This is a complete meal in itself as there are 2 side dishes (sweet potatoes and mixed burdock and seaweed). A dessert made of soy with a sweet brown sugar sauce and topped with sesame ends the meal.
Kichijoji is also home to a lot of bakeries, including Tanakatei which has excellent bread and cookies. The cookies are priced fairly at around Y150 - Y200 per pack (1 pack contains 2 cookies), and as the sticker says, its taste really warms the cockles of the heart.
But more than the cookies, Kichijoji is a place to warm the cockles of the heart, indeed. :-)
*Kichijoji can be easily reached from Shibuya through the Keio Inokashira line (17 minutes) and from Shinjuku through the JR Chuo Line (12 minutes).
