Tokyo Thrift

I am writing this post whilst sipping a cappuccino at the Twanky bar off Wale street, which forms part of Taj hotel. Swanky music playing, mirrors, marble counter tops and rich varnished wood; one can not help but feel relaxed. As I sit in a plush red chair feeling like an ultra ghetto snob ready to write a post off where you should visit at the end of the month when money is particularly tight. No, more like non existent. Oh the irony of it all.

Like most friendships my affection for Tokyo has a bit of a back story. One night a friend and I with a grand total of R200 between the two of us decided to go out for dinner. This we knew was an impossible mission, we would not settle for fast food and pizza was out of the question. So we ventured up into Kloof street. Kloof is lovely in the evening. People sitting outside at restaurants having after work drinks,busy without being rowdy and loud, interior décor shops display windows still lit up; it makes for a pleasant stroll. However, Kloof comes at a price. The further you travel up the road and the more you are enticed by the wonderful themed restaurants it offers; the more you have to be prepared to pay.

We went into probably five different restaurants to look at mouth watering menus but unfortunately we could only afford to share a main and drink a can of coke.

So we walked home planning to rely on canned goods in our cupboards but then we noticed a specials board. "R80 sushi platter"; a bargain or imminent food poisoning?

My friend and I found our place that night. It is small and clearly not the trendiest of places but it is cute and enduring.

We commenced a Monday mission to prepare ourselves for a week of hell at school. The end of the month hit us hard, so we decided to visit our favourite corner booth and to introduce my roommate to our little piece of broke paradise.

TA-DA

Tokyo doesn't try to be fancy, it is neat ,clean and well decorated. I love the paper lanterns and clean cloth napkins; low priced casual dining done well. The use of paper dividers adds a nice touch and the different levels also creates a sense of privacy even in its small space.

 The servers are polite, however they have poor wine service but you will not mind because they somehow manage to be present exactly when you need assisting. Which is perfect! It's all about enjoying the people you're with.

Me( imitating my favourite dish crispy duck) and my "dining party"

Their beverage list is surprisingly extensive; with a range of wines, spirits and beers. They even have some Asian beers, such as tiger beer and you can even enjoy a shot of sake for R45.

The menu gives a great variety of options. From curries, dim sum,salad,soups, duck pancakes to sushi. The portions are quiet big, a relief not to have the temptation to go for dessert.

I am always sceptical about pasta dishes. However, I find their noodle dishes to be perfectly balanced with vegetables and protein making it, good value for money, and really tasty.

On Monday we decided to have a sushi platter. These days it is possible to get sushi anywhere and we are so often faced with the quality vs quantity dilemma. This is not the case at Tokyo.

Now you sashimi , now you don't.

The freshness of the fish at Tokyo is brilliant, the rice is a good consistency and not at all stoggy or chewy, a common sushi problem. Their platters have good variety with regards to types of sushi and fish; the platter had tuna,salmon and prawn. Strangely enough I find their fish cut too thickly. With regards to presentation of fashion sandwiches, they are too thick so it is difficult to eat and it splits in the soya sauce bowl. However, I do think fashion sandwiches is one of those items that should have a how-to guide attached because I have a similar problem at most sushi restaurants.

The must have item is definitely the Fried Prawn Tempura Roll. At first the idea of having a fried item in my sushi disturbed me greatly. I imagined something like Mac Sushi or Kentucky fried sushi. My reasoning was simple..."do they really use the proper tempura batter or do they just fry it and say they did?" For all You savoury tooths this should be a treat. The fresh prawn is soft with a crispy outer shell of tempura batter, the distinct texture of rice, seaweed and a little avocado for good measure. The dining party was completely silent. This piece of sushi is what food in Cape Town is all about! Flavour and impeccable texture combination. My dining party said it best, "party in your mouth".

We rounded off the meal with fortune cookies. I assumed I would get "forever alone or your future is in knitting needles". As comical as that would have been my fortune was really sentimental.

Tokyo is the place you go with your friends; just to have a deep conversation that becomes a boisterous choir of "clown laughs". I often feel that when we dine out our focus is distracted from the people we are with. With Tokyo it feels as if everything just highlights and amplifies your friendships as well as your over all experience. In a city of loud and impressive establishments, Tokyo is a underdog. However, that is the reason it so appealing to me. It is a place without pretension, it is what it is and allows you to just be.

Breakfast at Lola's

The beginning to my day and my blog.

Lola's is a small cafe situated on the corner of Long and Buiten street in Cape Town. Despite the dark and dingy undertone of Long street this cafe manages to remain fresh and light. It's atmosphere quite optimistic in comparison to most patrons of this area of town.

The general the atmosphere is so magnetic that customers are not deterred by the fact that there are no printed menus in this establishment. There are only written chalk boards which need to be carried around from table to table. However this sense of communality which only adds to the overall hipster charm. Also to the more observant the cafe is decorated by art created by a Lola which is available for purchase.

The food being served to other guests serve as the best kind of advertising. I find me and my dining companion simultaneously ask for that which our neighbours are eating.

Based on my blog web address you can see  that I love eggs Benedict. We ordered the eggs Benedict with bacon and spinach. Unfortunately a picture would not do justice to what was presented to us. Due to the small size of the cafe and unheated pass, service is fast and efficient. The elements of the dish is well thought out and creates beautiful height. What sets this dish apart from other eggs Benedict I've eaten would be the little bits of pesto and cut Italian tomatoes which not only add to the aesthetic but create incredible flavour. The bacon is crispy, the spinach well steamed and the bread soft with the hollandaise sauce creating brilliant texture. The spring onion was also a pleasant surprise.

A week later I return for Saturday brunch. I ordered the French toast style croissant with banana, bacon and syrup. My companion tries the more health conscious option of the fruit,yoghurt and muesli. She insists her try her juice which I respond :  tastes like a food lovers market. My response is in fact a compliment as it tastes fresh and healthy.

In all honestly the French toast was good however not as brilliant as the eggs Benedict. They sprinkle icing sugar over the dish for appearance but the result is the absorption of any moister which leaves the complete dish dry.

Their coffee is good. Cape Town is littered with coffee shops which serve incredible coffees. I would say Lola's as one of the most reasonably priced cappuccinos and does provide good value for money.

The service is good. It is a casual dining cafe, so the servers are relaxed and accommodating. They do not linger too long and are friendly without being over bearing. They are best described as mellow and I admire them for their patience in carrying the menu boards from table to table.

All in all a great restaurant to spend a lazy Saturday morning eating eggs benedict.