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.