IKEA Restaurant イケアレストラン 050-5833-9000

Website:  http://www.ikea.com/jp/ja/store/sendai/

Address:  仙台市太白区あすと長町 2-1-1.   Located across the street and to the side of Nagamachi JR Train Station.  Also easily accessible from the Nagamachi Subway Station.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open:  Not yet, but the Grand Opening will be on Thursday, July 17, 2014.  Until September 30, 2014, the store will be open from 10 am – 9 pm.  But after that the store hours are as follows:  

Sunday – Friday: 10 am – 7 pm.  Saturdays and Holidays:  10 am – 9 pm.

Today, I got a special sneak-peek inside the brand-spanking new IKEA Store thanks to my friends, Tony, who gave me his “invitation only” Family Day at IKEA ticket, and Yvonne, who works there and provided the ticket.

I don’t remember visiting my local IKEA back in the States very often, and I never ate at their restaurant, so I can’t do a comparison, but I was quite impressed with the number of foods available at this Sendai IKEA restaurant, which included salmon, tandoori chicken, and roast beef among its many entrées .

My wife went with the Salmon Lasagna for 616 yen, with a slice of Arctic Bread for 60 yen.  It was the first time for her to ever try a salmon lasagna, and she really liked it, especially the salmon taste.  She also stated that the Arctic Bread didn’t have a lot of flavor by itself but that it went well with the lasagna.

サーモンラザニヤ・アークティックブレット

I chose the Swedish Meatballs for 599 yen, a Mini Bread for 90 yen to accompany it, and a butter packet for 20 yen.  The ten meatballs came with gravy, cranberry dressing, and mashed potatoes.  The meatballs were not extraordinary, but quite good, and the cranberry dressing added a nice touch to the flavor.  I’m not a big fan of mashed potatoes (I’m picky), but I enjoyed these!

スウェーデン・ミートボール

For dessert, my wife decided upon the Apple Cake for 299 yen and a Café Latte from the Drink Bar for 120 yen.  I picked the Cinnamon Roll for 90 yen.

アップルケーキ&シナモンロール

Both the Apple Cake and Cinnamon Roll were not very sweet, and had tastes that were nothing like their traditional counterparts.  Despite this, we still thought they were quite tasty, perhaps due to both having a nutty flavoring to them.

So IKEA is not a traditional restaurant, but that's what they call it.  It's more of a cafeteria, and our two complete meals plus dessert came in at under 2000 yen.  I would say that overall, we were both totally satisfied with our meals.

Since I never experienced eating at an IKEA Store, I don't know if this is standard practice there, but I found it interesting that you don't pay for your meal until you are done with it (unlike most cafeteria-style joints). After placing your selected platters on your tray, you proceed to the check out lane.  The clerk will give you an itemized receipt, and then you go off to find a place to sit.  When you are done with your meal, you take your tray to the disposal area, and then use an automated register to pay for your meal.  I had never seen this before.

If you’re shopping at IKEA, visiting their restaurant might provide a nice needed break from wandering around the huge store..   

But, if you want to save even more money, go to their Bistro on the 1^st floor past the checkout lanes.  They sell hot dogs for 100 yen and soft cream cones for 50 yen!  The hot dog looked good but I was already full from the restaurant.

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Café Mozart カフェ モーツアルト 022-263-4689

Website:  http://tabelog.com/miyagi/A0401/A040101/4002447/

Address:  仙台市青葉区一番町3-１１－１４　丸和ビル３F.   Located on Ichibancho between Chuo-dori and the Forus Department Store, on the third floor in the building next to the KFC.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open everyday from 11:30 am to 11 pm, but lunch lasts only till 2:30 pm.

Okay, so I’m a little late in posting this one.  But some time ago while enjoying the Pre-Aoba Matsuri festivities, I decided to search for a new eatery for this blog.  I strolled around Chuo-dori and Ichibancho looking for that hidden gem that I had yet to experience.  Most of the restaurants I saw seem to violate my rule of "less means delicious" when it came to their advertising.  Most places went with loud and flashy, trying to attract attention, which probably meant that they're not very good.  I saw two young ladies perusing a small, indiscreet blackboard sign, and all three caught my eye (for different reasons).

Café Mozart possesses a very casual and comfy atmosphere.    The theme of the cafe seems to be that there is no theme at all.  None of the furniture matches.  Separated into two different dining areas, there are a few coffee tables with relaxing looking armchairs, a sofa, and also a piano.  In the section I was sitting in I saw ten different types of tables, including long tables for a group or for individuals to share.   

On this day, the lunch menu provided only three options:  a shrimp, squid, and mushroom cream pasta (Yuck!  I don’t do squid or cream.  I’m a picky eater!).  A bacon with cream cheese sandwich (I don’t like cream cheese).  And a basil chicken pasta with vegetables.  I went with the third option for 900 yen, which came with the pasta, salad, and a beverage.  I also splurged for dessert and chose the chocolate cake for an additional 250 yen.

たっぷり野菜のバジルチキンパスタ

The pasta was light, buttery, and tasty.  I especially enjoyed the crisp yet tender chickpeas disbursed among the pasta.  And speaking of tender, the slightly seasoned chicken melted in my mouth!  My only complaint would be that the succulent chicken was not in abundance.

The salad, due to its very pleasing sesame dressing, was quite refreshing.

The chocolate cake had a walnutty taste with a hint of sweetness to it, and by itself was just okay.  But when I mixed it with the accompanying cocoa powder, chocolate sauce, raspberry sauce, and the whipped cream, it was delicious!

This went extremely well with the rich, flavorful coffee.

ショコラ・デ・モーツァルト

A fine selection of coffees, teas, and desserts are also on the menu.

All in all, I’d say that this was a very light meal that, with the dessert, satisfied my hunger.

There are a number of other Café Mozarts in Sendai, so this review pertains only to the one on Ichibancho.

This Café Mozart seems to attract a younger crowd, as I noticed that I was the oldest one in the place, but this seems to be a great place to take a break from the shopping crowds and enjoy a coffee or a light meal no matter what your age.

Hmm.  I saw this on the menu but I'm not sure what this coffee tastes like.  

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KAMAKURA: Café Campanella カンパネラ 0467-22-6798

Website:  http://2-14-12.net/menu

Address:  鎌倉市長谷2-14-12.   Located about a 30-second walk from Hase JR Station in Kamakura.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open from about noon till around sunset.  Closed Wednesdays and Thursdays.

It was the perfect combination.  We were starving, and Campanella was the first restaurant we saw open after getting off the train at Hase Station in Kamakura.  Luckily for us, things worked out well!

For me, it was a tough choice between the honey and cinnamon crêpe with vanilla ice cream set (1050 yen) and the Kamakura ham with buttered toast set (950 yen), but since I felt that my body was craving protein, I went with the ham, toast, and the Kamakura blend coffee set.

鎌倉ハムトースト

My better half was eyeing the chocolate, banana, and caramel crêpe set (1050 yen), but she also opted for a more protein enriched meal and chose the Kamakura ham and cheese toast set (1000 yen).

The buttered toasted bread was light, fluffy, perfectly toasted, and delicious!  The ham slices were slightly thick and also scrumptious.  A small, tasteful sampling of pumpkin paste was served alongside pickled vegetables that went well with the toast and ham.  This felt more like a snack than a meal, but it did tide me over for an hour or two until my next opportunity to snack.

My wife loved the flavor of the cheese on her toast, and was quite satisfied that we found such a convenient eatery to gobble down a light snack.

鎌倉ハムチーズトースト

Capanella was quite busy on the Saturday we ventured in.  I was quite surprised and happy that the kind and helpful waitress was a fellow foreigner.  It’s rare to see a foreigner working as a staff member in a restaurant in Sendai.

I’d love to come back to try Campanella’s dessert crêpes some day, hopefully come next hanami season.

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Mamma Viva マンマ・ビバ 022-249-9008

Website:  http://mammaviva.com/

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open for lunch Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 11:30 am to 2:30 pm.  Open for dinner Monday thru Saturday, 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

We happened upon this small restaurant by chance while strolling through this Nagamachi neighborhood, and we are so glad we did.  I’ve driven by this area countless of times but never noticed it before this day, yet, this restaurant has been in the same location for forty years. According to their website, Mamma Viva specializes in homemade dishes, sauces, and dressings using only organic vegetables, and this seems to translate well into their meals.

My wife ordered the hamburger patty lunch set for 1000 yen, which came with a carrot salad topped with sesame seed dressing, egg flower soup, rice, and dessert.  The beef patty was rather sizeable and thick!   I sneaked a quick bite and found it to be astonishingly creamy, something I wasn’t expecting in a beef patty.  My wife noticed the same thing and loved it!  Picky me that I am, didn’t find the creaminess something I wanted in a beef patty, but it was still flavorful, and I could see where a person with normal tastes buds would be quite pleased with this.

ハンバーグ　ランチ

I went with the beef curry lunch set for 900 yen, which also came with the above sides.  The sesame seed dressing on the carrot salad was delicious, although the egg flower soup could have used a bit more seasoning.   The beef curry platter had nice big chunks of beef with some pickled veggies.  The curry was deceptively sweet, as a couple of spoonfuls into it the sauce became quite hot and spicy.  Overall, I’d say this was top-notch curry, somewhat reminiscent of Curry House Sakura.

カレー　ランチ

Carrot Salad w/Sesame Seed Dressing & Egg Flower Soup 

The dessert was a delicious slice of roll cake.  We ordered their advertised 100 yen siphoned coffee which was well worth the price.

Roll Cake

Siphon Coffee

There was a third option available for lunch which was a salted seafood pasta for 880 yen that came with garlic toast, but since I don't do seafood this wasn't an option for me.  I thought it was interesting that Mamma Viva sells spaghetti sauces and salad dressing for take out.  They have a couple of parking spaces available but you'll have to run in and ask where they are.  

If you happen to be in the Nagamachi neck of the woods, I highly  recommend Mamma Viva.  We are definitely looking forward to sampling their dinner course soon.

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Hoshiyama Coffee ホシヤマ珈琲店 022-723-8111

Website:  http://www.hoshiyama.co.jp/menu_index.html

Address:  仙台市青葉区中央1-3-1アイル２階.   Located on the 2^nd floor of the AER Building.

Map:  Click the “Location” link below.

Open:  10 am – 8 pm.

Last month we visited the fancy-shmancy Hoshiyama Coffee in the AER Building for its Afternoon Set.  There are three branches of Hoshiyama altogether, an older one on Ichibancho between Hirose-dori and Jozen-ji dori, and a newer, more modern restaurant near Chuo-dori on Minami-machi dori.  But these other two locations do not offer the exclusive Afternoon Set (currently at 1890 yen). 

Unbeknownst to me at the time, the Afternoon Set menu changes every month.  This is great if you would like to try something new, yet familiar every month.  Not so good if you’re relying on their webpage for the actual names of what you had eaten the month before.  Had I known that, I would have taken better notes (or at least written this post a lot sooner).  

Since I did not write down what I delighted in that afternoon, I’ll just have to describe the best I can as to what I was served.  But as the menu changes every month, you wouldn’t be able to eat what I had last month anyway, so I guess it doesn’t really matter what the name of the food was.

June's Afternoon Set

So on to the food.  The first plate consisted of two different types of gelatin; one white with a flan-like mold, and the other clear that appeared to be Jell-O.   I like cherry flavored Jell-O but apart from that I really don’t care that much for gelatin, so when I first gazed upon the first tier of this food pagoda I was already wincing a little.   Much to my delight, the flan-like substance was light, creamy, and not too bad by itself.  I blended the accompanying raspberry sauce drops with this and it became delicious!   The clear gelatin was sweet and quite nice in its own right.  We were off to a very good start!

The Gelatin Plate

Instead of eating the dishes from top to bottom I opted to forgo the sweets on the second tier and decided on something of more substance and went with the sandwich plate at the base.  I thought that the mozzarella panini was good, and that says something because I’m not fond of cheese.   The tandoori chicken sandwich was great, with a spice that was not designed to create sweat beads but rather to gratify the taste buds.  The bread rolls on both of these sandwiches were light and fluffy.   The peppery dressing on the salad was fantastic while the broccoli-bacon tidbits, though adding a nice touch, weren’t anything extraordinary. 

Sandwich Platter

Next, I proceeded to devour the middle platter.   The pineapple mousse was wonderful with just the right amount pineapple flavor without it being too powerful. 

The 杏仁豆腐 (almond jelly) with melon jelly was my least favorite of all the tempting treats because I don’t like 杏仁豆腐, yet I found this edible … at least half of it.  My wife happily offered to eat the remaining half (she loves the stuff!).

The black sesame tart’s caramelized topping reminded me of peanut brittle and せんべい.   The heavy sweetness of this top layer and the mild taste of the filling seemed to compliment each other quite nicely.

The Middle Platter

And now on to what Hoshiyama is known for:  COFFEE!  It was OUTSTANDING!  Flavorful and rich without being overpowering.   We were served the famous Royal Blend Coffee, which by itself costs 1050 yen a cup (and at today’s current exchange rates, that’s $13.26 for a cup of Joe).  And as a super special bonus, we got a refill on the house!  Coffee refills in Japan?  I thought this was only available at Mr. Donuts.  

The best part of waking up

Hoshiyama prides itself on its elegance (and coffee).  Each coffee cup and saucer set has its own unique design and is made of bone china (my wife was served with Wedgwood china).  I saw no one in the place dressed very casually, and a few people seemed to really dress up.   You’ll need to make reservations for their Afternoon Set as they sell out quite quickly.  This June afternoon was our third attempt at reserving a table, as we were politely rejected on our previous inquiries.

I highly recommend Hoshiyama for their Afternoon Set.  It’s something different, something elegant, something exquisite. 

UPDATE: Miyakoshiya Coffee 宮越屋珈琲 022-225-7111

UPDATE, OCT. 13, 2013:  UNFORTUNATELY, THIS CAFE IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS AS A CAFE.  I VISITED MITSUKOSHI DEPARTMENT STORE YESTERDAY AND I FOUND THAT IT NOW ONLY SELLS COFFEE BEANS.

I WAS SORRY TO SEE THIS PLACE GO.

OH, WELL.

If you'd like, continue to read the post to see what you missed out on.

Website: http://r.tabelog.com/miyagi/A0401/A040101/4008025/dtlphotolst/

If you haven't read about Miyakoshiya before, please click my first Miyakoshiya post.

This past weekend I returned to Miyakoshiya for the Honey-Chocolate Pound Cake that I saw on the menu last time.  I imagined this to be a big hunk of chocolate pound cake with a taste of honey.  But, to my disappointment, this is what it turned out to be ...

hmmmf.

Two small, thin slices of slightly honey-flavored pound cake with chocolate chips.  The fresh whipped cream did add a nice flavor to it but it was not what I was hoping for.  It didn't taste bad, and most people would probably enjoy this.  And for only 263 円, it's not a bad deal.  It just didn't live up to my expectations.   

The saving grace was the French Blend Coffee and, again, it was strong and flavorful.    There was a posting for a brownie so perhaps I'll try that next time.

Miyakoshiya Coffee 宮越屋珈琲 022-225-7111

UPDATE, OCT. 13, 2013:  UNFORTUNATELY, THIS CAFE IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS AS A CAFE.  I VISITED MITSUKOSHI DEPARTMENT STORE YESTERDAY AND I FOUND THAT IT NOW ONLY SELLS COFFEE BEANS.
I WAS SORRY TO SEE THIS PLACE GO.
OH, WELL.
If you'd like, continue to read the post to see what you missed out on.

Website:  http://r.tabelog.com/miyagi/A0401/A040101/4008025/dtlphotolst

Address: Located on the 1st floor basement of Mitsukoshi Department Store (the former 141).

Map:  Click the "Location" link below.

Open everyday from 10 am – 7:30 pm. 

I’ve seen this place crowded every time I’ve passed it by, as well as inhale the wonderful aroma of coffee that lofts through the air nearby.  Well, today I finally had a chance to stop and give their cup of joe a try, and I’m so glad I did!

Since it was my first time I didn’t know whether I would prefer the Mild or the French Coffee, so I asked the waitress what was the difference.  She said the French Coffee (525円) was a little more bitter and stronger than the Mild, so I went with the French.

It was good, very GOOD!   Not quite espresso, but pretty close.

I didn’t order anything else so I really don’t have anything else to write about.   They did have a honey-chocolate chip pound cake on the menu that sounds very delectable, but that’ll have to wait for another day.