Gonpachi, a taste of Edo
Rumoured to be the filming location for the famous fight scene involving Uma Thurman and the Japanese actress Chiaki Kuriyama in the Quentin Tarantino movie Kill Bill (it wasn't but the two places look almost identical), Gonpachi is a Japanese restaurant serving up equal parts atmosphere and delicious izakaya-inspired dishes. From the outside, this restaurant in Tokyo's Roppongi district, close to the Roppongi Hills business/shopping complex, is hard to miss. It is designed to look like a kura (a traditional Japanese storehouse) with its imposing stone base, yellow plastered walls and attractive lighting. Inside continues with the Edo-era Japan theme. There is a huge open area containing both the kitchen and dining space with a fantastic counter space facing the kitchen. The second floor has a balcony wrapping all the way around overlooking the kitchen and off to the sides on the first and second floors are quiet wooden booth areas covered by sloping tile roofs. Most of the restaurant was built using dark wood and stone accented by soft lighting from paper lanterns. The taiko drumming you hear and the costumed waiters who offer a hearty irrashaimase to everyone that walks in the door all add to the experience. If the whole thing sounds a tad artificial, well it is, but considering the extent to which the owners have gone, it is kind of easy to overlook and simply enjoy the atmosphere. Plus, the food is delicious.
The menu includes classics like negima (chicken and green onion yakitori), soft zaru tofu, really excellent soba noodles and nicely prepared tempura. There are also some more unusual items like grilled duck served with wasabi and gindara (cod glazed with a miso-based sauce). The drink menu is extensive and there are pretty of offerings from Japanese breweries and distilleries.
The third floor, which has private rooms, is more expensive the each dining room also look out over a small garden and, when the weather is nice, the roof is uncovered allowing for a pleasant open-air dining experience. Actually, a few years ago, this is where ex-Prime Minister Koizumi brought George Bush for a private dinner meeting.
Gonpachi has built a solid reputation and so most nights are crowded with reservations recommended. The restaurant also has a reasonably priced lunch menu (under 3,000 yen for 2), which is also popular. Lunchtimes lines tend to move fairly quickly so it should never be too hard to get a table soon after arriving.