Winter 2013.
In Japan, I love to dine at izakayas. I love the ambience. My good friend Junko told me she’s gonna take me for dinner to a really cool place I will enjoy. She was right. This particular izakaya is by far my favorite. It’s so popular that you usually have to make reservations in advance; this place is Shiru Be. It is so hidden, you gotta walk pass some shops to the back of the building, exit the building, walk on a small bridge to the next building, go through a tiny door and go down to the basement. Cool isn’t it!
It is located in Shibuya. To be honest, I don’t exactly know how to provide the directions there. LOL. But I remember my friend Junko brought me into one of the building where there are some shops selling cloths and we walked past all of them till the back of the building where this metal door is. Yes, it is a metal door. When you open it, it makes that metal grinding sound like you’re opening some bunker blast door.
The sign next to the door that directs you to the izakaya.
This is what you see once you walked through that metal “blast” door. This is the little 1.5 meter wide bridge that connects you to the next building. And ya thats the JR Yamanote Line train passing us on the left.
I thought the door on the left is the entrance. But the smile on Junko’s face tells me that’s not it. She gave me this big smile and said “Now you’re gonna like this I know! This is the cool part!” as they slide open a hidden wooden door to the right of the normal sized door. That’s Junko going through the “miniature” door. It feels like you’re going to some secret society’s hideout. LOL.
This izakaya has 2 levels. One on ground level and the other in the basement. Like most izakaya, it’s a no shoe area so you gotta take off your shoes before you enter certain area. For Shiru Be, after you enter this miniature door is where you take off your shoes.
The more I get to know this place the more I’m loving it. This is “today’s special” menu, all hand written on wood paper. I let Junko do all the ordering and feed me.
We started off with some sake served in bamboo. As we enjoyed the sake, she placed the order for the feast!
This is the regular menu.
Another menu.
They serve this salad to everyone who dine here and it’s on the house.
Me : “Junko, what’s the name of this dish?”
Junko chan : “Ehhh….? Just a salad. Hehe… I don’t know the name.”
Cheese tofu with bread.
A signature dish of Shiru Be. It’s called Saba.
Saba is fresh mackerel served raw but the cooked with a blow torch in front of you when served.
Sqeeze the lime juice over the mackerel after it’s been cooked.
And it’s ready! Itadakimasu!!
The girls next to us also ordered Saba.
Shashimi, buri, baby squid and some kind of clams. Even Junko doesn’t know what it’s called. LOL.
Look at how fat these baby squids are! Poor baby squid haven’t get to enjoy much of life but got eaten.
OMG my face looked fat!
This is Yumi and Chiharu. The 2 girls sitting next to us.
Kawaii ne Chiharu.
Yumi has really high pitch anime voice when she speaks.
I remember she told me she love to photograph doors. Yes doors!
Yuki and Shohei came to join us for dinner.
Nikujaga. It’s made of meat, potato and onion stewed with sweeten soy sauce.
Goya chameturu or chanpuru. Chapuru is an Okinawan fry dish. Usually fried with vegetable, toufoo and spam.
Yumi and Chiharu.
With Yumi and Chiharu.
Shohei, Yuki, myself and Junko.
Love this place and missing it. I’ll definitely go back there to eat the next time I’m back in Tokyo.
This is the approximate location that I can recall