Tuesday, December 13, 2011

African Restaurant [Calabash] / アフリカンレストラン 「カラバッシュ」

On my next neighborhood walk, I went to a specific temple.  One I didn't find by chance but actually did a bit of research on.  But before that I write about that, I had to have lunch and there was this particular restaurant I've been wanting to check out.  Its a place that serves African cuisine and is located in Hamamatsucho.  The name of the place is Calabash.

次の近所散歩はあるお寺が目的。ただで発見した所ではない。調べて探索するつもり。行きましたけど、その前はやっぱりランチを食べないと。お寺のネタはまた今度。昼食の為僕はわざわざ浜松町まで出かけた。駅の近くにある料理店が前から気になって仕方ありませんでした。アフリカ料理店の「カラバッシュ」という店に行ってきました。




The restaurant is found on the quieter side of the station and is also located in the basement of a building. 

店は駅の裏のほうにあって、ビルの地下でもある。




Entrance to Calabash / カラバッシュの入り口





As I went during lunch time on a weekday, the place was not very crowded.  In fact, there was only one other customer there when I went.  The interior is has a nice homey atmosphere to it.  It looks like a great place to have drinks in the evening.

平日の昼に行った為、店は全然込んでませんでした。行った時、僕を含めてお客様は二人しかいませんでした。でも凄い落ち着いた雰囲気で店内の造りも良いなと思いました。夜だったら、良い酒場かもしりません。




Interior / 店内





Of course I haven't forgotten the main reason for this post - the food.  I sure didn't know what to expect as Africa is a large continent with many countries.  This particular place mainly features the cuisine of Senegal, Mali, Ghana and some other West African nations.  I was intrigued by the chicken yassa.  This is a mustard based stew with chicken and onions and served over rice.  I assure you it was quite delicious.

肝心な事忘れてませんよ。それはやっぱり料理でしょう。アフリカの定番料理っって想像も出来ないし、国というより大陸ですからどういうものがあるのも楽しみでした。こちらの店を代表する国は大体西アフリカの国々です。特にセネガルとマリ。ガーナなど。僕がメニューで気になってた料理はチキンヤッサというものでした。これはマスタードベースのチキンとたまねぎのシチュー。“ご飯と絶妙な相性です。”もメニューに書かれてます。確かに相性は抜群でした!とっても美味しい!




Chicken Yassa / チキンヤッサ




The main dish is served with a salad and a choice of coffee or tea. 

ランチはサラダとドリンク付。


Bon Appetit!

いただきます!

4 comments:

Rurousha said...

Hallo! Here's a long-time lurker leaving her first comment. If you enjoyed this African experience, you could try Tribes (http://www.tribes.jp/) when you go on your next walk in Kagurazaka. I guess you could call me an expert: I'm a South African living in Tokyo. :)

Thanks for a very nice blog. You've introduced me to some fascinating walks in Tokyo!

Aomori Ern said...

Thank you for your comment and I will definitely try Tribes. Kagurazaka is one of the neighborhoods I've been meaning to explore. My wife and I have a friend who owns and runs a restaurant in Ushigome Kagurazaka (Japanese cuisine).

I've been to Queen Sheba a couple of times, the Ethiopian restaurant in Nakameguro and Ghana-ba in Roppongi (now closed), so I will be looking forward to eating at Tribes.

Aomori Ern said...

Wow, I just took a look at your blog as well. I think I may have a new favorite blog to read!

Ernie

Rurousha said...

Thank you, kind sir!

Queen Sheba? Ethiopian? Naka-Meguro? Oh! I didn't know about that one, but I'm definitely going to go there. Always happy to learn about new Tokyo spots and to share my secrets with others! :)