If you grew up eating smoked brisket and ribs, it's one thing you're going to miss badly living in Japan. Good news: I found some and it's reeel good.
White Smoke in Azabu sated my longing pretty well. My family and I'd been meaning to try it for over a year since several of my Texan friends recommended it, and once we did, we couldn't believe we'd waited so long.
The concept was started by Harvard grad Craig White (get it?) who quit his former businesses to found this smokehouse in Tokyo. Using a patented smoking system he developed himself, his restaurant serves up a vegetarian nightmare. In addition to the pork and beef, they have chicken, turkey, duck, lamb, ribs, self-made sausage, and some of the most succulent brisket I've had in ages. All this, and they also know how to make salads that are neither cob, garden, Caesar, or country (did you know there are more than four ways to make a salad?). Just yesterday I ripped-off the idea for one of the salads we had there and made it at home to make myself a real big deal with my wife.
Service is also outstanding, in a city of good service. Mehrdad, the general manager took my phone call in English and guided me in. When I got close, he came out to the street and waved me in. After dinner, he let us order some take-away sausage which was brilliant for breakfast the next morning.
A sign of authenticity: mostly gaijin diners. I only saw two Japanese diners who seemed the be happily accompanying their foreign friends, and who spoke enough English to suggest they'd spent a good deal of time off the island as well.
We're going back again for the breakfast menu, which looks pretty awesome.
For more information and some photos, go to:
http://www.thebettertable.com/
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