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Two Cool Summer Lunch Spots in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward

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The real hot summer has arrived in Tokyo! In this issue, I, Marei, editor-in-chief of VISIT CHIYODA, will introduce two recommended lunch spots in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward, “HOTEL NIWA TOKYO” and “Mamechawan”, for a cooling lunch experience!

HOTEL NIWA TOKYO: Enjoy a Healthy Lunch with a View of a Cool Green Garden

HOTEL NIWA TOKYO, just a 4-minute walk from Suidobashi Station, celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. As the name suggests, it has a lovely garden. I am completely captivated by its beautiful modern interior, high-quality and unique services, and delicious meals at the restaurant. This time, I will have the lunch set.

Read more about HOTEL NIWA TOKYO: https://visit-chiyoda.com/hotel-niwa-tokyo/

Entering the hotel through the lush green approach. Cute colorful umbrellas and summery Edo-style wind chimes in the lobby!

Fruit Parfait Included! Seasonal Lunch Set at Dining LIEU

Overlooking the hotel courtyard, Dining LIEU offers delicious lunches every day. Currently, in addition to the regular lunch menu, there is a limited-time offer called “Peach Parfait with Choice of Main Dish,”, which we enjoyed this time. After much deliberation, I chose the grilled chicken, a light meal perfect for a hot summer day.

Side dishes include bread baked inside the restaurant, soup (this day it was cold corn potage), and a salad bar with delicious seasonal vegetables. The salad bar includes crispy “Tokyo vegetables” grown in the western part of Tokyo, and also vegetables grown on the hotel’s rooftop!

When you see the board with the names of the vegetables and where they are grown, you cannot help but want to taste all of them.
The “rooftop vegetables” that day were basil and green peppers. Being harvested only 20 minutes ago, the fresh veggies looked even more delicious and exciting.
Lunch entrees and side dishes

Everything was so delicious: the crispy, juicy chicken, the savory bread, and the richly flavored local vegetables. And the final highlight was the peach parfait.

The parfait, with all the juicy ripe peaches that melted on the tongue, peach mousse, peach jelly, peach sorbet, and chamomile blancmange, was elegant and rich in peach flavor. And the taste was surprisingly light; I gobbled it up in one easy bite.

The cold parfait with a courtyard view was the most delicious experience.

By the way, as part of the hotel’s 15th-anniversary event, if you follow the hotel’s Instagram now and visit the in-house restaurant in a kimono or yukata, you will receive a lovely gift!

The present is a set of original letterheads custom-made by Haibara, a long-established Japanese paper store in Nihonbashi, and designed in line with the hotel’s “beautiful modern Japanese” concept.

Taking a Look at the “eco NIWA” Project!

I was curious about the “rooftop vegetables” on the salad bar, so Satoru Ebinuma, the general manager of HOTEL NIWA TOKYO, took me to the hotel’s rooftop garden. There were…suitcases!

These suitcases were left behind by guests who no longer needed them. These usually get discarded. The idea to use suitcases came from the general manager, who happened to see them piled up while walking around the hotel. By opening holes in some of the suitcases to reuse as planters, water retention increases, and there is less risk of the plants dying on the hot rooftop. The soil is made out of fallen leaves from the hotel’s four gardens, and the compost was created from food scraps from the kitchen and eggshells from the breakfast buffet. The hotel staff has been working on this unique eco-friendly initiative since last year, calling it the “eco NIWA” project.

So nice seeing General Manager Ebinuma weeding the garden himself. He is particular about organic, pesticide-free vegetables.

At first, the manager had difficulties pollinating the flowers of melon and pumpkin plants. Last year he had to do it by hand every day. But one day, bees appeared on the rooftop, and Mr. Ebinuma thought, “If bees can fly so high, maybe if we start beekeeping on the rooftop, they will pollinate?” With the help of a bee specialist, he started beekeeping this spring.

Because the bees can fly up to 2 km, they bring back delicious honey from the rooftop vegetable garden and the many cherry trees of the Imperial Palace moat and flowers in Ueno Park.

Thanks to the bees, the “rooftop pollination problem” was solved! And now: there is also honey! In the future, the hotel team plans to offer their honey for breakfast at the restaurant and also sell it. I was truly impressed by this unique, earth-friendly project. I want to stay at the hotel again and taste the honey!

HOTEL NIWA TOKYO

https://www.hotelniwa.jp
1-1-16 Kanda Misaki-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ttKk5nYpMqzyhx4d9
Access: JR Suidobashi Station, Tokyo Metro Jimbocho Station

Mamechawan: Authentic Homemade Sanuki Udon Noodles and Fluffy Shaved Ice for Dessert!

When visiting Mamechawan, located near Iidabashi Station, you can enjoy both, homemade udon and shaved ice. The store is filled with goods from the anime “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” and looks unique and fun.

Tsuke udon is the perfect cool lunch. The firm, chewy cold noodles with warm dipping sauce are super tasty. Adding green onions and ginger to the dipping sauce enhances the savory flavor. Udon noodles are gentle on the stomach, making them the perfect choice on summer days when one’s appetite is not so good.

Cold “Tsuke Udon” with a hot dipping soup
(Left) “Sesame Soy Milk Udon” with a creamy and gentle taste, (Right) “Tororo Kombu Seeweed, Ume, and Wakame Udon” with a Japanese taste topped with sour pickled plums

Cool Down with Fluffy Shaved Ice!

For dessert, shaved ice is the only choice! The shaved ice at Mamechawan is so big that it almost overflows the bowl.

Shaved ice menu and photos of seasonal shaved ice at the storefront (menu in Japanese only – just use the Google Translate camera)

While some shaved ice is available year-round, others are seasonal, using ingredients that match the season. One of the charms of this store is finding a new flavor every time you visit.

(Left) Organic Lemon Milk, (Middle) “American Cherry Cheese”, (Right) “Junmai Daiginjo Sakekasu Milk” (= rice wine flavor)

Not only is the size impressive, but the toppings of the shaved ice are also gorgeous. The shaved ice is filled with creative and playful toppings such as whipped cream, mousse, granola, custard and cream cheese sauces, and syrups handmade by the owner. The shaved ice I chose after much deliberation was excellent!

The food served at Mamechawan is widely known for being exceptional. Be sure to make a reservation. You can call or visit the store to make a reservation (from 11:00 on the day of your visit). Just let the restaurant know in advance what kind of food you would like to eat and visit the restaurant at the reserved time – that’s all you need for a smooth visit. Why not cool down with creamy shaved ice in the hot summer?

Mamechawan

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/mamechawan/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamechawan_iidabashi/
Reservation by phone: +81 90-6708-6737
Plano Iidabashi Plano Mall Zone B, 2-7-2 Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/L75dLCFv6pxWXfCt6

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