Last Friday, returning guests Kondo-san and Rika, asked everyone to join them for a barbecue. Kondo-san and Rika did all the shopping and prep in the kitchen, Mo-san helped get the barbecues going and provided some ambiance with a few tunes on his guitar, Yasu did most of the cooking (and eating!), and Yamaken joined us for the last few laughs. Thanks everyone for a lovely night!

If you too would like to have your own barbecue party, tabi-tabi has all the facilities you need. We can provide backyard seating, lighting, table-top barbecues, grills, charcoal, platters, tongues, foil, salt, pepper, soy sauce, dishes, and cutlery for ¥2000. All you need to bring is the food and some friends.

Barbecue parties can be held any night of the week from 6pm to 10 pm. Please reserve your barbecue party when you make an enquiry for accommodation.

Please do not bring your own BBQs, or try to barbecue indoors. Thanks!

For those of you who have been visiting the Kisami area for sometime, you may have noticed that Paradise has been lost and in it's place Cafe Mellow has set up shop. Although some of the changes will take some getting used to, we were impressed with the food, service, and reasonable prices. Despite the name, staff are attentive and dishes are served up quick. Cafe Mellow offers burgers, sandwiches, pasta, curry, and appetizers from 11 am til 11 pm.

The day we went for lunch we had a Grilled Broad-bill Swordfish Sandwich which came with fries and a bit of salad on the side for ¥800, and the Basil Sauce with Shrimp and Avocado Pasta for ¥1050. Both were fresh, yum, and plentiful. The sandwich I thought could use a smear of mayonaise and a good dash of pepper which they were more than happy to provide.

For those of you arriving late on Friday night from Tokyo, Cafe mellow is the perfect place for a late night drink to help you mellow out from the big city buzz. 

Cafe Mellow is about 5 minutes on foot from Guesthouse tabi-tabi. You can also find it on our recommendation map here.

Open: 11-00 - 23:00

If you love a good sandwich, like I love a good sandwich, you have got to check out cubstar in Shimoda. They have a Panini lunch special to please everyone. A veggie version with mozzarella and cheese, the pescetarian special (as above) is filled with cream cheese and lox (smoked salmon), and for lovers of meat they a have Bologna and egg salad mix. Try to leave a little room for dessert because Cubstar's Yama-chan makes the best French toast this side of the planet. This hot and crispy treat is available anytime, comes in two sizes, and has an assortment of flavors but I get the large basic version with honey everytime (to share of course). They also have a dinner menu, with nice fresh salads, pastas, smoothies, and excellent Italian coffees. Be sure to order a cappuccino in order bare witness to Hoshi-kun's coffee art skills. Cubstar now has a take-out menu so you can grab a good coffee or a smoothie and sit next to the river on Perry Road which is less than a 5 minute walk from the cafe. Cubstar can be a little tricky to find but just look for the quaint green church that is their neighbour. I will also add it to our recommendation map here.

Restaurant Marley has a great big deck where you could sip coffee and read the paper for hours. They serve eggs, toast, pancakes, cereal, yogurt, fruit.....everything a westerner craves on a Sunday morning. This ideal breakfast spot is less than 10 minutes on foot from tabi-tabi, just past the entrance to Ohama Beach. They are also open for lunch and dinner, and serve special dinners which can be ordered two days in advance. Click on the breakfast menu for a larger version.

Breakfast/Lunch: 9:00 - 15:00

Dinner: 17:00 - 20:00

Closed: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

You can also find it on our recommendation maps here and here

At the Ra-Maru Diner in Michi-no-Eki they serve a fish burger made with Shimoda's most popular fish, kin-me-dai (aka splendid alfonsino). ¥1000 may seem a little pricey for a fish burger and some chips, but it's a tasty change from its beef and bun cousin.

Open:10:00 - 17:00

Earny's is a great new Italian restaurant propped up against a rocky island in Shimoda Bay (there is a bridge). We were impressed with their excellent lunch menu. For only ¥1500 we got an appetizer of our choice, picked out a pasta which came with a salad, and then had to choose from a yummy selection of desserts, and finised off with our choice of coffee or tea.

Lunch: 11:30 - 14:00

Dinner: 18:00 - 22:00  (last order 21:00)

Closed: Tuesday

You can find it on our recommendation map here

Just a short stroll from Guesthouse tabi-tabi a Jerk Chicken Shop has opened up. Their cozy nook, Bingo, is situated right next to Kisami's shrine so on late evenings in September you can listen to live taiko drumming, shamisen, and bamboo flutes while filling up on their Jamaican Style BBQed bird, and draft beer.

Open: 11:30 - 20:00

Closed: Tuesday

You can also find it on our recommendation maps here and here.

Kaitenzushi is a sushi shop where nigirizushi rolls up to you on a conveyer belt and you get to take your pick of Japan's most celebrated culinary tradition. Sakanadonya is on the 2nd floor of Shimoda's Michi-no-eki (road station), right next to the ocean. It doesn't get any fresher than this!

The cuts of fish are huge but if you are on a budget, don't just look at the tasty bites of seafood, make sure to check out the plates.  The dishes are priced according to the color and design of the plates the sushi is layed out on. Check the wall for a plate to yen conversion chart.

Michi-no-eki is located near the port just a little north of the station on the 136, and is also a great place to buy omiyage (souvenirs). You can find it our map here.

Open: 11:00 - 20:00

Price: Dishes from ¥130 to ¥530

Irori Inkyo is an excellent Korean Restaurant set in a very old and very beautiful Japanese house in Minami Izu. Great food with very reasonable prices, keeps me returning again and again, while the atmosphese leaves me there for hours to eat, drink, chat, and relax in true wabi-sabi style. They have an extensive menu sure to please veggie and meat-lovers alike. However, it's all in Japanese with lots of kanji so it you don't read or speak the language you could have some difficulties unless of course you invite a capable friend.

UPDATE: Irori Inkyo seems to have closed for business... hopefully not for good.

I have been meaning to write about South Cafe for a long time. And so I bring my camera with me every time I go but then as soon as the food arrives, my mouth waters and I dig in without capturing any of the deliciousness. This place is a favorite among tourists and locals alike so it is a good idea to arrive a bit early on the weekends or your won't get a seat.

Don't let the cheap prices fool you, the portions are huge. Yasu and I usually share a salad, and one other dish, a pasta or a dorian. The veggie pepperoncini is super garlicy so I always order some bread to sop up the buttery garlic once the noodles have been ravished. 

If we still have room, we order desert. The brownie is super rich and moist and goes well with the vanilla ice-cream that is served on the side. The yummy banana bread comes with ice-cream too!

They have excellent drinks as well. A Fresh lime soda goes down well on a hot summer day. They have bottomless coffee, great mojitos, super smoothies..... If you like red wine, but don't like yours chilled, make sure you let them know, and they will take a bottle off the shelf for you.

Hours: 11:30 - 21:00 (closed Thursdays)

From tabi-tabi, South cafe is a 7 minute stroll along the river. You can also find it on our tabi-tabi recommendation map here

Nikuzuki means "meatmoon" but they also serve fish and noodles to feed the vegetarians and semi-vegetarians alike. The food is delicious and the location is amazing. We have decided this will go on the list of "What to do on a rainy day". I suspect the sound of the falling rain and the views of the fresh and green surrounding bamboo forest will make for a relaxing getaway. This wabi-sabi house was built using old techniques and old wood from a farmhouse in Fukushima. You can see pictures of the 10 year (and still ongoing) construction in one of their photo albums.