Sakura Tei

Traditional Japanese Beer Matches Tucked in the Alleys of Harajuku

I often times have friends from different countries come over and visit me in Tokyo. At the beginning I barely had any idea where to take them out for lunch or dinner. Only recently did I discover Sakura Tei, and it's been my go-to place ever since. LOCATION Sakura Tei is pretty hidden in the alleys of Harajuku. I basically google mapped my way to the restaurant but it's basically past Takeshita street, and you have to cross Meiji Dori and go through the little streets from there. (btw, there are a lot of other finds along the way) You may refer to the photos so you have an idea how the front looks like. SPACE This place is big and it's great for groups; it can actually fit up to 170 people. The ambience is very chill and there are a lot of art works on the walls. Pretty hipster to me actually and I love it. MENU Sakura Tei's main dishes are okonomiyaki and monjayaki. Most people know about the former but rarely hear about that latter (myself included). If you haven't heard about monjayaki, to put it simply, it is the Kanto region's version of okonomiyaki, only thinner and stickier. Sakura Tei has its own sauce and creations for these two main dishes (I've tried a bunch from the menu and I've enjoyed each one). Aside from that, they also have yakisoba, teppanyaki, and other appetizers and even desserts. Another awesome feature of Sakura Tei is their All-You-Can-Eat lunch (with 1 soft drink) which is available on weekends and holidays from 11 AM to 3 PM for only 1,250! If you want bottomless soft drinks with that, it costs only 1,750. Of course, in Japan, buffets are timed, so in this case, your all-you-can-eat lunch is only for 90 minutes. If you prefer unlimited alcohol, it's available any time for 1,500 yen up to 120 minutes. You may refer to the photos to see what drinks they serve. GENERAL DINING EXPERIENCE The staff are very nice and most can speak/understand English. There are some foreign staff as well. If you do not know how to make your monja/ okonomiyaki, they can help you out. It's really fun when you do it yourself though. Cooking our own food right there on the table is something that my friends really enjoyed. Try it! I would definitely recommend this place to everyone. The restaurant is open from 11 AM to 12 midnight all year round. If you want to see the detailed menu, here is their official website: http://www.sakuratei.co.jp/en/index.html