by Ben Meehan
Walking along the promenade outside the TBS television studio, there is an atmosphere expectation—of possibly seeing a celebrity concealed behind dark glasses, or even the shooting of a variety TV program. Mobile food stalls of surprising variety and quality (Mexican and an organic salad bar to name just a couple) feed the masses of young people hoping to get a view of their favorite TBS regular. Not surprisingly, TBS attracts many tourists, especially those who are fans of anime, manga, and Japanese youth culture.
In the same Akasaka Sacas complex lies the Biz Tower, in the basement of which is a veritable goldmine of reasonably-priced themed restaurants (not exactly a food court, but along the same lines). My pick for a bite and a beer was the Singaporean restaurant Hainan Chi-Fan, which serves up hot and sour dishestapas-style, obviously catering to the after-work drinking crowd. On the ground floor of the same building is another popular watering hole, Pub Cardinal Akasaka, which is a regular haunt of many members of the the local foreign community. It boasts some great, simple pub food such as pizza and fish and chips, aswell as a fine selection of beers and wines, but the real beauty of Pub Cardinal is the terrace, a perfect spot for enjoying a warm some great, simple pub food such as pizza and fish and chips, as well as a fine selection of beers and wines, but the real beauty of Pub Cardinal is the terrace, a perfect spot for enjoying a warm summer evening with friends.
