Jojo-en

One of the Miyake family's favorite places to go to is Jojo-en, a restaurant specializing in Korean barbeque. Jojo-en is about a 10-minute drive from Sarah's apartment located close to Roppongi. From what I hear, Jojo-en serves the best Korean barbeque in all of Tokyo. After trying it, I'm a total believer.


Jojo-en is a really nice place. It has very modern decor with marble and glass all over the place. It's nice too because we got seated in our own private room. As with almost all Korean meals, we started off with an assortment of small plates, including kimchi, tofu, pickled daikon, and seaweed.


The lunch set also came with this salad, which was a huge hit and major surprise. From the looks of it, it doesn't seem very impressive. However, the dressing on the iceberg lettuce was awesome. It was slightly tangy with a hint of sesame. If dressing in the States was this good, I'd probably eat salads more often.


The lunch set that Sarah's mom ordered came with the beef tartare dish shown above. This was my first time trying beef tartare, and the idea of consuming raw beef with egg doesn't seem all that appetizing. However, after trying it, it was pretty good although I'll probably need to eat it more often to really grow an affinity towards it.


So after the appetizer courses came the main attraction. We fired up the grill at the table and started cooking! My lunch set came with shrimp, beef tongue, and some wonderfully marbled sirloin. It was pre-marinated in some kind of vinagarette and garlic, so the meat was delicious as is after grilling. However, three kinds of sauces were provided for dipping as well.

As part of the dessert, we were served some orange slices in a jelly along with a choice of iced coffee, orange juice, or wheat tea. By the end of the meal, I was absolutely stuffed.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed lunch at Jojo-en. So far on my trip, it is hands-down my favorite meal. Everything, from the appetizer plates to the grilled meats to the dessert, was delicious. Some people think the idea of paying money to cook your own meal is absurd, but I love meals like Korean barbeque that are interactive and involve you as a diner. It's more fun and interesting that way.