Tipped

Cozy and Friendly

May 20, 2008

I had no real expectations when I went to Tokyo Diner with some friends for an impromptu dinner. The place is kind of small, but has little dining rooms on three floors. We were served in the basement which has probably about a dozen tables. The menu explains itself in a very charming way and also informs you about the various stances that the restaurant has, including the aforementioned by Charles ban on tipping (not this kind of Tipping, I trust!). They say that any money left over in addition to the price of the bill will be donated to a local homeless shelter, which is a nice way to deal with those folks who are unable to eat a meal without leaving a tip.

The food is mostly straightforward Japanese food, but don't expect a lot of sushi. There is a sushi menu, and the also helpfully inform you that they don't carry many popular rolls and sashimi (most notably tuna) because they believe it is the product of unsustainable fishing practices. They also kindly offer to give you a larger serving of rice if you so ask, but give you a bit of a guilt-trip suggesting that if you ask for more food, you should eat it all.

I have to say, this kind of attitude towards service really satisfied me. They weren't really campaigning at your or anything, but they kind of stated their position and ask you to kindly respect it. It's not like there aren't a ton of other restaurants in the area if you really need your Blue Fin (or if you feel the compulsive need to tip?), and so it left a really good impression. It didn't hurt that the food was tasty and well priced, or that the service was quick and unobtrusive. Definitely great for a quick lunch or dinner, although because it's not big I wouldn't bring parties of more than 5 or 6.

Tags: sustainable business practices, value for money, Japanese

No Tip!

November 04, 2007

I don't know if I'm the best person to critique a sushi bar seeing that I only ever eat salmon sashimi and a bowl of miso (its great here!). However there is something that makes me recommend this place over and over apart from the fact that its really cute and cheap.

When you go to pay they have a sign by the till that says that 'tipping' is not part of Japanese culture, if you enjoyed your meal please tell a friend. There's something so warming and endearing about this that makes me go back again and again and tell more and more of my friends.