FOOD TO TAKEAWAY: 5 Best Take-Out Menus Around Meguro Station
You know the feeling: You’ve finished a long day at work and you’re desperate to get home and into some comfy sweats. But you don’t want to cook dinner either. Time for some take out!
One silver lining from the recent corona-related restrictions on restaurants in Tokyo is that many places have seriously upped their take-out game. In this series, we comb the offerings in our most popular neighborhoods to find the best take-out menus on your way home.
Today’s installment: five restaurants around Meguro Station with delicious and even dare-I-say healthy take-out options.
The Meguro Station area is a popular choice for foreign residents first and foremost due to its public transportation connections. It’s a stop on the popular JR Yamanote loop line and is also connected to Tokyo Metro’s Namboku Line, Tokyu’s Meguro Line, and Toei’s Mita Line, which means living here offers easy, frequent access to pretty much all of metropolitan Tokyo and even Yokohama. The trendy neighborhoods of Ebisu and Nakameguro are just minutes away.
Supermarkets and shops cluster around the station, making it convenient for daily necessities, while the Meguro River to the west, a popular cherry blossom spot, and the Institute for Nature Study preserve to the east provide green spaces for recreation. A few high-rise apartment buildings can be found near the station, while further out luxe low-rise condos and detached houses are more common.
If that’s not enough to sell you on the area, consider the bounty of restaurants, both international and Japanese, many of which offer stellar take-away options.
THE BEST 5 RESTAURANTS IN MEGURO
Tonki Meguro Honten
This venerable tonkatsu joint right next to the station has been serving up the juicy breaded pork cutlets since 1939! Their simple, satisfying soul food has legions of devoted fans who often line up to watch the elderly proprietor at work, but you can breeze right out with a pre-placed take-out order. The two main options are hire-katsu (tenderloin) and rosu-katsu (loin), with the previous being the leaner, tenderer cut. The cutlets are served with rice and shredded cabbage, with fiery karashi mustard on the side if you like a little heat, plus tonjiru pork and vegetable soup and pickles. Each set (teishoku) costs 2100 yen.
photo credit: hotpepper
SHOP INFO: Tel: 03-3491-9928
1-1-2 Shimomeguro, Meguro-ku
This slightly upmarket chicken kebab place has your halal needs covered. In addition to the standard soak-up-the-booze pitas you remember from your late-night college outings, they also have the option to put the meat on top of cabbage and fried onions or on top of rice. Whichever way you like it, you can spice it up with one of their four homemade sauces: garlic yogurt, sweet, spicy, or mixed. If you need something plant-based, they also have falafel and hummus for the vegetarians. Pro tip: the eat-in space is dog friendly.
photo credit: 17 cafe&bar Facebook
SHOP INFO: Tel: 070-4003-2095
3-11-6 Meguro, Meguro-ku
Order online here
Cabe
Since 2002, local favorite Indonesian joint Cabe has been dishing up classics like nasi goreng and soto ayam. Frankly, the spicy rendang sapi (a Sumatran stewed beef dish) is worth crossing Tokyo for, so count yourself lucky to have it in your neighborhood. Vegan lumpia and sambal goreng are on the standard take-out menu, and other dishes can be made vegetarian or vegan on request. The proprietress has also turned a couple of Indonesian classics, rendang and spicy chicken ayam penyet, into burger options to widen their appeal. Pro tip: their website has an online shop with tons of Indonesian cooking ingredients and snacks, as well as many halal ready meals.
photo credit: tabelog
SHOP INFO: Tel: 03-6432-5748
3-5-4 Kamiosaki, Shinagawa-ku
Order online here
We Are the Farm Meguro
Organic produce fresh from the farm in huge, healthy portions is the name of the game at We Are the Farm, which has six outlets around town and plenty of veggie and vegan options. Their outdoor farms are free of pesticides and other agrochemicals. The signature vegetable plate, full of seasonal veg done up raw, grilled and fried, is a good place to start, while meat-eaters can chose to add fried chicken, keema curry, smoked duck, or chicken ham for some bonus protein. Their signature kale salad with either Caesar or vegetable dressing and a baguette also makes a fantastically healthy and filling lunch.
photo credit: tabelog
SHOP INFO: Tel: 03-5747-9607
1−5−16 Meguro, Meguro-ku
Order online here
Jojoen Meguro
If you’re feeling extra fancy and up for a splurge, allow me to introduce kaiseki restaurant Jojoen, also purveyors of fine yakiniku barbecue. One of their take-away bento boxes will set you back 3000-4000 yen, depending on the cut of meat you choose, but you’ll get it all grilled up and ready to eat, along with rice and a serving of their fantastic kimchi and assorted Korean pickles. Personally, I like the standard kalbi cut, but they also have premium kalbi, thin-sliced roast, premium roast, and beef tongue options.
photo credit: official jojoen
SHOP INFO: Tel: 03-3490-4677
3F 1−3−15 Meguro, Meguro-ku
So those are our favorites around Meguro Station. Apartment hunters, which one is most tempting you towards Meguro? And residents, did we miss any of your frequent haunts? Let us know on the socials. Until then, bon appetit!
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