Ta-im

A good falafel joint is hard to find in Tokyo, and it's one of those rare foods that we'd walk halfway across town for, whether that means Kuumba du Falafel in Shinsen, Pita the Great in Tameike-Sanno, or even Shamaim way out in Ekoda. Therefore, having a place to satisfy our cravings just five minutes' walk from the Time Out office sure does feel like a blessing. The man behind the counter at Ta-im, Dan Zuckerman, will be familiar to anyone who's frequented David's Deli, where he worked as manager for five years before striking out on his own. This shop, roughly halfway between Ebisu and Hiroo, is a lot cozier in comparison, and is definitely the more appealing lunch spot of the two.

The ¥980 falafel lunch set starts with a small cup of pumpkin soup and moves on to Israeli salad, hummus, falafel, pita and fries. It's a hearty spread, leaving us full but not absolutely weighed down in the way that Pita the Great sometimes does. Ta-im also does chicken schnitzel and a Japanese-style beef stew at lunch, with the schnitzel and falafel available as sandwiches for takeaway. In the evening, the menu broadens to include a few extra salads and other dishes, while the drink list includes Maccabee beer and Israeli wines.