As I entered Tokyo from Narita Airport through Shinagawa Station, my Tokyo journey officially began. Traveling by subway, I encountered the scenery of downtown Tokyo for the first time at Shinagawa Station.
Shinagawa Station’s landscape was quite complex. Initially, I thought it might be a small station due to its status as a transfer hub with multiple lines, but all Tokyo stations are of a similar size, known for their complexity and high passenger traffic.
“Tokyo Shinagawa Station, Hamburg Steak, Tsubame Grill”
While I had a simple sandwich at Narita Airport, I still hadn’t had a proper meal, and my stomach was quite empty. So, for my first meal in Tokyo, I visited a restaurant called “Tsubame Grill.”
“Japanese Western-Style Restaurant in Operation Since 1930”
Tsubame Grill is a Japanese Western-style restaurant that has been in operation since 1930. You can confirm this from the signage outside the building, proudly displaying “Since 1930.” However, there’s a curious aspect to this. Although it’s a restaurant called “Tsubame Grill” in Shinagawa, the sign says “Ginza.” In reality, the Shinagawa branch is the main store, and the “Ginza” is written on the sign because the first store was opened in Shinsaibashi in 1930. Currently, it has become a franchise with 23 stores in Tokyo.
“Named after a Limited Express Train That Stopped at Shinsaibashi Station, Tsubame”
The name of the restaurant, Tsubame, is derived from a limited express train named “Tsubame” that used to stop at Shinsaibashi Station. However, you can no longer see the train as the line itself has disappeared.
“Japanese Western-Style Restaurant on a 3-Floor Scale”
The scale is quite substantial, covering three floors. It operates as a Tsubame Grill store on all floors, from the 1st to the 3rd.
Upon entering, we were guided to the 2nd floor. The time was around 4:30 PM, an unexpectedly busy time with many customers dining in the restaurant.
“Tsubame Grill: Hamburg Steak”
The flagship menu you can experience at Tsubame Grill is the “Hamburg Steak.” Since it was our first visit, we decided to order the most prominent menu item, the “Hamburg Steak.” The price was 1,320 yen, approximately 13,000 won.
One downside is that even if you order a steak, you need to order rice separately. On this day, we added an extra order of rice. Note that an additional bowl of rice costs 200 yen, and the total cost for one person was 1,520 yen.
“Steak Wrapped in Aluminum Foil”
After a short wait, the main menu appeared, and its visual was quite unique. We could see the steak wrapped in aluminum foil, a form of presentation not commonly seen in Korea. It was an interesting and amusing start to the meal.
Next to the steak, there were small pieces of meat, which complemented the steak quite well.
It was our first meal in Japan and the first restaurant we visited. With its unique culinary ideas and decent taste, it was a satisfying place.
“Tokyo Shinagawa, Tsubame Grill Main Store”
- Business Hours: (Every day) 11:00 – 22:00
- Address: つばめグリル品川駅前店, 4 Chome-10-26 Takanawa, Minato City, Tokyo 108-0074, Japan
- Phone: 03-3441-0121
- Website: tsubame-grill.co.jp