Brooklyn Parlor, Shinjuku

by Deborah Im

Displaced New Yorkers, this one’s for you. Brooklyn Parlor, located in the basement of Marui Annex in Shinjuku, brings a bite of the Big Apple to Tokyo. Opened last September, the restaurant has something for everyone. It’s a pub where you can throw back various beers on tap (Brooklyn Parlor is the only location in Tokyo to offer Brooklyn Lager from Brooklyn Brewery on tap) or one of BP’s signature New York-themed cocktails, such as the tomato-infused Brooklyn Martini. It’s a café where you can enjoy an American-style muffin with a perfect latte while working on your laptop. It’s a live music venue where you can hear soulful acoustics. It’s a bookstore where you can peruse the eclectic mix of literary offerings. But above all, it’s a restaurant that serves delicious, well-executed versions of casual American fare.

While we perused the extensive menu, we sipped on a mug of Brooklyn Lager, which tasted very much like American beer, and one of the signature cocktails, Troy’s ‘The Block,’ a refreshing white wine sangria with tropical fruits including kiwi, pineapple and rambutan. Overwhelmed by the array of delicious possibilities, we asked our server to recommend a few dishes, and were not disappointed by any of his choices. The French dip sandwich was a delicious symphony of crusty French bread filled with mustard and tender roast beef served with au jus for dipping. The au jus was wonderfully savory and added the perfect flavor to the sandwich, which was everything a French dip sandwich should be: meaty, savory, juicy and delicious. You’d be hard pressed to find a better version of the French dip in most American diners or pubs.

From the daily specials menu, which changes frequently, we ordered the fish and chips. Tender white fish was battered in a whispery light, crunchy coating and served with malt vinegar and Thai chili dipping sauce. While the fish was perfectly fried and tasty, being American, I longed for tartar sauce. The roast yamayuri pork with green pepper sauce was a generous, thick-cut juicy pork chop with a delicious, slightly sweet green pepper reduction. Served with roasted mushrooms, baby turnips and mashed potatoes, the dish did justice to the term ‘meat and potatoes.’

We were stuffed, but couldn’t resist the tea-flavored crème brûlée. Underneath a perfectly burnt sugar crust lies a light and creamy milk tea-flavored custard, the perfect finish to a delicious meal.

Open daily  (11:30am–11:30pm)

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