Roku Michi

RokuMichi has been in Roppongi Hils for at least 2 years and they must be doing something right but the food and environment is just so blah… just so normal. This night I went with about 8 people and we all went for the Roku-​Michi Course (6000yen). Normally when food is great in Tokyo someone will say «Oishii» but I didn’t hear this word once. The main item Pork Nabe was so plain… just sliced pork with veggies dropped into a hotpot.
The best part was the overstaffed waiters that were very attentive as the place was nearly empty on a Wednesday evening.

After spending a day at the Mori Art Museum, my family and I were super hungry so we had dinner at Roku Michi. FYI the food was delicious but small portion and very expensive. Either we didn’t know how to order or there was a lack of vegetarian items on the menu. I didn’t like how the restaurant was smoke friendly and that there wasn’t a separation between smoking and non-​smoking.
For drinks, I ordered an Iced Oolong Tea while the rest of the party shared a pitcher of white peach Sangria. The Cilantro Salad was one of my favorites. The Cilantro Salad consisted of spring mix, cilantro, and cucumber tossed in a light cilantro lime dressing and garnished with a broken chili pepper. The 7 Types of Vegetables consisted of two of each of the following items: broccoli, kabocha, snap pea, grape tomatoes, carrot, lettuce, and one other vegetable. It was served with a creamy and buttery walnut dipping sauce. The Beef Sukiyaki was another one of my favorites. The Beef Sukiyaki consisted of two beef skewers, each with two cubes of tender beef, over a bed of green vegetables and served with a raw yolk. We also ordered 7 Types of Grilled Meat (which consisted of a skewer with 7 types of meats) and Chef Selection of Grilled Meats and Vegetables (which consisted of 5 kinds of skewers). I didn’t like how there were so much fatty pork belly. Despite my pork allergy, my favorite was the roasted grape tomato wrapped in pork belly.

Review of their lunch only:
Rokumichi is a fairly new addition to Roppongi Hills complex. Their space was previously occupied by my favorite Tonkatsu Chain Wakko.
You might think that my bitter feelings towards Rokumichi is personal; deeply rooted to my sadness to see Wakko go away.
Perhaps.
But isn’t that so unfair to Rokumichi?
Absolutely.
But come on, you need a robust Tonkatsu establishment somewhere around this Roppongi, Hiroo, Azabu area. Buta-​kumi is too gourmet; too upscale.
So I digressed from explaining why Rokumichi missed their mark. Everything about this place appears to be a perfect Japanese lunch option.
Under ¥1000 — Yes
Good portions — Yes
Comfortable seating — Yes
Nice presentation — Yes
The problem is in the execution of their dishes. Everything is subpar. For example is their miso soup. They claim to use highest quality miso shipped from Kyoto. Sounds nice. However, taste is always so-​so. Want more examples? Their kiriboshi Daikon had too strong of a taste and also over cooked. Their tofu hamburg had a poor texture. The Ratio of tofu to meat was too heavy on meat. Yes my vegetarian friends from abroad, tofu hamburg in Japan often has meat. They don’t always mention this in their menu, so watch out.
An advice for Rokumichi: rename your restaurant «Tonkatsu Wako» and start serving all you can eat cabbage and miso soup. (It’s my black humor, so don’t take it seriously.)