1for81 —
Get stuffed in Shinsaibashi
Many of us have had this problem. After staying up all Saturday
night in Shinsaibashi, no matter how much you may love Japanese
cuisine, no one wants natto, fish, and raw egg over rice before
catching first train home and crashing or (God forbid!) taking a
shower and going to work. This is when most of us are at
our most Western: we want eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, a bagel,
maybe some orange juice, and coffee. Definitely coffee. With the
opening of the new restaurant 1for81, the dreams of partyers and
anyone else looking to get stuffed have finally been realized. Located
on Suomachi Dori about a five minute walk from the station in the
heart of Shinsaibashi, you won't have to go very far either.
Despite being named after the fact that there are
a lot of restaurants in Japan (1 for every 81 people), Howie Adelman,
the owner and a New York native who has lived in Japan for three
years, has tried to do something different. He says he wanted to
open a restaurant that served the food he wanted but could never
find, and this commitment shows.
 In
addition to the Sunday morning breakfast from 4:00 to 9:00am (2
eggs any style, home fries, bacon or sausage, a bagel and coffee
with free refills for ¥1000), they're also open from 5:00pm
to midnight every day, when in addition to breakfast he’s also
serving some of the biggest, best Italian-style hero sandwiches
you're likely to see in Japan. Chicken parmigiana, meatball parmi-giana,
and for the vegetarians eggplant parmigiana and a potato, egg, and
cheese sandwich; the food is rich and hearty, and the portions are
massive.
The breakfast is a welcome sight after getting used to the serving
sizes at most restaurants here, and the heroes are impressive, two-handed
affairs. He'll cut the sandwich in half for you and even provide
knife and fork, but the true hero aficionado knows that uncut with
your hands is the only way to go. At ¥800 they are a great deal
too (extras like onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes are ¥40 each).
The BLT (¥600), peanut butter and jelly (¥500), and the
more Elvis peanut butter, honey and banana (¥600) are even cheaper.
"I like the look on people's faces when they're really full
from good food" Howie says. Drinks aren't expensive either
— soda, juice, and coffee with refills are ¥300, beer is
¥600, and you can get harder stuff as well (ask if you're interested).
If you can't finish one of these monsters (sissy), don't worry —
another much-sought after rarity in Japan, 1for81 will wrap up leftovers
to take with you.
 The
owner's goal of making a restaurant he would want to eat in is apparent
in the atmosphere as well. Recessed lighting gives the restaurant
a hip look, but the feeling is above all comfortable. Pictures on
the walls and other decor lend a personal touch, but the main source
of the relaxed vibe one gets comes from the people in the restaurant:
Howie himself; Eri, his lovely fiancée who can often be found
working behind the counter; and the other customers who are likely
to strike up a conversation.
Though the food is very New York, the clientele is international
— a good mix of Japanese and foreigners, all of which adds
to the friendliness of the place. "A lot of times people stay
and talk after they're done eating, and everyone gets so comfortable
that they get up and are halfway to the door before either of us
remember he needs to pay" Howie says (though trying to make
it all the way to the door is not recommended). So come in, strike
up a conversation, and, as the logo says, get stuffed.
1FOR81
Elegance Building 2F,
#6 Higashi-Shinsaibashi
Open: Everyday 5pm to midnight, Sundays 4am to 9am
Tel: 080-3806-8849
http://www.1for81.com
Text & Photos: Ian Werkheiser
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