Volume 04, Number 14

Dining

What the Dickens!...It's Friday!
by Ben Meehan

Friday—8pm at a packed Ebisu station—I meet with four friends and we follow the crowd across the street and towards the pleasant and vibrant bar and restaurant area. The Roob 6 building is easily distinguishable on the left with a large E=mc2 on the side. Up we go to the fourth floor where we come to the entrance with a small blackboard on the door saying: “Tonight: Conducters.” We go in only to be immediately surprised at the interior: an amazingly authentic looking English pub—gothic-like wood paneling and fixtures spread over two floors and overlooking a large stage. We find a cosy bench table right opposite the stage and waste no time in heading straight to the bar and kitchen.

The menu boasts a large selection of extremely tasty meat pies as well as seven Euro-brews on tap and many hard to find English import beers. I opt for the hearty steak pie (¥1,200), which comes with a large serving of chips (fries). I was overcome with natsukashi, as they say here, as I was transported back to the kitchen of my grandmother, where every meal was simple but oh-so-good. Shortly after the last of the chips was lovingly scoffed, the band started to kick in; The Conducters certainly know how to get a Friday night started with their saxophoneinfused funk and quite literally by the end of the first song, the dance floor was full and stayed that way until it was time for us to run for the last train. I don't know about E=mc2 but I do know that pie+good beer+free live music=a fantastic Friday night!

Tuesday–Saturday: 5pm–late, Sunday: 5pm–midnight.
Roob 6 Bldg. 4F, 1-13-3 Ebisu-Nishi Shibuyaku.
Tel. 03-3780-2099.
www.whatthedickens.jp