Originally Posted by
gnaget
I think chowhound.com is a better site for this type of question. I remember someone asked this very question there and someone suggested a well-hidden place in Shinsen (not far from Shibuya station) that was recommended. But it still was around 13k yen per head.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/829520
What was wrong with Zanmai? You say that you enjoy take out sushi but Zanmai is no good? Hmmm.
A mid-range "independent" that comes to mind is Ichikan 市勘 in Daikanyama. I have never eaten there, however. The restaurant was featured in Lost in Translation.
I went to a small shop in Ota-ku (a friend's father-in-law owns it). It was very good and reasonable. I think you pay a lot more in Daikanyama because of the rent and neighborhood. A Zanmai can make up for the high rent by high turnover.
Yes, I ended up on chowhound but it seemed to focus on high end or affordable. Maybe mid range is a sort of no man's land.
I said Zanmai was just ok, which is not to say it wasn't good, but no better than other places for the same price (about 2500 jpy per person for lunch). Maybe it was just the jiyugaoka branch that is not as good as the others? We won't go out of our way to go there, and looking for something nicer.