If you’re craving familiar and comforting flavours after endlessly eating Japanese food, you’ll find them right here. Bringing a slice of Harlem to Kichijoji, The Dap’s Famous Hood Joint conjures up authentic New York-style sandwiches. Owner Yoshikazu Miyamoto honed his skills in East Harlem by working at Hajji’s Deli and offers a menu featuring the standout Authentic Chopped Cheese Sandwich (¥1,150) – a hearty mix of grilled ground beef, cheddar cheese, onions and fresh veggies on toasted bread.
Other favourites include the monstrous Kichijoji Fat Boy Sandwich (¥2,800), the Philly Wheelie Cheese Steak (¥1,350) and the B-Side Chicken Over Rice (¥1,100). As for drinks, you can’t go wrong with their cool and creamy frozen piña coladas, which come in alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties (from ¥600).
The shop’s standout feature is its brick staircase seating, which leads seamlessly up to the barbershop next door. Miyamoto took inspiration from the red bleachers in Times Square, aiming to recreate that casual, communal vibe. Because the restaurant floor sits level with the street, dining here almost feels like eating outside. The brown brick steps evoke the stoops of New York brownstones, adding to the distinctly urban aesthetic. And with the Chuo Line cutting diagonally across Inokashira Street just out front, Miyamoto says the view reminds him of a typical NYC street scene. In that scenario, is Inokashira Park Kichijoji’s version of Central Park?