Green Asia, Roppongi [Closed]

Roppongi Hills has something of a reputation for swanky high-end dining, and it's true that if you want to spend money, you certainly can. However, it's not all only for the wealthy among us; there are a number of places where you can eat well without breaking the bank, and Green Asia is one of them. In the Hill Side part of the complex, it has a relaxed vibe and offers south-east Asian cuisine that's tasty but perfectly affordable.

For a place calling itself Green Asia, there's precious little green to be seen: other than the covers of the menus (which are mostly in English as well as Japanese) it's all black, white and woodtones. I sat on the pleasant outdoor terrace, with cafe tables and a cool view of Tokyo Tower lit up against the night sky; inside is a mix of modern and traditional, the graffiti-style decor on the walls punctuated with decorative carving that looks suited to a temple or a princely residence. The staff were helpful and friendly, letting me have a reserved table when I promised to be gone by the reservation time, and some of them spoke reasonably capable English.

I chose to have the plain nasi goreng for ¥1000, along with some fried soybean sticks on the side for ¥350. The nasi goreng was properly filling, full of flavour and authentically stodgy, while the sticks were light and crispy, and made for a good balance. Despite the table situation, the staff didn't bother me, so I could enjoy my dinner in unhurried style.

Other main dishes on the menu include a number of variations on nasi goreng (plain, with seafood, pineapple), indonesian chicken curry, thai green curry and pad thai, for between ¥850 and ¥1500; the 'recommendations' part of the menu isn't translated into English, but I could see Massaman curry there. Side dishes and appetizers cost from ¥350 to ¥830, and include duck pastrami, a variety of spring rolls and salads, some small chicken and beef dishes, and a very tasty-sounding mozzarella-stuffed avocado. There are also weekday lunch sets for around ¥1000, full dinner courses available for ¥3000, ¥3500 or ¥4500, or take-out meals from ¥550 to ¥700.

I found it difficult to resist the desserts, because they sound really good; for between ¥500 and ¥750 you can have fried banana with coconut ice cream, mango lassi pudding, or honey French toast with coconut ice cream and chocolate sauce. Drinks cost from ¥500 to ¥900, with guava juice and Bali-style coffee among the standard soft drinks, and alcoholic options including Bintang, Singha and Nest beers, mango sangria, a lemongrass mojito, and Arak, a spirit distilled from sugarcane that's called the 'rum of Indonesia'.

I'm really glad I finally tracked down Green Asia, and when I'm in Roppongi, it's certainly somewhere I'll be going back to.