Address - 202 Motohashi Bdg, 32-9-1-chome, Kichi-joji Honcho, Tokyo Opening hours - Open every day from 11:30 am to 14:00 pm and from 5:00 pm to 2:00 am Map - Yes Telephone - (0422) 21-8412 Menu - In English and Japanese CC - OK

The name Lan Saang, according to the menu, means "Land of a million elephants", that is, Laos (isn't it wonderful how many things you can say in Lao with two miserable sillables? I wonder what it really means*). Lan Saang is a rare restaurant, and not only because it's both Lao and Thai: it's excellent but for some reason always nearly empty. It used to be my wild card: when there were more than five of us on a Friday night, we would go there, certain to find a free table. The owner is a friendly Chinese-Lao man, the menu is long, varied and fairly original: you can eat here things you will not find in other places. Their Mu Nam Tuk with sticky rice and Tom Kha Gai are wonderful treats. But you must try what's new to you: it's usually wondeful.

To get there, get out on the north side of the station, follow the tracks along Lon-Lon towards Shinjuku for about 300 meters. It's on the 2nd floor on the left side of the street before an AM-PM convenience store.

 * I found out: it literally means just "Ten Thousand Elephants" (Manzo in Japanese)