Tempura (天ぷら) Tokyo has been enjoying this dish of seafood and vegetables deep-fried in a fluffy, light batter for centuries; Asakusa is especially known for the dish. Be sure to try ebi-tendon (えび天丼), tempura prawns over rice.
Yakitori (焼き鳥) Come evening, alleys all over the city are lit with the signature red lanterns that hang over the entrances to stands and restaurants serving yakitori (nominally grilled chicken skewers, but in practice a huge variety of meat, seafood and veg salted or sauced and set to grill over hot coals).
Yakitori | PAJIME / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Where to Eat
Shokudō
Dining trends may come and go but shokudō (食堂; inexpensive, all-round eateries) remain. The city’s workers take a significant number of their meals at these casual joints; you’ll find them around every train station and in tourist areas. Meals typically cost ¥800 to ¥1500 per person.
Most serve teishoku (定食; set-course meals), which include a main dish of meat or fish, a bowl of rice, miso soup, a small salad and some tsukemono (pickles). Usually on the menu are various donburi (どんぶり or 丼; meat or seafood on a bowl of rice) and comfort food dishes, like tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlets) and ebi-katsu (breaded and fried prawns).
Izakaya
Izakaya (居酒屋) translates as ‘drinking house’ – the Japanese equivalent of a pub. Here food – a mix of raw, grilled, steamed and fried dishes – is ordered for the table a few dishes at a time and washed down with plenty of beer, sake or shōchū (a strong distilled alcohol often made from potatoes). If you don't want alcohol, it's fine to order a soft drink instead, but it would be strange to not order a drink.
There are orthodox izakaya, ones that incorporate pub-style dishes (like chips) and chef-driven ones with creative menus. While the vibe is lively and social, it's perfectly acceptable to go by yourself and sit at the counter.
If you're unsure what to order, you can say 'Omakase de onegaishimas[u]' (I'll leave it up to you). It's probably a good idea to set a price cap, like: 'Hitori de san-zen-en' (one person for ¥3000). Depending on how much you drink, a typical bill runs to about ¥2500 to ¥5000 per person.
Street Food
Street-food stands, called yatai (屋台), don't have the same ubiquitous presence in Tokyo as they do in other Asian cities; however, you can find them in markets, including Tsukiji Outer Market or Ameya-yokochō, heavily touristed areas, such as Asakusa and Ueno-kōen, and always at festivals. Typical yatai food includes okonomiyaki (お好み焼き; savoury pancakes), yaki-soba (焼きそば; stir-fried noodles) and tai-yaki (たい焼き; fish-shaped cakes stuffed with bean paste).
Food trucks are popular with the downtown office crowd, gathering daily around the Tokyo International Forum at lunchtime; they also make the weekend rounds of farmers markets. And keep an eye out for Tokyo’s original food trucks: the yaki-imo (roasted whole sweet potato) carts that rove the city from October to March crooning ‘yaki-imohhhhh…!’.
Cold soba noodles | KPG_PAYLESS / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Kissaten
Most restaurants (that aren't chains or fast food) in Tokyo only open for lunch and/or dinner. The exception are kissaten (喫茶店) – coffee shops. Many serve 'morning sets' (モーニングセット; mōningu setto) from 8am until around 11am that include thick, buttery toast, a hard-boiled egg and a cup of coffee, for about the same price as a cup of coffee (around ¥500).
Monja-yaki | SASAKEN / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Food to Go
Convenience Stores
Konbini (コンビニ; convenience stores) are a way of life for many Tokyoites. Indeed, there seems to be a Lawson, 7-Eleven or Family Mart on just about every corner. In addition to bentō (boxed meals) and sandwiches, other konbini staples include onigiri (おにぎり), a triangle of rice and nori enveloping something savoury (tuna salad or marinated kelp, for example); niku-man (肉まん), steamed buns filled with pork, curry and more; and, in winter, oden, a dish of fish cakes, hard-boiled egg and vegetables in dashi (fish stock) broth.
Department Store Food Halls
The below-ground floors of Tokyo’s department stores hold fantastic food halls called depachika (literally ‘department store basement’). Dozens of vendors offer a staggering array of foodstuffs of the highest order; most are branches of famous restaurants, producers and confectioners. You can find prepared food, such as sushi and salads to take away, as well as sweets, sembei (rice crackers), tea and sake gorgeously packaged for presentation as gifts. Two depachika to try are Isetan in Shinjuku and Mitsukoshi in Nihombashi.
Curry rice with tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlets) | GRACEACHI / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Farmers Markets
On weekends, farmers markets take place around the city and are a good place to get fresh fruit and bread, plus packaged goods (such as miso and pickles) to take home. Some regular favourites include:
Farmer's Market @UNU Tokyo's largest, every weekend in Aoyama.
Taiyō no Marché (www.facebook.com/taiyounomarche) Second weekend of every month in Kachidoki (near Tsukiji), with a new theme each time.
Yebisu Marché (www.marche-japon.org) Every Sunday from 11am to 5pm at Yebisu Garden Place.
Check out the blog Japan Farmers Markets (www.japanfarmersmarkets.com) to see what else is happening where.
Cooking Courses & Food Tours
ABuddha Bellies Small chef-led courses on sushi and bentō-making.
ATokyo Cook Learn to make shōjin ryōri, vegetarian temple food.
ATokyo Cooking Studio Soba-making lessons from a seasoned pro.
ATokyo Kitchen Japanese standards; can do vegetarian and gluten-free.
ATokyo Sushi Academy Crash course in sushi-making.
Special Diets
AVegetarians & Vegans
Tokyo has a few vegetarian restaurants and many can accommodate the request ‘Bejitarian dekimasu ka’ (Can you do vegetarian?); see Happy Cow (www.happycow.net/asia/japan/tokyo) for a list. One note of caution: often dishes that look vegetarian are not (miso soup, for example) because they are prepared with dashi (fish stock).
AAllergies & Gluten-Free
Many chain restaurants and deli counters label their dishes with icons indicating potential allergens (such as dairy, eggs, peanuts, wheat and shellfish). Gluten-free is hard: many kitchen staples, such as soy sauce, contain wheat and even restaurant staff may not be aware of this. The Gluten-Free Expats Japan Facebook group is a good resource.
AHalal
Tokyo now has more halal options than it used to have. See Halal Gourmet Japan (www.halalgourmet.jp) for a list of restaurants that can accomodate halal (and vegetarian) diners.
Need to Know
Price Range
The following price ranges represent the cost of a meal for one person.
¥ less than ¥2000
¥¥ ¥2000 to ¥5000
¥¥¥ more than ¥5000
Opening Hours
Most restaurants open roughly 11.30am to 2.30pm for lunch and 6pm to 10pm for dinner. Chains usually stay open through the afternoon. Izakaya open around 5pm and run until 11pm or later. Last order is usually 30 minutes before closing.
Reservations
Reservations are recommended for high-end places or for groups of five or more; popular places fill up quickly.
Paying
AIf a bill hasn’t already been placed on your table, ask for it by catching your server’s eye and making a cross in the air (to form a kind of 'x') with your index fingers.
APayment is usually settled at the counter.
ATraditional or smaller restaurants may not accept credit cards.
Tipping
Tipping is not customary, though most high-end restaurants will add a 10% service charge to the bill.
Etiquette
ADon't stick your chopsticks upright in your rice or pass food from one pair of chopsticks to another – both are reminiscent of funereal rites.
AThe Japanese frown upon eating in pu
blic places (on the subway, for example); festivals and parks are two big exceptions.
Useful Websites
Tokyo Food Page (www.bento.com) Listings and review site edited by a Japan Times' dining columnist.
Food Sake Tokyo (https://foodsaketokyo.com) Blog penned by a local food writer with excellent recommendations.
Ramen Adventures (www.ramenadventures.com) The best English-language blog on ramen.
Tabelog (https://tabelog.com/en) English version of Japan's most popular customer-review website.
Eating by Neighbourhood
AMarunouchi & Nihombashi Midrange options for the local office crowd in Marunouchi; classic Japanese in Nihombashi.
ARoppongi, Akasaka & Around Both break-the-bank and midrange options, with a good selection of international cuisines.
AGinza & Tsukiji Upscale restaurants and the best sushi in the city.
AEbisu, Meguro & Around Cosmopolitan and hip, with excellent dining options in all price ranges.
AShibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa Lively, inexpensive restaurants that cater to a young crowd in Shibuya; good izakaya in Shimo-Kitazawa.
AHarajuku & Aoyama Fashionable midrange restaurants and excellent lunch options aimed at shoppers.
AShinjuku & Northwest Tokyo High-end restaurants, under-the-tracks dives and everything in-between; ramen in northwest Tokyo.
AWest Tokyo Nothing fancy, but lots of local faves doing Japanese classics.
AAkihabara, Kagurazaka & Kōrakuen Famous for historic eateries in Kanda, comfort food in Akihabara.
AUeno, Yanesen & Komagome Classic Japanese restaurants, mostly midrange and budget.
AAsakusa & Sumida River Unpretentious Japanese fare, old-school charm and modest prices.
AOdaiba & Tokyo Bay Restaurants popular with teens and families; lots of big chains.
Lonely Planet's Top Choices
Kyūbey
Shinsuke
Kikunoi
Tonki
Tensuke
Kagari
Best by Budget
¥
Onigiri Yadoroku Expert onigiri (rice balls) from the city's oldest specialist.
Harajuku Gyōza-rō Addictive dumplings served all night.
Maisen Delectable tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlets) in a former bathhouse.
d47 Shokudō Regional specialities from around Japan.
¥¥
Kado Classic home-cooking in an old house.
Innsyoutei Lovely place to eat kaiseki-style in Ueno-kōen.
Steak House Satou The most reasonably priced wagyū (Japanese beef) steaks in town.
Apollo Modern Greek (and views over Ginza) in the new Tōkyū Plaza building.
¥¥¥
Kozue Exquisite Japanese dishes and stunning night views over Shinjuku.
Tofuya-Ukai Handmade tofu becomes haute cuisine.
Matsukiya Melt-in-your-mouth sukiyaki.
Best by Cuisine
Tokyo Classics
Monja Kondō Tokyo's oldest monja-yaki restaurant, in Tsukishima, where it all started.
Kappō Yoshiba Chanko-nabe, the protein-rich stew that fattens up sumo wrestlers, served in an old sumo stable.
Ethiopia A classic Jimbōchō curry shop.
Daikokuya Down-home tempura in Asakusa.
Yūrakuchō Sanchoku Inshokugai Lantern-lit alleyway brimming with yakitori stalls (and diners).
Kanda Yabu Soba Venerable Kanda shop making soba since 1880.
Sushi & Seafood
Yanmo Extravagant spreads of seafood, raw and grilled.
Numazukō Tokyo's best conveyor-belt sushi restaurant.
Trattoria Tsukiji Paradiso! Linguine and clams instead of sushi at Tsukiji Market.
Ramen
Gogyō Taste the kogashi (burnt) ramen at this popular late-night haunt.
Harukiya The definitive Tokyo ramen.
Kikanbō A match made in heaven for fans of ramen and spice.
Rokurinsha Find out why Tokyoites can't get enough of tsukemen (noodles with dipping sauce on the side).
Sushi restaurant | MATT MUNRO / LONELY PLANET ©
Best for Old Tokyo Atmosphere
Hantei Deep-fried skewers in a century-old heritage house.
Otafuku Charming 100-year-old oden restaurant.
Omoide-yokochō Atmospheric yakitori stalls near the train tracks.
Komagata Dozeu Landmark restaurant serving dojō-nabe (loach hotpot) for 200 years.
Izakaya
Shirube Loud, lively and hip, serving creative fusion dishes.
Donjaca An izakaya straight out of the Shōwa era (1926–).
Okajōki Sit at the counter around the huge hearth and watch the chefs work their magic.
Vegetarian
Sougo Buddhist temple cuisine.
Mominoki House Gourmet macrobiotic fare.
Nagi Shokudō Hip vegan hang-out.
Street Food
Yamachō The perfect breakfast: rolled omelette on a stick at Tsukiji Outer Market.
Commune 246 Hipster food-truck park.
Nezu no Taiyaki Popular vendor for fish-shaped bean-paste cakes.
6Drinking & Nightlife
Make like Lady Gaga in a karaoke box; sip sake with an increasingly rosy salaryman in a tiny postwar bar; or dance under the rays of the rising sun at an enormous bayside club: that’s nightlife, Tokyo-style. The city's drinking culture embraces everything from refined teahouses and indie coffee shops to craft-beer pubs and maid cafes.
Tokyo's Drinking Culture
Drinking in all its forms is a social lubricant in Japan. If alcohol is not your bag, fear not, as the city is as packed with cafes and teahouses as it is bars and clubs. Cafes are also where you'll tap into Tokyo's fads and fashions, such as cosplay (costume play) at maid cafes or rent-by-the-hour pets at a wide variety of animal cafes.
Where to Drink
Roppongi has the lion’s share of foreigner-friendly bars, while Shinjuku offers the retro warren Golden Gai and the gay-bar district Ni-chōme.
Other top party districts include youthful Shibuya and Harajuku; Shimbashi and Yūrakuchō, which teem with salarymen; and Ebisu and nearby Daikanyama, both of which have some excellent bars. Asakusa's Hoppy-dōri is a fun, retro-style hang-out.
Bars & Izakaya
Places selling alcohol run the gamut from tachinomi-ya (standing-only bars) to ritzy cocktail lounges. A staple is the humble nomiya, patronised by businesspeople and regular customers. Some will demur at serving foreigners who don’t speak or read Japanese.
Izakaya can be cheap places for beer and food in a casual atmosphere resembling that of a pub; more upmarket ones are wonderful places to sample premium sake and the distilled spirit shōchū.
In summer, beer gardens open up on department-store roofs, and in hotel grounds and gardens. Many of these places offer all-you-can-eat-and-drink specials for around ¥4000 per person.
Karaoke & Clubs
If you’ve never tried a karaoke box (a small room rented by you and a few of your friends), it’s definitely less embarrassing than singing in a bar in front of strangers. With booze and food brought directly to your room, it can easily become a guilty pleasure; rooms generally cost around ¥700 per person per hour.
Tokyo holds its own with London and New York when it comes to top dance venues. Top international DJs and domestic artists do regular sets at venues with body-shaking sound systems. Most clubs kick off after 10pm or so, when the volume increases and the floor fills, and continue until dawn (or later).
Cafes & Teahouses
Chain cafes such as Doutor, Tully’s and Starbucks (a nonsmoking oasis with free wi-fi) are common. But don't miss the opportunity to explore Tokyo's vast range of kissa (short for kissaten, nonchain cafes) and tearooms – many are gems of retro or contemporary design, sport art galleries or are showcases for a proprietor's beloved collection, such as vintage jazz records or model trains.
What to Drink
Sake & Shōchū
Japan�
��s national beverage is sake, aka nihonshū (酒 or 日本酒). Made from rice it comes in a wide variety of grades, flavours and regions of origin. According to personal preference, sake can be served hot (atsu-kan), but premium ones are normally served well chilled (reishu) in a small jug (tokkuri) and poured into tiny cups known as o-choko or sakazuki.
More popular than sake, the clear spirit shōchū (焼酎) is made from a variety of raw materials including potato and barley. Because of its potency (alcohol content of around 30%), shōchū is usually served diluted with hot water (oyu-wari) or in a chūhai cocktail with soft drinks or tea.
Beer
Biiru (beer; ビール) is by far Japan's favourite tipple. Lager reigns supreme, although several breweries also offer darker beers, including the top four – Kirin, Asahi, Sapporo and Suntory. The craft-beer scene, however, is booming and at specialist pubs and microbreweries such as Yanaka Beer Hall and Baird Brewery's Harajuku Taproom, you can happily work your way through a bewildering range of ales from across Japan.
Lonely Planet Tokyo Page 5