Follow Me Foodie to Tokyo, Japan!

Follow Me Foodie to Tokyo, Japan!

Follow Me Foodie to Japan – Part 1/Intro

Follow Me Foodie to Kyoto

Where else would you start when visiting Japan? Well it actually depends on what you’re looking for, but if it’s your first time in Japan then Tokyo is the obvious and most popular choice. It’s the capital of Japan and the largest metropolitan area in the world. However when it comes to food, it’s not necessary “the best” in Japan.

Japan itself is a food Mecca and friends told me it made New York look like a joke. Bold statement, but I could see where they were coming from. As I mentioned in Follow Me Foodie to Japan, the Japanese take their food scene to a whole new level – incomparable to other countries. Japanese food culture and how they approach ingredients, cooking and technique is world class.

Tokyo is still a culinary leader in Japan and worldwide, and you can more or less find every cuisine and dish here. However just like most countries, Japan has regional specialities, so if you’re looking to explore a specific dish in depth, then Tokyo might not be the answer. For instance, Kyoto is known for vegetables and in particular tofu, Osaka for okonomiyaki and tako-yaki, and Hakkaido and Sapporo for sashimi connoisseurs. For local food enthusiasts, Tokyo is highly regarded, but not necessarily the most highly regarded ‘food paradise’ in Japan. However it certainly won’t disappoint, and just like most big cities, the options are endless.

I’m not going to lie, but it was intimidating. Tokyo feels like 20 cities crammed into one and technically it’s not even considered a “city”. In Japan it’s a “metropolitan prefecture”, and there are 47 prefectures in Japan, but for the ease of this post, I am calling it a city.

I could spend a lifetime eating my way through Tokyo and I still don’t think I would make a dent. No matter what time of day or what area, there is something to eat. Whether it be a restaurant, izakaya, noodle shop, sushi bar, market or cafe, hunger is one of the easiest feelings to satisfy here.

Since Tokyo is the largest city in Japan, there are obviously going to be more restaurants, selection, choices and competition. With greater demand, often for top quality ingredients, a lot of the supply for the world’s “best” ingredients and products come to Tokyo first. The highest quality seafood, meat and fruits might not be produced in Tokyo, but they’re often saved for Tokyo. Much of the supply comes directly here before being distributed to other parts of Japan. This goes for food from other Japanese cities being brought to Tokyo as well, and not only for imported goods. They are willing to pay the price so often they get top selection, and as I stressed in my post about Japanese People & Culture, quality is rarely scarified and perfection is the ultimate goal.

In an international alpha city, Japanese isn’t the only cuisine although it is the most dominant. Of course being in Japan, Japanese food is top priority, but missing out on the diverse options would be missing out on a major part of Tokyo’s food scene. Due to the way the Japanese tend to approach food, the standard for food in general is quite high. French and Italian cuisine are highly regarded, so these in particular are worthy of exploring. They take food seriously and some of their international options can rival the countries from where they come from.

In 2013, Tokyo had 15 3-Michelin Star restaurants which was the most in the world. I don’t necessarily buy into the Michelin Guide though (in the end it is about selling tires), not to take away from the restaurants who earned it, but the guide doesn’t teach or help understand Japanese cuisine. While I enjoy fine dining, attacking the list of Michelin Star restaurants isn’t a recommended or affordable approach. With so many restaurants, many deserving restaurants don’t get rated, and most foreign palates would not be able to detect the subtle differences in fish and sashimi or even know what to look for. It wouldn’t be a wasted experience, but the value of the experience would be limited. Even if they are not new to Japanese cuisine, Japanese food in Japan is beyond experiences outside of it. I definitely still recommend doing some fine dining if it fits the budget, but even middle-of-the-run restaurants in Japan hold a higher calibre than average restaurants in other countries.

Japan is not all about fine dining, but casual dining is not always affordable either. There isn’t much street food in Japan, but the markets are incredible and comparable to average dining prices on a global scale, if not slightly pricier. The quality and service is generally higher though, and these characteristics are unlike many other Asian countries.

Seasonality is another significant influence in Japanese cuisine and what Japan prides themselves on. They believe their seasons are more dramatic than other counties because they are so distinct, and it really plays a role when it comes to creating a dish. “Eat local” isn’t a new idea, but in Tokyo it is embedded in their food culture and culinary philosophy.

I mentioned in Follow Me Foodie to Japan that a North American understanding of Japanese food doesn’t really extend beyond sushi, izakaya, ramen, tempura and teriyaki. While all these can be found in Tokyo, the styles for each vary from region to region, but it all can be tried here. It might not be the “best of the best“, but a fair representation of most Japanese dishes found throughout Japan can be found in Tokyo. Try not to limit exploration of the cuisine to the expected categories, because it is a narrow view of what Japanese food is, but it’s a starting point to a much longer culinary journey.

Where to eat in Tokyo?

The following are restaurants I tried during Follow Me Foodie to Japan. I researched a list of about 100 restaurants so I obviously did not make them all, but here are some highlights as a first-time tourist in Tokyo.

They are not necessarily “the best” (which is too personal), but they were recommended by Japanese chefs, trusted sources, and friends who either spent time in Japan exploring food, or were/are born and raised there. I tried a lot more food from each restaurant than the photos I’m showing, but this is just a glimpse.

Rokurinsha Tokyo (Ramen Street)
1-9-1 Marunochi, Chiyoda, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan | +81 3-3286-0166
Cuisine: Japanese/ramen
Price: About $10-15USD/per person
Notes: Located in level B1 of First Avenue Tokyo Station (inside train station on “Tokyo Ramen Street”) | considered “best tsukemen in the city” | local/tourist favourite | long lines at peak hours | causal | quick | budget-friendly | Japanese menu
♦♦♦♦♦ – Follow Me Foodie Must Try! (Bonus marks! 100%+)

Gogyo
1-4-36 Nishiazabu, Minato, Tokyo Prefecture 106-0031, Japan | +81 3-5775-5566
Cuisine: Japanese/ramen
Price: About $10-15USD/per person
Notes: Try the signature Burnt Miso Ramen | closes for break at 4:30pm | local favourite | causal | quick | budget-friendly | Japanese and English menu
♦♦♦♦ – Excellent, make a trip out for it. (90-100%)

Hachibe
1-7-6 Ebisu, Shibuya, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan | +81 3-3280-8181
Cuisine: Japanese/Sushi/sashimi
Price: About $20-30+USD/per person
Notes: Good quality| good selection | fresh | omakase or a la carte | limited hot foot available | sushi and sake bar | affordable | local favourite | casual | affordable | good value | after hours | open late | seats 12 | Japanese menu | good sake selection
♦♦♦ – Very good, dining itinerary worthy. (70-89%)

Tsukiji Fish Market (Tokyo Central Wholesale Market)
5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo Prefecture 104-0045, Japan | +81 3-3542-1111
Cuisine: Sushi/sashimi
Price: Varies depending on restaurant (About $20-30+USD/per person)
Notes: Go early – by 5 am | Sushi Dai and Daiwa Sushi have 2+ hours line up and are most popular, but not necessarily that much better than others. | If you want to see the Tuna auction, start lining up at 2:30am. 5am is already too late. | Visiting the fish market is a must-do, and the sushi restaurants are very good value, but not necessarily “the best“.
♦♦♦♦♦ – Follow Me Foodie Must Try/Visit! (Bonus marks! 100%+)

Tonkatsu Wako
6-5-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan |+ 03-3348 0610
Cuisine: Tonkatsu/Japanese
Price: About $15-25/per person
Notes: Inside Tokyo train station | Japanese chain famous for Tonkatsu | I considered it very good, but Tonkatsu gets even better than this | Maisen is most popular for Tonkatsu | good quality | quick | casual | affordable | clean | authentic
♦♦ – Good, with some hits and misses. (50-69% – Closer to 65%+)

Kozue at Park Hyatt
Nishishinjuku | Park Hyatt Hotel, Shinjuku, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan | +81 3-5323-3460
Cuisine: Japanese
Price: $50+USD/per person
Notes: Incredible view | upscale | fine dining | various Tasting Menus | seasonal menus | good sake/cocktail menu | omakase available | quiet/sophisticated ambiance | traditional Japanese | beautiful food | good for entertaining/business/special occasions | Japanese and English menus
♦♦♦♦ – Excellent, make a trip out for it. (90-100%)