Restaurants in Tokyo
Whether you are watching a sumo match, shopping or hopping from temple to temple, you’ll get hungry in frenetic Tokyo. Seek restaurants in Tokyo that match your budget, taste and preferred atmosphere. Eating in this big city is a great opportunity not only to sample the best of Japanese cuisine but also to soak in the varied themes and cultural sophistication of its establishments. From the lowliest sushi place to the most luxurious restaurants, the capital city offers thousands of choices to satisfy your craving for filled dumplings, tsukune, and tempura.
Where to begin
Despite its popularity and availability in sushi bars everywhere, sushi is still considered an expensive delicacy in Japan. To get cheap yet tasty sushi, visit the tiny sushi restaurants near the Tsukiji fish market. These sushi places are very compact yet authentically appealing. Beginners can try the basic set-to (Japanese for set) of six nigiri (morsels) and a bowl of hot soup. If you can’t speak Japanese well enough to order ala carte, most restaurants have menus with pictures of the dishes they serve. The best time to get fresh sushi is from 5 to 8 am. You can also find kaitenzhushi or “conveyor belt sushis” in the city center, although they are considered inferior to freshly made sushi. They are good enough if you are rushing through Tokyo, or simply shopping and sightseeing.
Casual eating
Inexpensive izakayas are where you can drink and dine on good food and meet the everyday Japanese salary men and office ladies. You’ll find mood-enhancing izakayas everywhere. Favorite orders are grilled chicken (yakitori) and okonomiyaki (yam pancakes topped with meat or dessert). In the Tokyo suburbs, you can enjoy grilled tofu, meat or shitake mushrooms in the neighborhood robatayaki. If you want to experience the exotic flavors of Japanese cuisine, then head to the noodle shops and order a savory bowl of soba (brown noodles) or udon (white noodles). Do not ignore the food courts in the train stations and department stores, because they offer dozens of choices in one sitting.
Tips on finding great Tokyo dining options
One very good tip in looking for restaurants with the best food in Tokyo is to look for long queues outside the door. Don’t worry, these lines tend to move fast. You can usually find menus in English and Japanese with prices posted on the waiting area or outside the door, so you can compare and calculate your food budget. Restaurants with fabulous plastic representations of their food displayed under glass counters make it easy for you to just drag out your waiter and point to the dishes you like.
Never go hungry in the city
When traveling for the first time or when with family, finding restaurants during your travel in Tokyo shouldn’t be daunting. Simply surf online for English-language reviews from past visitors for recommended dining places, and you can’t go wrong. You can still count on global fast food brands and Japanese versions of western and other Asian cuisine when all else fails!