Tokyo Restaurants: Reviews & Recs

[cookaburra]

Oh, chankonabe is a great suggestion! There are a number of chankonabe restaurants in Tokyo run by former sumo wrestlers, mostly in Ryogoku (where the sumo stadium is). I think there's a sumo tournament in January, so you could watch sumo and follow that with a chanko dinner. If you don't manage to get sumo tickets, Ryogoku has an excellent museum (Edo Tokyo Museum) that is definitely worth a visit if you have any interest in the history of Tokyo.

Two more nabe places are in the Kanda Awajicho area: Botan, serving tori-suki (sukiyaki made with chicken instead of beef) and Isegen, which specializes in ankou-nabe (nabe made with monkfish/angler fish). I've been to Isegen and had the full course, with monkfish served in a variety of ways. I really enjoyed it. Both places are housed in charming old buildings and offer food that is hard to find elsewhere. The neighborhood has a couple famous old soba shops (Yabusoba and Matsuya) and a Japanese sweets shop (Takemura), so you could start the evening with an appetizer of soba, move on to nabe, and finish up with dessert at Takemura. The place is known for its age-maju (deep-fried mochi filled with red bean jam) and oshiruko (sweet red bean soup) and the tea they serve changes each month to reflect the season. A visit to any of these places is highly recommended.

I have no idea what foods here are not available in Australia, but perhaps unagi, anago and dojo (freshwater eel, conger eel, and loach) fit the bill? Tokyo has good restaurants serving all three, and I think Asakusa is especially well-known, especially for dojo. It's an area you will almost for sure be going to anyway since it is the home of Asakusa Jinja, perhaps Tokyo's best-loved tourist spot.

Hokke is another fish hard to find elsewhere, and although it's caught in Hokkaido you can find it all over Japan.

Tokyo is known for its tsukudani (seaweed and seafood simmered with soy sauce and mirin). The airport and department store basements are easy places to find it. It lasts a long time so is a good thing to bring back home with you.

You will probably also be able to find excellent local seafood (and seaweed) in Northern Honshu. Any idea where exactly the tour will take you?

You may have to go to Kamakura for Shojin ryouri, which is OK because it's a lovely day/overnight trip from Tokyo.

Don't know too much about sake, I'm afraid. But the Tokyo Food Page has info about sake retailers and sake pubs. Again, your Northern Honshu tour might offer some sake possibilities.

Ukai Toriyama is not a Ryotei. I've never been to one- they are extremely expensive and many don't serve walk-ins, prefering costumers to be introduced.

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Thanks for all your imput smallworld.I am definately considering a day trip to Kamakura and if time permits an extra night in Hakone whilst in the area.So Shojin ryouri could be a possibility.

www.bento.com/tokyofood.html]Tokyo Food Page is a great site .Will spend a fair bit of time looking through that.

It seems we may take a 2 night tour to Akita by bus.It promises to offer a few culinary points of interest along the way.

Chankonabe and sumo sounds like a good combination if time permits.And all the other places in the same area sound excellent.My wife has heard of these too.

Ankou is not really seen in Australia.The closest species to it I believe is called Stargazer.Apparently tastes similar to flathead(kochi?).I remember seeing it featured on Iron Chef where the chef fillets it while it hangs vertically from a hook.

Dojo and hokke fish I've never heard of.I'll look out for those!

Tsukudani........I think I'll have to purchase a selection from a major departo to take home.Hope Aussie customs don't mind!

[cookaburra]

Two more nabe places are in the Kanda Awajicho area: Botan, serving tori-suki (sukiyaki made with chicken instead of beef) and Isegen, which specializes in ankou-nabe (nabe made with monkfish/angler fish). I've been to Isegen and had the full course, with monkfish served in a variety of ways. I really enjoyed it. Both places are housed in charming old buildings and offer food that is hard to find elsewhere. The neighborhood has a couple famous old soba shops (Yabusoba and Matsuya) and a Japanese sweets shop (Takemura), so you could start the evening with an appetizer of soba, move on to nabe, and finish up with dessert at Takemura. The place is known for its age-maju (deep-fried mochi filled with red bean jam) and oshiruko (sweet red bean soup) and the tea they serve changes each month to reflect the season. A visit to any of these places is highly recommended.

Sounds like a must do!

Ukai Toriyama is not a Ryotei. I've never been to one- they are extremely expensive and many don't serve walk-ins, prefering costumers to be introduced.

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[Salli Vates]

Sorry, didn't see the previous post! I'll check it out.

Hello,

I'm going to Tokyo tomorrow for about a week. Any must-try places? I love all Japanese food: sushi, sashimi, natto, ankimo, unagi, tempura, soba, ramen, udon, donburi, nabemono, etc.

Edited December 5, 2006 by Salli Vates (log)

[Ohba]

Sorry, didn't see the previous post! I'll check it out.

Hello,

I'm going to Tokyo tomorrow for about a week. Any must-try places? I love all Japanese food: sushi, sashimi, natto, ankimo, unagi, tempura, soba, ramen, udon, donburi, nabemono, etc.

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You're talking about a city that arguably has few rivals anywhere in the world in terms of the number of restaurants, bars, and izakayas, and other places offering food of exceptional quality. It's very hard to give a 'must-try' without seeming to exclude others of similar quality or claim to fame - unless you narrow down your preferences, budget, and location. There's just too much good stuff. If you don't already have any other candidates for sushi places, though, just try the Tsukiji area. You won't be disappointed. It doesn't automatically follow that the place with the biggest lines is the best, either.

Edited December 5, 2006 by Ohba (log)

[Salli Vates]

Thanks. I was there about 10 years ago and ate myself into a coma. Was wondering if there were any new hot places... sure there are millions... just trying to plan a little in advance.

I'd heard rumours that Tsukiji will be closing or moving? 10 years ago, I rode on the back of a fish cart.

[ckruse]

there is a nice tempura place in the Sony building if you want small fancy, or try the food area and Shinjuku for quick on the go stuff. Grocery stores are a must for the pokey sticks (cookie sticks) that come in many flavors.

[smallworld]

Akita? Then you'll probably be eating kiritampo nabe- lucky you! Check the Akita thread for info about local specialties.

I'd never heard of Ukai Chikutei, but it looks nice. You're right, it does serve kaiseki and seems a little fancier than Ukai Toriyama.

Ekiben festivals are quite common at department stores. Ekiben are fun but expensive, and I've found myself disappointed in them a few times. I think ekiben are far better eaten on a train!

Keep us updated on your plans, Cookaburra.

[cookaburra]

Akita? Then you'll probably be eating kiritampo nabe- lucky you! Check the Akita thread for info about local specialties.

I'd never heard of Ukai Chikutei, but it looks nice. You're right, it does serve kaiseki and seems a little fancier than Ukai Toriyama.

Ekiben festivals are quite common at department stores. Ekiben are fun but expensive, and I've found myself disappointed in them a few times. I think ekiben are far better eaten on a train!

Keep us updated on your plans, Cookaburra.

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Thanks sw.

For those interested the link for local Japanese foods is here http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=49980.A wonderful source of information collated by Torakris.

Will keep you updated

[purpleplasticdoll]

Hey cookaburra, :-) what is this soybean farm restaurant you're talking about? Sounds really interesting. Are you talking about this http://www.soybeanfarm.co.jp/ ? I'd love to check out this place when I'm in Tokyo this december(I'll be there the same time as you!) Do you know the directions?

And by the way... does anybody know of a restaurant that specializes in tofu?I love tofu haha

[torakris]

And by the way... does anybody know of a restaurant that specializes in tofu?I love tofu haha 

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I really like Ume no Hana for tofu. I have been there a couple times now and am never disappointed. The food changes with the seasons and the prices (for lunch!) are very reasonable.

There is some discussion, with pictures, starting with this post in the Kaiseki thread.

[cookaburra]

Hey cookaburra, :-) what is this soybean farm restaurant you're talking about? Sounds really interesting. Are you talking about this http://www.soybeanfarm.co.jp/ ? I'd love to check out this place when I'm in Tokyo this december(I'll be there the same time as you!) Do you know the directions?

And by the way... does anybody know of a restaurant that specializes in tofu?I love tofu haha 

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Yes that's the one.I went there in September 1999.

It is in Kichijoji.Will give you the address if I can find it.I still have the pamphlet from there.A small place of only about 20 seats-one chef,2-3 waitstaff/helpers.We had cabbage rols stuffed with chicken mince sv with a white miso and sesame sc;onigiri in a cylinder shape;miso soup w/daikon,carrot,charred peeled eggplant;and tea.The only way I can remember this is because I took notes and still have them.That day we walked around Kichijoji-lots to see.

Ume no hana is great we went there twice.Once for lunch on that trip in 1999.

We went to the Tachikawa site.I took notes there too.Will tell you what we had soon as soon as I get some more time.Great value and lots of variety.

[cookaburra]

And by the way... does anybody know of a restaurant that specializes in tofu?I love tofu haha  

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I really like Ume no Hana for tofu. I have been there a couple times now and am never disappointed. The food changes with the seasons and the prices (for lunch!) are very reasonable.

There is some discussion, with pictures, starting with this post in the Kaiseki thread.

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Thanks for the link.I didn't realise we could read all that information in English about Ume no Hana.Very interesting !

[Salli Vates]

thanks for your replies. I ended up having a great time! if you want to read about it I posted a bunch of blogs about it. I haven't totally updated it.... for example I wanted to post about Toriyoshi, some great Kamakura oshiruko and some Western pastries I had in in Japan (including a killin' fleur de sel croissant and a mandarin orange Valrhona chocolate cake), but will soon.

[thdad]

I will be visiting Tokyo in mid-March for about four days to benchmark restaurants that fall under the following categories:

1. Steak and/or Seafood Buffet Restaurants

2. Organic (Vegetarian or Non-Vegetarian) Restaurants

3. Steakhouse/Grill Restaurants

4. Other Noteworthy and Trendy Eateries in Tokyo (can be any type, from fast food to fine dining serving any type of food)

I would very much appreciate any input from Egulleters living in Tokyo (and rest of Japan). The restaurants can range from casual dining to fine dining establishments.

Also, does anybody know if a steak house called Bronco Billy (it's in Nagoya, supposedly) has an outlet in Tokyo?

Thanks all for your input!

[Blether]

Hi, thdad. I think I can make some suggestions, but first - why are you doing this ? For fun ? To write about it ? As commercial research ? (And why these particular categories, if your purpose doesn't answer that ?)

[thdad]

Hi, thdad.  I think I can make some suggestions, but first - why are you doing this ?  For fun ?  To write about it ?  As commercial research ?  (And why these particular categories, if your purpose doesn't answer that ?)

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Mainly for personal information, but also for work reasons. I want to look at some food trends that are popular in Korea and compare them with equivalents in Japan -- that's the work part, but my personal curiosity is greater so it feels more like a personal research project for me... Hope that answers your question

[Blether]

1.  Steak and/or Seafood Buffet Restaurants

2.  Organic (Vegetarian or Non-Vegetarian) Restaurants

3.  Steakhouse/Grill Restaurants

4.  Other Noteworthy and Trendy Eateries in Tokyo (can be any type, from fast food to fine dining serving any type of food)

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Gotcha. I hope you'll forgive me, but coming to Tokyo, steak isn't an obvious first choice

In steaks, you're looking at mostly Aussie beef now (US beef hasn't come back since the ban's withdrawal last year) or the famous wagyu style. Personally the buttery-fatty-melting-but-not-very-beefy steak experience doesn't really work for me even at the same price level, so I'm not the person to ask about wagyu.

That said, the New York Grill at Shinjuku's Park Hyatt hotel is our flagship in steaks, and it's way up in the same tower as (and very close to) the bar that Bill Murray hung out at in 'Lost in Translation'. (Incidentally, I can recommend Robbie Swinnerton's reviews (of which the link shows one) at The Japan Times - just go to their home page and search on his name. Mostly middle-to-high-end).

Again high-end, Porterhouse opened a couple of years ago just at the south end of Aoyama cemetery, where there used to be a Ken's Chanto Dining. It's a lovely space but I was surprised to be offered their top steak as 'aged for 40 days', which to me just means they couldn't sell it. Mushy and disappointing at USD150 a head.

Is there a steak restaurant trend in Korea ? Someone may correct me, but I don't think we have one in Japan: there are steak restaurants, but it's not a current- or even recent- opening trend. I can't pretend to be comprehensive, but for example:

Sizzler in Nishi-Shinjuku (and branches) is a grill restaurant chain

B&M Steakhouse has branches in southwest Tokyo

Hungry Tiger is a good, small mid-range chain but technically in Yokohama

You'll more often find beef as a theme in (irony of ironies) adopted-from-Korea 'Yakiniku' joints, which you'll find all over, and from cheap-to expensive; and in shabu-shabu places. Gyukaku is a pretty reliable, inexpensive without being cheap, yakiniku chain - their basement outlet very near Roppongi crossing was always good, though it's been a year or more now, for me. MoMo Paradise does good shabu-shabu on a 'tabehoudai' (all-you-can-eat) basis for about 15 bucks, which is a score in the winter - though you may have already missed winter, this year.

Seafood buffet ? Well, we call that sushi and sashimi I know of one place with branches at least in Hibiya and Shinjuku, that does a more Western-style laid-out seafood thing, but it's been a few years for that, too, and the name hasn't come back to me yet - The Marine Bar, or something like it ?

Does that help ?

[thelobster]

The newish Beacon Urban Chophouse is probably the best steakhouse in town at the moment, especially in terms of value for money. Oak Door in the Grand Hyatt is also very good, although pricey. Here are a few more options.

There are a lot of organic restaurants these days, but No no Budo is an interesting corporate chain shop in that space.

Edited March 6, 2007 by thelobster (log)

[thdad]

Much thanks to blether and thelobster for offering steakhouse suggestions.

Blether, Outback Steakhouse is one of the largest casual dining restaurant chain in Korea (?!). Places that serve steak with salad bar (Sizzler style) are also very popular. Bear in mind that Korea is the birthplace of bulgogi and galbi, so Koreans are traditionally hearty beef eaters.

Are there other non-steak related eateries that could be recommended high on trendiness?

[Blether]

Outback ? Yeah, that's a point too - Outback outlets in Japan

To come back and add to your earlier query on organic places, I haven't been, but I remembered having heard recommendations for this place - LOHAS in Nishi-Shinjuku (details). In the detailed page, we can see it's busy 12-1 and 8-9; popular with 20's and 30's; typically half group and half non-group; there are quite a lot of couples; more women than men; and it's half-and-half quiet/loud. I love these Japanese guides this one (Gourmet Pia) and Women's Excite do a similar thing.

Trendy ? What does trendy mean to you ? Popular with everyone ? Popular with a certain group ? Patronised by people from the fashion/media/arts worlds ? Full of celebrities ? Full of foodies ? Full of foreigners ? Young people ? Rich people ? Part of the current trend in openings ?

In my home area, Shinjuku, many of the new openings right now are authentic Korean places like 'three layer pork' and the rest. In Shibuya, say, it's another story. If you're willing to stumble around in here - Guru-nabi new openings this month - you can get a feel for what's opening in each part of the city, even if just by looking at the pictures.

A short answer might be, go to Roppongi Hills, or to the 'maru biru' (Marunouchi Building) in Marunouchi. I don't think Roppongi's midtown is open yet, but I can't say I'm following it closely. Maybe someone else knows. The big new developments are a beacon for public attention, so if that kind of trendy works for you, look at them.

Edited March 6, 2007 by Blether (log)

[Blether]

Tabelog lists its top-ranked restaurants in Tokyo. (Taberu = 'to eat', so, 'Eatblog' ?). That is, as rated by those who are engaged enough to be providing ratings to this fairly major website.

(Top group - overall top rankings. Below that - best two in each food category. Links to further rankings in each category).

Edited March 6, 2007 by Blether (log)

[larrylee]

You'll more often find beef as a theme in (irony of ironies) adopted-from-Korea 'Yakiniku' joints, which you'll find all over, and from cheap-to expensive; and in shabu-shabu places.  Gyukaku is a pretty reliable, inexpensive without being cheap, yakiniku chain - their basement outlet very near Roppongi crossing was always good, though it's been a year or more now, for me. 

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Blether, interesting post. But why is that an irony of ironies?

I'm also curious about "three layer pork" that you mentioned in post #7. Is that the same thing as samgyeopsal? Basically, uncured pork belly sliced thin and grilled, often dipped in a mix of sesame seed oil, salt, and pepper. Sometimes served with ssam.

(edited to correct html tags)

Edited March 7, 2007 by larrylee (log)

[Blether]

Blether, interesting post. But why is that an irony of ironies?

I'm also curious about "three layer pork" that you mentioned in post #7. Is that the same thing as <em>samgyeopsal</em>? Basically, uncured pork belly sliced thin and grilled, often dipped in a mix of sesame seed oil, salt, and pepper. Sometimes served with <em>ssam</em>.

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Hi, Larrylee. Are you OK ? You seem to have been choked off mid-sentence

Thdad specifically stated, I think, that one of his aims was to compare the restaurant trends in Tokyo with those in Korea... if they turn out to be Korean, there's some irony there, no ? I even wondered if he is based in Korea.

To go into that list and pull out some examples:

Korean sake and samgyopsal Biton (lit., beautiful pork')

Korean three-layer pork belly and family cooking Doyaji

Real Korean yakiniku and family cooking Oba-chan ('Aunty')

Korean home cooking Norubune

Korean home cooking Chegoya (Yoyogi branch)

Korean pork cuisine Teji Tokyo

I'm not real familiar with genuine Korean food, myself, and have never visited Korea. What are the other things that 'three layer pork' could be, if not "samugyopusaru" ?

And, may I ask you a question ? What is the name of the Korean TV drama series that has been a major hit in Japan over the last couple of years, sparking the 'Korean boom' that the blossoming here of Korean cuisine is evidence of ? Would you say it's a trend, or trendy, or both ?

[thdad]

The name of that Korean TV drama is probably "Kyeoul Yonga" starring Bae, Yong Jun as the male lead. I've read somewhere that his appearance in Tokyo resulted in a stampede of Japanese female fans who tried to get a closer look at him.

There is another drama called "Dae Jang Geum" which deals with the life of a female cook who works in the royal court during the Chosun dynasty.

(Blether, yes guessed correctly -- I live and work in Korea)

[larrylee]

You mentioned "3 layer pork" in the previous post without links or other references so I couldn't tell. Looking at all those pictures of pork is sure making me hungry. That's definitely samgyeopsal. I believe it translates literally as "3 (sam) layers (gyop) fat (sal)."

I think thdad's nailed the Korean dramas. I've heard that Bae Yong Joon s more popular abroad than he is in Korea itself, but that's neither here nor there. thdad might be better able to answer that question.

I can't speak to the trendiness factor. All I can say is that personally, I love Korean food and I think it's spread is a good thing for the global palate. I think the proximity of the two countries will ensure a steady state of cultural exchange.