Tokyo Restaurants: Reviews & Recs

[Hiroyuki]

It's a small world!! Hiroo is where I was born!!

***

What about sushi-go-round restraurants in Shibuya?

http://gourmet.yahoo.co.jp/gourmet/restaur...O-7RAYC001.html

http://gourmet.yahoo.co.jp/gourmet/restaur...0013005676.html

http://gourmet.yahoo.co.jp/gourmet/restaur...O-7RAFL001.html

Shibuya is full of such restraurants, and is definitely a place for young people.

[torakris]

English guides to restaurants in Japan:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=20889

For one of the first days you are there take an early morning trip to Tsukiji fish market (take advantage of that jet leg!) and get some great sushi

I would also recommend you try to eat okonomiyaki/monjyayaki, tonkatsu, ramen, convenience store bentos and pig out for free at the department store basements for your cheap meals and save up for some nicer meals maybe a kaiten sushi or a kaiseki meal.

[Verjuice]

Thank you very much.

So... how about three personal faves in all pf Tokyo that you can personally recommend? I've read lots of your posts and you certainly seem like you know your stuff.

[Hiroyuki]

I don't want to sound obtrusive, but if you care for tonkatsu (there is a thread on tonkatsu in the Japan section) and tempura, may I suggest:

Tonkatsu:

三金 "San-kin" in Yotsuya (四谷) (there is one in Shinjuku (新宿), too)

http://gourmet.yahoo.co.jp/gourmet/restaur...03/P000817.html

Tempura:

つな八 "Tsu-na-ha-chi" in Shinjuku (新宿) (there are a lot more in Tokyo and other areas)

http://www.tunahachi.co.jp/store/fr_01.html

(Don't order tempura piece by piece, or you will be sorry when you look at the bill.)

[Hiroyuki]

I must say this: You don't understand! Eat fabulously? A couple of heftier meals? Forget them! You don't have to pay through the nose to really enjoy Japanese foods. In fact, you don't have to pay any money. Go to depachika!! What's depachika? It's the basement food floor of a department store. Every department store in Japan has a depachika (de-pa-chi-ka), and there are sampling corners there. Try whatever you like. But, don't buy anything. Say the magic words, "Ma-ta ki-ma-su" (I'll (or we'll) come again) and leave.

Save money and use all the money you can spend on the restaurants I mentioned above. It's really a take-it-or-leave-it situation. Whether you will find yourself in paradise or in misery, that depends on your decision.

***

Sorry if I have offended you, but that's the very best suggestion I can make. Hope you'll make a wonderful trip to Japan.

Correction: The Shinjuku branch of San-kin no longer exists.

Edited April 11, 2004 by Hiroyuki (log)

[helenjp]

http://www2.neweb.ne.jp/wc/kanagata/hiroo-restaurant-map-eng.htm

My husband's company used to have their offices in Hiroo. He highly recommends the inexpensive basement Thai restaurant right opposite the Hiroo subway station...but he can't remember the name of the restaurant!

Also...plenty of restaurants in the big complex near Arisugawa Park (Arisugawa Gardens??? couldn't find it online), and in Ebisu Gardens near Shibuya (within walking distance of Hiroo if you're persistent).

Generally a good area for restaurants anyway, Japanese and French most popular, with South-East Asian following fast behind. The map on the link at top included lots of familiar names, and there are details elsewhere on the same site.

The German bakery near the station is a very familiar Hiroo landmark.

[Hiroyuki]

I LOVE Maxim's de Paris, though I've never been there.

http://www.maxim-s.co.jp/

Sorry, entirely in Japanese. How come they don't have an English version?

[torakris]

for a little fun, you might want to check out one of these places:

Food theme parks:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=38855

[smallworld]

So... how about three personal faves in all pf Tokyo that you can personally recommend?

Three things you should absolutely try: sushi, wa-gyu (Japanese beef), kaiseki.

First, sushi. Take Kristin's advice and head to Tsukiji on your first or second morning. After wandering around the market and being amazed at the incredible variety of seafood available, have a sushi breakfast at one of the many small sushi shops surrounding the market. I think they're all good, but two famous shops (each with a few branches in the area) are:

Sushi zanmai (I've eaten here and it's good)

http://www.kiyomura.net/omise.htm (Japanese)

And Sushisen

http://www.sakanaya-group.com/01sushisen/english/main.html (English, sort of)

If you have a chance, try another sushi meal, this time at a kaiten-zushi restaurant. It will be a very different experience from Tsukiji, but it should be interesting. The quality of kaiten-zushi varies considerably between restaurants, so you should get a recommendation first. I've heard that Shibuya has some great kaiten-zushi but am not familiar with the area, maybe somebody here knows a good place?

Next, wa-gyu. First choose how you want it- steak, shabu-shabu, sukiyaki, or yakiniku (Korean bbq).

For the first three, I recommend Seryna in Roppongi (an entertainment district near Hiroo).

Steak at the Mon Cher Ton Ton branch:

http://www.seryna.co.jp/shop/moncher-e.html (English)

Shabu-shabu at the main branch:

http://www.seryna.co.jp/shop/honten-e.html (English)

Or travel a bit north to Shinjuku (big shopping/entertainment district) for shabu-shabu 52 floors up and enjoy the great view:

http://www.seryna.co.jp/shop/shinjyuku-e.html (English)

For yakiniku, one of my all-time favourite places is Rokkasen in Shinjuku. It's more of a great restaurant featuring delicious beef than an authentically Korean restuarant. It offers very reasonable courses with Matsuzaka-gyu, one of the best (THE best?) kinds of wa-gyu. There are 5000, 6000, 8000 and 10,000 yen Matsuzaka-niku courses, each with a generous selection of appetizers, kimchi, and salad; three kinds of beef- depending on the course you'll get tounge, kalbi (spelling?), fillet or roast in various grades; lobster; a choice of rice or noodle dish- ishiyaki bibimba, crab okayu (congee), reimen (cold Korean noodles in broth), or kalbi-kuppa (a lovely soup with rice); and small dessert.

Outstanding value! I've been several times and have tried all of the courses expept the most expensive one, and have just loved everything. Even with the cheapest course you'll get top-quality, juicy, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth beef, and the more expensive courses just get better. And the dishes and presentation are beautiful.

There are also all-you-can-eat courses featuring generic kuro-gyu, the lower (still great) grade of wa-gyu. Never tried these but I wouldn't expect them to be as good as the Matsuzaka-niku courses.

I know I sound like an ad, but I LOVE this place.

http://www.rokkasen.co.jp/ (Japanese)

Finally, kaiseki. I don't have any favourite places (I've tried it just a few times, always as someone else's treat) but if I had a big wad of cash to blow on a fancy night out I'd definately try Kozue at the Park Hyatt in Shinjuku (the fabulous hotel featured in "Lost in Translation". Heard many good things about it.

http://tokyo.park.hyatt.com/tyoph/dining_04.html (English, but if I knew how to do it I'd link the hotel's far superior Japanese site http://www.parkhyatttokyo.com/ )

If time allows, other things to try are yakitori, kushi-age (deep-fried skewered delights), soba, monja-yaki, an izakaya (Japanese-style pub), ramen and unagi.

And of course a visit to a depa-chika (department store basement). Good place to see the variety of Japanese (and otherwise) food available, and a great place to find your Frehch-style pastries. But I'm afraid that few depa-chika give away samples these days, at least not the big downtown ones. (Or maybe just not to me...)

[Hiroyuki]

I've heard that Shibuya has some great kaiten-zushi but am not familiar with the area, maybe somebody here knows a good place?

Here I come! You didn't call me, though.

There are just too many of them for me to report on all of them.

So, just a brief description.

In Shibuya, there is a lot of competition among sushi-go-round restraurants. That's exactly why you should go there. (Let me say this: I've never been to any of these restraurants except Bikkuri Zushi. It's more than a decade ago that I left Tokyo. You know, Tokyo is NO place to live, at least for me.)

The list is in order of preference ("my" preference):

1) 回転寿司築地本店

Ka-i-ten-zu-shi Tsu-ki-ji Hon-ten

Every item 100 yen per plate; always a long line of people waiting.

http://gourmet.yahoo.co.jp/gourmet/restaur...0013005692.html

2) 江戸一鮨

E-do-i-chi-zushi

Worthy of mention. Operated as a conventional sushi bar for 45 years, changed their directions to start a sushi-go-round restraurant.

http://gourmet.yahoo.co.jp/gourmet/restaur...O-7RAYC001.html

3) 回転寿司寅ちゃん

Ka-i-ten-zu-shi To-ra-chan

Hon maguro (blue-fin tuna) (a plate contains 3 pcs): 200 yen

http://gourmet.yahoo.co.jp/gourmet/restaur...0013005676.html

4) びっくり寿司

Bi-kku-ri Zu-shi

Mackerel: 130 yen

http://gourmet.yahoo.co.jp/gourmet/restaur...O-7RAFL001.html

Others:

5) Cafe Sushi

Calfornia-roll-like roll:400 yen

http://gourmet.yahoo.co.jp/gourmet/restaur...06/P020832.html

6) CafeSushi宮益坂

Cafe Sushi Mi-ya-ma-su-zaka

Western-style sushi bar.

http://gourmet.yahoo.co.jp/gourmet/restaur...0013010979.html

Have fun!!

If you need more specific information, feel free to ask.

Don't foreget tonkatsu and tempura!!

[torakris]

a good write up of Roppongi Hills (all in English):

http://www.sushiandtofu.com/sushi_and_tofu...iHills_0308.htm

[torakris]

If you are having problems reading the menu maybe this can help:

http://www.japaninyourpalm.com/

[dornachu]

Hi all-

I will be visiting tokyo for the first time and I cannot tell you how excited I am. I have several questions for those who live there (Kris sensei) and those who visited!!

I'll be staying at the grand hyatt ( i forget the name of the district) for one night, and Shinjiku for the remaining two nites. I want some really good food!!

I will definately try to go to the fish market for sushi, but I was told that you have to get tehre really early, can I still go after the first train is scheduled?

I want to also try like a hot pot meal, the sumibiyaki thing, or hot pot meals. Do they have something like that in the shinjiku district?

What about those yummy crab meals? is that seasonal?

Any good, authentic ramen place in areas where I'm staying?

I'm planning to go to the temples (hopefully they have street food there?), visit the ueno district, shopping at shijiku, window shopping at ginza.

what else should I do?

Thanks!

[torakris]

are you going to be able to fit this all in in 3 days!!?

My first question would be how much are you looking to spend?

Are you on a pretty tight budget? want to go all out? or somewhere inbetween?

You can kill two birds with one stone and go to Senzan, a crab restaurant and get their wonderful kani (crab) shabu shabu ( a type of hot pot).

I will be back with a link....

EDIT:

oops Senzan seems to be Yokohama based..... I thought there were branches in Tokyo as well.. I know there is a crab restaurant just one minute from Shinjuku station, easily identifiable by the huge crab clinging to te wall outside.

I will be back later with more...

Edited September 7, 2004 by torakris (log)

[dornachu]

Hi Kris-

Thank you for your info- Yes, I'm trying to fit all those in 3 days, actually, 4 days at 3 nites!! My budget is okay, I can spend about 60/person on dinner, ( I don't know about those 100+ kaiseki meals!!) and the crab dinner i'm willing to pay more. I think the sushi breakfast at the fish market should be pretty cheap, I just want to try the good crab dinner that I see when watching one of those japanese drama (forgot the name, but it was about newsbroadcast, not the new anchor one). Yum yum!

Does the shinjuku station has different exits? do you have the name of that crab restaurant?

Thanks!

[Palladion]

Hi Kris-

Thank you for your info- Yes, I'm trying to fit all those in 3 days, actually, 4 days at 3 nites!! My budget is okay, I can spend about 60/person on dinner, ( I don't know about those 100+ kaiseki meals!!) and the crab dinner i'm willing to pay more.  I think the sushi breakfast at the fish market should be pretty cheap, I just want to try the good crab dinner that I see when watching one of those japanese drama  (forgot the name, but it was about newsbroadcast, not the new anchor one). Yum yum!

←

If you're going for one of the well known sushi places at the Tsukiji market, I've read that it can go for around ￥2500, depending on how much you eat, of course.

Does the shinjuku station has different exits?

←

Heehee! Shinjuku station has got to be one of the largest train stations in the world.

Just googled and found something online that said that it's the busiest train station in the world, as well as the second largest. I've read before that between 2 and 3 million people use it every day. I've been there 9 or so times now, and I've gotten lost 3 of those times.

Shinjuku station always boggles my mind.

-------

Alex Parker

[torakris]

Just googled and found something online that said that it's the busiest train station in the world, as well as the second largest. I've read before that between 2 and 3 million people use it every day. I've been there 9 or so times now, and I've gotten lost 3 of those times.

Shinjuku station always boggles my mind.

-------

Alex Parker

←

You have only been lost 3 out of 9 times???!!

I have gotten lost EVERY SINGLE TIME!! It takes me about an hour and asking at least 5 different people before I can even find an exit and it usually isn't even the right one!! I have started avoiding Shinjuku station whenever possible, come out the wrong exit and you could be lost for days........

[dornachu]

You guys are frightening me!!! Thank god I'm not staying at the century or park hyatt!! Or else, i won't be able to find my hotel!!

Is Grand Hyatt a convenience place to stay? I thought my shopping will be mostly done at Shinjuku, no?

Here my plan:

Day One: Early mornign visit to the fish market, Visit Temples in Asakusa... get traditional souvenirs Go Ueno for shopping in market (very cheap) Maybe Akihabara for some electric or computer shopping Window shopping in Ginza In expensive Kaiseki at Nihonbashi or Ginza

Day two: Roppongi Hills and Shibuya area get gadgets at Roppongi and HarajukuVisit Meiji Jingu and stroll in Yoyoki park Ramen from Kyushu at Harajuku for lunch, Tokyo Tower for night scene Dinner at Umenohana

Day Three- hmmm.... don't know now... but want to try a sukiyaki dinner or Kani.

Sound reasonable?

[smallworld]

Dornachu,

Frommers has a few ideas for you.

The Grand Hyatt is in the new Roppongi Hills complex. Some good eating there, but the focus is on big-name celebrity chefs, with lots of international dining- probably not what you're after.

The neighborhood is called Roppongi and is a good place to start- it's an entertainment district popular with foreigners, so many restaurants can provide some level of service in English.

Two possibilities in Roppongi- Inaka-ya, serving robata-yaki (maybe this is what you mean by sumibi-yaki?) and Seryna, a shabu-shabu place. One branch in Roppongi specializes in crab shabu-shabu (Japanese beef also available), another specializes in Japanese beef (crab also available).

Roppongi is also not very far from Tsukiji. The first train will be fine, I think you will miss the tuna auction though (I've actually never seen this and I'm not even sure if spectators are allowed anyway).

Tsukiji is walking distance to Ginza, but the shops will likely still be closed when you're done with the fish market, so the nearby Hamarikyu Garden is a nice place to spend a few hours.

Alternatively, if you find yourself in the Ginza area in the evening, you're in luck- just a short walk away in Yurakucho are dozens of yakitori bars nestled under the train tracks. An excellent Tokyo experience

Shinjuku is another great place to stay- one of my favourite areas of Tokyo. What hotel? This would be the place to try your ramen. Can't really recommend a specific place, as there are so many- just pick one at random or ask a local (any suit-wearing middle aged businessman should be able to help).

[torakris]

I don't think this is the crab restaurant I am familiar with but I found one by shinjuku st. called Tarabaya, looks great!

http://www.kora.co.jp/html/shop/tarabaya.htm

[torakris]

You guys are frightening me!!! Thank god I'm not staying at the century or park hyatt!! Or else, i won't be able to find my hotel!!

Is Grand Hyatt a convenience place to stay?  I thought my shopping will be mostly done at Shinjuku, no?

Here my plan:

Day One:  Early mornign visit to the fish market, Visit Temples in Asakusa... get traditional souvenirs Go Ueno for shopping in market (very cheap) Maybe Akihabara for some electric or computer shopping Window shopping in Ginza In expensive Kaiseki at Nihonbashi or Ginza

Day two:  Roppongi Hills and Shibuya area get gadgets at Roppongi and HarajukuVisit Meiji Jingu and stroll in Yoyoki park  Ramen from Kyushu at Harajuku for lunch,  Tokyo Tower for night scene Dinner at Umenohana

Day Three-  hmmm.... don't know now... but want to try a sukiyaki dinner or Kani.

Sound reasonable?

←

Sounds like a good plan!

I would start your second day early and go first to Yoyogi/Meiji Jingu as those will be open early. then finish up with a walk through Harajuku/Shibuya maybe Omotesando as well? These are all in walking distance. There is a new trend for stores, especially those in department stores, not to open up 11:00am! so try to plan the mornings for things that are outside and save the shopping for a little later in the day.

Depending on how lost you get this could be a whole day in itself maybe ending at Tokyo tower for a nice view.

Day 3 you might want to spend at Roppongi and other areas, do you have any interests? anything else you really want to see?

By the way, don't bother going to the top of Tokyo tower if it is overcast or cloudy, you will not be able to see anything and it will be a huge waste of money! Tokyo tower itself is a fun place to go, besides and aquarium they also have a wax musuem and a museum of "magic" tricks, can't think of waht else to call this...

[Palladion]

Here my plan:

Day One:  Early mornign visit to the fish market, Visit Temples in Asakusa... get traditional souvenirs Go Ueno for shopping in market (very cheap) Maybe Akihabara for some electric or computer shopping Window shopping in Ginza In expensive Kaiseki at Nihonbashi or Ginza

←

Kappabashi, the resraurant supply district, is located between Asakusa and Ueno. If you're using the Ginza subway line to go from Asakusa to Ueno, just get off at Tawaramachi.

You might want to spend 30 or an hour looking around. The sheer variety of stuff for sale is amazing. Kappabashi is most famous for selling the plastic display food found in restaurant across Japan, but they also sell just about everything else you'd need to equip a restaurant.

-------

Alex Parker

[Palladion]

Just remembered! Another reason to check out Kappabashi is to look inside a variety of the tableware stores along the street. Some of them have very beautiful Japanese-style plates, bowls, and other dishes.

Don't go there overburdened by big bags, though. Many (most) of the stores try to pack in as much stuff as possible, and have rather small aisles. And you do not want to be accidentally knocking things over in a fancy tableware shop. Thankfully, I'm not speaking from personal experience. But it was a little annoying trying to manuever around with a full backpack.

-------

Alex Parker

[torakris]

Alex's reply just reminded me to tell you to not miss the 100 yen shops!

It you are looking for nice dishes, snack foods and gifts for friends back home this is definitely to place to find them.

I currently buy all of my dishes at the 100 yen shops!

[Hiroyuki]

torakris is absolutely right!!

Here's a thread (which I started):

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=42203&hl=