Tokyo & Kyoto Trip

[RickBehl]

I am travelling to Tokyo (2 nights) and Kyoto (5 nights) next week on my own. I am primarily going to photograph the autumn colours but as I am a real foodie I wonder if anyone has suggestions for solo dining. Also I don't particularly want to break the bank so my budget will be up to USD 30 for lunch and maybe USD 50 for dinner. I may have one splurge if I find a suitable place... So what I am looking for are the budget-mid price gems that locals and maybe ex-pats have made popular... I don't speak Japanese so ideally places that have English menus/staff...

The list of foods on my to-try are:

Tonkatsu

Unagi

Sushi

Yakitori

Tempura

Sukiyaki/Shabu-Shabu

Izakaya

Not sure if all of the above are suitable for lone diners (eg, Shabu-Shabu is probably more a communal experience)

Here are some thoughts for Tokyo so far:

Breakfast: Daiwa Sushi

Lunches: Butagami or Tonki, Izu-Ei or Nodaiwa

Dinners: Birdland, Tsunahachi Rin or Asagi

I'm staying in Shinjuku in Tokyo and would prefer not to travel too far to get to restaurants.

Any thoughts?

Rick

[robirdstx]

My husband and I spent a week in Kyoto almost five years ago to attend our son's wedding. We stayed at a business hotel across from Kyoto station. We had several of our casual meals at a restuarant in Kyoto Station - none of the staff spoke English but the menu included photos of the dishes, so we just pointed at what we wanted to eat. The prices were very reasonable and the food was good.