One of the things I love about Tokyo is that there is never enough time to try all the cool restaurants. So one has to create lists and consider what dishes to try. Unique meals like this one jump to the top. Even better, it opens at 7:00 a.m. and is on my way to…
Category: Ginza 銀座
Travel + Leisure Asia
Excited to have been tapped by Travel + Leisure Asia to pen a piece on eating in Japan. Great working with my editor, Veronica Inveen, to share with readers insider tips, having worked at both the Park Hyatt Tokyo and Takashimaya, and as the author of Food Sake Tokyo on dining out in Nippon. I hope you can…
Tsurutontan
Tsurutontan in Ginza is an udon specialty restaurant on the 10th floor of the Tokyu Plaza Ginza mall. The udon is served in enormous bowls that are dramatic, especially if you pick up the bowl to drink the broth. It’s a lovely restaurant for both solo diners and groups. Check out the cool table I…
Ain Soph.
Fabulous vegan restaurant, Ain Soph., is in the heart of #Ginza. The bento (¥3,500 or $22) includes a salad, walnut miso dip for crudités, sesame tofu, spinach curry, tofu and potato omelet (no eggs), brown rice, and the best soy meat karaage I have ever had. The soy meat is juicy and is marinated in…
Shabusen
Cool spot in the heart of Ginza for shabu-shabu or sukiyaki. My heart skipped a beat when I first saw Shabusen. Such a cool concept. Diners seated at a counter. Staff behind the counter bringing refills of rice and green onions or topping up my tea cup. Lunch starts at 2,200 yen ($15) for the…
Tokyo Shortlist
Where to eat in Tokyo? So many amazing meals. Hard to get a bad one. Here are some of my favorites: For Eater: https://www.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-tokyo-japan For Food & Wine: https://www.foodandwine.com/yukari-sakamoto-8603981 For AFAR: https://www.afar.com/authors/yukari-sakamoto My Tokyo Guide for the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/japan/tokyo-local-guide/ For Tokyo Weekender: https://www.tokyoweekender.com/author/yukari-sakamoto/ Kanazawa for Food & Wine: https://www.foodandwine.com/worlds-next-great-food-cities-7484717 Cathay Pacific on Kyoto: https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_KR/inspiration/dining/best-restaurants-in-kyoto.html…
Ginza Torigin
Ginza, in the heart of Tokyo, is filled with fabulous restaurants. There are also narrow paths squeezed in between buildings that pedestrians can use as shortcuts to other streets. There are also restaurants hidden away in these pockets. Torigin specializes in kama meshi, rice cooked with ingredients, and yakitori. I have tried going to Torigin…
Yomoda Soba
Yomoda Soba is a casual stand-and-slurp soba shop with branches in Tokyo. A bowl of noodles topped with tempura is only about 620 yen ($4). There are a variety of tempura toppings including shrimp, squid, or julienned onions. What Yomoda Soba is also famous for is the Indian curry. A spicy curry with a small…
Natsuno
My favorite shop for #chopsticks in #Tokyo. @ginzanatsuno has a colorful selection of chopsticks🥢, chopstick rests, and some tableware in the heart of #Ginza. I have collected several pieces from here over the years and they all brighten up each meal. Ginza NatsunoChūō-ku, Ginza 6-7-4
Ginza Hangetsu
Ginza Hangetsu double curry 🍛 of coffee pork and ginger chicken with turmeric rice. Perfumed with fresh spices. Sliver of a shop on a quiet Ginza backstreet. Friendly staff and an English menu. Excellent value at ¥1,200 ($8). Ginza HangetsuChūō-ku, Ginza 6-4-15
Tokyo Market Tours
It’s been an exciting year for market tours for Food Sake Tokyo. With the border finally open and inbound tourists at its highest numbers I’ve been very busy. Thank you so very much. I am grateful to my kind and witty clients. I learn so much from them as I share Japanese cuisine and food…
Kabuki
Kabukiza is the main kabuki theater in the heart of Ginza. Men play both male and female roles. Theater lovers will love the singing, dancing, live music, and staging of kabuki. There is a short break between two shows for guests to take lunch or dinner. Dining in the theater is allowed only during this…
Ginza Tonki
Tonki is a local tonkatsu shop in Ginza. I love so much the ambience of the restaurant. It feels like a shop from 50 years ago. Kaki furai, fried oysters, is only from October through March. The small plate of pickles is set on the cup of hot tea. The meal is rounded out with…
Ginza Maru
Ginza Maru is a kappō restaurant that serves lovely grilled fish lunch sets in the heart of Ginza. Kappō is like a kaiseki restaurant but a bit more casual and with a counter where diners can talk to the chef preparing some of the dishes. On this day the options were miso gindara black cod…
Ginza Sweets
If you have a sweet tooth think about spending an afternoon in the Ginza area carefully perusing sweets shops – both Western and Japanese. Here is a list of boutiques and shops featuring cakes, gelato, roasted sweet potatoes, cookies, and more. If you have limited time I would spend most of my time at Ginza…
Anzu Tonkatsu
Excellent tonkatsu at Anzu in the Ginza Mitsukoshi department store. Department store restaurants often have English menus and are kid-friendly. All-you-can-eat salad and refills on rice. The katsu curry here is a dark spicy curry. Ginza Mitsukoshi restaurant floor 11th floor Anzu Chūō-ku, Ginza 4-6-16 https://anzu-brand.com
Fukui Lacquerware
Lacquerware is a beautiful way to present dishes. This gorgeous red lacquer bowl is from Shitsurindō. In Tōkyō the lovely Fukui antenna shop in Ginza sells this Shitsurindō bowl. This bowl feels silky soft and is big enough to use as a donburi rice bowl, but also for noodles, miso soup, or for snacks. As…
World Breakfast All Day
Moroccan breakfast at World Breakfast All Day in Ginza. Msemmen crepe is served with an egg cooked in berbere-spiced tomatoes, like a Turkish shakshuka. A fresh salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and parsley. The breakfast is rounded out with bachrir pancakes. I was in Morocco about 30 years ago and the flavors did transport…
Ginza Breakfast
The morning set at the old school kissaten Furansuya in Ginza. The egg and toast set is only 750 yen ($5.00) includes coffee, with one free refill! Classic music plays in the background. The waitress wears a black dress with a white apron. I love these coffee shops and morning sets – even better when…
Fukuro Juku
On a quiet street behind Itoya is Fukuro Juku, a sliver of a shop popular for its #kakigori #shavedice. Fukuro Juku also serves tai chazuke, sea bream sashimi in a creamy sesame dressing with rice and an umami rich dashi. The sea bream has a lovely rich texture. Enjoy a few pieces as sashimi with…
Inari Zushi
Inari zushi is sushi made with deep-fried tōfu. Often these are packets that are stuffed with vinegared rice. There is a new style at #Ginza #Matsuya #depachika called at a shop called @tsukijitenko that makes inari zushi from @matsuyama_age. Matsuyama agé is fried tōfu that is dried so it is shelf stable. The fried tōfu…
Ginza Tempura
Only $6.75 (¥920) for this vegetable tempura donburi rice bowl at Hageten. The menu includes ramen. Hageten is in the heart of Ginza. Ginza 5-6-7 Some of my clients like the restaurant so much they return during their stay in Tokyo. 🥰
Sustainable Tuna
A tuna sushi meal that is made with farmed tuna from Kinki University. The fatty tuna is lean with a soft texture. There are only two restaurants in Japan that the whole menu is based on farmed seafood from Kinki University. Not just tuna, but also sea bream, yellowtail, and a hybrid of yellowtail and…
Vegetable Bentō
Met a girlfriend for lunch after eight years. We picked up noriben, nori bentō, from the basement of the Ginza Six department store and headed to the roof. I was so excited to try the vegetable version. Maitaké (hen of the wood mushrooms) tempura, yamaimo (mountain potato) and renkon (lotus root) is grated to a…
Renoir Kissaten
Renoir is a kissaten chain with branches throughout Tokyo. The morning set starts at only 60 yen (45 cents) on top of the price of a drink for a thick slice of toast, soup, and a hard boiled egg. Coffee starts at 730 yen ($5.50). The special sando morning set includes a teriyaki chicken sandwich…
Mai Mai Onigiri
Onigiri meals are the most comforting. The onigiri at Mai Mai are made with zakkokumai rice rich with grains, beans, seeds, and millets. Nutritious. Rich texture. There was a variety of about two dozen fillings. All tempting. I went with cream cheese and shio kombu which I will start making at home. We often make…
City Bakery
The deli plate at @citybakeryjapan. Only 990 yen ($7). There is also selection of breads, both sweet and savory. Many of my clients say that they feel like they are not getting enough vegetables when visiting Japan. So this is one option to get one’s fill of vegetables. Sadly City Bakery has closed in New York…
Sakura Mochi
This time of year we are starting to see the early blossoming sakura cherry blossoms. The wagashi confectionary shops are starting to offer sakura mochi. There are many variations. Ginza Akebono’s sakura mochi is a sweet azuki red bean paste surrounded by a thin cherry colored pancake wrapped in an edible salted cherry tree leaf…
Ginza Vomero Pizza
The lunch set at Ginza Vomero is a selection of pastas and pizzas, appetizer plate, and coffee. A great value at ¥1430 ($10.50). Vomero is located behind the Kabukiza theater. It is between Tsukiji and the main Ginza shopping street. Vomero is a popular restaurant so avoid the main noon dining time. Several vegetarian options….
Ercole Moretti
There are some tableware that I come across at restaurants that are so beautiful that it’s fun to add them to my home collection. I first came across Ercole Moretti while dining at Tsuru to Kame restaurant. However the restaurant was unable to tell me the name of who made the colorful glassware. They did…
Shinbashi Oniyanma Udon
Bowl of cold handmade udon noodles topped with tempura of chicken and chikuwa grilled fish cake at Shinbashi Oniyanma. Oniyanma is from Shikoku known for udon noodles. We’re lucky to have this in Tokyo. This casual tachigui stand-and-eat shop is near Shinbashi station. There is a vending machine in front of the shop. This is…
Avocado Udon at a Produce Shop
The avocado 🥑 udon 🍜 at Higashi-Ginza Daitsune. Daitsune is a produce shop, so expectations are high for good quality vegetables at this noodle shop on a quiet back street in Higashi-Ginza. Popular with local office workers it can get busy. There is a table out in front of the shop (or there was when…
TKG Raw Egg 🥚 Over Rice
Raw eggs over a bowl of rice is a popular breakfast in Japan. TKG (tamago kake gohan) is the nickname for raw egg over rice. At Ginza Matsuya there was a pop-up of gourmet eggs for TKG. Japan Tamago Kake Gohan Lab has a selection with tasting notes for each egg. Six eggs for 900…
The Origins of Katsu Curry
Katsu curry, tonkatsu pork cutlet with curry rice, originated at Grill Swiss in Ginza. Lunch starts with a small salad and an asari clam and bacon soup. The dark brown curry is made with minced pork and beef is rich with spices and is topped with tonkatsu (1,540 JPY or about $12). On this day…
Tonki Tonkatsu
Old school #tonkatsu in a #Ginza basement. Grated daikon and ponzu is recommended by the shop and was delicious. #Tonjiru #miso soup of pork and vegetables. とん㐂 #Tonki Chūō-just, Ginza 6-5-15
Ginza Kikunoya
Kikunoya in Ginza came up with the idea of dry confectionaries for tea time and this colorful fukiyose was developed. Presented in colorful tins the sweets have a long shelf life and are a fun omiyage gift for friends. Opened in 1890 Kikunoya is a busy shop in the heart of Ginza (Ginza 5-9-17). The…
Food Sake Tokyo
Three years ago today I had the pleasure of taking Alton Brown on a tour in Tokyo. We did a book exchange at the end, he gave me a copy of this newest cookbook and I gave him Food Sake Tokyo. It was such a pleasure to meet him and help him find knives at…
Sadaharu Aoki
Sadaharu Aoki is a Japanese pastry chef who first made his name in Paris before moving back to Tokyo. His retail shop with a café near Yurakucho station is a nice spot to rest your feet and rejuvenate with French pastries, some with Japanese flavors like yuzu, mattcha, and wasabi. The mattcha served at his…
Ginza Sakagura Kengyo
Drinking spots for saké in Japan can range from super casual to sleek bars. I tend to veer towards to easy places where I don’t have to dress up and where saké is at the heart of the shop. Sakagura Kengyo is a retail shop in Higashi-Ginza that is also offers saké and shōchū by-the-glass…
Keisuke Fugu Ramen
Fugu, a fish that has many names: torafugu, pufferfish, tiger blowfish, blowfish, porcupine fish, or globefish. Regardless of what you call it, you probably know that it is the fish that one could die from if it is not handled properly. Nowadays fugu farmers in Japan have figured out how to raise poison-free fugu. As for…
Nagato Cheese – Nagano
There are a handful of Japanese cheese producers that I am a big fan of and one of them is Nagato from Nagano. It’s on the top of the mountains, the air is clean and crisp and there are cows. For this Minnesota girl, it was like visiting a friend’s home growing up, but with…
Midori Sushi
Midori Sushi is a sushiya chain, popular both with locals and tourists, that is known for its basement bargain prices. When we query our preschool son to pick what to have for meals out, it is often sushi. Our go-to place is Choshi Maru which is in our area. Choshi is a famous fishing port…
Ginza Hageten Kushiage
Hageten is a popular tempura and kushiage restaurant in Ginza. While many are familiar with tempura, kushiage is another great dish that is deep-fried, but covered with panko (Japanese bread crumbs) instead of a flour and egg batter. Hageten’s “service lunch” starts at only 820 JPY for 6 skewers, salad, rice, miso soup, and pickles….
Yamagata Dashi
One of my go to side dishes this time of year is Yamagata Dashi, a classic kyōdo ryōri (regional dish) from where my family is from. I didn’t eat it growing up, and only came upon it once I lived in Japan. It’s the perfect dish for summer as the vegetables for Yamagata Dashi are…
Gotta Get – Okinawa Ryukyu Glass
Selecting tableware is a very important part of the Japanese dining experience. Glassware is also an integral part of regional expressions in Japan. I am a big fan of the Ryukyu glass from Okinawa. Okinawa is a tropical paradise in Japan. Ryukyu is the name of the former independent kingdom, which is now Okinawa. Ryukyu…
Ginza Akomeya
For one-stop shopping for food, tableware, kitchenware, and lunch, I highly recommend Ginza Akomeya. The restaurant offers a colorful lunch rich with small dishes. While not vegetarian, it is vegetable-friendly and nourishing. The retail part of the store is curated offering great products for the pantry. Essentials like mirin, sesame oil, and soy sauce as…
Ginza Bareburger
One of the best burgers I have had in a while is at Bareburger in the new Tokyu Plaza in Ginza. The organic burger is made from Aussie beef. It’s a meaty and hearty burger. I had the Standard (1,380 JPY) and Shinji had the Buck Wild with a fried egg and fried onions (1,640…
Gotta Get – Furikake Pen
We have just returned from a trip to Western Japan and one of my favorite things I brought back as an omiyage for myself is this furikake pen that happens to say yukari on it. Yukari is a furikake made from red shiso leaves that are dried and minced with salt. I love it as a topping over rice, but it…
Kyobashi Domenica Soup Curry
Hokkaido’s soup curry is a great change-up on the regular Japanese curry. I remember the first time a girlfriend served this to me. I thought she had messed up the recipe as the curry was so watery, but she explained to me that this is what soup curry is. Once I got over the mind…
Gotta Get – Kokuto Black Sugar 沖縄黒糖
Do you know about kokutō? Black sugar that is harvested on the islands south of Kagoshima in Okinawa. It is a dark sugar that is rich in minerals and is 100% natural sugar cane. We often keep a jar of kokutō on the counter. It makes a nice little snack. Kokutō can be cooked with water to make a syrup…
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