武蔵国分寺うしお蕎麦。A delicious meal at Musashi Kokubunji Ushio soba shop in Kokubunji (a short walk from Nishi-Kokubunji station). Can you see the hand-drawn menu of seasonal dishes on the wall? It shows you the heart of the restaurant. The chef has a selection of sake-friendly small dishes before ending with handmade soba. It’s a charming shop…
Tag: restaurants
Kaisen Uoriki
Kaisen Uoriki @uoriki1930 is a seafood izakaya 🏮 at @tobu_ikebukuro department store. Seasonal seafood dishes including isaki sashimi, hamo eel, and sushi. Popular side dishes for pairing with #sake and #shochu like Satsuma age fish cakes, dashimaki tamago, and menchi katsu made from tuna. We booked a koshitsu private room so it would be easier…
Oak Door
Oak Door at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo in Roppongi is a fabulous spot to meet friends for wine and good food. The weather this day was perfect for sitting outdoors. Appetizers are perfect for sharing. Caesar salad, Hokkaido scallops, Kagawa white asparagus with smoked salmon, an an amazing creamy burrata and tomato salad with fried…
Tanikoretani
My client put this hip izakaya on my radar and I am grateful. Shinji Mizutani was an architect in New York City and after designing restaurants for others decided to design his own place and changed careers to restaurateur at two restaurants. After about 25 years in New York City he returned to Japan and…
Jangara Vegan Ramen
I have tried a few vegetarian ramen but have found the bowls lacking any depth. I was delighted by the vegan ramen at Kyushu Jangara. The soup stock is rich in umami and seasoned with soy sauce. Cool vegetable toppings of cabbage, sauteed Napa cabbage, wood ear mushrooms, green onions, nori and soy meat. Jangara’s…
Suba VS
Slurping buckwheat noodles while standing is called tachigui soba. Suba Soba from Kyoto has opened its first branch in Tokyo, called Suba VS, serving up the same signature hot bowls of noodles. About a dozen of menu options ranging from a simple enoki mushroom tempura fried into a thin fan bringing out its meaty notes…
Uokyu
I love the shitamachi area, old part of Tokyo, in particular Nihonbashi and Ningyocho. There are many historic shops – including many food shops that go back many generations. Uokyu in Ningyocho specializes in kasuzuke – fish filets marinated in sake lees and then charcoal grilled. There was already a queue before the store opened…
Taimeiken
Taimeiken is a famous yoshoku restaurant known for its omuraisu omelette over a ketchup seasoned rice. The Tampopo omuraisu comes from the Juzo Itami movie Tampopo and it is said this is the recipe that was used in Tampopo. The menu is long and includes beef stew (looks amazing), hayashi rice – like a beef…
Tempura Tsunahachi
Tsunahachi つな八 is a historic tempura shop in Shinjuku. This year it celebrates 100 years. I love the branch at Shinjuku Takashimaya as it’s brightly lit and conveniently located near the station. The main shop has an old retro feel to it, which is also cool. At Takashimaya we requested counter seats and could wait…
Izakaya Hiro
Hiro in Nakameguro is a fun evening with chef Satoshi. Just say omakase (it’s not only for sushi) and leave it up to Satoshi san to create a menu of small plates paired with sake. So much to love here. The relaxed environment, good music, and mix of dishes and sake. Spring represented in fresh…
Nishi-Ogikubo Manoma
Delighted to discover Manoma in Nishi-Ogikubo for a recent working lunch. The simple menu consists of a variety of curry with rice, drinks, and a few sweets. My favorite was the vegan dal curry, but all were oishii delicious. The caramel pudding was rich in texture. Notably the brightly lit cafe has comfortable seating, both…
Kyoto Ki
Ki 汽 in Kyoto serves Lebanese cuisine in a charming space on Kiyamichi Dōri street near the Kamogawa River. Natural sunlight fills part of the space. The communal table is topped with dried nuts, squash, and a delicate green that divides the table. Outside of the restaurant smoke from the grilled meats fill the air….
Kyoto Kintame
Long ago I lived in Monzennakacho in Tokyo. A short walk from my home was the most charming tsukemono pickle shop from Kyoto called Kintame 近為. Kintame sits just in front of Fukagawa Fudodo temple. I often went to Kintame for the bubucha-zuke lunch. More than a dozen pickles is served with a grilled fish,…
Tsukishima Monjayaki
One of my favorite local neighborhoods in Tokyo for local eats is Tsukishima. There is one street lined with restaurants, many of them serving monjayaki, the Tokyo version of the more famous Osaka okonomiyaki. Diners sit at a teppan iron plate/table where food is cooked and you eat directly from the grill using chopsticks or…
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…
Yamaharu
Yamaharu is one of the famous companies specializing in seasonal seafood at Toyosu Market. The company opened its first sushi shop at Toranomon Hills. The sushiya is a tachigui, stand and eat, style. I love these casual type of restaurants or drinking spots. Easy spots for solo diners or for small groups of friends. There…
Yamagataya Noriten
Yamagataya Noriten’s lunch set serves nori seven ways. A fabulous way to experience the many expressions of the sea vegetable including in soup, a salad dressing, and wrapped around #onigiri.🍙 The rice balls are made and served with two different crispy nori. Fascinating to see the differences. The first from Ariake Sea in Kyūshū has…
Le Pristine
Dining well in Tokyo is easy. If anything it can be intimidating trying to plan the perfect itinerary for the best meals while in Japan. One tip is not to limit yourself to Japanese cuisine meals only. Japan offers amazing seasonal ingredients and I love tasting meals made by non-Japanese chefs working with what is…
Cafe Sadiiq
Delighted to have an American breakfast spot on the JR Chuo line at Cafe Sadiiq. Pancakes, egg, bacon, and a carrot rape salad with tuna. 1,500 yen ($10) for the pancakes, with a latte on weekdays for 400 yen ($2.50). It is just a five minute walk south of Mitaka Station, and on the way…
Goodies
Lately I have been craving a diner breakfast. Delighted to have a lumberjack pancakes plate with eggs and bacon that brought me back to being in the US. I added whipped cream, because why not?🥰 I went soon after they opened at 8 a.m. and it was busy with both tourists and locals. The buttermilk…
Sougo
One of my favorite rice dishes in Tokyo is served at Sougo in Roppongi. It is burdock root that is julienned and fried as tempura and then stirred into rice with shio kombu, salted kelp. The shōjin ryōri restaurant serves a modern take on the Buddhist vegetarian temple cuisine. Chef Daisuke Nomura opened his restaurant…
Parklet Chicken Sando
Parklet Bakery in Nihonbashi is one of my go-to spots when craving baked goods, notably their cheese scone. Finally made it to their sister shop at the Meiji Park Market in the shadows of the Japan National Stadium built to host the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. The buttermilk fried chicken is served over a hearty…
Bistro Rojiura
Bistro Rojiura is a hip bistro and wine bar that is open for breakfast/brunch. The French toast with house-cured bacon is served with a scoop of creamy burrata cheese. Brilliant. Coffee is from the esteemed Switch Coffee. Rojiura means back alley. It is on the back streets of Shibuya near the Tokyu Hands flagship store and…
Pizzeria Il Tamburello
June 2025 update. Yoshihisa Otsubo won first place in the 22nd Pizzaiuolo World Championship by the Associazione Pizzaiuolo Napoletani. Bravissimo, chef! Seeking comfort in pizza at Ningyocho Pizzeria Il Tamburello. The Napoli pizza special was salsiccia e friarielli. The friarelli green is farmed by an Italian at Tenuta Campi Flegrei in Fukuoka. The punch of…
Mugi to Tamago
Love these wafu pasta cafes. Quick meals. All the spaghetti dishes are tempting. Mugi to Tomato noodles are made with Hokkaido flour and the noodles are fresh, not dried. This salad and pasta is a bargain ¥1480 ($10). At Tokyo Station in the Yaesu Kita Shokudo area before entering the station gates. Near Daimaru department…
Marunouchi Moheji
Finally managed to get a seat at Moheji monjayaki shop near Tokyo Station at the Shin Marunouchi Building, called Shinmaru Biru for short. Big fan of their shops at Tsukishima, the ground zero area of monjayaki. Monjayaki is a local dish to Tokyo cooked on an iron plate and eaten with a small metal spatula….
Ebisu Shodai
The white curry udon is topped with potatoes and cream whipped up to a fluffy cloud. Underneath the creamy topping is a spicy (for Japanese) curry. Shodai is also a lovely spot for sipping #sake so there is a nice list of sake-friendly small bites including dashimaki tamago omelet and soba gaki buckwheat dumpling. I…
Aoyama Ototo
Fabulous seafood lunch set at Aoyama Ototo @ototo_01010. Simple and brilliant concept. Freshly caught seafood with rice cooked in a donabe pot. Most of the seafood is grilled. The menu simply lists seasonal seafood such as: mackerel, yellowtail, Pacific saury, or sockeye salmon. There is also a miso simmered mackerel. From my seat I could see…
Maruichi Bagel
Big fan of @maruichi_bagel. Miho Inagi moved her #bagel shop from Shirogane to the Shinbashi and Toranomon area four months ago. Maruichi is about ten minutes from Shinbashi Station and it’s been too hot 🥵 and humid for me to make the trek. Maruichi opens at 7 a.m. with sandwiches starting at 8 a.m. It…
Tsukishima Monjayaki
Most people are familiar with okonomiyaki, the savory cabbage pancake from Osaka. Tokyo’s version is called monjayaki, which is similar that it is also cooked on an iron plate. Monjayaki has much more liquid and I prefer this one as it can be cooked into thin and crispy bits. The Tsukishima neighborhood is ground central…
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…
Tamai
Chirashizushi, scattered sushi, at Tamai in Nihonbashi. This is an old school version that is on the sweet side. Sweet black beans, candied chestnut 🌰, and sweet kampyo gourd. Mine, the tokujo, had tobiko flying fish roe. My friend ordered the tokutoku with ikura. Reminder to self to order more chirashizushi. The main store is…
Muromachi Toriya
Muromachi Toriya yakitori set lunch. This tiny shop in Nihonbashi has a handful of counter seats and a few table. Right squeeze at the counter. My neighbor kept elbowing me when she picked up her chopsticks. 🥢🤣 Excellent value for ¥1,200 ($8.50). Tsukune meatballs, quail eggs, liver, and more. Popular dishes include #donburi of yakitori…
Izakaya 🏮 Mimasuya
Mimasuya izakaya in Kanda opened in 1905. The fourth-generation shop is one of Tokyo’s oldest izakaya pubs. Long on my radar and have only finally just made it there. On a quiet backstreet in Kanda. Popular shop. We went at 6 p.m. and got some of the last seats. The menu is filled with sake-friendly…
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…
Toyosu Nakaei Curry
One of the meals I miss from the old Tsukiji Market is Indo Curry Nakaei. Was lucky to do some work at Toyosu Market this week. There is an area with several restaurants, many serving sushi and seafood dishes. I was excited to have the double curry – Indian and beef curry along with a…
Pizzeria il Tamburello
Fabulous truffle and Gorgonzola #pizza at Puzzeria il Tamburello in the Nihonbashi area. Served with toasted hazelnuts, pine nuts, and honey. Three croquettes to start the meal. Aonori, potato, and pasta croquettes. All fabulous. Italian music in the background.☺️ Il Tamburello is celebrating its 14th anniversary! Delighted to finally make it. Popular shop with only…
Wako
Wako is our neighborhood #tonkatsu shop. Lunch for three for only ¥4,000 ($28). Check out the lunch specials on the board. Many at only ¥1,000 ($7). Wako also provides complimentary refills of cabbage, rice, and miso soup. Many tonkatsu shops offer this so don’t be shy. Ask. Just be sure to try and not leave…
Kaneko Hannosuke
Fun lunch with udon and tempura at Kaneko Hannosuke, a popular tempura shop with several branches in Tokyo. My kid picked this lunch spot because he was excited for the condiments on the table: onsen super soft boiled egg wakamé tenkasu tempura bits tororo kombu shaved kelp mountain vegetables gobo burdock root and ginger pickles…
Eggg Café
@eggg_kokubunji is famous for fluffy pancakes but we also love the omuraisu. This one with tender beef cheeks and a demi-glace sauce. The knife 🔪 is full so it’s hard to cut into the omelette on top of the ketchup rice. If you’re curious to try the pancakes this is a great spot. The café…
Kunio
Shio ramen and a tsukemen with a wonton dipping sauce. Plus a side order of chashu gohan, rice topped simply with sliced chashu pork with a splash of a sweet soy sauce. We have tried to dine here but there is always a line. As it’s raining today my brilliant child said, we should go…
Fuji Lunch
Our local yōshoku restaurant, Fuji Lunch, has Western-style dishes like karaagé fried chicken, croquettes, hamba-gu (more like meatloaf than a hamburger), and fried cutlets. Behind the counter an elderly couple are choreographed in their movements depending on which orders they were filling. Auntie kept busy topping a large plate with julienned cabbage, lettuce, cucumbers, and…
Wazaya
Wafu pasta, Italian dishes with Japanese ingredients, is always a comforting meal. Here scallops and Japanese mushrooms eringi, kikurage, and shimeji in an uni cream sauce. Here at Pasta Wazaya near Mitaka Station on the JR Chuo line. It is in the area of Inokashira Koen park and the Ghibli Museum. The menu is long….
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
Mitaka Vegan
On a quiet residential street about five minutes from Mitaka Station is Hitokokyū. The vegetarian restaurant has a nutritious set lunch with main dish options like carrot croquette, vegetarian gyōza potstickers, and kurumabu wheat gluten cutlets. Diners pick either genmai brown rice or a kōso genmai, fermented brown rice with azuki beans. The meal is…
Kissa Streamer
Kissa Streamer is on a quiet back street of Nihonbashi. The kissaten coffee shop dates back 50 years. It has been brought back to life by the famous Streamer coffee company. I love the vibe here. The interior is a traditional kissaten. Low-backed wooden chairs, tables closer to the floor, and warm lighting. But the…
Mitsuyado Tsukemen
Mitsuyado tsukemen ramen are thick noodles served cold with a warm dipping tonkotsu pork bone, seafood, and vegetable sauce in a separate bowl. The noodles are dipped into the thick sauce. There is a dashi broth in a thermos for thinning out the dipping sauce towards the end of the meal. The noodles are made…
Zōjirushi Shokudō
Zōjirushi, the company famous for electric rice cookers and many other products, has a restaurant near Tokyo Station in the Kitte building. The concept is smart marketing with Zōjirushi rice cookers in the middle of the restaurant. Zōjirushi sesame grinders and a Zōjirushi insulated cup are on each table. The drink bar includes a variety…
Food Sake Tokyo 