Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [102]
As well as refined Japanese cuisine, Tokyo covers the global spectrum with superb international restaurants for all budgets. One thing to keep in mind is that Japanese food tends to be cheaper than international food. For ¥750 you can get a good bowl of noodles in a shokudō (all-round restaurant); the same money will buy you a plate of spaghetti in one of Tokyo’s many cheap Italian places (though a Japanified version of the real stuff). Be prepared to pay a little extra for a more authentic version of any international food.
Whatever you choose, you’ll rarely have to look far for sustenance. Check out the upper floors of big department stores for resutoran-gai (restaurant ‘towns’), which usually have a good selection of Japanese, Chinese and Italian restaurants with inexpensive lunchtime specials. Department stores usually also have depachika (food halls) in the basement floors selling bentō (boxed meals) amid groceries and gourmet gifts. Train stations are home to rāmen (egg noodle) shops, bentō and onigiri (rice ball) stands and kareraisu (curry rice) restaurants.
During the day the best eating areas are the big shopping districts like Shibuya, Shinjuku, Harajuku and Ginza. By night try Aoyama and Roppongi for some of the city’s best restaurants. For something more traditional, try an izakaya or Yakitori Alley (right), or the down-at-heel eating arcade of Omoide-yokochō Click here in Shinjuku. If you’re not on an expense account, hit a few high-end restaurants at lunchtime (when midday meals are quite reasonably priced) and enjoy dinners at more modest eateries.
The Tokyo Food Page (www.bento.com/tokyofood.html) website, a gigantic database of restaurant reviews, is a great place to search for eateries by cuisine or neighbourhood. The database is so huge that listings sometimes go stale, so always go forth and dine with a plan B in mind.
For quick, cheap eats, or a cup of coffee in an air-conditioned (albeit smoky) cafe, chain coffee shops like Doutor and Excelsior dot the city landscape and usually offer sandwiches and snacks at budget prices.
Vegetarian food is less common than you might expect in Tokyo. Luckily, many places that aren’t strictly vegetarian – such as Japanese noodle and tofu (bean curd) shops – serve a good variety of no-meat and no-fish dishes. For more information, pick up the TIC’s Vegetarian & Macrobiotic Restaurants in Tokyo handout. It lists strictly vegetarian restaurants, wholefood shops, shōjin-ryōri (Buddhist temple fare) restaurants and Indian restaurants that offer a good selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Kanda & Tokyo Station
On weekdays, colourful lunch trucks set up shop in the tree-shaded plaza of the Tokyo International Forum. Cheap eats of an international variety range from falafel to tacos, and most takeaway costs less than ¥1000.
Mimiu (Map; 3567-6571; www.mimiu.co.jp; 3-6-4 Kyōbashi, Chūō-ku; meals ¥1600; 11.30am-9.30pm Mon-Sat, 11.30am-9pm Sun; Ginza line to Kyōbashi, exits 1 & 2) Connoisseurs of udon say that Osaka-style broth is lighter in colour and more delicate in flavour than what Tokyoites favour. Try for yourself at Mimiu, an Osaka original that’s said to have invented udon-suki (¥3500 per person), udon cooked sukiyaki-style in broth, with seafood, vegetables and meat. There’s a picture menu. Look for the stately black corner building.
Mikuniya (Map; 3271-3928; http://unagi3928.com, in Japanese; 2-5-11 Nihombashi, Chūō-ku; meals ¥1800-3000; 11am-4pm Mon-Sat; Ginza, Tōzai, Toei Asakusa lines to Nihombashi, exit B1) The friendly family-run Mikuniya serves tasty unagi (eel). Unagi bentō comes in three sizes (¥2000, ¥2500 and ¥3200), accompanied by pickled veggies and soup. From exit B1, make a U-turn and go down the alley behind Takashimaya department store – look for the slab of driftwood above the door, embossed with gold kanji.
Anago Tamai (Map; 3272-3227; www.anago-tamai.com, in Japanese; 2-9-9 Nihombashi, Chūō-ku; meals ¥2000; lunch & dinner; Ginza, Tōzai, Toei