Where to Eat in Tokyo: “Udon” Want to Skip These!

 

Where to Eat in Tokyo

It’s been four years since I last visited Tokyo but I can still remember every bowl of ramen, every juicy cutlet of katsu and every delicious pastry I ate in Japan.

Mhmm!

My usual travel style is to focus on the sights and the main tourist spots and food is generally third or fourth on my list of “must do’s” – I leave that to whoever I travel with to plan ha.

I previously covered all the great food places I ate at in my Japan series here, BUT I thought it was time to ask a tried and true local for the real lowdown on Tokyo’s eating scene.

 

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Where-to-Eat-in-Tokyo-for-Best-Japanese-Food-Restaurants
Where-to-Eat-in-Tokyo-for-Best-Japanese-Food-Restaurants
Where-to-Eat-in-Tokyo-for-Best-Japanese-Food-Restaurants

 

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what-to-eat-in-tokyo-best-japanese-foods-restaurants

 

Best Places to Eat in Tokyo 

My cousin had a two year expat stint in Tokyo and is a serious foodie.

Here is his guide for where to eat in Tokyo, Japan. The restaurants below focus on classic Japanese foods like ramen, izakaya, yakitori and katsu!

If you love roasting your own meat, we’ve also included yakiniku places.

 

*Izakayas are informal Japanese gastropubs for after-work drinking.

**Yakitori are japanese skewers

***Yakiniku is Japanese grilled meat

 

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Best Restaurants in Tokyo

We narrowed down the complete list of places to eat in Tokyo and chose 12 of best restaurants.

 

Best Tokyo Restaurants for Ramen

 

1. Jangara Ramen

District: Omotesando

this is where you need to eat in Tokyo for classic pork bone broth ramen

 

2. Afuri

District: Roppongi

this is a chain of Japanese ramen shops but the tsukemen dipping ramen is one of my favorites

 

3. Gogyo

District: Nishiazabu

the burnt miso ramen here is really unique

 

4. Ichiran

District: Roppongi or Omotesando

a little spicy, but popular enough that they opened an outlet in Hong Kong

 

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Best Tokyo Restaurants for Izakaya and Yakitori

 

5. Hachibei

District: Roppongi

must tries: edamame skewer, grilled avocado, yaki onigiri grilled rice ball, tsukune chicken meatball

 

6. Jomon

District: Roppongi

 

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Best Tokyo Restaurants for Yakiniku

7. Misuji

District: Akasaka

the most reasonably priced of the list

 

8. Yoroniku

highest priced, but ridiculously good

 

9. Xex Omae

more teppanyaki but also good

 

10. Jumbo Yakiniku

District: Shirokane

also delicious and reasonably priced

 

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what-to-eat-in-tokyo-best-japanese-foods-restaurants

 

Other Great Restaurants in Tokyo

 

11. Kintame

Address: Koto-ku, Tomioka 1-14-3

a very traditional pickle place

 

12. Tonki

District: Meguro

my favorite place to get fried pork katsu. Get the ‘rosu’ cut, which is fattier than the lean ‘hire’ cut

 

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Unique Japan Food Tours & Experiences

 

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Planning a Trip to Japan – Travel Checklist

Flights | From New York City, there are several airlines offering nonstop flights to Tokyo. Flights weren't cheap, but booking in advance helps. Browse fares for your dates here.

See | We spent two weeks traveling around Japan since it was our first time. We purchased the Japan Rail Pass since our itinerary visited multiple cities.

Purchasing the Japan Rail Pass ended up saving us quite a bit! The pass is expensive and has to be ordered in advance, so I go more depth into the pros and cons in my Japan itinerary post

Accommodation | Japan has tons of options – from inexpensive hostels to capsule pods to luxury 5 star hotels. We even stayed in a Buddhist temple, which was the highlight of our trip. Japan is very expensive, so book all your accommodation in advance to save. Check here for current hotel deals.

If you have a group of people or want more affordable housing browse Airbnb. It's especially great if you want the flexibility to cook! 

Insurance | Lastly, be sure to visit Japan with travel insurance. Whether your flight is delayed, you get injured and need to be hospitalized, or your phone gets stolen, travel insurance will help when you need it most! Get a quote for your trip here.

 

 You Might Also Enjoy: 

 

Japan Travel Guides

The Best Japan Itineraries for First Time Visitors

A 2 Week Japan Itinerary (Make the Most of a JR Pass)

How to Get Around Japan with the Shinkansen & Japan Rail Pass

What to Pack for Japan: The Ultimate Checklist

 

Eating in Japan

Where to Eat in Tokyo: 12 Restaurant Recommendations from a Local

Sushi for Breakfast, Really? Sushi Daiwa at Tsukiji

Delicious Bakery Treats Mont Thabor & The Park Hyatt

Is Japan Vegetarian Friendly? Here's What You Can Expect & Eat More Greens

Dessert Among Diamonds Mikimoto Lounge

How Good is Japanese Tonkatsu

 

Tokyo Travel Guides

Hotel Review Mornings at the Park Hyatt Tokyo

Tokyo Sights: Visiting the Imperial East Gardens

Tokyo's Most Famous Temple: Asakusa and Senso-Ji

That Time I Got Naked with Strangers... My Japanese Bathhouse Experience

Tsukiji Fish Market Pt 1 Is the Tuna Auction Worth Visiting?

Tsukiji Fish Market Pt 2 (You Woke Up Late) The Other Stalls

 

Kyoto Travel Guides

A Visit to Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto (Memoirs of a Geisha!)

What Does It Mean to Donate a Torii Gate

Sanjusangendo Temple and the 1,000 Statues of Kannon

 

 

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4 Comments

  1. Lavina
    April 24, 2017 / 9:39 am

    Love the images! And I’m cracking up at the play of words here :)
    I hope I get to Japan soon!

    • Sher
      Author
      April 25, 2017 / 11:53 am

      Haha thanks Lavina!

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