Tokyo Eating Out Survival Guide, Part 1: Where to Eat

Where to eat? This is usually the most difficult question to answer, especially when it comes to travelling in a place where the native language is definitely not your own. However, let me save you the hassle and trouble by giving you a comprehensive guide as to how I did my culinary wanderlust in Japan.

Caution: this is a very comprehensive and LONG post. I am covering a lot of content here so do soldier on as the end of the road will be worth your patience. However, you have been warned.  Also, I decided NOT to cover combini (コンビニ) food or depachika (デパチカ) food as those are easy to handle, even with someone with an extreme language barrier. So here we go!


How much should I prepare? This is the usually the other main question asked, especially when it comes to Japan. The country is known for being a place with a high cost of living. But if you are prepared, then you do not have to worry. The best way is to understand a general idea of what is the average. In my experience the average meals usually comes around ¥800- ¥1200. If you want to eat very well, then ¥1500 and above would be a better option. As a gauge, Kimuraya Cafe in Ginza serves  ¥2000 Wagyu beef sandwiches with an americano which are to die for. I did not order it of course, but I was able to sample the morsel. It was pretty spectacular.

The front of the house, quite an exclusive place to be. Famous for its ampans as well. 

Of course the more you have the options you are going to get. But having honest street food and roadside stalls can be as satisfying as eating out in an avant garde area. Of course, you got to temper your expectations with the prices you pay. This leads to the next question: Where? Well, location is an important factor to consider when you dealing with budgeting and what to eat.


Food in Ginza will generally be more expensive as it is the high end part of town, equivalent to the West End in London and Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur. Food in Shinjuku will be relatively cheaper, as there is fierce competition with the restaurants there. As to what type of establishments there are, here are a few examples to get you going:

Teishoku Shokudo

Entrance of a teishoku near Higashi Shinjuku Station

This is the place where most Tokyolites eat, as it is simply rice with some dishes and it literally means set meal. This can be on the cheap end if you have a bowl of rice with a piece of fried fish, or costly, if you get more stuff like beef and soup. The price for a decent meal can range from ¥500 to ¥1000. I tried a teishoku in Shinjuku, and if you feel like you would like to know more, click here.


Izakaya

The front of the house for Daikoku-ya

The name for a Japanese pub, the establishment has a very similar concept to the British pub, good booze and simple and honest food to fuel the average Joe after work. The food usually range from simple street fare like yakitori and oden platters, to more sophisticated dishes like a matsutake teapot. Visiting izakayas is a must do for gourmands who really want to try the raw and honest side of Japanese fare and hospitality. And like pubs in London, there is no one perfect izakaya.

Yakitori, an izakaya staple

Each izakaya has its own spin on cocktails and dishes, and they are scattered everywhere around the metropolitan. But one thing is for sure, the service and company will be top notch and friendly. Some are located in pockets underneath bridges, while some are located in more established locales for these places to thrive, like Omoide Yokocho in Shinjuku. I have covered not one but two izakayas in Omoide Yokocho, which are Daikoku-ya and Saitamaya 2. Do have a read to know what we have ordered. Price ranges from ¥600 to ¥1200 per dish, depending on what you order.


Japanese restaurants

Shinjuku, especially Kabukicho, is packed with restaurants. 

This will be the most common place to eat and it will be the most varied. This is because most places focus on a few concepts or dishes and only serve that. Ramen Bankara will only serve ramen. Sushi places will only prepare sushi and only a few other complimentary sides. Rice bowl places only serves rice bowl dishes, like Sutadonya in Ueno.

A line is usually a good indicator.
For this instance, we waited for an hour to be seated at Sushi Hanmaru. 

Restaurants that serve such morsel usually cater to the working crowd and prices range from ¥800 to ¥1200 and are common lunch spots. To know a place is good, just look out for a long line.  However, this may not be the case, as proven in my delicious experience in Sho-Yosuke in Sumida. Click here for the full experience.

Additionally, some places do serve all the abovementioned dishes but in a more refined level, and the prices are placed accordingly. Examples would be like Jiro’s where a meal can be a small fortune and Birdland’s yakitori can be by the hundreds of dollars.


Fast food outlets

Carbs over carbs, should be a good idea. Or maybe its the sake thats talking. 

There will be two types for you to consider: the Western style concept which serve burgers and fried chicken, or Japanese style fast food establishments.

Unmissable sign. This branch was in Sumida.

For the former, why go to KFC or McDonald’s when you can have a go with Mos Burger of Freshness Burger? The flavours are definitely different and have a unique Japanese flavor. And the food is surprisingly good and varied. I had the spaghetti chicken burger in Mos, as shown above and the Spam Burger (yeah you have heard that right) from Freshness Burger.

The front of the branch in Shibuya.

A great alternative to the Big Mac and to me, a much tastier option. Especially the Spam Burger.
It was such a shocker to the system, as how can something like that placed between a bun, with an egg, some veggies and BBQ sauce taste so good? Come to think of it, how can it not taste good?

Deceptively tasty.

Do give these Japanese alternatives a try. Prices for burgers range from ¥350 to ¥700. The Spam Burger was ¥350 while the spaghetti chicken from Mos was ¥650.

The branch I visited in Shibuya

Japanese style fast food usually revolve around rice bowl restaurants. This playing field is dominated by 3 chains: Sukiya, Matsuya and Yoshinoya. My favourite would be Yoshinoya and my venom of choice is the triple cheese beef bowl, which stands for ¥670.

Serious comfort food over here. 

There are some cheaper versions like the all beef only, and more expensive ones, where the portions are larger and more ingredients are put into your bowl. But I feel the medium triple cheese fills me up just nicely.


Easy to eat, filling and affordable, Freshness Burger and Yoshinoya are my secret weapons in eating out on a budget.


Famiresu

Front of the house of  Gusto, Akihabara branch

A direct translation to family restaurant, this is another secret weapon not usually considered by non-locals to have. Looking like an establishment like TGIs or Tony Romas on the exterior,  it is usually unnoticed or even dismissed for non-Japanese tourists. However, it is a bit different and should be seen as a class on its own. Dishes usually consist of yoshoku (洋食) style dishes, or modern Japanese, like hamburg steak, spaghetti napolitan, furai style dishes and eaten with rice.

An iconic sign. 

The one I tried was Gusto (ガスト) in Akihabara, although there are various different branches around the country and other chains such as Jonathans or Denny’s.

A great meal, along with my 3rd helping of espresso

I ordered the cheese stuffed hamburg steak with ebi furai, which was ¥900 (well if you have the hamburg steak on its own its just ¥500 with no cheese and prawns, but you gotta live one in a while eh?). With an additional ¥419, I was able to have a plate of rice, unlimited bowls of soup and unlimited coffee and soft drinks. A great bargain and was the fuel I need after some serious Street Fighter and Tekken for almost 2 hours.

Things always taste better with cheese. 

The food is generally quite good and filling and with a small fee (like the ¥419 top up I opted for), you can have access to the soup and drinks bar which has free refills. Prices can range from ¥700 to ¥2000, although you do not have to go to the every end to have a decent meal.

Some famiresu have different operating times, where some open for 24 hours. Make this option your plan B for a cheap night out with friends.


Train station restaurants

Another cheap place to eat, these are stalls that are situated in pockets near a metro station or near one. This will be on the cheap end, where dishes are relatively simple.

Usual fare will be noodle dishes like udon or soba, simple rice dishes, or sushi on the go. I had visited a soba place near the Higashi Shinjuku station for breakfast and a tempura soba was for only ¥460. A great bargain, which was also very filling.



So, as you can see there are so many places in options for you to try. However, what happens if you stumble upon a menu that has no photos or English, where most places do? Fear not, as the second post will guide you on how to order (click here) and the third post on having a good night out after that said meal that you have ordered (by clicking here).