Everything We Ate in Tokyo!

The trouble isn’t finding enough good things to eat in Tokyo but it’s how to decide between the thousands of amazing restaurants! I’ll be sharing my favorite restaurants in Tokyo in this post! This is by no means a comprehensive guide to the best things to eat in Tokyo. That list would be endless! But I hope these selections will help you get started in picking the best restaurants in Tokyo!

Sushi

When in Japan, sushi needs to be top of the list. You can find sushi at a big range of price points but here are two great affordable options!

Nemuro Hanamaru Ginza – 5/5

My top pick for conveyor belt sushi is Nemuro Hanamaru located in Ginza. We came here for lunch and I still dream about the tuna nigiris. There were lots of variety to pick from and you can always order off a menu as well. We lined up around 1030am for an 11am lunch. The plates were affordable and quality was superb! It’s also very easy to go shopping before and after as this restaurant is located inside a mall.

Sushi No Midori – 4.5/5

For an a la carte sushi experience that won’t break the wallet, check out Sushi No Midori. There are a few locations in Tokyo and we visited the one in Shimo-Kitazawa hoping for a shorter wait. We still waited over an hour but I think you’ll see it’s a theme in Japan. The menu is huge and the presentation is beautiful. The only thing that dropped half a point for me is that since I ordered a set, there were certain fish that weren’t my favorite. However, I still remember the aburi nigiris and those

Noodles

After sushi, I think the next main food group in Japan would be noodles! Whether it’s ramen, udon, or dipping noodles like tsukemen. Here are some of my favorites.

Ichiran Ramen – 4.5/5

Although this is one of the most common ramen chains, I’d highly recommend visiting Ichiran at least once during your trip to Tokyo. Everything was excellent, chewy noodles, nice toppings, and a savory broth. The price is also cheap Another chain to check out is Ippudo.

Fuunji Shinjuku – 5/5

We actually stumbled on this restaurant because the line up at Udon Shin was almost 3 hours long! Fuunji is a classic ramen restaurant where you order from a machine and receives a ticket to provide to the staff. What’s special at Fuunji is their dipping ramen called Tsukemen. The broth was so flavorful and I’m a huge fan of bamboo in ramen!

We didn’t get a chance to visit this Tsuru Tontan Udon but it’s highly rated and there are several locations in Tokyo. I would have definitely wanted to try this but luckily we had some delicious udon in Kyoto.

Meats

I’m not a big meat eater but these two restaurants in Tokyo blew me away!

Roast Beef Ohno – 5/5

I’m not going to pretend this is a hidden gem. Roast Beef Ohno is well known and it’s definitely worth the line up. The concept of this dish is so different from anything else I’ve tried. Layers of meat is wrapped around like a volcano with a raw egg in the middle. The egg adds some creaminess and the broth had nice flavor and saltiness! We went for lunch and started lining up around 10:45am for an 11am opening.

Gyukatsu – 5/5

Another popular chain in Japan is Gyukatsu. Each person gets their own tableside grill and you can cook your meat to your like. I loved hearing the sizzle as the meat touches the hot plate. Be prepared to line up but it’s worth the unique experience and excellent taste.

Snacks

Traveling in Tokyo is not about the three meals. You definitely need to snack in between. The top tourist attraction would be eating your way around Tsukiji Market. We had quite a few skewers that were good but the best bite surprised us. It was a croquette with spicy fish eggs on top!