Leading up to our trip to Japan, I was flooded with recommendations, tips and stories on conquering the overwhelming but magical city of Tokyo... the word, "overwhelming," came up a bunch in describing the crowds and sheer volume of incredible, mind-blowing restaurants (there are A LOT!). Before I travel, I always start with researching things I want to eat and where I want to eat it, and I save them in my maps app, so I can just pull it up when I'm in the area and see what's delicious that's close by to the site (or store) I'm at.
Here were some of my favorite eats in Tokyo:
Being at Akomeya in Ginza is like being a kid at a candy store. Akomeya is one part specialty food store (imagine all the soy and yuzu sauces in the world, every kind of rice, and the prettiest assortments of sweets and pastries) and one part restaurant in the back. Like most things Japanese, the aesthetic is clean and simple and the food, perfectly prepared. We went for the set lunch menu (which always focuses on a different rice region -- we lucked out with Niigata) and it was delightful (once you have rice in Japan, you just can't go back!).
The set lunch at Akomeya with rice from Niigata
My old friend Eri from Tokyo (the cutest, sweetest human-being!) who recommended this gem
I'm a sucker for hidden corners and alleyways filled with one of a kind shops and restaurants, and Japan is filled with them. Another dear friend of mine who lives in Tokyo, Mina, took us out to Ebisu Yokocho for dinner. Ebisu Yokocho is an indoor alley filled to the brim with people drinking beer and eating everything from yakitori and sushi to fried chicken and braised beef cheek at izakayas lined up and down, both sides, of the alley.
Tip: the space is VERY tight so be prepared to make new friends.
Gyumaru was my fave and had tons of fresh veggies, which can be hard to find in Tokyo
A giant uni with shiso onigiri at Gyumaru at Ebisu Yokocho
Mina!
Cosy vibes at Ebisu Yokocho... more dreamy uni and roe goodness
Bar Martha, also in Ebisu, is hands down my favorite bar ever now
Good vibes at Bar Martha
Harajuku Gyoza
After braving Takeshita street, a gyoza treat at Harajuku Gyoza is much deserved. Yes, you'll have to line-up but everyone lines up for anything super delicious in Japan.
Yakitori at Joumon Roppongi
A tiny bar in Golden Gai (another one of those alleyways in Shinjuku) that I can't remember the name of
After Golden Gai, we hopped through Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho and Kabukicho
Park Hyatt Bar
Also in Shinjuku (although a little out of the way) is the Park Hyatt. This being my first time in Tokyo, I just had to do it (it's the hotel from Lost in Translation). And no, Sausalito wasn't playing but the band that was, was pretty darn good.
Eri!
Nakajima
Nakajima is a Michelin star restaurant that specializes in fresh sardines. The dinner prices are insane and the hostess is cruel, but the lunch special is the craziest deal you'll ever find (I'm talking 900 yen per dish deal!) and the food is so worth it.
Fry it
Sashimi it
Grill it
Harbs Cafe in Roppongi Hills
It was strawberry season so we got the strawberry shortcake (man, do the Japanese kill the shortcake game!) and this new fave, a layered crepe fruit cake at Harbs Cafe.
Savoy's marinara pizza
I've had Savoy (and Seirinkan, below) bookmarked for years, after seeing David Chang rave again and again on Instagram about how it's the best pizza in the world. They're actually now featured in his new show on Netflix, Ugly Delicious. Both offer only two pizzas: marinara and margarita, and you wonder why it's taken you so long to get your butt to Tokyo.
Savoy's margarita pizza.
Nightly routine - Lawsons, Family Mart, and 7/11
The line-up at Yokohama Chinatown for Shen Jiang Bao (deep-fried soup dumplings)
Steamed and fried fresh to order (green are filled with shrimp and white are pork)
Saikoh Shinkan
After almost two weeks in Japan, my parents were craving hard for some Chinese food so we hit Yokohama Chinatown's Saikoh Shinkan.
Cashew chicken with Taiwanese greens
Roast duck with homemade ume/plum sauce
Ice cream burgers at Nakamise street
Red bean and ube ice cream burgers
The OG, Seirinkan
Seirinkan's margarita
Seirinkan's marinara
Seirinkan's scampi linguine
Kit Kat Chocolatory in Ginza
Strawberry ecliar from the Kit Kat Chocolatory Cafe (gotta take advantage of the in-season strawberries!)
Another local friend highly rec'd a pre-dinner snack at Isomaru Suisan for the kani miso (translated as "crab brains" but not really brains, so don't worry) -- a delicious creamy crab mixture with scallions, garlic and other goodness loaded on top of a crab shell that you charcoal grill at your table, on top of other items like squid and shrimp. Wow.
Isomaru Suisan's kani miso
Chickpea salad at Gurgaon
Japan is known for taking pretty much every cuisine and perfecting it via tireless training like no one else. I had heard that the Indian food in Ginza was incredible and that Dhaba (in the Bib Gourmand guide), a Southern Indian joint, was the place to hit. Unfortunately, we walked in on a crazy booked up Friday night but the host was so unbelievably helpful and got us a table (only in Japan!) at another really well-known spot for Northern Indian called Gurgaon.
Chicken tikka at Gurgaon
Shrimp curry with the best naan (we ordered two more baskets because it was perfection)
Baingan burtha (eggplant curry) at Gurgaon
Iron Fairies in Ginza
Ridiculousness for the gram
Last hangs before take-off. Look how small the cotton candy shrunk to, haha.
Very worthy mentions, not captured in pics: AFURI (ramen), Nodaiwa (unagi), Kagari at Ginza Echika Fit (ramen), Sushi Zanmai, Ganso Zushi Asakusa (for fun conveyor belt sushi), and the ebi (shrimp) filet sandwich at... McDonald's (trust me!).
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