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23rd January 2020 at 11:10pm
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Japan Food

Kaiseki

Kaiseki is a traditional Japanese multicourse meal. Generally showcasing local and seasonal produce. Prices range from ¥5000-40000+ for dinner. Some places serve a less elaborate lunch from ¥2000-10000. Kaiseki is closely associated w/ Kyoto.

Shabu Shabu

スエヒロ本店 (Suehiro Honten, Osaka Station)

  • Supposedly where shabu shabu was invented
  • very good beef
  • has private rooms available (reservations recommended)

Yakiniku

Matsusakagyu M (Kansai, chain)

  • ~¥7000-10000?
  • some locations don't do yakiniku

Gyutan

Beef tongue, usually grilled over charcoal. No specific recs, but link to Tokyo restaurants sorted by rank: https://tabelog.com/tokyo/rstLst/RC019907/?Srt=D&SrtT=rt&sort_mode=1

Gyudon

Beef bowl

Yoshinoya (Chain, everywhere)

  • Kind of the McD of Japan?
  • Cheap, fast, tasty
  • Has a shop at HND (landside) that's 24 hrs. Not a bad place for a last bite

Gyukatsu

Beef cutlet

  • 牛かつもと村 渋谷店 (Gyukatsu motomura shibuya)
    • ~¥2000

Beef Katsu Sandwich

Kushiage

Generally meats and veggies skewered, battered w/ panko and fried. Table will generally have a communal sauce tub and some raw cabbage.

NOTE: ONLY DIP ITEMS INTO SAUCE TUB ONCE. NO DOUBLE DIPPING

Have the cabbage (dipping optional) between items to help cleanse palette.

ヨネヤ 梅田本店 (Yoneya umeda honten)

  • Have visited. Liked it

https://tabelog.com/osaka/A2701/A270101/27001902/

Tonkatsu

とんかつ まい泉 青山本店 (Tonkatsu Maisen Aoyama Honten, Tokyo Aoyama)

  • Get the kurobuta loin ~¥3500?
  • Building used to be a bathhouse i think

https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1306/A130602/13001850/

とんかつ とんき 中目黒本店 (Tonkatsu Tonki, Nakameguro)

  • Haven't had, but need to try!

https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1316/A131601/13002040/

とんかつ成蔵 (Tonkatsu Narikura, near minami-asagaya 南阿佐ケ谷駅)

  • Reservation required w/ deposit
  • ~¥5000-6000, cash only

https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1319/A131905/13236380/

Tempura

Good tempura doesn't feel "fried". Batter is really light and delicate w/ fresh ingredients. Lots of fish and shrimp of course, but there should be plenty of veggies as well.

  • てんぷら近藤 (Tempura Kondo, Ginza)
  • Kaneko Hannosuke (Ark Hills)
  • Gohanya Isshin (Daikanyama)
  • Mikawa (Roppongi Hills)
  • Tenya (Ebisu)

Yakitori

Needs to research; haven't had in Japan

  • Tamakin (Roppongi)
    • Decently cheap, and quality yakitori
  • Mansaku 宮崎料理 万作 渋谷ヒカリエ店 (Shibuya)
    • Yakitori, Izakaya
    • ~¥5000 for dinner
  • Toriyoshi Aoyama (とりよし 青山店, Aoyama/Ometesando)
    • Yakitori Izakaya
    • ~¥5000 for dinner

Fried Chicken

Japanese fried chicken. The one, the only:

  • Sekai no Yamachan (from Nagoya, with branches in Tokyo)

Donburi

  • Tsujihan (Roppongi Itchome) つじ半 アークヒルズ店
    • Seafood rice bowl, ¥2000
  • Unatetsu (Asakusa)
  • Zuicho (Shibuya)

Unagi

かね正 (Kaneshou, Kyoto)

  • Reservation probably required
  • Kansai style unagi
  • ~¥4000 for unaju
  • can also try eel liver here

https://tabelog.com/kyoto/A2601/A260301/26000252/

Curry

  • Gogo (gorilla) curry
  • CocoIchi (have this in LA/OC, coming to SD)

Oyakodon

Chicken and egg over rice. Oyako literally means mother & child. It's a pretty pedestrian dish but can be pretty spectacular.

はし田屋 本店 (Hashidaya Honten, Shibuya)

  • Oyakodon is during lunch only. They serve yakitori and other chicken based things during dinner
  • Oyakodon is ~¥1000

Omurice

たいめいけん (Taimaiken, near Tokyo Station)

  • Have to try Tampopo Omurice
  • ~¥2500

Okonomiyaki

味乃屋 (ajinoya, Osaka)

てっ平 (Teppei, Hiroshima, お好み村 Okonomimura)

Soba

  • 板蕎麦 香り家 Kaoriya (Ebisu)
    • Sesame dipping sauce and excellent tempura. Good sake selection
  • 鎌倉　松原庵　欅 (Kamakura Matsubara-An Keyaki, Harajuku)
    • Matsubara-An's appetizer set is really great, almost as good as the soba
    • Reserve ahead of time for Omotesando views
  • Sato Yosuke (Ginza)
  • Ichi-an Maruyama (Tokyo)
  • Kameya (Shinjuku)

Plenty of places, haven't really explored personally. Look: https://tabelog.com/tokyo/rstLst/soba/?SrtT=rt&Srt=D&sort_mode=1

Udon

  • おにやんま (Oniyanma, Nakameguro)
    • Best noodles
    • <¥1000
  • Tsututontan (Roppongi)
  • Yamacho (Ebisu)
  • Tokyo Mentsudan (Shinjuku)

Onigiri

おにぎり ぼんご (Onigiri Bongo)

Sushi

Under ¥10000

  • 大和寿司 (Sushi Dai, Toyosu Market)
    • ~¥4000
    • Might be worth the wait if not too long
  • 寿司大 (Sushi Dai, Toyosu Market)
    • ~¥4000
    • IMO not worth the wait and time better spent elsewhere
  • 魚べい (uobei, Shibuya) (or Genki, same company, slightly different format)
    • Made to order via tablets, kaiten style
    • <¥2000
  • まぐろ人 (Magurobito, multiple locations)
    • Standing sushi bar
    • ~¥4000
  • えんどう寿司 (endou sushi, osaka) tabelog
    • ~¥4000 (sampler plates of 5 sushi for ¥1200)

>¥10000 (most/all probably require reservations. most will not take reservations from foreigners, and many will not even through a Japanese hotel concierge...)

  • 鮨よしたけ (Sushi Yoshitake, Ginza)
    • ~¥30000
    • Known for signature abalone w/ abalone liver sauce
  • 鮨 一條 (Sushi Ichijo, Nihonbashi)
    • Lunch ¥5000-15000, Dinner ¥15000-30000
    • Up and coming; have not tried yet
  • 鮨すきやばし次郎 (Sushi Sukiyabashi Jiro, Roppongi)
    • Son of Jiro
    • Pretty sure they take reservations.
    • ¥20000-40000

Others to consider:

https://www.chowhound.com/post/sushi-tokyo-off-beaten-path-stay-central-1077662

Neo sushi bars(?)

See: https://food-stadium.com/column/30794/

Ramen

Tonkotsu (pork bone based) ramen is good, but I'd recommend branching out and trying other ramen if possible. For example, I feel Menya Ultra in SD is pretty close to the Tonkotsu listed below.

  • Tonkotsu (if you have to):
    • Ippudo (everywhere in Japan, has shops in NYC, SF, LA)
    • Ichiran (everywhere in Japan, has shop in NYC)
  • Shio ramen (salt seasoned)
    • Afuri (Yuzu seasoned clear broth, Ebisu)
    • 麺屋ひょっとこ 交通会館店 (yuzu clear broth, yurakucho) tabelog
  • Shoyu ramen (soy seasoned)
    • 人類みな麺類 (fish based, osaka; get the macro) tabelog
  • Tori Paitan (rich creamy chicken broth)
    • Kagari (Ginza)
  • Unique
    • Kitchen Troquet (tomato based arrabbiata ramen)
  • Tsukemen (dipping ramen)
    • Tomita (Matsudo), need to go early morning to get a ticket, then go back later for ticketed time (probably afternoon)
    • Rokurinsha (multiple locations, including Haneda and Sky Tree)
    • Fuunji (Yoyogi)
    • Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto (Shinjuku)
  • Abura soba (Dry ramen)

Family Restaurants

  • Saizeriya (many locations)
    • Nothing beats their prices, and cheap wine too
  • Jonathan's
  • Bikkuri Donkey
  • Royal Host
  • Denny's (lol)

Tea

一保堂 (Ippodo, Kyoto main shop, Tokyo satellite shop)

  • Famous tea shop that has a great cafe
  • If getting matcha, definitely get the koicha set for the full experience
  • Gyokuro is a very unique tea. Very intense and almost savory. Worth a try
  • Sencha is more of an every day tea, not as intense as Gyokuro
  • Other teas are also worth trying

櫻井焙茶研究所 (Sakurai Japanese Tea Experience, Omotesando)

  • Want to try. Apparently in the same category as Ippodo

https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1306/A130602/13197815/

Bakery

  • Hamadaya (Sangenjaya)
  • Breadworks
  • 365 Days (Tomigaya)
  • Sawamura (Hiroo)
  • Viron (Shibuya)

Sweets

  • Saryo Tsujiri (Many locations)
    • Lots of great matcha flavored sweets
    • Sencha is fine in a pinch
  • Cafe Chez Lui (Shibuya)
    • Lunch set comes w/ a dessert plate that's apparently really good
  • Taiyaki Hiiragi (Ebisu)
    • Really good taiyaki
  • Hyakkaen (Shinjuku)
    • Good place to try some Japanese fruits
  • Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza (Yurakucho)
    • Satellite shop of Hokkaido, carrying various goods from Hokkaido.
    • Ice cream and other dairy products are highlights

Weird?

わさびdining つんと (Shimbashi)

  • has a dish called Wasabonara lol
  • general wasabi dining???

via https://twitter.com/Mulboyne/status/1225573138626420736

慎 Shin udon Shinjuku

ミスターカンソ 本店 (mr.kanso, osaka) tabelog

  • canned foods bar, near dotombori
  • apparently canned okonomiyaki might be good?

Misc

CAMELBACK sandwich&espresso (キャメルバック)

HATOS BAR (ハトスバー)

U.K. Wildcats Cafe

  • American???
  • apparently Kansas City steak rice is good?
  • Has 3 locations
  • one is this

Chinese

一芳亭 本店 (イッポウテイ, osaka) tabelog

  • Known for their shumai