@Abroad in Japan
12 Must Try Japanese Foods in Tokyo 🇯🇵 Ultimate Travel Guide
12 Must Try Japanese Foods in Tokyo 🇯🇵 Ultimate Travel Guide
Embark on an epic culinary journey through Tokyo, discovering 12 legendary restaurants and their mouthwatering signature dishes, from roast beef ramen to A5 wagyu sukiyaki and exquisite sushi.
12 places
1Menya NishikawaRamen restaurant4.4Closed · opens Monday 11 AMMenya Nishikawa, 山崎ビル 2-12 Sumiyoshicho, 新宿区 Shinjuku City, Tokyo 162-0065, JapanCreator's voice- Ultimate Beef Special Ramen — This ramen is a decadent bowl featuring roast beef, braised pork, eggs, mushrooms, and marinated meat. The beef is flame-grilled to a beautiful pink, making it incredibly juicy and tender. The light broth balances the rich, savory toppings, and the thin noodles are reminiscent of Hakata-style ramen. It's the best chashu I've ever had.
2Tonkatsu JPTonkatsu restaurant · Minato City4.3 (515)Open · until 3 PMtonkatsu.jp Omotesando, 1F 3 Chome-9-9 Kita-Aoyama, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0061, Japan- Thick-cut Tonkatsu — Unlike regular tonkatsu, these cuts are much thicker and more decadent, with a beautiful thin layer of fat on top. The pork is incredibly tender and juicy, allowing you to bite into it without it being chewy. A touch of salt is all it needs to let the pork's quality shine. This is the best pork I've had in Japan, especially the Shizuoka Saddleback pig.
3Eisu YoronikuYakiniku restaurant · Shibuya4.6Closed · opens tomorrow 5 PMYoroniku Ebisu, GEMS恵比寿 8F 1 Chome-11-5 Ebisu, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0013, Japan- Silky Loin Yakiniku — This signature dish features a special cut of A5 wagyu, served directly into a dipping sauce with a small rice ball. It melts in your mouth, and the rice helps bind with the beef and sauce, enhancing the flavor. It's incredibly silky and poetic.
- Chateaubriand Beef Katsu Sandwich — A luxurious sandwich featuring chateaubriand beef katsu, served with a spicy yuzu mustard. It's incredibly delicious and might be the best sandwich I've ever had.
- Wagyu Sukiyaki with Raw Egg — Masterfully prepared wagyu sukiyaki mixed with a raw egg white to create a light and bubbly coating. It's sweet, savory, and frothy. The rice is then soaked in the remaining mixture for an indescribable flavor.
4Sukiyaki Juny 10Sukiyaki and Shabu Shabu restaurant · Chiyoda City4.6 (385)Open · until 3 PMSukiyaki Juniten, ブリックスクエア 3F 2 Chome-6-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0005, JapanCreator's voice- A5 Wagyu Sukiyaki — Thinly sliced A5 wagyu cooked alongside fresh vegetables in a rich, sweet, and salty sukiyaki sauce, then dipped in raw egg. The egg yolk locks in the texture and flavor, making the wagyu incredibly complex and enjoyable. It's a truly special meal, perfect for anniversaries or birthdays.
5AasiaTokyo, JapanCreator's voice- Kudon Udon with Tempura — This udon features thick, chewy noodles served with a lighter broth. You can add a big spoonful of tempura batter, ginger, and spring onion as toppings. I had the Kudon, which looked amazing, with fried asparagus tempura and a full chicken breast tempura. The noodles are thinner than I'm used to but very nice.
6SoresClothing store · Kyoto4.3 (470)Open · until 8 PMSOU・SOU Tabi, 578-1 Nakanocho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8042, JapanCreator's voice- Kamo Soba — A classic soba dish with tender duck served in a warm, dashi-based broth with a sharp tanginess from onions and duck. It's delicious and very comforting.
- Dashi Soba with Parmesan Cheese — A chilled soba dish flavored with dashi, olive oil, and half a block of Parmesan cheese. The cheese is incredibly flavorful and pairs really well with the dashi broth, making it a well-rounded and surprising dish. I actually prefer this one over the duck soba.
7Yakitori TorisawaYakitori restaurant · Koto City4.3 (1,922)Closed · opens 5 PMTorisawa, 2 Chome-24-13 Kameido, Koto City, Tokyo 136-0071, JapanCreator's voice- Chicken Thigh Yakitori — Served one skewer at a time, this chicken thigh is glistening, beautifully char-grilled, and incredibly tender and juicy. The subtle saltiness is perfect, and the chef's precision in salting and cooking is evident. It's one of the most superbly grilled pieces of chicken I've ever had.
- Quail's Egg Yakitori — Unlike typical rubbery quail eggs, this one is perfectly cooked so that when you bite into it, a rich, gooey yolk runs out. It's much more flavorful and a delightful surprise.
- Tsukune Yakitori — Chicken covered in a rich and sweet tare sauce, offering a classic yakitori flavor.
- Bonjiri Yakitori — Rich and fatty tail meat, known for its succulent texture.
- Torin (Chicken Lantern) Yakitori — Named after the Japanese word for lantern due to its bright yellow appearance, this is the yolk of a chicken before the hard outer shell forms. It pops like a balloon, and the egg yolk runs out, combining with the savory meat for an incredible, almost magical flavor.
8Sumiyaki Unafuji UrakuchoUnagi restaurant · Chiyoda City4.4Open · until 9 PMSumiyaki Unafuji Yurakucho Store, H12 1 Chome-7-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0011, JapanCreator's voice- Dashimaki Tamago with Unagi — A dashi fish broth-infused tamagoyaki (rolled omelet) with a piece of unagi. It offers a nice fishy undertone from the dashi and a luxurious treat from the eel.
- Crispy Unagi — Pure crispy unagi, almost like potato chips. It's well-made, removing much of the fishy taste, and is flaky, crispy, and succulent with a great aftertaste.
- Unagi Liver — A delicious and delicate unagi liver, surprisingly good despite initial hesitation.
- Jyo Unagi Don — High-quality, top-grade unagi served on a bed of rice, smelling like a sweet soy sauce dream. The sauce gives the unagi its character, and the fish itself is so fatty it blends together with an almost creamy texture. It's the A5 wagyu of fish.
9Kazushi Tan KandaChiyoda CityKanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo, JapanCreator's voice- Miyazaki Rump Teppanyaki — Beautifully marbled Miyazaki beef rump, carefully grilled to perfection. It's served with various salts (including seaweed salt), pepper, wasabi, and soy sauce. The beef is incredibly juicy, buttery, and has a subtle sweetness from the fat, which is enhanced by the salt and wasabi. It's the best way to try Japanese steak.
10Negiyaki YamamotoOkonomiyaki restaurant · Osaka4.2Closed · opens Monday 11:30 AMNegiyaki Yamamoto, 1 Chome-8-4 Jusohonmachi, Yodogawa Ward, Osaka, 532-0024, JapanCreator's voice- Negiyaki — A savory pancake batter filled with seafood and topped with a thick, sweet, and tangy sauce (like Worcestershire). The outer shell is crispy, and the green onions provide a refreshing taste. It's very flavorful with a strong dashi presence and chewy, juicy bits of beef. It's a hearty, casual meal that offers great value for about ¥1,300 ($10).
11Tempura Ginza OnoderaTempura restaurant · Chuo City4.6 (221)Open · until 3 PMTempura Ginza Onodera Namikidori, 金成ビル 6階 8 Chome-5-10 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061, JapanCreator's voice- Tempura Oi with Shiso Leaf — A creamy oi (sea urchin) battered and wrapped in a shiso leaf. The tempura perfectly secures the shiso leaf around the creamy uni, creating an unexpected and delicious combination.
- Yamagata Beef Tempura — Yamagata beef, my favorite beef in Japan, with an incredibly thin batter that's barely noticeable. The tempura locks in and enhances the flavor of the wagyu, giving it a nice crispy outer shell. It's the only way wagyu gets better – battered and fried. This would be my last supper request.
12Udatsu SushiSushi restaurant · Meguro City4.4Closed · opens tomorrow 11 AMUdatsu Sushi, 2 Chome-48-10 Kamimeguro, Meguro City, Tokyo 153-0051, JapanCreator's voice- Mackerel Sushi — This mackerel sushi is incredibly meaty, tender, and smooth, unlike the typical flaky, cheaper mackerel. It's perfectly crafted and phenomenal, making mackerel taste better than ever before.
- Smoked Otoro Sushi — A single, beautiful piece of fatty otoro tuna, enshrouded in mist and smoke. The smoke gives the buttery, rich otoro a nice character, making it the single best piece of otoro I've ever had. It's so good it leaves you speechless.
- Anago (Sea Eel) Sushi with Vinegared Jelly — This anago sushi features a clean-flavored, nicely grilled eel mixed with a refreshing vinegared jelly. It's amazing and makes up for any past travel debacles.
- Uni (Sea Urchin) Sushi with Tequila — Freshly sourced uni from Rishiri Island in Hokkaido, paired with tequila. The tequila mellows out the intense flavor of the uni, creating a really nice creamy, rich texture that works surprisingly well together. It's the best uni I've ever had, even for someone who normally can't stand it.
- Ultimate Tuna Sushi Roll — A massive roll combining elements of different tuna dishes, featuring various cuts like otoro and chutoro. It's like reliving an entire sushi meal in one mouthful, offering many flavors that are almost overpowering in their deliciousness. A bloody cool idea and the best sushi I've ever had.