@Strictly Dumpling
18 BEST Local Japanese CHEAP EATS in Tokyo Japan
18 BEST Local Japanese CHEAP EATS in Tokyo Japan
Explore Tokyo's vibrant culinary scene with 18 affordable and delicious local eateries, from all-you-can-eat wagyu to unique ramen and fried sandwiches.
17 places
1Yakiniku LikeYakiniku restaurant · Minato City3.9Closed · opens tomorrow 8 AMYakiniku LIKE Shimbashi, W・Bビル 1F, 2 Chome-15-8 Shinbashi, Minato City, Tokyo 105-0004, JapanCreator's voice- All-you-can-eat Wagyu Buffet · $7 — For just $7, you get 45 minutes to grill all the wagyu you can eat. The pork belly is incredibly fatty and delicious when charred crispy, and the liver is a must-try if available. Comes with fresh onions, seaweed soup, and rice.
- Pork Heart — Marinated in salt and pepper, the heart is surprisingly tender, meaty, and juicy. It's an underappreciated cut that takes on a beautiful smoky flavor from the grill and a fragrant taste from sesame seeds.
- Pork Liver — Snappy in some parts, very soft and juicy in others, with a good clean, organ-y flavor. It's fantastic, especially when cooked well. They have a limited amount daily, so get it before it sells out.
- Pork Neck — Leaner than the pork belly but still very tender. It's a good contrast to the fattier cuts.
2Chota SushiSushi restaurant · Chuo City5.0 (60)Closed · opens 6 PMSushi Tada, Acn築地二丁目ビル 1F 2 Chome-5-7 Tsukiji, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0045, JapanCreator's voice- Yellowtail Nigiri (10 yen special) · ¥10 — Part of the 10 yen special, this yellowtail nigiri is incredibly fresh and melts in your mouth. The sushi rice is perfectly fragrant and vinegary, with a perfect ratio of fish to rice. It's probably as good as yellowtail you can find anywhere, especially for the price.
- Tempura Plate · $7 — This tempura is incredibly light and fries well, with fresh ingredients. It's light and crunchy on the outside, with beautiful tender meat or soft sweet potato inside. A plate costs about $7.
- Miso Soup with Shrimp Head — A miso soup that's way better than typical miso soup, with the added flavor from a shrimp head.
3Bonito StandRamen restaurant · Shinagawa City4.3 (1,063)Closed · opens 11:30 AMBonito Bonito Ramen, いつみハウス １０１ 4 Chome-1-8 Koyama, Shinagawa City, Tokyo 142-0062, Japan- Bonito Flakes Over Rice — A generous serving of thinly shaved bonito flakes over rice. The flakes are airy, almost translucent, and dissolve on your tongue, containing so much umami. Add salt and soy sauce for enhanced flavor.
- Fried Bonito — Crispy, soy sauce-based, and slightly sweet. It adds a different texture and flavor dimension to the meal.
- Raw Egg Topping — A must-have addition that adds a super nice creaminess and richness to the dish. It also helps bind the airy bonito flakes together, preventing them from flying everywhere.
- Bonito Butter Topping — Adds a rich, savory depth to the bonito rice bowl.
- Fresh Wasabi Topping — A must-try addition that provides a nice kick, balancing the rich, deep umami-filled dish.
4Tsukemen Gonokami SeisakushoRamen restaurant · Shibuya4.1Open · until 9 PMJapan, 〒151-0051 Tokyo, Shibuya, Sendagaya, 5 Chome−33−16 Tsukemen Gonokami Seisakusho Shinjuku, シャトレー新宿御苑第一 1FCreator's voice
5Sichuan RestaurantSichuan restaurant · Shinjuku City4.7 (1,271)Open · until 11 PMJapan, 〒169-0075 Tokyo, Shinjuku City, Takadanobaba, 1 Chome−27−6 Ki Bldg., 5階 成都娘酸菜魚 成都姑娘Creator's voice- Mapo Tofu with Knife-Cut Noodles — Mapo tofu cooked in a sizzling stone pot, with a solid piece of tofu that you mix yourself. It's packed with chilies and spices, making it numbing and fragrant. The handmade knife-cut noodles are coarse, thick, and thin, with an incredibly chewy texture that transforms when mixed with the mapo tofu.
- Hot Oil Wontons — These wontons are much better than the free dumplings, with juicy pork filling and a spicy, numbing sauce. The skin is soft and delicious.
6Truffle BakeryBakery4.2Closed · opens Monday 9 AMTruffle Bakery Hiroo, ナガツビル １階 5 Chome-15-16 Minamiazabu, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0047, JapanCreator's voice- Truffle Croque Monsieur · $7 — The bakery's number one item, beautifully packaged. It's a hot sandwich made with ham and cheese, topped with a generous amount of freshly shaved black truffle. The cheese is toasted with a torch, creating a beautifully charred, crusty, and buttery exterior, with a soft, pillowy, gooey, creamy cheese and smoky ham inside. Costs about $7.
- Truffle Butter Bun — The bakery's second bestseller, covered in a thin layer of sugar. It's airy, sweet, and earthy, with a nice chewy bread texture. The wonderful flavor of truffle accentuates as you chew.
7Curry ShopJapanese curry restaurant · Chiyoda City4.3 (11,605)Closed · opens tomorrow 10 AMCurry Bondy, 神田古書センタービル, ２階, 2 Chome-3-3 Kanda Jinbocho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0051, Japan- Cutlet Curry · $5 — A hefty portion of curry covered in meat sauce and freshly fried katsu. The curry is thick, creamy, and filled with minced meat, with a deep, spicy, and scrumptious flavor. The katsu is insanely crispy on the outside and very tender inside. Costs about $5.
8Udon ShinUdon noodle restaurant · Shibuya3.9Closed · opens tomorrow 11 AMUdon Shin, 相馬ビル １F 2 Chome-20-16 Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo 151-0053, JapanCreator's voice
9Yakisoba ShopNoodle shop · Shinjuku City4.1 (226)Open · until 8 AMYakisoba Kabukichi-Kabukicho, 1F 1 Chome-14-6 Kabukicho, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0021, Japan- Yakisoba with Runny Egg — Features fresh, springy, and chewy noodles made with Hokkaido flour, topped with a runny egg, charred pork belly, shrimp, squid, and scallions. The fatty pork belly is charred for a delicious smoky flavor, and the runny egg balances the sweetness of the yakisoba sauce. It's incredibly saucy and spicy, especially with added pepper.
10Fried Sandwich ShopSandwich shop · Chuo City4.7 (17,074)Open · until 7 PMAge.3 GINZA, 杉浦ビル 1Ｆ 1 Chome-24-11 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan- Fried Egg Salad Sandwich · $3 — A hefty, oily, deep-fried sandwich with a wonderful crunch on the outside, especially near the crust. Inside, it's filled with creamy, rich, yolky egg salad. The crispy, toasty bread makes it much better than a regular egg sandwich. Costs 450 yen (about $3).
- Fried Curry Sandwich — The owner's recommended best sandwich, piping hot and overstuffed with a load of delicious, spicy, meaty curry, potatoes, and toasty cheese on top. The crunchy fried toast provides a nice crunch with every bite. The creator rates this 10 out of 10.
- Fried Whipped Cream Sandwich · $0.60 — A deep-fried dessert sandwich with homemade whipped cream, costing only 100 yen (about 60 cents). It's simply delicious, with light, sweet, very milky cream that somehow tones down the greasiness of the fried bread.
- Fried Matcha Whipped Cream Sandwich — Another sweet fried sandwich with rich matcha whipped cream, matcha powder, and chocolate truffles on top. You get a rich matcha cream with a little bitterness, balanced by the melting chocolate truffle. The fragrant tea bitterness balances the sweetness and richness of the sandwich.
11Chinese BuffetBuffet restaurant · Shinjuku City4.6 (1,779)Closed · opens 11:30 AMGinza Happo - Shinjuku, 3F 5 Chome-17-13 Shinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0022, Japan- All-You-Can-Eat Sichuan Buffet · $6.50 — For about $6.50, you get unlimited access to classic Sichuan dishes. Highlights include spicy, numbing, rich mapo tofu with fermented beans, very soft and fluffy mantou, spicy and peppery double-cooked pork, and stir-fried slices of deep-fried potatoes with cumin spices. The dishes are authentic and do not skimp on heat.
12Pork Over Rice ShopIzakaya restaurant · Shinjuku City3.8Closed · opens Monday 11:30 AMJapan, 〒162-0844 Tokyo, Shinjuku City, Ichigayahachimancho, 13 東京洋服会館ビル B1F Tokyo Porks- Huge Pork Over Rice Bowl — A visually stunning bowl with beautifully cooked, charred pork slices arranged in a spiral, almost like a meat bouquet, with veggies on top. The pork is incredibly juicy, with a perfect balance of fat, a little sweetness, and a slight bitterness from the char. The rice is infused with immense, remarkably smoky, and sweet flavor from the meat juices.
13Standing Sushi BarSushi restaurant · Shinjuku City4.5 (4,706)Closed · opens tomorrow 11 AMUogashi Nihon-Ichi, 河西ビル 1F 1 Chome-12-12 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan- Squid Nigiri · $0.50 — A piece of sushi for just 80 yen (about 50 cents). The quality is surprisingly good for the price.
- Tamago Nigiri · $0.50 — A piece of sushi for just 80 yen (about 50 cents). The quality is surprisingly good for the price.
- Maguro Nigiri · $0.50 — A piece of sushi for just 80 yen (about 50 cents). The quality is surprisingly good for the price.
- Niki Toro Nigiri · $0.50 — A piece of sushi for just 80 yen (about 50 cents). The quality is surprisingly good for the price.
- Shrimp Nigiri — Incredibly sweet and fresh. Every piece of sushi here is ridiculously delicious and fresh.
- Lean Tuna Nigiri · <$1 — Fresh as can be, soft, and under a dollar per piece. The quality is mind-blowing for the price.
- Scallop Nigiri — Incredibly sweet. The quality of sushi here is really nice, with deliciously vinegary rice.
14Stewed Beef PlaceMeat dish restaurant · Chuo City4.4Closed · opens Tuesday 11:30 AMGyū-an Ginza, 6 Chome-13-6 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan- Gyudon (Stewed Beef Bowl) — Thin slices of marinated beef topped with a beautiful golden egg. The beef is incredibly tender, and the fat melts with the rice and silky egg, creating a luxurious texture. Adding chilies balances the richness.
- Beef and Beef Intestine Bowl — A rich, deep, beefy, and soy-saucy bowl with immense umami. The meat has been simmering in broth for a long time, resulting in incredibly fatty and nice intestine pieces steeped in a delicious dark sauce. It's saturated with flavor and sauce, with snappiness from konjac and crunchiness from scallions.
15Spicy Mentaiko Pasta ShopWestern restaurant · Shibuya4.2Closed · opens tomorrow 11 AMTokyo Tarako Spaghetti Harajuku Omotesando Branch, エムエスビル 2階 6 Chome-7-16 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan- Spicy Mentaiko Pasta · $6 — Served with a delicious cup of broth. The pasta is chewy and al dente, covered in mentaiko (spicy cod roe) and chilies. It's spicy and briny, with mentaiko giving off a deliciously umami-filled flavor. Incredibly satisfying for about $6.
16Unique Ramen ShopRamen restaurant · Chiyoda City4.0 (5,174)Closed · opens Wednesday 7:30 AMTokyo Ramen Street, 東京駅一番街 B1 1 Chome-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0005, Japan- Unique Ramen Bowl · $3-4 — A bowl with tons of scallions, an egg in the middle, and medium, wavy, springy noodles. The noodle texture is delicious, and the broth is porky, savory, and garlicky. It's one of the chewiest, al dente ramens the creator has had, with scallions providing a refreshing balance to the thick, rich broth. Very affordable at under 500 yen.
17Oden PlaceOden restaurant · Chuo City3.0 (3)Closed · opens tomorrow 11:30 AMOden Ore-no Kappou, メトロビル 1階 7 Chome-6-6 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan- All-You-Can-Eat Oden · $3 — For just over $3 with a drink, you can enjoy unlimited oden. The dashi broth is light but flavorful, cooked into ingredients like konjac jelly, giant daikon, potato, and various fish cakes. It's perfect comfort food, especially when it's chilly, and very versatile with many ingredients. Add spicy mustard and chilies for extra flavor.
4 extraction issues
- item "Three-piece Katsu Set": belongs to no place or experience in the post
- item "Katsu Filet with Vegetables": belongs to no place or experience in the post
- item "Beef Udon": belongs to no place or experience in the post
- item "Chilled Dashi Broth Udon": belongs to no place or experience in the post