25 Best Things to Eat in Tokyo

Last updated on May 18th, 2020 at 01:20 pm

The food in Tokyo is some of the best, most diverse that I’ve ever had. It is one of the best cities to visit if you are a foodie. Check out this list of the best things to eat in Tokyo.

Japanese Souffle Pancakes

These delicious Souffle Pancakes have become popular on social media, resulting in long wait times at the restaurants that serve them. Rightly so, in my opinion, because they are incredibly fluffy and light, not overly sweet, and fun to eat.

We got Souffle Pancakes at Flipper’s in Omotesando. If possible, arrive right when they open so you don’t have to wait so long. You can order them plain, as we did, with fruit, or as the seasonal specialty. They also have a couple savory pancake dishes, as well as an assortment of drinks including the matcha latte you can see in the background.

Udon Noodles

Udon noodles are thick, chewy, delicious, wheat-flour noodles. They are commonly used in Japanese cuisine, with and without broth. I highly recommend you find a bowl of good quality udon while you are in Japan.

This was the first thing we ate in Japan and it was an interesting start to the trip. We wanted our first meal to be a good one, obviously, so we did some searching and found Udon Shin, which had great reviews and udon noodles made in house.

We ended up waiting an hour and forty minutes outside in the cold for these noodles while being completely exhausted from traveling and with nothing in our stomachs. Every time we’d consider leaving the line, it would inch forward just enough to restore our hope. As you get close to the end of the line, you can watch the process of making udon noodles, including rolling and cutting the dough, boiling the noodles, and the delicate way in which they twirl the noodles beautifully into the bowl.

In the end, you don’t remember how miserable it was waiting in line (at least not that much), you just remember the exquisiteness of the food. At Udon Shin we ordered tempura and two udon dishes. I ordered the udon with butter, pepper, and a hot spring egg. It was rich, buttery and simple. Luke ordered udon with beef, raw egg, and scallions, which was also very good.

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Sushi

You could visit Japan and avoid eating sushi, but that seems like a mistake. Sushi is the food that Japan is most known for and in Tokyo, it is everywhere. There are so many restaurants that if you really hate sushi then you will have plenty of other options.

Most sushi in Tokyo can be ordered as Nigiri, which is served over rice, or sashimi, which has no rice. There are places you can get sushi rolls as well but they are generally more expensive and not quite as extravagant as they are in the US. I prefer nigiri to sashimi and could not eat the pieces in the photo below because they were way too big for me.

We ate traditional sushi at a couple places in Tokyo including Rosan at Isetan Shinjuku, a standing sushi restaurant in Tokyu Plaza Ginza called Nemuro Hanamaru, Kinka Sushi in Roppongi and at the Tsukiji Fish Market, but sushi can be found all over. Like most things in Tokyo, the best sushi restaurants will have long lines, so try to get there before they open.

Yakitori

Yakitori in Japanese refers to grilled chicken cooked on a skewer. Yaki indicates that something has been grilled and is commonly used in other Japanese words for food (teriyaki, okinomiyaki, etc). Even though yakitori means grilled chicken, they cook many other types of food in this style such as vegetables, quail eggs, seafood, and other meats.

There are many places you can get yakitori in Tokyo, but we ate it in Yakitori Alley, or Omoide Yokocho (which actually translates to “Memory Lane”). Yakitori Alley is a touristy spot, no denying, but it is a quintessential experience when visiting Tokyo. Wander the lantern lit alley, likely packed the the brim with people, and squeeze into an available stool at one of the many izakayas grilling up anything from quail eggs to clams.

You will likely be elbow to elbow with your fellow diners. Point to the things that look good and they will grill them for you and throw them down on your plate as they are ready. We enjoyed the pork, pork belly, chicken, shishito peppers, mushrooms, quail eggs, and washed it all down with some sake.

Ramen

Another well known and popular Japanese dish that you must eat while you are in Tokyo is ramen. Ramen can be found all over Tokyo and there are several restaurants that hold Michelin Stars. We tried to make room in our itinerary to visit a Michelin Star ramen shop, but we never got around to it. However, most of the ramen in Tokyo is really good, even the at the subway stations, so it is still possible to have great ramen without going to a Michelin Star restaurant.

My favorite ramen was from Takahashi in Shinjuku, where you order from a vending machine out front and then wait until there is a place to eat inside. The restaurant is very small, as most are in Tokyo. I ordered the tonkotsu, or pork, ramen and Luke ordered the ramen with flying fish broth, which is their specialty, and it was very good as well. Takahashi is also a great place for a late night snack because they are open until 5 am.

We also ate at Tatsunoya in Shinjuku, which was pretty good as well.

Wagyu Beef

Wagyu refers to all Japanese beef cattle. Due to the fat marbling, the beef is extremely tender with a rich flavor. The Wagyu fat has a lower melting temperature, resulting in a buttery flavor and a more expensive price tag.

Wagyu beef will often be eaten as teppanyaki (cooked on an iron grill), sukiyaki (thinly sliced meat and vegetables cooked in a skillet with soy sauce and sugar) or shabu shabu (thinly sliced meat and vegetables cooked in broth). If you find a restaurant that specializes in these cooking techniques, there is a good probability that Wagyu beef will be on the menu.

We ate Wagyu beef teppanyaki style at Osaka Kitchen as a part of a seven course omakase (chef’s choice) meal. It was delicious and one of my favorite meals ever.

Conveyor Belt Sushi

A very special foodie experience that you do not want to miss while in Tokyo is conveyor belt sushi. There are varying levels of technology involved in conveyor belt sushi. At some restaurants, the sushi is placed on the conveyor belt and you are free to pick off what ever dishes you are interested in eating.

At Uobei, you use a tablet to order your meal which will appear in front of your seat via conveyor belt when it is ready. You can continue to order food until you are full, at which point you pay using the tablet. It feels like something out of a sci-fi movie, which is what makes is such a memorable experience. There is more than just sushi at Uobei, you can order a nigiri style hamburger (hamburger served over rice) as well as many other things varying from normal to unexpected. The sushi is pretty good, although not the best that we ate while in Tokyo.

Tsukemen

Tsukemen, or dipping ramen, which we had never had before our trip to Tokyo, involves dipping cold ramen noodles into warm broth. Hiyashi Tsukemen involves cold noodles and cold broth, which is a popular dish in the summer in Japan.

The dish is fun to eat and something that you rarely see in the US, so you should definitely try it on your trip to Japan. We tried this at Tatsunoya in Shinjuku, although most ramen shops will have this as an option. The noodles cool down the broth as you dip them, so if it is a particularly cold night (as it was for us) it may be less pleasant that traditional ramen.

Subway Ramen

Subway Ramen is another famous experience that is only found in Japan. The ramen restaurants that are available in the train stations attract hordes of people and are known for being exceptional, despite their location in a public transit station. I can’t think of any other place where I would go out of my way to eat at a subway station.

Tokyo Station is one of the most popular places to get subway ramen. We wanted to go to Rokurinsha originally, which had great reviews, but the line was massive. It was a holiday week, so most of the other restaurants were closed. We ended up eating at Oreshiki Jun which was pretty good, but the noodles were a little thin for my liking.

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Zaru Soba

If you are visiting Japan, I hope you like noodles because there are so many different kinds to try! Zaru Soba is a cold soba noodle dish served with cold broth. It is often served with tempura as well. It is very tasty and also fun to eat. To eat these, add onion or wasabi to the dipping sauce as you prefer, and then briefly dip the noodles into the sauce before slurping them up. It is a bit of a challenge at first, but it gets easier as you go.

We ate Zaru Soba in Hakone at Shinshō Soba, but there are many places around Tokyo to find soba noodles as well.

Matcha Latte

Did I drink Matcha Lattes every opportunity I got while in Tokyo? Yep! Matcha Lattes are made with green tea powder, water, milk, and a sweetener in their most basic form. The one pictured below is a Matcha Espresso Latte from Bongen Coffee, meaning a shot of espresso was added. I also had a mocha matcha latte at Chop Coffee House, which was delicious as well. Matcha Lattes can be found at most coffee shops and some restaurants around Tokyo.

Mochi

Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made with mochigome rice. There are mochi confectioneries and mochi ice cream, in which the mochi is wrapped around a small ball of ice cream or sweet filling. We discovered these strawberry mochi at the Tsukiji Market, but we also saw many mochi at confectionary shops at Isetan Shinjuku. This is a very popular treat in Japan, so you likely will come across mochi often, but it is something you need to try while you are visiting.

Pastries

Tokyo has a surprising amount of delicious pastries to try. One of our favorite things for a quick breakfast is to grab a pastry. We enjoyed visiting Boul’ange, a authentic French Bakery, and City Bakery, which we also enjoyed in New York, which both had decadent treats like this chocolate banana danish. You can also find pastries with a Japanese flair such as a sweet azuki (red bean) muffin that I tried at City Bakery.

I had also wanted to try taiyaki (a fish shaped cake usually filled with sweet azuki paste) at a more traditional Japanese confectionery shop called Naniwaya Sōhonten, but we didn’t have time.

Matcha

Matcha is finely ground green tea powder that traditionally was served as tea during Japanese Tea Ceremonies. There are different grades of matcha, including ceremonial, premium, and cooking/culinary. Due to its bitterness, matcha is traditionally served with a wagashi, a Japanese confectionery (often made of mochi) to be served with tea. Matcha can be prepared in two ways, thin (usucha) or think (koicha). See the differences below.

The thick matcha was very bitter and a little difficult to drink if you are not accustom to it. You can try both as well as a selection of other teas at Ippodo Tea Shop in Ginza.

Craft Cocktails

Tokyo is well known for its incredible craft cocktail scene. Bar High Five, Benfiddich, Bar Trench, Bar Orchard Ginza, and The SG Club were rated as some of the best bars in the world in 2019. There are also great bars that didn’t make the list, like Spirts Bar Sunface in Shinjuku. Make a point to visit at least one of these and enjoy a craft cocktail during your visit to Tokyo.

Sake

Sake is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting rice. There filtered sakes, which appear clear, and coarsely filtered sakes, that appear cloudy. One is not necessarily better than the other and the difference can sometimes be subtle. Sake can be served warm or slightly chilled. Traditionally sake was served warm due to the rougher and less refined nature of the brewing technique back then, but as technology has allowed the brewing process to create varying flavor profiles, some sakes can be more sensitive to heating.

You must try sake when you are in Japan. Sake can be enjoyed almost anywhere in Tokyo, from small street vendors to upscale restaurants, and even at the Tsukiji Fish Market.

Standing Sushi

Another fun foodie experience you can only have in Japan is standing sushi, or Tachi-gui sushi. These restaurants usually imply that you can get good quality sushi for a reasonable price. It also can be fairly quick.

We had standing sushi at Nemuro Hanamaru in Tokyu Plaza Ginza and it was very good. They provided a basket, where we were able to store our things, and they placed the sushi in front of us as it was ready.

Boba

Boba technically was invented in Taiwan, but it has become a popular treat all over the world. Boba is always fun to eat and the flavors of the drinks are usually interesting. I tried this Black Sesame Boba in this cute bear at a small shop near Takeshita street. We also got a Milk Tea Boba at this boba shop near Shinjuku Gyoen, which was very good.

A Unique Treat from Takeshita Street

Rainbow grilled cheese, anyone? How about giant cotton candy? Fried cheese on a stick? Ice cream shaped like animals? All of these and more can be found on Takeshita street. I was extremely tempted to try it all. We opted for a Zaku Zaku, a crunchy dessert filled with caramel custard. When you are on Takeshita street, you must eat one of the crazy treats that can’t be found anywhere else.

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Tempura

Tempura is probably one of the less interesting things on this list, but don’t let that stop you from trying it when you’re in Tokyo. We had tempura at with our udon noodles at Udon Shin, where you can get a very large plate of it. Tempura also came with our dish at Shinshō Soba, because traditionally tempura is served with soba.

Unagi

Unagi, or freshwater eel, is a delicacy in Japan and is something that you should try on your trip to Tokyo. When prepared well, unagi should have a rich flavor and be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Unagi is cooked in a sweet sauce, which may vary between restaurants. It can be served over rice or on a skewer, which is called kabayaki.

I ate unagi at the Tsukiji Fish Market, but there are specialty restaurants around Tokyo that focus on unagi specifically that are worth checking out.

Shabu Shabu

Shabu Shabu is Japanese hot pot, and involves cooking thinly sliced meats and vegetables in boiling water or dashi (fish broth) and then eating the meat and vegetables with dipping sauce and rice. The pieces are cooked one by one at the table. Shabu Shabu is similar to sukiyaki, where the food is cooked in a shallow iron pan with soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. Shabu Shabu is more savory and sukiyaki is sweeter, but both are worth trying if you are in Japan.

I tried so hard to eat Shabu Shabu in Japan. I made Luke go to at least three different restaurants known for Shabu Shabu and every one of them was closed for the holiday.  There are several around the city though, so give it a try for me!

Ice Cream

Japan is known for some really unique ice cream flavors such as matcha, sesame, sweet potato – and that’s just the beginning. There are also places you can get ice cream shaped like animals. One of the places to get animal ice cream is Dobutsuen near the JR Harajuku Station. The shop is disguised as a pink vending machine and we will definitely visit on our next trip to Tokyo. 

Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a savory pancake, made with flour, nagaimo (yam), water or dashi, eggs, shredded cabbage, and usually meat, seafood, or vegetables. There are two variations of okonomiyaki, one where the ingredients are mixed and one where the ingredients are layered. The mixed version (Kansai style) originates from Osaka, but can easily be found in Tokyo as well. Monjayaki is similar to okonomiyaki, but originated in Tokyo and has different liquid ingredients resulting in a different texture.

Osaka Kitchen was an excellent place to try Okonomiyaki, as well as many other tasty dishes as a part of their omakase. You can also order okonomiyaki  à la carte at Osaka Kitchen.

Yokochos

If you want the real cultural experience of Tokyo’s food scene, you must visit a Yokocho Alley. Yokocho translates to “alley ways off to the side of a main street” where you will find small bars and restaurants. Yakitori Alley, or Omoide Yokocho, is one of the most famous but is also very touristy.

There are other Yokochos, such as Nonbei Yokocho (or Drunkard’s Alley), Harmonica Yokocho (in Kichijoji, about 30 minutes away from Shinjuku), and Ebisu Yokocho. The food at these places is usually something simple, that can be made in such a small space, like sushi, yakitori, or barbecue.

Ebisu Yokocho is a more recent development of taverns and izakayas that attracts a younger crowd.  Ebisu Yokocho was recommended to us by one of our bartenders and the experience felt genuine in comparison to the touristy nature of Omoide Yokocho (which you absolutely should still visit). Squeeze into any open spot you can find, order a highball, and enjoy Japanese culture in its real form.

Tokyo is an incredible city, evident by the amazing food and drink experiences available. These are just a few of the best things to eat in Tokyo, but in a city as big as Tokyo there are always more foodie experiences waiting to be discovered.

Have you eaten any of these things? What is the best thing you’ve eaten in Tokyo?

Want to visit somewhere other than Tokyo on your trip to Japan? Consider visiting Hakone.

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