Let's know the food in Tokyo

“If I had to agree to live in one country, or even one city, for the rest of my life, never leaving it, I'd pick Tokyo in a second.”, said Anthony Bourdain, the celebrity chef, writer, and TV personality who had travelled all over the world and tasted all sorts of food, bless his soul.

Against my initial belief, sushi tasted better when the fish isn’t super fresh, as if it’s straight out of the sea, but rather aged slightly, enough for the flavour to flourish on its own. As a Malaysian who has a preference of warm, cooked meals, there were many occasions where I had to bite the bullet and eat raw meat in Tokyo, and I have yet to find a time where I did not enjoy it.

And yes, I do love sushi. Yet, there is more than sushi in Tokyo, which you will find out soon.

Famous Food in Tokyo 

Sushi, ramen, sashimi, tamagoyaki, these are all dishes in which Japan is famous for, and you can find many of these in restaurants in Tokyo such as Sushi Zanmai in Tsukiji, Omoide Yokocho (Yakitori) or Fukuzushi in Roppongi.

Sushi Zanmai

An affordable option for those who want fresh sushi, Sushi Zanmai is located at Tsukiji, a few minutes of walk away from the Tsukiji Station. Fish are bought straight from the fish market which is only a few streets away to make the freshest sushi for customers, and it’s open all day! Since Sushi Zanmai is a chain restaurant, you can also try them at different locations. My favourite sushi topping is the Ikura, which is a blast flavour that will make your tastebuds explode.

Spot information

• Spot name: Sushi Zanmai (Tsukiji Branch)
  
• Street address: 3-11-9 Tsukiji | Tsukiji Square building 1F, Chuo 104-0045, Tokyo Prefecture
  
• Access: A 2-minute walk from the Tsukiji Station. Located at the outer market of Tsukiji Fish Market, the shop is easy to spot because there is a figure of a man with his arms open in a welcoming pose.
  

Tenkaippin

A chain restaurant for ramen, Tenkaippin (天下一品) is a chain restaurant specializing in ramen. The name translates to number one product under the skies. Serves Ramen, dumpling and Kagari.

Spot information

• Spot name: Tenkaippin
  
• Street address: Kabukicho, Dai 103 Tokyo Building 1 & 2F, Shinjuku 160-0021, Tokyo Prefecture.
  
• Access: Take the train on the Yamanote line to Shinjuku Station and then walk for around 9 minutes towards Kabukicho to reach Tenkaippin.
  

Kagari

Instead of the usual pork-based soup, Kagari is famous for their creamy chicken broth. You can choose to pick either the white chicken broth, soba or ramen, and it is priced less than a thousand yen. There are two shops located in Ginza, and each of them have 8 seats. Make sure you arrive before 11am (opening time), because there are often people lining up to eat here. If you’re on a schedule, remember to allocate around half an hour to wait for your meal.

Spot information

• Spot name: Kagura Ramen
  
• Street address: 4-1-2 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
  
• Access: Around 4 minutes on foot from Yūrakuchō Station.
  

Tokyo Street Food

If you love to walk the streets while eating food, there are many streets in Tokyo where you can do so. 

Walk down Nakamise Dori and shop for wagashi, traditional Japanese sweets. For around 500 yen you can buy 5 sticks of dango. If you’d like to try out the sweet Doraemon loves to eat, then you have to go for the dorayaki instead.

For those who love jelly, treat yourself to some Imo Yokan, which is made from sweet potato. It has a soft jelly texture. There are many shops selling shaved ice here which will surely be a cool treat to eat during the summer.

Harajuku

Crepes are very popular in Harajuku. There are so many types of topping - fruits, ice cream, and even sausages! Yeah, weird stuff. We would recommend the fruity ones as they are naturally delicious and full of flavour.

Besides crepes, there are also huge cotton candy stores in Harajuku. The rainbow cotton candy is 900 yen at the Totti Candy Factory, it’s very easy to spot since people will be walking around carrying cotton candies that are larger than their heads!

Spot information

• Spot name:Totti Candy Factory
  
• Address: 1-16-5 Jingumae,RYU Apartment 2F, Shibuya 150-0001, Tokyo Prefecture
  

Ueno 

It’s fun to shop and eat around Ameya Yokocho because many things are affordable. It’s where you can find the affordable cooking ingredients at the underground market, cheap bags, there is also a Hard Off if you want to buy second-hand hardware.

The street food you should try here are the fried croquettes (called Korokke in Japanese), taiyaki, and kebabs, which are halal.

Tokyo: Fast Food

Most of the time, fast food gets a slammed for being unhealthy and oily. That isn’t the case in Tokyo. In Tokyo, you can find healthy and tasty food in Fast Food restaurants.

Let’s try out some of Japan’s fast food restaurants which you haven’t tried before in Malaysia!

Western Fast Food

While there are McDonalds and KFC restaurants located throughout Japan, perhaps it’s time to explore outside what you know and give Japan’s fast food chains a try. Also, they don’t have chili sauce in McDonalds! You’ll also have to get used to eating fries without sauce. For burgers, the most popular fast food restaurants are Mos Burger, Freshness Burger and Lotteria. You can find them all over Tokyo, and each of them have their own charm.

Saizeriya

Try out the pasta, pizza and Doria at Saizeriya, a family-style Italian chain restaurant. It’s a place that’s popular with students and families as the dishes are affordable and the portions are ideal, not to mention, there are vegetarian options on their menu. In case you haven’t tried it in Malaysia, Doria is a dish where meat and rice is topped with baked cheese. The dish may look small on their menu but it is very filling and flavourful. It’s also available in some Japanese restaurants in Malaysia, and I highly recommend you try it out if you haven’t!

Japanese Food

You can skip the Japanese Fast Food stores which are also available in Malaysia such as Hanamaru udon or Yoshinoya unless if you want to compare the quality of food.

First Kitchen or Kitchen Origin

For the quickest food, you can always visit First Kitchen or Kitchen Origin. First Kitchen is a subsidiary of Wendy’s while Kitchen Origin is part of AEON. There are a few ways to buy food here; order it and have it cooked or select from pre-cooked food and take it home. I like this place because you can pick what you want to have the same way you could at those chap fan places in Malaysia.

CoCo Ichibanya

For Japanese Curry, CoCo Ichibanya is one of the popular chain restaurants. Their dishes are quite affordable, and the serving size is large. Even the average-sized meal is large by my standards, so I always opt for the small one. If you’re very hungry, CoCo Ichibanya is the place to go. For 100 yen, you can add a side dish of your choosing to go with your meal. By the way, their hot curry isn’t really that hot and you can order hot instead of mild for a bit of spiciness. If you have friends who can’t eat spicy food, Japanese curry is a perfect way for them to try curry.

Cost of food in Tokyo

Food will generally cost from 500 yen and up to 3,000 yen, depending on where you are eating, expensive food can cost even more, but that is only if you plan to eat expensive food in Ginza or eating the food of a famous chef like Sukiyabashi Jiro which can cost up to 30,000 yen per visit.

Food in the convenience store is generally cheaper. With 500 yen - 700 yen you can have ready-to-eat food such as pasta, katsudon or sushi, and the shop assistant will also heat it up for you.

Frankly, you can also eat delicious juicy steak, Korean food, Indian food, Chinese food and other western food in Tokyo. Many people from other countries opened their own restaurants in Tokyo in response to influx of foreigners (usually in areas like Shinjuku) and cater to the tastes of tourists from other countries. No matter where you look, there is sure to be a restaurant around the corner that fits your tastes in Tokyo.

A good place to start looking when hungry and overwhelmed by all the options is to check out the smaller restaurants located in the larger train stations, such as Tokyo Station or Kanda Station.