Tokyo Food Guide — eat like a local

In Tokyo, "best" is a category, not a ranking. Each neighborhood has its own legendary shops — and many of them are tiny, cash-only, and run by one couple for forty years. This guide is built around the categories I'd order in.

1. Sushi (寿司)

Three tiers, all valid:

• Kaitenzushi (回転寿司): Conveyor belt sushi — Sushiro, Kura, Hama. Around ¥120–¥500 a plate. Surprisingly good and tourist-friendly.
• Standing sushi bars: Uogashi Nihon-Ichi, Tsukiji Uogashi — fast, fresh, ¥1,500–¥3,000 a meal.
• Edomae sushi (江戸前寿司): Counter chefs, omakase courses, ¥10,000+. Reserve weeks ahead at places like Sushi Saito or Sushi Sho-honten.

2. Ramen (ラーメン)

Tokyo has every regional style. A few I send people to:

• Tonkotsu: Ichiran, Ippudo (chains, English menus, easy first try).
• Tokyo-style shoyu: Tomita (Chiba), Afuri (Tokyo, yuzu shio).
• Tsukemen (dipping ramen): Fuunji in Shinjuku — bring an empty stomach.
• Spicy miso: Kikanbo in Akihabara, life-changing if you can handle heat.

3. Tempura (天ぷら)

Crispy battered seafood and vegetables, rice, light dipping sauce. Best counter experience: Tempura Kondo in Ginza or Daikokuya in Asakusa. Don ten-ya is the budget chain version and still excellent.

4. Izakaya (居酒屋)

Tokyo's living rooms. Small plates, beer, sake, friends. My picks:

• Omoide Yokocho (Shinjuku) — yakitori alley, see the Shinjuku guide.
• Hoppy Street (Asakusa) — daytime drinking, see the Asakusa guide.
• Andy's Shin Hinomoto (Yurakucho) — under the train tracks, foreigner-friendly.
• Torikizoku — chain izakaya, every yakitori ¥350. Cheap, reliable, fun.

5. Soba & Udon (蕎麦・うどん)

Buckwheat noodles cold or hot, served quickly and elegantly. Yabu Soba (Kanda) is a 140-year-old institution. Tsurutontan is the late-night udon chain that open until 4 a.m.

6. Tonkatsu (とんかつ)

Deep-fried pork cutlet, shredded cabbage, miso soup, rice. Try Tonki in Meguro or Maisen in Aoyama for the gold standard.

7. Yakitori (焼き鳥)

Grilled chicken on skewers — every part of the bird, charcoal, salt or tare sauce. Go counter-style: order omakase course and the chef will pace it.

8. Convenience store food (コンビニ)

Don't laugh. 7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart serve some of Tokyo's most reliable cheap meals: onigiri (rice balls), sando (egg salad sandwiches), oden in winter, and Lawson's karaage-kun.

Eating etiquette quick rules

• Don't tip — it's not part of the culture.
• Slurping ramen and soba is encouraged.
• Don't stick chopsticks vertically into rice (funeral imagery).
• Say "itadakimasu" before eating, "gochisosama" after.