Welcome to Food 101 – the definite guide to cuisine in Japan. In this series, we explore the diverse and delicious food options available to those living in Japan.
Today, we focus on eating out in Japan. Discover tips for finding the best restaurants, guidelines for dining in Japanese establishments, and our top restaurant recommendations.
Finding an ideal restaurant
Finding the perfect restaurant can be a daunting task, especially with so many options available. But with the help of technology, you can easily narrow down your search and find the ideal restaurant that suits your taste and budget. In this section, we’ll introduce you to three popular platforms that will make your restaurant hunt a breeze.
Tabelog
Tabelog is the most popular restaurant review website among Japanese. Consider it as a Welp in Japan. It was founded in the 2005 and has accumulated a huge amount of credible reviews ever since. Hence, Tabelog is the go-to website when one seeks a place to eat out. If you subscribe to the Tabelog premium plan, you can access to the restaurant ranking by categories, theme, occasion, etc.
Pros:
- Good for finding restaurants near you
- Vast amount of reviews of quality
- Great UI for stress-free browsing experience
- The restaurant details (e.g. tel, business hours) are credible
Cons:
- Stars are useless because it is unreliable
- English reviews are few
Google Map
Google Map is growing as a restaurant review platform and now is considered second to Tabelog. Google Map also offers navigation function, making it easy to find your desired destination.
Pros:
- A lot of English reviews
- Navigation feature
Cons:
- Restaurant information is often out-of-date. You can’t expect the same credibility as the Google Map in the U.S.
- UI is a mess
Local Magazines
It is common for foreigners not to understand Japanese at all. Nevertheless, it’s still worth picking up one of the local magazines that features restaurants. People are passionate about food here and many magazines cover such topics, with their editors hand-picking restaurants of their preference. Most magazines are full of pictures, so you can get some ideas which restaurant would be great for your next occasion.
Tokyo Established For Eating Tankobon Hardcover – June 26, 2015
Tips for dining out
Never tip
It’s taken as rude, because it implies that you are looking down upon the serving staff. All the persons on their duty are expected to have work ethics to serve all customers to the full extent and equally. Thus, to the eyes of Japanese, it feels as if the tipping customer is trying to bribe the staff to extract unfair favor, and what’s worse, with tiny money.
Make a reservation
If you plan to visit a popular restaurant in the middle of a downtown, especially on a Friday night or holiday, make a reservation. A well-known place would get crowded at night, and people often queue up to enter. If you want to get inside in no time, make a reservation and secure your seat. In most places, you can cancel anytime (unless you have ordered a course). No-show is not welcomed.
Using chopsticks
Most restaurants have forks and knives, so you don’t have to worry that you might end up having to eat with hands. Go whichever restaurant and enjoy. For those who want to master chopsticks, I insert a link to my favorite video here.
Guests are not expected to make special requests (exceptions apply)
Customers making special requests, such as customizing the dishes, are relatively rare in Japan. You might go ahead and ask, but be aware there’s a high chance that the staff gets surprised or might frown upon such a request. Sometimes they may turn down your request, because maybe they have never expected such a request and will be unable to accommodate your request. I highly recommend calling the restaurant to ask for special arrangement at least a day in advance. The average Japanese restaurant likes to plan and prepare, thus requests in advance are appreciated. Thus, your chances of getting a favor will be much higher in this manner.
Restaurant recommendation
Chain restaurants
You can find these shops in almost all prefectures.
Family restaurants
Italian restaurant Saizeriya is unique in its super efficient operation. It’s a family restaurant chain, so the menus are standardized and not like ones in fine dining, but the food quality is good for its cost. They have their farms in Italy, allowing them to offer quality food at unbelievably cheap prices.
Fast food shops
Yoshino-ya, Matsu-ya and Suki-ya are the biggest restaurant chains that sells Gyu-don (Stewed beef rice bowl). It’s comparable to McDonald’s in its price and fast operation. A typical customer is a single worn-out male in a suit in a hurry.
If you like hamburgers, try Mos Burger. Their burger is optimised for the Japanese, and definitely tastes different from what you know as a burger, in a good way. They also offer vegetarian menus.
Fine dining – authentic Japanese
Matsukawa
Matsukawa is one of the finest restaurants to enjoy the authenticity of Japanese culinary. For reservation only.
https://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1307/A130701/13124391/
Nearest station: Roppongi Itchome
Business hours: 12am – 3pm for Thursdays and Saturdays, 6pm – 11 pm
TEL: 03-6277-7371 (+81-3-6277-7371)
E-mail : matsukawa@e-mail.jp
Budget: 40,000-50,000 yen, no card accepted
Fine dining – with weird experience
Kappou Yoshiba
Yoshiba offers a traditional hot pot for Sumo wrestlers to build up their bodies. The restaurant itself was once a Sumo wrestler’s training center/dwelling, with the ring situated inside that you can actually step on.
https://kapou-yoshiba.jp/english/index.html
Nearest station: Ryogoku
Business hours: 11:30am – 2pm except for Sundays, 5pm – 22 pm
TEL: 03-3623-4480 (+81-3-3623-4480)
Budget: 8,000 – 10,000 yen
NINJA TOKYO
This is a restaurant intentionally made weird for tourists seeking entertainment. Stepping in, a ninja appears from a hidden door to introduce you to the ninja training journey. Reservation only.
https://www.ninja-tokyo.jp/home/home-en/
Nearest station: Akasaka-mitsuke
Business hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm for weekends, 5pm – 22 pm
TEL: 03-5157-3936 (+81-3-5157-3936)
Budget: 10,000 – 15,000 yen
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