Did you know that Tokyo’s restaurants have collected more Michelin stars than the restaurants of Paris and London put together? In addition to fine dining, Tokyo boasts a wealth of Japanese cuisine for all budgets. A tip for those interested in cooking seafood is to visit the large Tsukuji fish market in central Tokyo, where the daily catch is auctioned early in the morning.
Kobe beef – considered the best piece of beef in the world, a Kobe steak is a highly-recommended taste experience for those travelling with a thick wallet. This meat is well known for the fact that it almost melts in your mouth due to its unique fat marbling – achieved by serving the cattle wine and professional massages.
Tempura is a dish of vegetables, fish or shrimps dipped in batter and then deep fried until crispy. Tempura is usually served with a sauce.
Ramen, a noodle soup containing pork and onions, miso or soy sauce, is both inexpensive and filling and is often served at snack bars.
Yakitori is skewered chicken and makes a tasty snack along with any alcoholic beverage for example in izakayas.
Tonkatsu is a deep-fried pork cutlet often served with shredded cabbage. Tonkatsu is a very popular dish and is perfect for a quick lunch or as a light meal.
Sushi and sashimi – raw or cooked seafood served in small, attractive pieces and combined with vinegar-flavored rice and other ingredients as vegetables or other sorts of meat.
Fugu – puffer fish is a popular delicacy in Japan, despite the fact that if prepared with inexpert hands, the dish is lethal.
Tea – the most popular beverage in Japan and a very important part of the Japanese food culture. Green tea is most common and is also used in the famous tea ceremonies.
Sake – rice wine that can be served cold or warm.
Did you see a queue and the prices? You can usually tell the restaurants with best price-quality ratio by the queue out front. Also, as a good rule of thumb, if the prices are not shown, the restaurant is expensive.