September 14, 2023 ~ On the 27th, two Korean men compiled the five best restaurants they ate at while staying in Japan for about two weeks. I recorded the 42 menu items I ate during my stay. Among them, these are the five places that received a perfect score of 5 out of 5 stars, so if you have a chance to go nearby, you should definitely go! We encourage you to stop by. Store-related links have been unified through Google Maps.
The star rating was given after considering whether the place was (1) worth visiting / (2) delicious / (3) good value for money.
1. Tsujihan Link
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This is a famous Kaisendon restaurant in Tokyo. We visited the Akasaka Ark Hills branch, a branch. The wait was relatively less than at the main branch, so I was able to eat quickly. There are a total of 4 menus, but rather than all being different menus, they are the basic kaisendon with salmon roe or uni added.
There is a different way to eat properly here. (1) I only eat 2 pieces of sashimi as an appetizer with peanut sauce, and (2) I eat about two-thirds of the main dish, Kaisendon. (3) After that, you can ask the waiter to pour the soup over the remaining rice. It seemed like they added a little more rice as well. (4) At this time, you can mix in the sashimi, the appetizer left over, and cook it with residual heat and eat it like soup and rice. The overall satisfaction was very high as the price was relatively cheap compared to the quality, and you could get the experience of eating a full course meal by only ordering one menu item.
2. Menya Jojo Link
This is a famous ramen restaurant in Taito Ward. The main menu is ramen made with duck meat and yuzu base. The duck's unpleasant smell is mastered with a variety of vegetables, making it not greasy, making it unique and quite delicious. The price is not expensive, in the low 1000 yen range. You can also adjust the thickness of the noodles if you ask the counter right after ordering. You can try it with various sauces that are prepared on the table, and there are also unique special sauces, so we recommend trying them together. There is a moderate wait, and you order from a vending machine after entering. The menu name and menu number are written in Japanese on the vending machine, so for those who have difficulty speaking Japanese, it is convenient to check the menu name and number on the English menu and then order with the same number.
3. Sugita Pork Cutlet Link
I discovered Sugita Tonkatsu by chance. As I was moving around after deciding on a place to have lunch, I noticed a long waiting line. I felt an unusual energy and was drawn to stand in line. Naturally, I changed my place for lunch to this place. I think it played a part in the fact that most of the people in line seemed to be local residents in their 40s or 60s or in families. There was a line right before the store opened, so luckily I was able to order right away without waiting too long. When I went in and checked the menu, it was in the mid 2000 yen range, so it was a bit expensive. Bowls of rice and miso soup must be ordered separately from the main menu.
If you sit at the bar, you can see the kitchen cooking right in front of you, and the sight of pork cutlet being fried right in front of you will whet your appetite. What was interesting was that it seemed to have been run as a family business for a long time, and each employee seemed to have a clear role, such as taking orders, frying pork cutlets, and putting away salads.
We ordered hire and lokatsu and shared them. Most importantly, the pork cutlet had a great taste that was worth the high price. The meat was tender and the fries were fresh and crispy. Perhaps because it was the first pork cutlet fried in oil for the open run, the quality was very high even when eaten with just a little salt, and it can be enjoyed in various combinations with the prepared mustard or pork cutlet sauce. It is a taste that naturally calls for a bowl of rice.
4. Kabuki Link
Kabuki is a really quiet cafe located a bit away from Kuramae Station. It is a two-story building, and you order on the second floor, enjoy it, and then pay on the first floor. The price is expensive, ranging from 800 to 2000 yen per cup of coffee. You can enjoy a variety of handmade coffees, and if you become noisy, you may be asked to be quiet, so be careful when visiting. It is also not possible to take photos inside the store.
Although there are many rules to follow, I had no choice but to give it a 5. The reason is because of the old-fashioned and unique sensibility that can only be felt at this cafe and the excellent quality of handmade coffee. You can experience a sense of calm just by watching the master, dressed in calm attire, carefully brewing coffee in an orderly space. There are quite a few menus that contain alcohol, and among them, the menu called 琥珀の女王 was incredibly delicious. I think this is a really good cafe for people who want to spend time quietly contemplating. Personally, I make my own hand drip coffee almost every day, but I have never tried coffee like this before. As long as you follow the rules, this is a place where you can have a great time with a cup of coffee.
5. Yosuke Sato Link
Sato Yosuke is a udon restaurant with over 100 years of tradition in the heart of Ginza. The menu offers a variety of dishes other than noodles, but we strongly recommend trying the noodles separately. Although the tempura is relatively ordinary, it goes well with the noodles, and the combination of chewy udon noodles and tsuyu is especially excellent. I was curious as to how they made the noodles so chewy. I was so satisfied that I would definitely want to visit again the next time I visit Ginza.
You can order additional noodles even while eating the main menu, so try a little bit before adding more. I ordered the udon + tendon set, but after taking one bite of the udon, I immediately ordered additional noodles. A gift noodle and tsuyu set is sold separately, so if you are satisfied with your meal, you can purchase additional items. Highly recommended.
Outro
Satisfaction with the five places above can only be based on the subjective standards of the two of us. Nevertheless, I thought it was meaningful to share this review in detail. Most narrowly, if I travel to Tokyo again in the future, I will try to read it again first, and I thought it would be useful information for others as it was written based on the various Tokyo food experiences we actually tried during our stay in Japan (two weeks at most). I wrote this with the hope that it will be helpful to a variety of people.
In addition to these five places, I have written relatively brief reviews of more than 40 Tokyo foods that I tried during my trip to Japan. If you are curious about more diverse places, here, check it out. Thank you for reading until the end.
