I’m going to Japan for two weeks in April. Any guidance/suggestions for culinary experiences would be greatly appreciated. I am not looking for just high end or fine dining although I am open to that. Mostly interested in unusual and fun experiences. My son, who has lived/studied there will be with me and he is excited about revisiting the “street foods” he loved there.
Thanks for the help!
Here are my notes from our trip:
I highly recommend Otukan which forever changed the way I look at tofu.
Thanks Jay!
A couple places I love in Tokyo - Tetsuan in Azabujuban (quiet, excellent kappo); Yoshino Sushi Honten in Nihonbashi (local and unpretentious vibe, relatively inexpensive sushi)
And while in Hakone if you are staying in Yumoto you will find that there are limited dinner spots - you might look for this place
It’s an izakaya run by a relatively young guy named Tomo and his doll-like young wife Hikari. Tomo speaks pretty good english and his food is way better than it has the rights to be.
In Nara, Wa Yamamura is great.
We found that the food in Japan was pretty remarkably good. Case in point; the Ramen joint in the Tokyo airport was amazing, the sushi from the train station shop was the best I’ve ever had, the Korean BBQ in the shopping mall under Shibuya was spot on. The best meals we had were those types of unexpected kismet places.
Nara…I can’t find the name of the place, but we opted for this table side grill place that had Kobe beef and other great meat. The tongue was a gift from heaven. It was on a quiet lane a few blocks south of Sanjo Dori. It wasn’t cheap. We did not do the kaiseki meal at Michelin starred Wa Namamura but that was on my list.
Kyoto…Wow! Awesome dinners at our Ryokan. Sukiyaki the first night and Kaiseki the second. Amazing both nights. The breakfast was a ridiculous 18 item kaiseki-ish breakfast that was really interesting and awesome. I can track down the name if you want, but location-wise it was not convenient.
Agree that hakone is really limited, especially off season. I would say that was the least impressive area food-wise.
Thanks Chris and Doug. Did you have to make reservations in advance of your trip to any of the places you mentioned? I am 6 weeks away so I hope I have plenty of time.
You’re traveling pretty close to our dates last year. We didn’t make any dinner reservations because food was really not the focus. We did contact Wa Yamamura about this far in advance when we were considering it, but I was convinced it’d be wasted in 2/3 of our group. If you want to check that off your bucket list, probably call now.
If it were me, I’d be more into the “street food” aspect anyway, especially with a Japanese speaker to navigate. I’d do breakfast at Tsukiji market, for example. And lunches at busy ramen joints. Eat cheaply and eat well.
I like the way you think Chris! My son did his semester abroad there and worked one summer in a factory in the countryside (he was immersed). He has said the same thing: street food.
And no joke…check out the awesomeness at convenience stores. The little snacks and Onigiri are off the hook.
Some of the best food in the world. You have lots of information here on this site. Look up Sarah Kirshbaum’s posts. She really has a great sensibility for Japan. Have a great time!
Thanks Don. I read through her thread and took notes. I’m getting psyched. Looking into reservations at Sawada and Wa Yamamura.
I’m hoping that most of the places in Kyoto that Sarah described will take reservations when I get there.
Thanks for the kind words, guys! I appreciate it.
You have a great set of recommendations here. One I’d add in Kyoto is a wonderful new-ish place for breakfast called Kishin Kitchen. Terrific Japanese breakfast with highest quality ingredients. They will also usually have some English speakers around. You should be able to poke your head in and make a reservation once you are there, but truly don’t miss it. We went one morning and immediately asked for a reservation again later in the week.
We love Wa Yamamura and I think it’s the most unpretentious 3* I’ve ever been to. You would have to book in advance, though.
Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions. I don’t post or read much here anymore.
Thanks Sarah! KishinKitchen is now on the list.