A week of very small meals.
Seven days in a city that takes food seriously and asks nothing in return but your full attention. By Constance Royer · photographs by the desk.
Tokyo's restaurants are, for the most part, very small. A counter for eight is generous. A counter for four is normal. The chef hands you things and you eat them; you do not ask what they are or whether there is a vegetarian version. This is not rudeness on either side. It is a kind of courtesy: the chef spent forty years learning one thing so that you would not need to ask.
For a first visit, stay in Shinjuku or Shibuya for the transit convenience, or in Yanaka for the quiet. We recommend Yanaka. It has the Tokyo that existed before the towers.
Where to sleep
Hanare
Heritage townhouse, engawa garden. fr. $248/nt.
The Millennials Shinjuku
Pod-style, beautifully executed. fr. $72/nt.
Where to eat
- 06:30 · Tsukiji Outer Market — tuna sashimi, tamagoyaki, fresh uni. Free range the stalls.
- 12:00 · Fuunji — tsukemen (dipping ramen), 45-minute queue accepted. Shinjuku.
- 19:00 · Sushi Saito — omakase, 18 pieces, reservation six months ahead. Worth the wait. Roppongi.