10 of my personal favorite restaurants in Japan that hold a special place in my heart!

-

 Cooking and eating have always been my passion, and I'm so in love with the food options and experiences available in Japan.

Today I want to share 10 of my personal favorite restaurants in Japan that hold a special place in my heart!

10 of my personal favorite restaurants in Japan

Ramen

Ramen has become a really popular Japanese dish, and you can probably tell how much we love it too from the number of ramen restaurants all over the country.

I have two favorites.

1. Kagari Ginza



I am a big fan of chicken dashi, even though chicken dashi is not the most popular broth for ramen in Japan.

I used to buy chicken bones from supermarkets and make soups from it, and it's amazing how the chicken dashi enhances the flavor of any soup it’s in.

Kagari, originally from Ginza, Tokyo, is now a well known ramen shop across Japan.

My girlfriend and I were so happy for them when they were featured in the Michelin guide. 

Instead of going to fancy meals, every time we were in Ginza, she wanted to eat at Kagari.

I’m sure she likes Kagari even more than I do.

The chicken broth is so strong in flavor that it reminds you of potage, but the taste is very clean.

The vegetables that come with the ramen vary seasonally, which is a neat perk to eating here as well.

2. ShinShin Fukuoka

I first visited this ramen restaurant when I visited my friend in Fukuoka, and fell in love with it. The main area of Fukuoka is called Hakata, and Hakata ramen is one of the two most famous types of ramen in Japan (the other is from Sapporo). Hakata ramen is mainly "tonkotsu" (pork bone) flavor,but the broth from this restaurant doesn't have that distinct tonkotsu smell and has a very clean flavor for tonkotsu ramen. Another unique aspect is that you can order "motsu" (offal) as a topping. Motsu is another popular local dish from the area. Personally, I don't like motsu at all, but the motsu from Fukuoka is really tasty, and I loved it as a ramen topping. If you are open to trying something new, try this place as I didn't like motsu before I ate it here, but even if you don't want an adventure, the ramen itself is still very tasty. There are a few branches in Fukuoka. The main branch is located in the drinking district, Tenjin, but the most convenient to go to is in Hakata Station.

Sushi

I think most of you imagine sushi as one of our major dishes, and you’d be right, it is!!
I also have two favorite sushi places, one that is a conveyor belt kaiten sushi restaurant and another which is an edomae sushi restaurant.

3. Hanamaru: Hokkaido/Tokyo


Hanamaru is a conveyor belt sushi chain originally from Nemuro, a port city in East Hokkaido. It has many branches in Hokkaido, and one in Tokyo Station.

Here the sushi rotates on a conveyor belt that runs around the counter, and you can choose what you want to eat.

The color of the dish indicates how much that dish will cost. After you are finished, you can call the floor staff over to count your dishes and they will give you the bill to pay. A lot of Japanese people actually prefer to order using the paper that is attached to each seat so that the sushi chef will make it to order(can't be fresher can it? ^ ^) but this might be challenging as it's in Japanese... But it’s there to use if you’d like to give it a try! Trying to communicate with the local restaurant people is sometimes the best part of the journey!



4. Kansei Tokyo


Kansei is an edomae sushi restaurant, which is a different dining style to rotating sushi.

Edomae basically means “Tokyo Style.” Edomae came about during the Edo Period, when many Japanese people were samurai.

Edo eventually evolved into modern-day Tokyo, and Edomae has also slowly evolved with it.

Edomae Sushi restaurants have counters which allow customers to be served face-to-face with the sushi chef (unless you choose a table seat).

The best thing about the Edomae is you can see the neta (toppings) or the fish of the day and then tell the chef what you would like.

It can be made in either sashimi style (without rice) or nigiri style (on rice).

Fish can be somewhat seasonal and taste better at some times of the year than others, but if you’re confused about what you should order just tell the chef what you don't like, and then you can leave it to them and go with omakase style.

Usually a Japanese person has their favorite Edomae style sushi restaurant they like to go to, and for our family it is Kansei.


Yakiniku/Wagyu

5. Jojoen: Tokyo area, Sagami

Jojoen Website

Wagyu is another Japanese food that’s become a hit around the world.

Although I have one special place that I like, it has been so long since I last went that I forgot the name of the restaurant...but I think Jojoen is another convenient and authentic yakiniku restaurant to visit instead.

The great thing about yakiniku is that you get to try different parts of the beef (loin, ribeye, etc) in small amounts and place additional orders for the ones you like the most.

Jojoen Website


If you don’t feel like yakiniku and would like a thick-cut steak, then teppanyaki might be a better choice for you.

The restaurant that sticks most in my mind is Sagami in Yokohama Bay Sheraton.

Teppanyaki Sagami HP

Although it is pricey compared to the other restaurants I’ve been talking about, it is well worth the price if it’s for a special occasion.

Teppanyaki Sagami Website

You get to choose between Matsuzaka or Maezawa beef, of which my family all loved the Maezawa beef best.


Unagi/Anago

Unagi and Anago are both eels. The only difference is that unagi live in lakes and rivers, whereas anago mainly live in seawater.

Unagi has a richer taste and is mostly eaten grilled and dipped in sauce.

Anago tastes slightly lighter in flavor compared to unagi, so while it can also be grilled with sauce, it is also prepared in other ways like as tempura.

6. Unagi Fujita: Hamamatsu

Fujita Website

Because unagi (freshwater eels) can be fished in Hamana Lake in Hamamatsu, the city has been a major spot to enjoy some of the best unagi dishes in Japan.

The eels at this restaurant are left swimming 115 meters underwater for a week without food to "cleanse" the body and draw out their original taste. This traditional technique is called "ikashikomi."

This time-consuming effort enhances just the right flavor and texture that go so well with the traditional sauce that unagi has been served with for more than 100 years.

My mother’s brother actually is a unagi restaurant owner in Hamamatsu. 

Although I do want you to try it there, they relocated to have a local, smaller business a few years ago,

and it doesn’t focus just on unagi anymore, so I’d say Fujita is your best bet.

7. Anago Ueno: Hiroshima

One of my most memorable food experiences took place near the ferry terminal for Miyajima in Hiroshima.

Anago is the eel eaten locally in the Hiroshima area, and Ueno has been specializing in it for more than 100 years.

When you go, you must try the "shirayaki" which is grilled anago with salt. 

Shira comes from shiro which means “white.” The main way to cook anago is with a sauce, which makes it look dark in color,

but because this restaurant is so confident in the quality of their anago, they can also serve it simply with a pinch of salt.

 

Sukiyaki and ShabuShabu

Sukiyaki and shabushabu are dishes that Japanese people like to have on special occasions.

"Suki" means "like" and "yaki" is "fry," which means "fry what you like.

It usually consists of beef, seasonal vegetables and tofu, fried with soy sauce, sake, and sugar.

Shabu Shabu resembles sukiyaki, but is lightly boiled instead of fried, and is eaten either with "ponzu" (soy sauce with citrus) or "gomadare" (sesame mayonnaise) sauce.

Shabushabu tends to be a healthier choice as the boiling reduces the excess fat and calories of the cooked food.

Since the ingredients are both similar for sukiyaki and shabushabu, Japanese families usually have a preference on which way to eat at home.

My family tends to cook/eat shabushabu more than sukiyaki! Which would you prefer?


8. Imahan Sukiyaki: Asakusa

Imahan Website

Imahan is another traditional restaurant that has been around for over a century.

It started out as a gyudon restaurant in the beginning and has slowly evolved over the years into a sukiyaki restaurant.

Sukiyaki is usually eaten by keeping a small bowl beside you that contains raw egg and dipping the sukiyaki into it to eat.

Japan is one of the few places where people enjoy eggs raw, 

and sukiyaki is a great way to try raw egg if you’re not used to it as the stronger flavors of the sauces and other ingredients make the flavor of the egg more subtle.


9. Kisoji Shabu Shabu: Tokyo area

Kisoji Website

When I think about shabushabu, it always reminds me of this restaurant chain because my grandfather loved coming here.

The good thing about this restaurant is that it has many branches all over Japan, and has an all you can eat course.

So if you’re feeling hungry, this is the perfect option for you!

Kisoji Website



10. Oreno yakitori: Tokyo area

Image from the Oreno Yakitori website

Lastly, I have to talk about yakitori as it’s my favorite Japanese dish.

Yakitori is usually grilled chicken skewers unless you eat it in South Hokkaido, where it’s pork.

I chose Oreno Yakitori as my recommended restaurant because I find the concept very interesting.

This place mainly consists of standing tables, which help customers to "eat, drink and go." 

Since this restaurant has a quicker turnover of customers than other sit-down restaurants, this boosts profits, so they can serve higher quality food.

I used to go to this restaurant a lot when I lived in Tokyo. My favorite yakitori is bonjiri, the tail part of the chicken, but good quality bonjiri is very difficult to find.

This place serves good bonjiri, so naturally I was a regular here.

It also has lots of additional options like salads, sushi, and other alternatives,

 which makes it easier for everyone in a group to be happy with what they are eating (usually yakitori restaurants don't have so many menu options other than chicken!)

I would recommend going to the Ginza branch because it has live bands, and Ginza is usually the most convenient place to access from any area in Tokyo.

Image from Oreno Yakitori Website


Enjoy your culinary experience in Japan!

Today we've covered the top ten restaurants that I personally recommend in Japan.

They’re scattered all over the country, but if you happen to plan to visit these cities, then be sure to try the foods introduced above!


Follow me for more to come :)

In this blog, I post my food trips around the world, as insights into Japanese food in comparison to all the different cuisines I encounter through my trips. I have traveled to many places in Japan, so I will be sharing what I know to better plan your trip to my home country, Japan!




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why I will continue to invest in gold

-
Image
   My favorite investment is gold. But my best reason might be different from the answer you get from Google. During the pandemic, my financial situation wasn’t very good and I needed money to pay my workers. I was selling my belongings, which were sold for a fraction of the money I bought them.  It helped very little. Looking back it was a good experience learning that my belongings I thought were a lot less valuable than I thought it was. But the only one that were priced more than when I bought it, was gold. Gold on an emergency In Japan we have a saying, "有事の金" which can be translated to “gold during an emergency.” I remember gold coming down like every other investments during the pandemic, but then there was a timing when gold surged.  So like I said earlier, many things I thought were valuable lost its value during an economic slowdown.  But one good reason you need to sell your valuables is in a financial emergency. Gold was the only thing that increased...
Read more

How my view towards failing changed

-
Image
  My first business didn't work out well. It did take me a while for me to recover mentally and financially. But 3 years in and I look back that it's not a big deal to make mistakes. It actually helps you to reflect on it, and gives you hints on how you could improve. Without failing it's difficult to improve and become better. It's about how you view and act towards failure that is crucial.  The more mistakes you make earlier in life the better Before starting the business, I always seemed to have the pressure that I had to succeed. Or to be right and correct all the time. But actually it's the opposite. I need to make a lot of mistakes, and learn to get back up as fast as possible for the next challenge. I realized this when my mother kept repeating that "I failed my business" every time we talked on the phone. My mom sounded like it was the end of the world while I was beginning to think it might be the start of something new. Well, when you lose a lot ...
Read more

The one habit you need to get out of debt

-
Image
Deciding I need to cut my losses and close my company was the worst day of my life. I lost a lot of things I thought were valuable, and in return I had debt to pay off.  But after 3 years, it's no joke that it was one of the best experiences of my life. The reason is that I was able to gain a good habit to stay out of debt for the rest of my life. And if it weren't for the failure of my first business, I probably won't have the habit of keeping a surplus every month. Today I want to share my story about how I picked up the habit of staying on surplus every month. What I learned in the live-in construction job I needed to figure out how to get cash to pay off the debt, but at the time was during the pandemic so jobs had limitations. When I was searching online, I found a job opening for a live-in construction job. Pay is daily　which was what I needed so I picked up the phone and applied. Despite what I imagined the president of the company had a generous voice and told me th...
Read more