Shikoku
This is one of the few remaining cook-it-yourself okonomiyaki (pancake) joints in Kōchi serving cheap and cheerful Japanese pancakes. The 'mix' of ika …
Must-see restaurants in Japan
Kyūshū
Aso akaushi (beef from local brown cows) is prized for its relatively low fat content. Get it here sliced over donburi (rice bowl). Set meals come with…
Tokyo
The chefs here, who train in Thailand, turn out seriously good Thai dishes (though maybe not quite spicy enough to count as truly authentic) served with…
Sapporo
This is where Sapporoites take friends visiting from out of town for the local speciality, jingisukan (all-you-can-eat lamb dish). There's nothing fancy…
Beppu
There always seems to be a queue at this ice-cream counter just inside Sol Paseo Ginza Arcade. Even if something seems to have been lost in the English…
Downtown Kyoto
Located diagonally across from Nakagyō post office, this is a favourite of Kyoto vegetarians, serving à la carte and daily sets with dishes such as deep…
Hokkaidō
This is a fun place to gather in the evening: a collection of 25 food vendors in an old-style marketplace, with outdoor seats (when it's not freezing)…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
What happens when a former Ginza sushi chef turns his attention to – of all things – hamburgers? You get fish burgers and anago (seafaring eel) hot dogs…
Hiroshima Region
Slightly fancy, a rarity for Onomichi, this bistro-style restaurant uses locally sourced ingredients in excellent dishes that might make you wish portions…
Asakusa & Sumida River
Since 1801, Komagata Dozeu has been simmering and stewing dojō (Japanese loach, which looks something like a miniature eel). Dojō-nabe (loach hotpot),…
Western Honshū
Seating here is around a large open tank, so you can witness doomed fish being plucked out by the staff while you eat. There are various set-meal options,…
Takayama
One street back from the river, this fancy restaurant serves traditional French cuisine with a Japanese twist. Mouth-watering appetisers include Hida-beef…
Takayama
Run by the inspiring crew from Satoyama Experience in neighbouring Hida-Furukawa, this new-in-2016 cafe in the slick Takayama Station is your one-stop…
Naha
With pork featuring prominently in traditional Okinawan cuisine, Ukishima Garden is a refreshing, cleansing change. Here vegetarian and vegan creations…
Harajuku & Aoyama
This pioneering macrobiotic restaurant has been running since 1976, long enough to see many a Harajuku trend come and go (and to see some famous visitors,…
Hiroshima
Try the famous Hiroshima tsukemen at this simple street-corner eatery. Tsukemen is a ramen-like dish in which noodles and soup come separately. These…
Fukuoka
Down the street from Hakata Machiya Furusato-kan, this lovely eatery makes homemade organic soba (buckwheat noodles) from the Shinshū area of central…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
On the 2nd floor, with huge windows overlooking the bay, this light-filled, minimalist cafe specialises in castella, a moist, sponge-like cake originally…
Western Honshū
The smell of fish grilling over coals permeates this restaurant, which specialises in the cuisine of the Oki Islands. The menu features meals such as eri…
Yaeyama Islands
A contemporary version of the old-school dining yokochō (alleys) ferreted away in Japanese cities, this new restaurant complex is the perfect place to…
Sapporo
This Sapporo institution serves sandwiches of the genteel sort (crusts-off, lightly stuffed), with dozens of fillings. Two to try: the king-crab sandwich…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
The speciality here is the least glamorous part of the meal – the rice, which comes from an organic farm the restaurant manages in Niigata Prefecture. It…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
This cosy, white-walled ‘hawker-style Asian canteen’ is a small slice of Singapore. Hainan-style chicken rice, Singapore’s national dish, is the…
Osaka
This excellent collection of wallet-friendly eateries and takeaway counters is on the southwestern side of JR Osaka Station, close to Daimaru and Hotel…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
Mucha-an is in an old wooden ryokan transported from across town to the gardens at Chinzan-sō. The soba (buckwheat noodles) are made in-house: go for…
Fukuoka
An entire floor of ramen outlets, with eight vendors imported from the length and breadth of Japan, including five from Fukuoka, such as Jinanbō (二男坊),…
Harajuku & Aoyama
Freshly caught seafood from the nearby Izu Peninsula is the speciality at this upscale, yet unpretentious, restaurant. The dinner courses, which include…
Hokkaidō
Guitars, motorcycles, CDs and 1960s folk all grace this cafe that's all about the sea urchin. If you've been craving sea urchin curry, sea urchin pasta,…
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
Along a languid stretch of what was once the outer moat of Edo Castle, this is one of Tokyo’s best al fresco dining spots. The restaurant serves tasty…
Osaka
This popular restaurant in the Ohatsutenjin-dōri arcade serves up that great Osaka favourite, okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes), cooked on a griddle before…
Tokyo
A legitimate candidate for eighth wonder of the modern world is Tensuke's tamago (egg) tempura, which comes out batter-crisp on the outside and runny in…
Kansai
You can watch the chef make kuzu (arrowroot gelatin) sweets in the shop window here – it's kind of like magic as the kuzu transforms from starch to…
Downtown Kyoto
There are countless places in Kyoto to be restrained with your matcha and sweets...this teahouse isn't one of them. Roll up your sleeves, loosen your belt…
Tokyo
Tokyo has taken to organic cafe Rose Bakery's no-fuss style of dining. Vegetarians and those with a love for British cakes and baked goods are well served…
Downtown Kyoto
This giant four-storey dining hall is part of Kansai’s biggest sushi chain. The ground floor is the sushi area, with a long sushi counter and plenty of…
Takayama
These folks have been making teuchi (handmade) soba since 1898. Try the zaru soba, which strips it bare so you can taste the flavour of the noodles. The…
Asakusa & Sumida River
The old Ryōgoku Station has been transformed into this touristy, sumo-themed food hall with souvenir shops and 11 different restaurants on two floors. In…
Beppu
There's nothing fancy going on here, but Rokusei's a temple to reimen (cold noodle soup) nonetheless. Bowls are pulled straight from the freezer, filled…
Downtown Kyoto
This is the downtown branch of the famous Ginkaku-ji noodle restaurant. It serves a variety of healthy set meals and, of course, the signature omen udon…
Beppu
Amid the hells (boiling hot springs) of Kannawa, you can cook your own meal in onsen steam at this workshop. Purchase ingredients on the spot (or bring…
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