Just prior to the pandemic I was commissioned to write an ‘Eating Tokyo by train’ story for Australian Gourmet Traveller. Sadly it sat for a couple of years, waiting, waiting for Japan to re-open… and by the time it was appropriate to print, Tokyo had naturally sprung forth with an enormous amount of new eateries… So, while I don’t include the latest Tokyo joints here, all venues below remain among my top picks. Some of the establishments below had opened just before the world went pear shaped – so please do show them some love if you can. Thank you to Editor Joanna Hunkin for permission to share.
As per the original story, you’ll find the food and drink recommendations below split by train line – which will be particularly handy for folks staying near stations on one or more of those lines !
It can actually be quicker to train than to taxi in peak hour, and a lot cheaper too – save that taxi fare for wine!
Tokyo restaurants are fairy strict and being on time is essential or you risk cancellation, well your booking… not you personally.. although… let’s just say, it’s not a good look to be late. Or too early. Turn up on time please.
Locals know to take the train whenever possible and some restaurant websites provide walking instructions from the nearest station – or indeed a map code. Use them.
Of course, attempting to navigate over 650 connecting stations would be sheer madness, but hopping onto these select local lines will swiftly deliver you within ten minutes’ walk of these culinary standouts, not to mention gift you the opportunity for discovery on route including other cool little eateries (for next time), cafes, boutiques, architecture, streetscape, people watching and the like.
YAMANOTE LINE
Meguro
Before Katy Cole opened Locale, inspired by the Californian style farm-to-table eateries of her homeland, she’d forged an intimate relationship with Japan-wide producers allowing access to the cream of the season’s crops – and the heroes of her succinct blackboard menu. With a disposition as bright as the eatery’s hand-crafted cobalt coffee cups, Katy zips between the open-kitchen and dining room, as humorous commentary bounces back and forth, between staff and diners. Weekend brunches draw an international crew desperate for sunny-yolked Eggs Commodore or roasted greens with lemon-laced cashew cream, her feather-light banana pancakes and bacon are like no other you’ll find in Japan. Clever Katy.
Ebisu
Inside indigo-inked Abysse, black-attired tables are spotlit for drama. Anticipation builds as Ex-Florilege chef Kotaro Meguro syncs with his dexterous young team in the kitchen theatre. Champagne flows with the first of the 13 courses which include fine slithers of raw surf clam, lilybulb and turnip scattered over an edgy, coral-white ceramic, glistening with kombu dashi and yuzu oil. By the fourth course – oysters, fresh cheese, nasturtium and dill, cradled in a re-imagined rock surface, it’s clear our senses our riding towards the crest of a carefully curated wave. Each exquisite morsel harmoniously introduces the next as flavours intensify. Meguro san’s diverse ocean pageant leaves diners utterly replete – yet craving more.
Harajuku
Casual neighbourhood-bistro Kiki Harajuku, tucked behind Harajuku’s fashionable Cat Street, seems a curious venue for a chef of Yuki Noda’s calibre. It’s not Taillevant Paris, but here, plucking vinyl from a shelf heaving with inspiration he’s free to demonstrate his creativity, and unparalleled aptitude for working fruit into savoury dishes. Kicking off a rollicking 6-course menu, bitesize monaka (rice-wafer shells), presented in a wooden box filled with straw, are filled with the unlikely, but delicious, combination of foie gras, banana and houjicha (roasted tea). A crisp nori hand-roll of red-snapper sashimi, grapefruit and mango seasoned with ginger juice and shavings of smoky katsuobushi gives further testimony to a talent that transports the diner way beyond expectation. (*This venue might have moved since but is still open)
CHIYODA LINE
Otemachi
Nibbling on a carbon-paper like shard made from powdered fish bones and charcoal, a lit lantern is walked to our table, dangling from a rod. Inside monkfish liver, marinated 4 days in sake and sherry is garnished with kinome (numbing sansho leaves), yuzu meringue and cumquat. Hoshinoya Tokyo’s Nippon Cuisine, a unique take on kaiseki by acclaimed Chef Noriyuki Hamada, is a brilliant representation of a Tokyo trend debunking assumptions around hotel-dining. The ryokan’s instantly grounding scent of tatami and bespoke incense sets the tone. Zen-like private dining spaces are sparsely decorated to eliminate distraction. A seamless, precision-plated menu themed around sustainability and mottainai (waste not) is brought to life through captivating, story-telling service style and an intrepid beverage list.
(inside hotel Hoshinoya Tokyo)
Akasaka
High-end kappo (counter) restaurants can feel a little intimidating but Shirosaka’s front of house team have a reliable gift for putting diners at ease. Spirited sommelier Kaito-san, an ever-beaming ray of welcome, settles guests into place at the 9-seat kitchen bench before plucking from a range of Namazake (fresh, unpasteurised sake) and wine specially selected for each evening’s menu. Chef Ii san’s innovative cuisine, rooted in tradition, always includes a seasonal version of his signature dish – a crisp, golden orb, layered with ocean delicacies such as uni and caviar with dashi jelly and aromats – a briny explosion of textures. The evening continues with a range of immaculate ingredients – flashed, grilled or warmed over glowing binchotan (high grade charcoal) – including beef so thoroughly marbled it’s the colour of strawberry ice cream – you simply cannot imagine the aroma as it gently sizzles and caramelises in front of you.
Yoyogi-Uehara
Set back off a steep laneway, moments from the station’s south exit, No. is the latest addition to the caffeine-fuelled hotspots servicing this hip enclave of boutiques and bakeries. Don’t be put off by the short menu offering 4 simple toasties, coffee and cheesecake – that’s where the fun begins. No. is all about simple done really, really well – the coffee is sublime and these are no ordinary ‘pressed sandwiches’. Don’t bother deliberating between the ‘tuna’ or ‘melted butter’ varieties, instead order both which should tide things over until 2pm when those in the know roll in for outstanding cocktails and a considered list of extraordinary mocktail options. Gin fans must order the Gimlet Highball, based on Kaffir lime infused gin – fresh as a sea breeze with butterfly balance.
GINZA LINE
Gaienmae
A reservation at restaurant Julia is an invitation to the most convivial dinner-party in town. Front and centre of the intimate setting lit with candles , Chef Nao fashions a feast of French and American influence. The fairground-rhythmed menu skips happily between raspberry dusted foie gras truffles and venison in balsamic and soft herbs, before diving into succulent BBQ pork sliders and slipping into an elegantly deconstructed apple pie with hazelnut ice cream and calvados. Nao’s partner in life and business , who simultaneously plays maitre-d, sommelier and DJ, effortlessly marries an eccentric selection of libations with Nao’s wonderful cuisine, lead by the theme of the day, perhaps an homage to a particular region of Japan, or a particular celebration. The display of understanding and trust between the couple is not lost on the lucky gathering of patrons.
Around the corner and down a rabbit hole, L’Eau’s charcoal coloured canvas showcases the impeccable cuisine of Takamitsu Shimizu – the chef-artiste formerly known as a graphic designer. Determining the hand-crafted savoury acorns and burdock root twigs from the real thing is a witty start to a superb meal in which every dish is so impactful it’s impossible to choose a highlight. Wines pairings are equally thought-provoking and terrific, including a German white made from Japanese Koshu grapes. The entire experience is faultless and fun.
Next door, atmospheric basement level Bees Bar, by long-celebrated chef Narisawa, is ideal for pre or post dinner drinks. Enormous monochrome photographs of Japanese nature scenes beautifully segway into an e-list of erudite cocktails, infused with indigenous Japanese ingredients such as Okinawan shell ginger and Natsuhaze berries.
Nihonbashi
Located on the site of the country’s first official marketplace, dating back to the 1600’s, the ultra-luxe Mandarin Oriental has maintained an appropriately pioneering approach to food and wine since opening fifteen years ago (…hmm, I guess that’s 19 years now?). Noma Japan was just one of their incredible ongoing ‘pop up’ events and their twelve dining venues, with views over every angle of the city (unless seated in the unbelievable wine cellar) offer a supreme level of hospitality. Attention to detail across all areas including a gourmet store that sees locals queue daily for ethereal pattisserie and chocolate (which you can enjoy with a coffee at tables outside), make this gourmet hub one decadent way to stay. (PS – their high teas are excellent too – plus there’s loads of culinary focussed shopping in the surrounding streets – from the very traditional to highly contemporary. )
The writer was a guest of Hoshino Resorts and Mandarin Oriental Tokyo.
*Please note that, having been written in 2019 – some of the menu details etc in this story may be a little outdated. Please check out their websites before you visit!
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