Tokyo/Kyoto for Christmas

Hello LTHers,

So we'll be in Japan for Christmas this year and I'm wondering if anyone has some can't-miss food recs for the Tokyo and Kyoto areas.

We will be in Tokyo for about 3 days, in Nara for a day, and in Kyoto for another 3 days.

So far the (meager) list includes:
Tsukiji fish market
The ramen museum somewhere in Tokyo
Tonki tonkatsu shop


Fire away!

I believe the ramen museum is in Yokohama, not in Tokyo. I went to Tokyo a few years ago around New Year's. There is an unagi store in the outskirts that was been there for a very very long time. It's called Obana.

If you are there around NYE, there is a night food market thing at Sensoji (Asakusa Kannon Temple). It is very cold, but very fun! I will try and find pics and update this post

The Nishiki Food Market in Kyoto is great -- many blocks long, and fabulous. (Traditional, outdoor market, with everything from fresh ingredients to cooked meals.)

The food floor at Takashimaya in Kyoto and at just about any big department store in Tokyo. Over the top. (Think Harrod's -- though not quite as ornate.)

Otherwise, most of my eating is either street food or any one of the gazillion small shops that seem to be everywhere -- noodles, tempura, sushi, yakitori, tonkatsu, whatever. I have never been disappointed. (And nice thing is, because they always have either pictures or plastic food, you don't have to be able to read a menu.)

And don't miss Japanese curry. It's tied with sushi for the number one food. And donburi -- originally the name of the rice bowl, it now refers to a bowl full of rice with some sort of great topping (beef with onions is my favorite).

I loved the little, old-fashioned places, where food was carefully presented. But I also delighted in the high-speed, automated places, where you pump a few yen into a machine, push the button that corresponds to the dinner you want, then take a seat at a table. The waiter brings tea and miso soup, grabs your ticket, and minutes later, your food is served.

But everything was fabulous, and I never ate in a fancy place. (There was one semi-fancy place in Osaka -- a cook your own spot with charcoal at each table -- almost a pound of wagyu for about $50). Also, keep an eye out for the vending machines that are everywhere. They serve both hot and cold beverages, tonics, and sometimes soups. They're great.

I love eating in Japan (and I am, in fact, leaving for Japan myself in a few days).

I was in Japan last year visiting a friend and have to say that my favorite dining experience of the trip was at a small place called Waraji Tei in Kyoto. The restaurnt is geared toward business men on their way home from work and is off the beaten path in a more residential neighborhood. However, the night we were there a group of about a dozen older women were having a good time in the one private room at the back of the place.

All of the food available that night is displayed in bowls along a bar area so it's a little easier to know what you're ordering. We had the concierge at the hotel make a reservation for us and write down directions to give to the cab driver. The proprietors don't speak much English, but the concierge must have alerted them that four American males in their mid-twenties were coming because the restaurant had someone from the neighborhood who spoke a little English come to help us during the meal. Also, a couple of the business men dining that night seemed to speak very good English and would offer help when the "special" interpreter was at a loss for words.

Well the food was excellent and different in style than anything else we ate in Japan. It was also the only place where we received hugs from the owners when we left. I don't have an address, but the phone number is 075 801 9685.

Here are some pictures that a previous diner took of the place and posted online.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=9zp0kgn.9sf7bjc7&x=0&y=rd81kr

Tsukiji is not to be missed. Also second the department store food court suggestion. Especially right after the (western) New Year when we visited and I would imagine over the holidays generally.

A couple of things that I think you can't get in Chicago and maybe most areas outside of Japan:

--Ramen. The museum is in Yokohama, which may be a bit out of the way. We managed to hit it on the way back to Tokyo from somewhere else. I'm not sure if I would make a specific trip for it, but it is really good (the ramen that is, the museum was interesting but mostly superfluous) and you can buy from 8 different stands. There is so much good ramen generally in Tokyo though. We really liked Ippudo. And get some gyoza.

--Tempura bar. Specialist places that do nothing but tempura. As you might at a sushi bar, sit at the bar and have the chef serve you what he will.

In Tokyo, at least, I would organize your eating around where your other activities. Public transportation is very efficient but the city is pretty vast and you will have exceptional eating no matter where you are.

Just got back from a couple of weeks in Japan, and while some top food adventures were in places other than Tokyo and Kyoto (Shizuoka and Osaka most notably), the number of delights in T and K are so numerous that it is no hardship to dine there alone.

Everything I said above still goes -- Nishiki Food Market is awesome, the food floor at Takashimaya is completely over the top, and all the great little places are still great.

I was reminded that train stations are a great place for great food. These offer both places for commuting locals to grab a bite, but also places where people who are meeting can do some serious power-dining. The high-priced places will always be on an upper floor. As an example, on an upper floor (I think the 13th) of the Tokyo train station, you can find Paul Bocuse, Sabatini of Florence, and half a dozen expensive Japanese places, the quality of which is suggested by the Bocuse and Sabatini. However, in the basement of the train station, I enjoyed some of the best tempura I've ever had.

In the Kyoto train station, on the ground floor, check out Kurama -- a place that features local Kyoto specialties and offers homemade, fresh tofu. My traveling companion, who lives in Japan, said their food was a delightful example of local cuisine. I enjoyed the fresh tofu, but my favorite things on the menu were the chawan-mushi (an egg custard full of mushrooms and shrimp), the smoked duck (so good, I ordered a second plate), and a couple of items from the Kushiyaki menu (kushiyaki is stuff grilled on a stick) -- the chicken skin and white leeks, both great.

The term "yaki" in the above word is something you'll see a lot of. It is generally translated as "fried," but it means anything that is cooked on a griddle or a grill -- and the griddles can included custom-shaped grills for specific dishes, such as the griddle covered with rounded indentations used to make takoyaki, or octopus-filled "pancake" balls.

Okonomiyaki means, essentially "whatever you like, fried." It is sometimes identified as "Japanese pizza," but is more of a cross between an omelet and a pancake. This dish varies from town to town, and in some places, you can pick your own "toppings" to be added to the usual ingredients.

And don't forget pastries. There is a good reason that Iron Chef included a French chef -- the Japanese, especially in Kyoto, love French food, especially pastries. There are great bread shops and cafés everywhere. And one item that is kind of a blend of cultures is "curry pan," the "pan" being from the French for bread, it is kind of a savory Bismark stuffed with Japanese curry.

So no end of great eating options. You will run out of time long before you run out of places to eat.

Great post, Cynthia, thanks!

Yes, we are definitely not going to miss out on some make-it-yourself okonomiyaki and takoyaki. It was one of my favourites growing up, and I miss it so!

Off in exactly two weeks! I'll try to keep a log of things eaten so I can post about it when I return.