Tokyo

Akasaka Fukinuki

Akasaka Fukinuki has the best unagi (BBQ’d eel) I’ve ever tasted. It’s crispy on the bottom, juicy on top, and the sweet and sticky sauce is heaven when paired with the rice. It can be a bit pricy at night, eel is a delicacy in Japan, so we went midday to get the lunchtime special which is about half the price.

Shibuya Mark City

If you like variety and trying a lot of little bites of some of the best Japanese food, then go to Shibuya Mark. This underground oasis is full of vendors selling some of the freshest sushi, desserts, and other Japanese treats. Vendors are not shy about handing out samples, which is a great way to see and taste a wide variety of flavors and foods.

Ikeda-ya Tea Store

This cute tea shop in Nishishinjuku shopping mall has over a hundred types of tea and many different grades of matcha. If you go here, you also have to try soft serve matcha ice cream!

Sushi

You really don’t have to look hard to find great sushi in Japan. Even the sushi at the supermarket is better than most sushi places in the US. We went to this spot per the recommendation of one of Tobi’s coworkers. It’s unpretentious, reasonably priced, and super fresh.

Nanaya Aoyama

We ate a lot of ice cream in Japan, but the ice cream at Nanaya Aoyama was the best. The ice cream has flavors that you will find in Japanese cuisine such as red bean, black sesame, brown rice team, and matcha. They actually had seven different types of matcha ice cream. They range in their grade, or purity, and the higher the grade the more green, earthy, and pricy it gets! I’d recommend ordering as many flavors of matcha ice cream that your stomach can handle so that you can taste the difference between them.

Ippodo Tea Shop

My favorite matcha that I tasted in Japan came from Ippodo - it’s where I ended up splurging to buy all of my matcha that I would take home at the end of my trip. You can come here for a tasting as well and the staff will host a mini tasting for you, where you can try matcha of different grades.

Captain's Donut Shimokitazawa Honten

These donuts are a favorite of kids and adults alike! Get them topped with soft serve for extra fun.

Afuri Nakameguro

Afuri’s ramen shop can please most, as it has both meaty (left) and vegan options (right). Nakameguro is a hip neighborhood worth spending time in, so make sure you leave time to explore.

Asakusa Kagetsudo Honten

Gossip says that Kagetsudo Honten has the best melon bun in all of Tokyo, and when I tried it myself it did not disappoint! This bakery is located right next to Sensoji Temple, one of Tokyo’s most visited temples, so you can see two attractions at once.

Bar food in Ebisu

Ebisu has a ton of nightlife and is teaming with people seeking good food and good times. We found a cozy spot in a bar full of great Japanese bar food - far from anything you’d find in the US. I loved the okonomiyaki (cabbage pancakes with bonito fish flakes) pictured on the left, and the grilled mushrooms.

Matsurokuya

Tokyo’s dining scene is full of surprises. I can’t imagine any non-local finding Matsurokuya on their own because it’s underground and in a very quiet neighborhood. But here we ate perhaps the most fantastic and surprising meal of our entire trip. Dishes included roasted ginko seeds, blowfish (deadly if the chef makes the wrong cut), tempura maitake mushrooms, housemade green tea soba, sting ray, and so much more. The sake pairings are also incredible. We were so lucky to go with some locals that helped order for us, and also allowed us to try more things on the menu!

Toranomon Koffee

Going to a Japanese cafe is a fun and tasty experience. Toranomon Koffee in Toranomon Hills is one of the best places to do just that. Ordering a matcha latte is a given, but you also have to try the fluffy and sweet Japanese bread topped with butter and/or filled with tomago (sweet egg).

Hakone - Tonosawa

Staying at Kakui-no-Yado Shiunso was truly one of the most luxurious experiences Tobi and I have ever had together. We booked a night in a ryokan and had the complete onsen experience. There are a lot of onsen in Hakone, and picking a place can be overwhelming. However this place fell right into our budget and also had some of the best food during our entire trip. Both the dinner and breakfast courses were a feast of different dishes and flavors. 10/10 would recommend this place.

Minato- Takanawa

For our last night in Japan we had to get sushi at Tobi’s favorite neighborhood spot where he frequented as an intern in Japan. The sushi chef didn’t speak English, so we just let him choose for us and it was the best decision we could have made. The sushi bar is located right next to the Shinagawa train station on the second floor of a big food court. We met some locals there that treated us to many sips of sake and beer - we had a great time.

Mikazuki Curry Samurai

Japanese curry is different from any other type of curry, and we trekked to Mikazuki Curry Samurai in Kitazawa to try some of Tokyo’s best. They had great vegan and vegetarian options, but if you are okay with eating cheese, then you have to get extra orders of the cheese mochi.