Presentation along with the unique ingredients makes Tokyo the place for sushi or sashmini. Prices can get expensive. Look for set or prixe fix menus. If time allows, check out Chinatown.
Popular Restaurants in Tokyo:
Sushi Dai is located in the Tsukiji Fish Market, and features some of the freshest fish in town with the accompanying long line of people vying for one of the dozen seats. Be prepared to wait around an hour. The quickest thing to do is order the seto, a sushi course that usually comes with tuna, eel, shrimp, and other delectables, along with six rolls of tuna and rice in seaweed. No plates here -- food is served directly from the counter in front of you. Prices are $39 to $65USD and Credit Cards are not accepted. Hours are Mon-Sat 5am-2pm. They are closed on Wednesday if the market is closed, and on holidays. Sushi Dai is located at 5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo Prefecture 104-0045, Japan in a row of barracks housing other restaurants and shops beside the covered market, in Building no. 6 in the 3rd alley (just past the mailbox); it's the 3rd shop on the right-Tsukiji. Take a taxi the 1.5 miles from Harumi Cruise Terminal to Sushi Dai. It is approximately an 8 minute drive. Their phone is +81 3-3547-6797 and the website is
http://www.tsukiji-sushidai.com/. It is in Japanese only.
If you can splurge on only one Tokyo sushi experience, previous Tokyo travelers say to make
Kyubei the one. Established in 1936, Kyūbey's quality and presentation have attracted people from all over the world, seeking incomparable quality and presentation. With one chef for every six customers, you get to customize your experience and interact along the way. Fee free to ask questions about the intricacies of sushi-making, inquire how wasabi is made, or where are the urchins used at Kyubie harvested. Kyubei Restaurant is a little difficult to find (as is almost everything is Tokyo), but just ask around as almost anyone can point you to this landmark restaurant. Kyubei is a bit pricey, but if you're a lover of all things sushi, it's absolutely worth it! Prices are: Sushi set-price: Lunch ¥4200-8400 ($55USD - $110USD), Dinner from ¥10,500 ($138USD) (Average price: $ 300 USD for 2 people). Hours are Lunch: Monday – Saturday 11.30am-2pm Dinner: Monday – Saturday 5-10pm. Kyubei is located at 8-7-6 Ginza Chūō-ku, Tokyo Prefecture 104-0061, Japan. Their phone is +81 3-3571-6523 and the website is
http://www.kyubey.jp/info_e.html.
Edogin maintains its reputation as one of the best for sushi. Super fresh sashimi and sushi draw the crowds in to this little hole-in-the-wall spot just up from the Tsukiji Central Fish Market. The lunchtime teishoku is a bargain at ¥1000 ($13USD), especially since the fish comes directly from the nearby docks. It's particularly crowded during lunch and dinnertime because the food is dependably good and plentiful. The menu is in Japanese only, but an illustrated menu outside displays some of the set meals, with most prices ¥3,700 or less. There are also sushi platters for ¥1,600 ($21USD) to ¥4,200 ($55USD). The nigiri-zushi teishoku for ¥1,050 offers a variety of sushi, along with soup and pickled vegetables; and if you're really hungry, an even more plentiful nigiri-zushi teishoku is available for ¥1,470 ($20USD). Though there's nothing to brag about in the ambience or atmosphere department (furniture is very basic), the locals who come here for their meals provide all the noise and color you need. Prices: Set meals ¥1,800 ($24USD) - ¥5,500 ($72USD); lunch teishoku ¥1,050 ($14USD) - ¥1,470 ($20USD). Major credit cards are accepted. Hours are Mon-Sat 11:30am-9:30pm; Sun and holidays 11:30am-9pm. They are closed January 1 – 4. Edogin is located at 4-5-1 Tsukiji, Tokyo, near the Harumi and Shinohashi Dori intersection behind McDonald's (Ginza Area); anyone in the neighborhood can point you in the right direction, Tsukiji. Get there via the Hibiya subway line, Tsukiji Station (Exit 1); Oedo subway line, Tsukiji-shijo Station (Exit A1). (3 minutes). Their phone number is 03/3543-4401 and their website is
http://www.tsukiji-edogin.co.jp/. It is in Japanese only.
Gonpachi is one of Tokyo's most imaginative yet inexpensive Japanese restaurants. The menu boasts a wide variety of dishes, including yakitori (such as duck breast with wasabi), fish (such as miso-glazed black cod), sushi, noodles, tempura, and lots more. With its vast menu choices and ultra reasonable prices, Gonpachi stays pretty packed…so don't fail to make reservations for dinner. Prices are as follows: Yakitori ¥300 ($4USD) - ¥1,500 ($20USD); main dishes ¥1,000 ($13USD) - ¥2,800 ($37USD); set meals ¥3,500($45USD) - ¥6,000 ($78USD); set lunches ¥950 ($13USD) - ¥1,100 ($15USD). Reservations recommended for dinner. Hours are 11:30am-5am daily. Gonpachi is located at Roppongi & Nishi Azabu. To get there: Station: Roppongi (10 min.). From Roppongi Crossing, walk toward Shibuya on Roppongi Dori. It will be on your right, at Gaien-Nishi Dori. Their phone is 03/5771-0170 and their web site is
www.gonpachi.jp.
The famous Sirius Sky Lounge is located on the 70th floor atop of the Landmark Tower and offers spectacular views of the city and Yokohama bay. Part of the fun is riding in the world's second fastest lift/elevator (second only to the elevator in Taipei 101). Traveling at 12.5 meters per second, it takes a mere 41 seconds to reach the top. The menu contains an extensive range of dining options including: Chinese, French, Teppanyaki and traditional Japanese cuisines. For sophisticated surroundings or just a romantic evening cocktail Yokohama Royal Park Hotel Nikko's Sirius Sky Lounge is the place to dine. It serves a buffet lunch for ¥3,500 ($46) daily from 11:30am to 2:30pm, which often centers on a changing, ethnic cuisine but also offers items such as salmon, lamb, and pizza. After lunch, it's teatime from 2:30pm until 5pm. From 5pm to 1am daily, Sirius is a cocktail lounge (no one under age 20 is allowed after 5pm) and charges a cover of ¥1,050 ($14) per person from 5 to 7pm and again from 11pm to 1am; ¥2,100 ($28) for live music from 7 to 11pm. There is a small, a la carte dinner menu, as well as set dinners for ¥6,300 ($82) and ¥9,450 ($125). Their phone number is 045/221-1111.
Chukagai (Chinatown) -- Located in Yamashita-cho, a couple blocks inland from Yamashita Park and next to Motomachi Chukagai Station of the Minato Mirai Line, Chinatown has more than 500 restaurants and shops lining two main streets and dozens of offshoots. Tokyoites have long been coming to Yokohama just to dine; many of the restaurants have been owned by the same families for generations. Most serve Cantonese food and have plastic-food displays, English-language menus, or pictures of their dishes, so your best bet is to wander around and let your budget be your guide. Most dishes run ¥850 to ¥3,000, and set lunches go for ¥900 ($12USD) to ¥1,200 ($16USD). Larger restaurants accept credit cards; those that do display them on the front door. Most Chinatown restaurants are open from 11 or 11:30am to 9:30pm or later; some close Tuesday or Wednesday, but there are always other restaurants open.