(Photo illustration by Los Angeles Times)
Find a universe in Tokyo at 17 of our favorite restaurants, bars and cafes
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Tokyo isn’t one city. It’s many cities, and each is its own universe.
Occasionally — at a certain subterranean bar big enough for only seven people, or a sushi counter on the fifth floor of a random office building — I feel as if I’m stepping into another time or dimension.
Finding your way to any of the millions of restaurants, cafes, bars and shops (some are micro-businesses in an alley in a village in the city) can be like figuring out a many-layered puzzle. Like Tokyo, each experience is dense.
The Japanese word for hospitality is omotenashi. But its meaning goes far beyond just customer service. Even the translations “wholehearted, selfless hospitality” or “flawless care” don’t cover all of the philosophies that make up omotenashi: magokoro (“true heart” or “sincere feeling”), ichigo ichie (“one time, one meeting”) and kuuki wo yomu (“reading the air”). The last refers to the intuitive ability to anticipate guests’ needs before they ask — an idea rooted in tea ceremony, which is rooted in Buddhism. It’s hard to grasp that level of selflessness.
Here are some of our favorite places to lose yourself in Tokyo. — Betty Hallock
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The Blind Donkey
French-Japanese-California $$$
(Betty Hallock/Los Angeles Times)
Charming neighborhood Kiyosumi Shirakawa is known for its gardens, coffee shops (it’s nicknamed “coffee town”) and galleries and museums, including the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. You should go. And when you do, have lunch or dinner at the Blind Donkey. Jerome Waag, a former Chez Panisse chef, moved from California to open something unique in Tokyo: a farmer-focused restaurant, in the style of California cuisine, that goes deep on the provenance of its ingredients, working closely with producers of Hokkaido cheeses, organic vegetables and sustainable seafood, poultry and meat. The emphasis here is on thoughtful agriculture and craftsmanship.
1 Chome-7-14 Miyoshi, Koto City, Tokyo
1 Chome-7-14 Miyoshi, Koto City, Tokyo
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Ebisu Endo
Japanese Sushi $$$$
(Irwin Wong / For The Times)
Angeleno food obsessives familiar with top-tier bars like Morihiro, Sushi Kaneyoshi and Sushi I-naba will recognize the format of Norihito Endo’s eight-seat omakase bar. Before and between courses of exquisite nigiri, he serves small, intense dishes that change with seasons and whims; a meal might include soba with deliciously intense bottarga or eel grilled on the spot until its skin crackled. The restaurant has fantastic pairings featuring sake or, more unusually, high-quality tea.
1-Chome-17-2 Ebisuminami, Shibuya City, Tokyo
1-Chome-17-2 Ebisuminami, Shibuya City, Tokyo
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Pizza Studio Tamaki
Pizza $$
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(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
The school of Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza frequently comes down to two must-try places: Seirinkan, chef-owner Susumu Kakinuma’s three-story restaurant where the decor is inspired by Jules Verne, and Pizza Studio Tamaki, a corner hangout in the Minato ward opened by Tsubasa Tamaki, a protégé of Kakinuma. Pizza devotees should try both, but if time allows for only one pizzeria visit, I vote PST. Order the margherita with its signature starburst pattern; the Tamaki, with smoked mozzarella and cherry tomatoes; and the Bismarck with sausage, mushrooms and a runny-yolked egg centered like a bull’s-eye.
1-Chome-24-6 Higashiazabu, Minato City, Tokyo
1-Chome-24-6 Higashiazabu, Minato City, Tokyo
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Sushi Kanesaka
Japanese Sushi
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In visits to this 14-seat Ginza sushi counter, I’ve been fortunate enough to land in front of Shinji Kanesaka himself, increasingly unlikely as the founding sushi chef directs an expanding number of international locations. A protégé of Jiro Ono, the “Obi-Wan Kenobi of sushi chefs,” Kanesaka was once described to me as “Luke Skywalker” to Takahashi Harutaka’s “Han Solo” (another Jiro disciple, who owns Tokyo’s only current Michelin three-star sushi bar). Kanesaka’s kohada moved me to tears. But what he’s known for is aging each cut of expertly sourced tuna with pinpoint precision; his architectural shari — firm rice seasoned with akazu (red vinegar) and salt and absolutely no sugar; and his exceptional omotenashi.
Misuzu Building B1F, 8-10-3 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo
Misuzu Building B1F, 8-10-3 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo
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Yakumo Saryo
Japanese Teahouse $$
(Betty Hallock/Los Angeles Times)
Surrounded by a lush garden in a quiet, residential neighborhood in southwestern Tokyo, Yakumo Saryo is well-known for its morning tea service, asacha. Worth the trek from central Tokyo if you have a free morning, breakfast starts with a series of teas, accompanied by okayu (breakfast porridge), savory dishes such as grilled mackerel, tamagoyaki (rolled omelet), pickles, then matcha with wagashi, or Japanese sweets. The expert wagashi will be familiar if you’ve also visited owner Shinichiro Ogata’s confectionery Higashiya. Ogata also designed tea master Shinya Sakurai’s Sakurai Tea Experience in Aoyama. The floor-to-ceiling windows at Yakumo Saryo offer a view of the courtyards and their plum trees. Reservations required.
3 Chome-4-7 Yakumo, Meguro City, Tokyo
3 Chome-4-7 Yakumo, Meguro City, Tokyo
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Glitch Coffee & Roasters
Coffee $$
(Betty Hallock/Los Angeles Times)
Arrive early to avoid the lines at Glitch, the coffee roaster world-renowned for its ultra-light roasts and micro-lots of experimental and award-winning beans. Their coffees highlight fruity profiles rather than toasty bitterness, and customers are invited to smell a selection of beans from small glass jars before ordering. This is the sensory “menu.” The quality of some high-end, competition-grade beans will be reflected in the price of a cup of coffee, as much as $20 to $40. At the original Jimbocho location, expert staff will guide you through a tasting.
Kamura Building 1F, 3-16 Kanda-Nishikicho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo. Multiple locations.
Kamura Building 1F, 3-16 Kanda-Nishikicho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo. Multiple locations.
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Leaves Coffee
Coffee $
(Betty Hallock/Los Angeles Times)
Coffee aficionados love Leaves for its precision roasting and meticulous pour-overs, flocking to its garage-like corner shop across the river from Asakusa, a 15-minute walk from Sensō-ji temple. Settle into a seat directly facing the service counter, where baristas will select beans, use multiple kettles with water heated to different temperatures, and a level to remove bubbles. It is an intricate, ceremonial performance for a cup of coffee.
1 Chome-8-8 Honjo, Sumida City, Tokyo
1 Chome-8-8 Honjo, Sumida City, Tokyo
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Teuchi Soba Keyaki
Japanese $$
(Betty Hallock/Los Angeles Times)
Tokyo has thousands of soba specialists: 24-hour counters where you stand and eat, Michelin fine-dining restaurants for omakase, and regular neighborhood mom-and-pop shops. Ask a local for their favorite, and the answer probably will be the one that’s nearest. This one’s my latest go-to because it’s open for lunch in the center of the city’s “Art Triangle,” which includes Mori Art Museum and the Tadao Ando-designed building 21_21 Design Sight. Located on the fifth floor of the Roppongi Hills mall, Teuchi Soba Keyaki is casual enough for families with young children, while serious soba-heads will appreciate a view of the counter where the noodles are made and cut by hand. Chilled soba is served Edo-style on the woven bamboo plates called seiro. For hot soba, a signature here is the duck tsukune (meatballs). My regular order is cold soba with goma tsuyu, dipping sauce enriched with toasted-sesame paste. Gozen-style with a mound of seafood and vegetable tempura is also popular.
West Walk, Roppongi Hills 5F, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato City, Tokyo
West Walk, Roppongi Hills 5F, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato City, Tokyo
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Bar Radio
Cocktails
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Bar Radio, one of Japan’s most famous bars, forever lives in my imagination of romantic Tokyo. Bartender Koji Ozaki opened Radio in 1972 and, until he died in 2021, led a staff of tuxedo-wearing drinks experts who carry on his legacy, making the best classic cocktails anywhere. I stopped by late one rainy night, my friend and I the only people at the bar, shockingly. I ordered an iconic, flawless gimlet. By the time we left, the rain had stopped. We walked into the night without realizing I’d forgotten my umbrella. A few blocks later one of the bartenders flagged us down with my umbrella. When he handed it over, he bowed as if I had done him a favor instead of the other way around.
3 Chome-10-34 Minamiaoyama, Minato City, Tokyo
3 Chome-10-34 Minamiaoyama, Minato City, Tokyo
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Tempura Kondo
Japanese $$$
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
Admiration for tempura chef Fumio Kondo parallels the veneration around Jiro Ono: Both are masters grounded in tradition who also advance and refine techniques in pursuit of perfection. Kondo famously calls tempura a “steamed food.” The batter he developed is so sheer and enveloping that seafood and vegetables cook to precise tenderness inside as the exterior fries to a crackle. Kondo’s signature dish is sweet potato he bobs in oil for half an hour until the orange flesh is fluffy and the skin nearly shatters.
5-Chome-5-13, Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo
5-Chome-5-13, Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo
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Kiyoken
Japanese $$
(Betty Hallock/Los Angeles Times)
My Tokyoite grandmother bought Kiyoken shumai dumplings at the depachika (department store food halls) in her Shinjuku neighborhood, which my mom grew up on and still loves. She claims she can eat 30 at a time. These are plump, bite-size shumai, the Chinese dumpling imported into Japan in the 1880s and adopted by port cities such as Yokohama, a short train ride from Tokyo. Yokohama-based Kiyoken, a nearly 120-year-old company, created a bento version of its pork and dried scallop dumplings, still sold in train stations, depachika and their own restaurants across Tokyo. Pick up shumai ekiben (“train lunchbox”) for your railway adventures. Like many, I collect the tiny, ceramic, gourd-shaped soy sauce bottles that come with the ekiben, a symbol of good luck designed by cartoonist Hidezo Kondo, each decorated with its own facial expression.
7 Chome−1−1, JR Ueno Station 1F, Taito City, Tokyo. Multiple locations.
7 Chome−1−1, JR Ueno Station 1F, Taito City, Tokyo. Multiple locations.
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Toritsune Shizendo
Japanese
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(Betty Hallock/Los Angeles Times)
Oyakodon is the lush comfort-food dish of chicken and barely stirred eggs cooked in warishita broth and served over rice. Toritsune Shizendo, a legendary oyakodon specialist whose history goes back to a 1912 poultry shop in Akihabara, transforms its preparation to an art form. Chef Hisaya Sasaki traveled the country to find the best chicken, such as Hinai Jidori from Aichi prefecture, tokujo eggs and rice. Using special pans for cooking the chicken and whisking the eggs just until broken, his oyakodon is velvety and custardy with vibrant orange yolks. His specialty bowl of oyakodon with chicken liver is available only for lunch, and only a limited number are available each day.
5 Chome-5-2 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo
5 Chome-5-2 Sotokanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo
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Orchid Bar at the Okura Tokyo
Cocktails
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The Okura Tokyo hotel is a swoon-worthy example of midcentury elegance. Designed by Yoshiro Taniguchi in the 1960s, it was demolished several years ago, then rebuilt as a tribute to itself, with its iconic lobby and other public spaces created by Taniguchi’s son. It’s steeped in nostalgia for many. I know it as the place where my mom, who worked in the gift shop, was introduced to my dad. The rooftop Bar & Lounge Starlight boasts stunning Tokyo views, but I love the dark, intimate Orchid Bar, where I always feel as if I’m in a Haruki Murakami scene, decadent with potential. Someone’s at the bar on a phone call to his girlfriend in Hong Kong. A kabuki actor in a kimono and full oshiroi makeup walks by. I sip my perfect martini and wait for the night to unfold.
Okura Prestige Tower, 2-10-4 Toranomon, Minato City, Tokyo
Okura Prestige Tower, 2-10-4 Toranomon, Minato City, Tokyo
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Nata de Cristiano
Bakery
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(Betty Hallock/Los Angeles Times)
If you are obsessed with pastéis de nata, the iconic Portuguese egg custard tarts, then Nata de Cristiano in “deep Shibuya,” just west of Yoyogi Park, is a must-visit. The shop makes the best and most authentic pastéis de nata in Tokyo. Portugal and Japan share a baking history dating to the 1540s when traders and missionaries introduced confectionery techniques. Fast-forward 475 years and an “egg tart craze” helped manifest Nata de Cristiano’s artisanal version, known for its use of premium eggs that make for a luscious custard and for the shatteringly crisp crust. The combination creates the ultimate shokkan, or textural contrast. Lift one up and look at the bottom and you will see how perfectly baked and flakily layered it is.
1 Chome-14-16 Tomigaya, Shibuya City, Tokyo
1 Chome-14-16 Tomigaya, Shibuya City, Tokyo
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Gen Yamamoto
Cocktails $$$
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
Behind his eight-seat bar fashioned from 500-year-old Mizunara oak, Gen Yamamoto makes some of the most beguilingly simple, fruit-centric cocktails on the planet. A flight of seven small cocktails in March 2023 began with Yamamoto vigorously muddling hassaku, a nubbly-skinned Japanese citrus in the orange family, and pairing it with Marc de Champagne, a French distillate that’s in the same arena as Italian grappa. The day’s creations also included pureed Momotaro tomatoes spiked with Laphroaig and sharpened with shiso. Securing reservations can be maddening, and Yamamoto is too consumed in his work for much conversation, but it’s a drinking experience you’ll likely never forget.
1-Chome-6-4 Azabujuban, Minato City, Tokyo
1-Chome-6-4 Azabujuban, Minato City, Tokyo
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Higashiya Ginza
Teahouse Confections $$
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
This elegant, upscale sweets and tea shop specializes in a modern approach to wagashi, traditional Japanese confections often made with pounded glutinous rice or rice flour, fruits and red bean paste. Higashiya’s small, spherical creations have a soft, fine sandiness and dissolve on the tongue. Combinations like matcha and raisin or chestnuts and brandy meld into exquisite third tastes in which the separate ingredients are indistinguishable. An English-speaking staff member can guide you toward rare aged Japanese teas.
1-Chome−7−7, Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo
1-Chome−7−7, Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo
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Kimura
Sushi
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Out of thousands of sushi chefs in Japan’s capital, Koji Kimura has distinguished himself for his deliciously extreme approach to aging fish. At his tiny counter restaurant in the quiet Futako-Tamagawa neighborhood, Kimura begins with appetizers — perhaps salt-pickled watari kani (blue crab) marinated in brandy sauce — before handing out a U-shaped sheet of nori filled with only shari, the seasoned sushi rice, to reinforce its significance in the meal. Once he starts forming nigiri, he announces each piece by fish and days of aging. One wonder from a 2023 meal: Marlin, aged 49 days, tasted of marine life transformed into cultured butter.
3 Chome-21-8, Tamagawa, Setagaya City, Tokyo
3 Chome-21-8, Tamagawa, Setagaya City, Tokyo
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