Sushikuni 鮨國

Sushikuni is one of the higher rating restaurants that’s known for their fresh chirashi bowls at Tsukiji Market.  A lot of people come here for the pure uni bowl so expect a line up! I recommend to come here a little earlier to skip the line, but luckily, it isn’t as crazy as Sushi Dai.

Sushikuni has a wide variety of fishes so there’s a lot of different combination of chirashi to choose from. There’s also sashimi, oysters and clams that you can order on the side. But this place is known for their uni so if you’re an uni lover, you’ll love this place!

Address \\  4-14-15 Tsukiji Chuo Tokyo
Phone Number \\  03-3545-8234 (Takes reservations)
Hours \\ Monday, Tues, Thurs – Sat: 10am – 2:30pm, 5pm – 8:30pm
Sunday: 10am – 3pm
Average Price \\ Lunch – ￥2,000 ～￥2,999, Dinner – ￥5,000～￥5,999
Payment Method \\   Cash Only
Rating \\   3.59/5
Website \\   Sushikuni (Japanese only)

Hosakaya ほさかや

Hosakaya gained a little popularity after Anthony Bourdain visited on one his show No Reservations. It’s tucked away in a not so popular area amongst foreigners, Jiyugaoka Station.

Hosakaya is known for serving freshwater eel, unagi everything! There’s only one chef standing by the little charcoal grill making these unagi skewers. Oh and by the way, there’s no English menus. So we got up and walked over to the chef and just pointed at some skewers we wanted to try.

They only serve unagi, so other than the typical unagi meat, they serve every part of an unagi like liver, fin, skin and more. So if you’re feeling adventurous and want some local vibes, could swing by at night for a few skewers and bottles of beer! Or if you just want to stick to the typical unagi meat, they serve unagi bowl at lunch for ￥1300! Jiyugaoka is a really local area and there’s a lot of izakayas around the neighbourhood so it’s a great place to explore!

Address \\ 1-11-5 Jiyugaoka Meguro Tokyo
Phone Number \\   03-3717-6538 (Cannot make reservations)
Hours \\   Monday – Saturday: 11:30am – 2pm, 4:30pm – 9pm
Average price \\   Lunch:￥1,000 -￥1,999;     Dinner: ￥2,000～￥2,999
Payment Method \\   Cash Only
Rating \\   3.58/5
Website \\   Hosakaya (Japanese Only)

Demmaru 伝丸 銀座店

Demmaru is a local ramen chain with multiple locations in Kanto and Chubu regions. It’s a Hokkaido style miso ramen base with curly thick noodles. I thought they had spicy ramen but it wasn’t spicy at all. They’re known for thick soup base but I think it was a bit too oily for me.

A lot of shops and restaurants are closed early in Ginza so if you’re hungry in the middle of the night, this ramen shop is opened a little later. It was convenient for us when we stayed at at Hotel Monterey Ginza Hotel, it was only a minute walk away so it’s convenient to satisfy your ramen craving in the middle  of the night.

Address \\ 2-11-12 Ginza Chuo Tokyo
Hours \\   Monday – Sunday: 11am – 11:30pm (Last order)
Average Price \\   Lunch: ￥999 – ￥1,999
Payment Method \\   Cash Only
Rating \\ 3.00/5
Website \\  Demmaru (Japanese only)

Jikabaisenkohibon 自家焙煎珈琲 凡

Jikabaisenkohibon is a hole in the wall. We literally walked by this place many times and missed the entrance completely. But once you find the entrance and go downstairs you’ll find a hidden gem. The decor in this coffee shop is absolutely stunning! I highly recommend to sit by the bar so you can see the whole collection of tea cups behind the glass display.

There’s a list of English Tea, hot and iced coffee to choose from along with a few cake selection. And of course, their most popular cake is the Strawberry cake. My friend is a coffee addict and he loved this place. Great coffee, tasty cake and beautiful decor!

It could get a little tricky if you need to visit the bathroom. When you’re at the end of the restaurant, you’ll see a bookshelf, the bathroom is right behind it. How cool is that?! Overall, it’s a great experience to visit this coffee shop even if you’re not a coffee addict.

Address \\ B1 Floor 3-23-1 Shinjuku Shinjuku Tokyo
Phone Number \\ 03-3341-0179 (Cannot make reservations)
Hours \\   Monday – Sunday: 12:30pm – 10:40pm (Last order)
Average Price \\   Lunch: ￥1,000 – ￥1,999
Payment Method \\   Cash Only
Rating \\ 3.55/5
Website \\   Jikabaisenkohibon (Japanese only)

Dolce MariRisa ドルチェマリリッサ

Dolce MariRisa is a little cafe/cake shop tucked away in Omotodesando. They may be a small shop but they have a ton of cakes to choose from. When in Japan, you must try their Strawberry Cake and Mont Blanc Chestnut cake! Those are the two most popular cakes in Japan and you’ll find it in every cake shop.

Although Dolce MariRisa’s rating is lower, but I think that reflects more on the lunch menus they offer. I personally think their cake is pretty good. It’s a nice little shop to stop by for a little tea break.

Address \\ 3-7-4 Kitaaoyama Minato Tokyo
Phone Number \\ 03-3400-1245 (Takes reservations)
Hours \\   Monday – Sunday: 11:30am – 10:00pm
Average Price \\   Lunch: ￥1,000 – ￥1,999
Payment Method \\   Credit Card Accepted
Rating \\ 3.23/5
Website \\   Dolce MariRisa  ( English & Japanese)