Top 5 Eats in Tokyo

It is preposterous not to eat well in Japan

It is preposterous not to eat well in Japan. This is because the Japanese adhere to the principle of kaiseki for centuries. Kaiseki refers to not only the respect that one has for ingredients and for one’s surroundings but also the mutual respect between the host and the guest. A respect for natural resources, the environment and the food it yields, lay at the heart of traditional Japanese culture. Even the Japanese expression commonly said before one delves into a meal, “Itadakimasu” loosely translates as “I humbly receive”. It reflects one’s reverence for having food to eat.

Henceforth, food waste violates both economic and moral imperative. That consciousness is enshrined in the expression of “mottainai” (lit: what a waste!). Someone explains to me the concept of food-wasting in Japan is basically a form of disrespect towards everyone involved in the entire chain of production and distribution, from the cook all the way to the farmers. Eating well is a form of respect to those who involved in getting this dish from its source all the way to your table.

This is such a contrast to Chinese culture where ordering more food than one can eat is seen as either a status symbol or a sign of respect towards the people you are dining with. There is, however, a growing grassroots movement against this excessive food wastage.

Since dining is an important part of Japanese culture, you must partake it joyfully. Here are my favourite things to eat when in Japan:

Tatsunoya Tsukemen, Tokyo

Tsukemen is different to ramen in the way that the soup and the noodles in are served separately, making it easier to get a good taste of the noodles. After being boiled, tsukemen noodles are run under cold water to firm them up so they have a thicker, bouncier texture than those of rāmen. How to eat: dip the noodles into the topping-filled soup.

On my last trip to Tokyo, my friend Jessica and her husband were taken out by a Japanese friend and returned to our AirBnB like they just joined a cult. Evidently I got curious and on my last day in Tokyo, I arrived in Tatsunoya at 11.02 am (2 mins past its opening hour) and there was already a little line. After ordering the tsukemen through an ordering machine, a peak culinary orgasm befell over me as I had my first mouthful.

Tatsunoya’s pork and garlicky broth is rich and fragrant, the noodle thick and bouncy, and the crackling pork crispy despite being fully soaked in the broth. You know they are serious about their garlic when mouthwash is provided in the bathroom.

Where: 20 minute walk from Shinjuku Gyoen. Arrive not much later than the opening hour to avoid long lines and order the bigger portion.

Creamia Soft Cream

You know how Japan takes an idea, improves it and unequivocally owns it. Like vending machine, that’s what happens with soft-serve; it has evolved to be one of Japan’s signatures. Well, I soak myself in Japanese culture by gorging on humanly impossible amount of soft-serve when in Japan. It is only on the third trip that I found the perversely delicious Cremia’s pure and unadulterated soft cream.

Let me tell you, Cremia is PREMIUM as hell. It’s made out of 25% Hokkaido fresh cream, 12.5% high milk fat content on top of langue de chat cone. Langue de chat is essentially crisp and morish French biscuits, also called cat tongue in Indonesia. It’s basically a thin and crispy shortbread, with a melt-in-your-mouth consistency as it is made of predominantly butter. I know right, how can something be so perfect?!

For ¥500, you can lick on the velvety-smooth Cremia milk soft-serve ice cream. But slowly, savour its deep flavour and full-bodied milk. You know that feeling when you met someone so awesome that everyone else pales in comparison. That’s how I feel about Cremia, but this infatuation is much more permanent.

Where: What’s even better is that you could find Cremia kiosks all around the country. The poster is ubiquitous in airport, streets, pit stops, tourist centres, etc.

Ichiran Ramen

This place needs no introduction. The ramen they serve is a classic tonkotsu ramen, which is a pork-based broth, and they are very particular about each and every ingredient that goes into their soup, from the water to the home-made noodles, and especially the secret red sauce.

This dish is fully customized. You can choose the texture of your noodles, the richness and flavour strength of your broth, the amount of garlic, the amount of green onions, with or without pork and the level of spiciness.

Ichiran is one of my favourite ramen chains because it is an experience in itself. You never have any face-to-face interaction with an employee except during busy times when someone is managing the line. Simply purchase from the machine, wait in line for an open seat, sit your little ass on the single-person booth and wait to be served from a small window in front of your sear.

Where: The line could be long since it is popular, so be prepared but do know that you are in for an aromatic, porky treat. To avoid longer lines, go early (or late) to the less touristy branches: Yoyogi, Ikebukuro in Tokyo. Avoid going in a big group because you’d wait forever and there is very little chance that you will sit together anyway.

Maisen Tonkotsu

I have previously been disappointed too many times by half-assed leathery, dry meat some call katsu. It took some convincing but I tried Maisen. I’m not exaggerating when I call it a revelation. I can attest to Maisen’s dedication to quality. The specialty kurobuta pork* cutlet set comes in either loin or fillet — fillet being the leaner of the two. The crumb and meat quite literally melted on my tongue, I barely had to chew.

*Heritage breeds are specially raised and heralded for their intensely flavorful meat and fat. In the realm of haute Japanese (meat) proteins: wagyu beef, jidori chickens and kurobuta pork, reign supreme. Kurobuta pork is known as the Japanese black pork from the Berkshirepork pigs known for its fine meat fibres and juicy flavours.

Where: I savoured Maisen in Tokyo’s Daimaru and Shibuya’s Hikarie Department stores but the main Aoyama location is the quaintest of them all. A short walk from Omotesando, this main branch has been serving tonkatsu since 1965 and is located in a former World War II public bathhouse (I have a thing for adaptive reuse buildings). Check this post for a more comprehensive Maisen guide.

Strawberry

Japan is the seventh largest producer of strawberries in the world as of 2013, with just about all of the output consumed domestically. What makes Japanese strawberries interesting is the bewildering number of varieties available, with new ones introduced almost every year.

It’s hard to tell when the real season for fresh strawberries is in Japan, they are even available in December. The actual season, however, goes from spring until early summer, starting with the ones grown in southern Kyushu and ending with the ones grown in the north.

Tochigi Prefecture — the leading producer of strawberries in the country has a famous variety called Tochi Otome (which means “Tochigi Maiden”) that’s a relatively small, sweet and fragrant variety. In the meantime, Fukuoka Prefecture, which is second in strawberry production after Tochigi, has the Amao (“Sweet King”) which is a personal favourite of mine with its enormous, sweet berries four to five times bigger than other varieties.

I have extensively compiled a list of things to see/eat in Google Map for Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. With this, you could easily plan your days by knowing your proximity to the listed venues, their ratings/reviews and opening hours.