# What should you eat in Tokyo? > What to eat in Tokyo: Edomae sushi, monjayaki in Tsukishima, Tokyo ramen, soba, tempura, chanko in Ryogoku and yakitori under the Yurakucho tracks. - Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/what-to-eat-in-tokyo - Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from years of travel across 20 countries) - Published: 2026-05-24 **Edomae sushi, shoyu ramen and monjayaki are the three foods that are most specifically Tokyo.** Tokyo has every Japanese cuisine, but a handful of dishes were born here when the city was Edo, and those are the ones to prioritise. We spent 9 days in Tokyo in 2023, 4 at the start of our Japan trip in March and 5 at the end in April. That is enough to eat through this list by neighbourhood, which is how Tokyo food works: each dish has a district that does it best. ## Edo-era classics **Edomae sushi.** Nigiri as it is eaten today began in Edo as fast food: fish from Tokyo Bay, often cured, marinated or simmered, on hand-pressed vinegared rice. The **Tsukiji Outer Market** is the easiest place for a sushi breakfast; the wholesale market moved to Toyosu in 2018, but the outer market's shops and counters stayed. Many shops there close on Sundays, national holidays and some Wednesdays, so check the market calendar. Order the *omakase* or a set if you are unsure. At a counter it is fine to eat nigiri with your fingers. **Soba.** Buckwheat noodles were Edo's everyday meal, and the old shops around Kanda and Asakusa still serve them cold on a bamboo tray (*zaru*) with a dipping sauce. When you finish, the staff bring *sobayu*, the cooking water, to pour into the leftover sauce and drink. **Tempura and tendon.** Tempura was street food in Edo. Asakusa is the district for *tendon*, battered prawns and vegetables over rice with a sweet soy sauce, and it pairs with a morning at Senso-ji; see our [Senso-ji guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/sensoji-temple-asakusa-tokyo-dress-code-etiquette-guide). At a tempura counter each piece is served as soon as it is fried. Eat it straight away. **Unagi.** Grilled eel glazed with sweet soy over rice. Tokyo grills it Kanto style, steamed before grilling, which makes it softer than the crisp Kansai version you find in Osaka. It is expensive, and good shops are often busy at lunch. ## Tokyo neighbourhood specialities **Monjayaki.** A runny batter of dashi, cabbage and toppings cooked on a griddle at your table until it forms a soft, crisp-edged mass you scrape up with a tiny spatula. It looks unpromising and tastes very good. **Tsukishima Monja Street**, a short walk from Tsukishima Station, has dozens of monja restaurants on one strip. Staff will cook the first one for you if you ask; build a ring of the solids first, then pour the liquid into the middle. **Chanko nabe.** The protein-heavy hotpot sumo wrestlers eat to bulk up. Ryogoku, home of the Kokugikan sumo hall, is full of chanko restaurants, some run by retired wrestlers. It is a sharing dish, ordered for two or more. **Yakitori.** Grilled chicken skewers, salt (*shio*) or sauce (*tare*). The atmospheric places are under the railway arches at **Yurakucho** and in the narrow alleys of **Omoide Yokocho** by Shinjuku Station, where tiny counters seat a handful of people. Many charge a small seating charge with a starter, which is normal in izakaya. **Ningyo-yaki.** Small cakes filled with red bean paste and baked in moulds shaped like Senso-ji's lanterns, pigeons and gods. Nakamise-dori in Asakusa has shops making them in the window. Buy them warm. ## Ramen, tonkatsu and the modern classics **Tokyo ramen.** The city's own style is *shoyu* ramen: a clear soy-seasoned chicken and pork broth with curly noodles. Tokyo also popularised *tsukemen*, thick noodles dipped into a concentrated broth. Most ramen shops take orders through a ticket machine at the door: pay, take the ticket, hand it over. The longest queue on the street is usually the right one. Our [3 days in Tokyo](https://clevertourists.com/guides/3-days-in-tokyo) guide lists the ramen and festival yakisoba we photographed. **Tonkatsu.** A thick panko-crumbed pork cutlet with shredded cabbage, rice and miso soup, usually with refills of cabbage and rice. Tonkatsu shops cluster around Ueno and Ginza. Pick *rosu* (loin, fattier) or *hire* (fillet, leaner); our [teishoku vs tonkatsu](https://clevertourists.com/resources/teishoku-vs-tonkatsu-japanese-set-meal-guide) explainer covers how these set meals work. **Depachika.** The basement food halls of department stores, at Ginza, Nihonbashi, Shinjuku and Ikebukuro, sell bento, sushi, sweets and perfect fruit. They discount fresh food in the last hour before closing. For cheap everyday food, see our [konbini food guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/japan-convenience-store-food-guide-7-eleven-lawson-familymart). ## Food streets and markets • **Tsukiji Outer Market:** sushi, tamagoyaki and grilled seafood. Go early; it is busiest late morning. The market asks you to eat at the shop or in an eating area, not while walking, and to keep large bags out of the lanes. • **Ameyoko, Ueno:** a street market under and beside the JR tracks, with seafood, fruit skewers and standing izakaya. • **Omoide Yokocho, Shinjuku, and the Yurakucho arches:** yakitori and beer after dark. • **Tsukishima Monja Street:** monjayaki, best for an early dinner. • **Depachika at Ginza and Nihonbashi:** the best picnic shopping in the city, and good for edible souvenirs. If you want to bring food home, our guide to [what to buy at a Japanese supermarket](https://clevertourists.com/resources/what-to-buy-at-a-grocery-store-in-japan) covers what travels well. ## Etiquette, tipping and paying There is no tipping in Tokyo, including at high-end sushi counters; see our [tipping guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/tipping-in-japan-and-south-korea-guide). Cards are widely accepted now, but small ramen shops and izakaya can still be cash only, so carry some yen; our [cash in Japan guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/how-much-cash-to-bring-to-japan-yen-atm-guide) has amounts. Do not eat while walking in markets and shopping streets, and do not leave chopsticks upright in rice. Slurping noodles is normal. The [Japan etiquette mistakes](https://clevertourists.com/resources/japan-etiquette-mistakes-tourists-make-chopsticks-trains-shoes) list covers the rest. ## If you only have one day to eat in Tokyo • **Breakfast:** sushi and tamagoyaki at the Tsukiji Outer Market, around 8am. • **Lunch:** tendon or cold soba in Asakusa after Senso-ji, with ningyo-yaki on Nakamise-dori. • **Afternoon:** a depachika in Ginza or Nihonbashi. • **Dinner:** monjayaki in Tsukishima, or yakitori at Yurakucho, then ramen in Shinjuku late at night. For a longer stay, [how many days in Tokyo](https://clevertourists.com/resources/how-many-days-in-tokyo) explains how we split our 9 days, [where to stay in Tokyo](https://clevertourists.com/resources/where-to-stay-in-tokyo) helps you base yourself near the food districts, and [day trips from Tokyo](https://clevertourists.com/resources/day-trips-from-tokyo) covers where to go next. Kansai is a different food culture; compare [what to eat in Kyoto](https://clevertourists.com/resources/what-to-eat-in-kyoto). ## Frequently asked questions ### What food is Tokyo famous for? Edomae sushi, soba, tempura and unagi from the Edo period, plus Tokyo shoyu ramen, monjayaki in Tsukishima, chanko nabe in Ryogoku and yakitori at Yurakucho and Omoide Yokocho. ### Where can you eat sushi at Tsukiji now? At the Tsukiji Outer Market. The wholesale market moved to Toyosu in 2018, but the outer market's shops and sushi counters stayed. Many close on Sundays, national holidays and some Wednesdays, so check the market calendar. ### What is monjayaki and where do you eat it? A runny batter of dashi, cabbage and toppings cooked on a griddle at your table and scraped up with a small spatula. Tsukishima Monja Street, a short walk from Tsukishima Station, has dozens of monja restaurants. ### Do you tip in Tokyo? No, not even at high-end sushi counters. Some izakaya add a small seating charge with a starter, which is normal.