Ultimate Tokyo Gourmet Guide: How to Eat Hitsumabushi, Sukiyaki, Tsukemen & More Like a Local

Hitsumabushi – eel grilled with a sweet-and-savory sauce, then chopped and served atop steamed rice – is a local dish of Nagoya, Aichi prefecture. Classic accompaniments include aromatic condiments and dashi broth. While the dish resembles unajuu (grilled eel atop steamed rice in a juubako serving box), the style of enjoying hitsumabushi is a little different, and has become a tradition at specialty restaurants.

Crab is a classic dish often served at winter banquets in Japan. Among all varieties, hairy crab (kegani) is considered by many to be "the most delicious of all crabs." It can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, such as sashimi-style (arai) or simply boiled. However, its reputation as a luxury ingredient may make some people hesitant to try it. To find out what a full-course hairy crab meal is really like, we visited Canni Sienne Ginza, a renowned crab specialty restaurant in Tokyo.

Flavor-packed “motsunabe” (organ meat hotpot) is a favorite dish with origins in Kyushu. As cold weather sets in, motsunabe becomes all the more irresistible. This dish is typically enjoyed in a series of steps. Knowing the process in advance will increase your enjoyment of this dish, so we’ve asked a specialty restaurant for their advice.

Sukiyaki, thin slices of tender beef simmered in a savory-and-sweet sauce with accompaniments such as vegetables and tofu, is one of the best-known Japanese dishes around the world! To a Japanese person, sukiyaki is a truly luxurious treat for special occasions. As this dish is most commonly enjoyed at home, being invited to have sukiyaki at a restaurant can be a somewhat stressful situation. Not to worry – we’ve asked the experts at a sukiyaki specialty restaurant, Ningyocho Imahan, for some tips on the smart way to prepare and enjoy sukiyaki in a restaurant setting!

Xiaolongbao is a beloved dim sum dish known for its chewy wrapper and the juicy broth that bursts out with every bite. But when it’s freshly steamed and piping hot, many people have probably found themselves thinking, “It’s way too hot to eat!” This time, we visited Gyoza Hyakuchin Ichimi Ringring to learn the best techniques for enjoying xiaolongbao while it’s still hot—without burning your mouth!

Tsukemen features toothsome noodles dipped into hot soup. The thick, springy noodles are pleasantly chewy, and take on plenty of the rich, slow-cooked pork bone and seafood based soup. These two elements combine to create an exquisite mouthful that is more than the sum of its parts. For this article, we asked the experts at the tsukemen specialty restaurant, Mita Seimenjo, for advice on the smart way to enjoy this popular dish.

Shabu-shabu is a long-beloved dish throughout Japan. Following the Second World War, beef dishes were introduced to Japan from Europe and America, which led to the shabu-shabu style of enjoying beef becoming popular throughout the nation. In this style, thinly-sliced pieces of beef are briefly swished through a simmering dashi broth, and enjoyed with a variety of condiments. We’ve asked a shabu-shabu specialty restaurant for some advice on the smart way to enjoy this classic dish.

Afternoon tea, with its colorful array of sweets beautifully arranged on a three-tier stand, is truly a dreamlike sight. While it’s easy to be enchanted by the elegance, many people may have felt a bit unsure about the proper etiquette or manners in such a refined setting. To learn how to fully enjoy this elegant tradition, we visited none other than the British royal warrant holder, FORTNUM & MASON.

During the cold season, nabe (hot pot) containing a variety of ingredients is a favorite wintertime meal in Japan enjoyed with family and friends. Oden is one of the most popular nabe dishes. In this installment, we visited Odenya Takeshi, where you can enjoy two types of dashi (soup stock), and asked them for their recommendations on how to enjoy oden.

Japan’s traditional portable bento meals have influenced dining around the globe, with the phrase “bento box” now being commonly recognized. Among Japan’s diverse types of bento, noriben stands out as a true classic. In this simple favorite, a sheet of nori seaweed is laid out on a bed of rice, and topped with various side dishes. Lately, noriben made with specially selected ingredients are making waves in Japan's food scene. Mr WAGATSUMA Yoshikazu, the president of Noriben Yamanobori, is credited with starting this trend. For this article, Taiwanese author Mr Riichi Chang interviews Mr Wagatsuma to learn more about the simple, yet profound art of noriben.

Japan’s Edo period (1603-1867) lasted over 260 years. Amidst their peaceful lives, people began to explore the joys of food, creating many exemplary dishes of Edo cuisine. To learn all about Edo cuisine, we visited the renowned Namijiya restaurant in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, which recreates dishes popular among the common people of the Edo period.

What toppings would you choose for your curry? With chunky vegetables, fried items, boiled eggs, and more, you can enjoy it in countless ways just by changing what you put on top. This time, we heard about a curry that looks just like a parfait and headed to “À Votre Santé Endo” in Ginza, Tokyo. What kind of curry would we find there?