Tokyo is a city steeped in history and the same can be said for its food. With dishes such as tempura and Yanagawa Nabe dating back to the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), visiting some of Tokyo’s most loved restaurants allows you to try these original Tokyo dishes for yourself and literally eat your way through history. Add to this a focus on locally-sourced, fresh food, and you’re in for a truly tasty travel experience. This full guide highlights what to eat where in Tokyo…

Discover Tokyo’s original dishes

Tasting Tokyo’s food is a great way to get a flavour of its storied past and really immerse yourself in its fascinating culture. Many dishes still enjoyed in Tokyo today (and indeed the rest of Japan) date back centuries, so where better to combine history with culinary treats? From noodles that date back to the Edo period to tempura inspired by Portuguese fritters in the 16th century, here are five must-eats in Tokyo and the fascinating stories surrounding them.

5 historic dishes to try in Tokyo

This dish, which gained popularity as a snack for children in the 1950s, is flavoured with nostalgia. While the origins of monjayaki is believed to date as far back as the Meiji Period (1868-1912 CE), it started being eaten more widely in Tokyo around 70 years ago, when the economic situation for many Tokyoite’s was tough. The low-cost snack is similar to a pancake and is made by creating a batter from wheat flour and chopped vegetables which is then cooked on a hot iron plate. ’Monjayaki” is said to have evolved from the word “Moji-yaki”, literally translating as “grilled letters.” The snack would double as both food and a game, where children would use the cooking batter to practice their letters and writing.

We all love a taste of our childhood, so it is not surprising that many monjayaki stores still exist in Tokyo, especially in Tsukishima town, which is home to “Monja Street,” a district lined with more than eighty monjayaki eateries.

This fish dish was first popular in the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), when eating meat was banned. The local loach fish used in the dish was believed to make you strong and was particularly popular during the summer. While yanagawa nabe can now be enjoyed all year round in Tokyo, the preparation of the dish has not changed much since the Edo period. The slimy fish is first caught, cleaned and then soaked in sake and salt to remove its smell and slimey texture.

Next, it is stewed in a pot along with egg and burdock root, then seasoned with green onions and mitsuba leaves. Don’t knock it until you try it: one slurp of this flavour-bursting stew will have you coming back for more.

These delicious donburi chicken and egg rice bowls are made by simmering the meat and egg in a flavoursome sauce made from soy, sake, mirin and dashi. It dates back to the late 1800s and, according to one theory, it was invented after a restaurant owner’s wife took inspiration from a customer’s eating habits. Legend has it that the customer used to pour his leftover broth and meat over his eggs and rice.

This was then turned into a one-dish meal and christened oyako-don. The tasty trend quickly spread through the local area before branching out to wider Tokyo, and eventually the rest of the country. Today, the dish is still a popular staple on both restaurant menus and within the home.

Ever wondered what sumo wrestlers eat to become so big? One of the staples of the athletes that compete in Japan’s national sport is  Chanko Nabe. This protein packed broth is filled with produce that changes with the seasons such as bok choi, shiitake mushrooms, or perhaps winter cabbage – and topped with meat or tofu.

This traditional sumo meal has been enjoyed by wrestlers for centuries. Served as a hot pot, this would have made it a quick, easy and scalable meal to dish up to the hungry stable of sumo wrestlers. Traditionally, the master would be served first, followed by senior wrestlers and the junior wrestlers would go last, eating whatever was left of the Chanko Nabe.

You don’t have to be a sumo wrestler to enjoy this dish. Often served in big sharing bowls, this is a great experience to enjoy as a group. Head to Ryōgoku, Tokyo’s sumo neighbourhood, and choose from one of the many restaurants owned and ran by retired wrestlers to listen to their stories of the sport and indulge in their favourite take on the dish.

Nothing quite compares to the satisfying crunch of biting into a perfectly fried tempura that has been dunked in sauce, with only the finest fish or vegetables hidden underneath all that golden batter. While tempura is now widely available across Tokyo and beyond, it was a dish once reserved for the most rich and important diners.

Tempura is thought to have been inspired by Portuguese fritters which made their way to Japan in the 16th century. It was a time when oil was scarce, so it wasn’t until later on in the Edo period (1603-1868 CE) where the dish really started taking off due to the invention of canola oil. Back in these days, common Tokyoites would buy tempura from street stands. Later on, the dish was refined and the tempura made crispier, which solidified its position on menus in high-end restaurants. Indeed, in the early part of the Showa period (1926-1989 CE), tempura was saved for very special occasions, due to the high oil prices.

Nowadays, tempura is available to all and can be found at Tokyo’s street stalls, high-end tables and served up by the locals in their homes. For a classic Edo-style take on the dish, be sure to try seafood tempura.

A landscape of vast, forested mountains, sweeping seashore and green fields tucked into verdant valleys has blessed Tokyo’s surroundings with a bounty of fruit, vegetables, rice and livestock. There’s little reason for the city’s chefs to look beyond Japan’s borders to create perfectly balanced menus. This is where the philosophy of chi-san chi-sho comes in. Akin to the slow food movement, where “local produce” is the watchword and farm-to-fork is king, chi-san chi-sho is all about using Japan’s natural larder in cooking and dining. Tokyo’s urban sprawl may be the last place you’d think to find farm-to-fork fare, but the capital’s kitchens are packed with produce from minimal miles away. It’s just one of the reasons the local food scene here is so good. Read on to discover five Tokyo restaurants with sustainability at their very hearts, where fresh, local produce is always on the menu…

Plant

In the residential area of Itabashi, away from the bustle of central Tokyo, Plant is a haven of greenery and simplicity. True to the chi-san chi-sho concept, vegetables are harvested straight from the fields nearby to be shaped and sculpted into perfectly presented farm-to-table fare by the dedicated chefs.

Ome Farm Kitchen

This seed-to-table restaurant may be in Tokyo’s central Kanda neighbourhood, but each dish is an ode to nearby Ome’s bountiful produce. Each dish encompasses the ethos of chi-san chi-sho, from vegetable tacos drizzled with farm-fresh honey to Buddha bowls showing off Tokyo’s finest vegetables in every colour of the rainbow.

ARBOL-Kagurazaka 

Tucked down a sidestreet in Iidabashi, ARBOL-Kagurazaka looks like a normal house. Inside, you’ll find a sleek restaurant where vegetable dishes are served in style. Chi-san chi-sho is all about the ultra-local, and it doesn’t get more local than harvesting turnips, radishes and herbs straight from a secret garden on the rooftop.

Maruta

The food ethos at Maruta feels old-world as local produce is cooked on a wood fire and the resulting feast is served at long, shared tables. It feels like a Shogun banquet. Horse mackerel from the Izu Islands is served alongside hand-pickled radish and perfectly crisped kale.

Sorano Hotel

Boxes overflowing with the freshest vegetables and a view over Showa Kinen Park in the suburbs welcome you to Sorano Hotel’s restaurant. The best way to experience the depth of ultra-local produce is the Daichino Salad which has 30 seasonal vegetables and 50 varieties of herbs and edible flowers combine to create a sensation for the tastebuds.