Since joining SmartNews as CTO, I’ve been spending about 1/3 of my time in Japan. Not the summertime — that’s too damn hot — but with most of my teams in our Tokyo office, it’s been important to be on the ground there.

While media often portrays Tokyo as isolating to non-Japanese speakers, that hasn’t been my experience at all.

That might be because — as I have mentioned — I am always willing to nerd out on cooking and food.

And Tokyo is foodie heaven.

There is no food city on Earth like Tokyo

Look, I get it. Singapore is fantastic. Paris invented most of the techniques that matter. New York is… New York.

They’re not even playing the same game. 226 Michelin stars. 160,000 restaurants for 35 million residents, plus millions of commuters and tourists. A deep appreciation of craft, excellence, tradition, and experience.

To whet your appetite

Bar High Five

Let’s start with a bar. Bar High Five is just a delight. Walk in, answer questions, get a custom drink. It’s a delight. You need a reservation.

Chinya

150-year-old sukiyaki restaurant. Seems very formal at first, but then you realize it’s full of families and kids and everyone is having a great time. Kobe beef, super friendly service, and the excitement of a narrow, 150-year-old staircase in your socks. Hard to beat for sukiyaki or shabu shabu.

COD

I mean, come on. A tiny bar in Shibuya that serves the best freaking hot dogs you have ever had. Pair with the highball and you are living large and fighting jet lag the right way.

Esoragoto Udon

The image doesn’t really capture how cute Esoragoto Udon is. Even better, the unusual brown rice flour udon is light, springy, and delicious. There are only 7 or so standing spots, though you can also spill out onto the curb.

Los Tacos Azules

Eating Marko’s tacos omakase in Tokyo blew our minds. In a sea of great food, his handmade corn tortillas, Oaxacan cheese (made by local cheesemakers), and the variety of Tokyo’s fish market stands out.

Masia

Of course, then Marko says, “I’m hosting a pop-up with my favorite chef in Tokyo, Mateu. You should come!” So, we did (duh).

It was an ephemeral, magical experience. Mateu — another transplant to Tokyo, this time from Catalan by way of Amsterdam and Singapore — brings Japanese ingredients to life through the memories and inspirations of Spain.

Narisawa

You really can’t throw a stone in Tokyo without hitting a Michelin-starred restaurant, but Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa does something really unusual: he makes every dish and every bite subtle. Friends who joined called it the best meal they ever had. It’s really special.

Okonomiyaki Junior

Let’s imagine you just arrived in Tokyo. It’s your first weekend, you’re mostly over jet lag, and your colleagues have been arguing about which version of okonomiyaki is best, with the majority landing on Hiroshima’s version with noodles. Pop quiz, hotshot. What do you do?

Obviously, you hop the shinkansen and do a day trip to Hiroshima where you find the alley, off an alley, off an alley entrance to Okonomiyaki Junior. You wedge yourself into one of the 6 seats and you sit back with a Kirin and smile, because you are about to have the king of comfort foods.

I recommend pairing it with American Prometheus on the train and as much time as you can contemplating the memorial and museum. It was a profoundly moving experience. One that made me thankful and hopeful for better times ahead.

Unagi Tokito

We’ll close with something that just couldn’t exist outside Tokyo. A completely casual, French fine dining, Michelin-starred restaurant where every course revolves around unagi. Where masters are basting and barbecuing unagi to order over a blazing hot binchō grill.

Where the first course is a perfect, adorable, tiny unagi slider.

On Japan for non-Japanese speakers

Thanks to the Olympics, Japan in general — and Tokyo plus the train system — are infinitely more friendly to English speakers than even a decade ago. You still won’t find many English speakers compared to travel almost anywhere else, but most restaurants have an English menu, at least a few servers who speak English, and Google translate will save you in a pinch. Also, check out the Japan Travel App that has excellent point to point directions, including train car details.

For reservations, starting with Google maps tends to take you to either Table Check or another online reservation system. For the most part, they work but be prepared to pay in advance and forfeit your payment if you miss your reservation.