Best 7500 yen meal in Central Tokyo
January 22, 2014 3:06 AM   Subscribe

So, I'm in Tokyo on a business trip with a 7500 yen/day food expense budget. Thing is, I tend to eat cheap and I've been averaging more like 3000 yen/day. Even still, the food has been fantastic. But tomorrow, I would like to make the most of my expense account. Assuming that I eat free hotel buffet for breakfast and lunch, where would you recommend I go (within about a half hour train ride of Tokyo Station) for the best (pescatarian) meal 7500 yen can buy?
posted by 256 to Travel & Transportation around Tokyo, Japan (8 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
This is like impossibly broad and the number of amazing options are going to be uncountable. My advice would be to use Tabelog (through Chrome if you need English). It is like yelp if yelp were actually good.
posted by JPD at 4:08 AM on January 22, 2014 [1 favorite]


It won't be the bestest bestest, but there is a long established, well regarded kaiseki place in Ueno Park that's called Innsyoutei (old review, a newer review here). Ueno is an easy journey from Tokyo Station.

They didn't speak any English at all on my visit. My meal was nearly all fish or vegetables so if you get a Japanese speaker to ring ahead you probably arrange a pescatarian meal with no dramas. I ate well there, and it has a pleasant position in the park. But I you will be able to find better value ¥7,500 meals in Tokyo.
posted by MuffinMan at 4:48 AM on January 22, 2014 [1 favorite]


In my experience in that part of Japan 7500Y is a hard number. As you've discovered you can eat well for less and of course there exist places where you can spend more (where typically you're paying for something beyond the food), but right there in the 6000-9000Y window for a single meal it's kind of a challenge unless you include booze (in which case it becomes much easier).
posted by Runes at 5:37 AM on January 22, 2014


Bento.com has English-language listings and might help you narrow your search. Or try your hotel concierge? There are so many restaurants in Tokyo.....
posted by chocotaco at 7:28 AM on January 22, 2014


Also try sunnypages.jp for restaurant listings.
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 7:39 AM on January 22, 2014


Does it have to be spent in a restaurant? Or can you spend some of it in a grocery store/convenience store? There are lots of sweets, great teas... lots of things that you can spend leftover money on.
posted by troytroy at 8:24 AM on January 22, 2014


Best answer: Try Sushizanmai in Yurakucho under the tracks. English friendly and pretty good sushi. Daiwa Sushi at Tsukiji is another good option. You can easily hit 7500 there.
posted by rsk at 12:28 PM on January 22, 2014 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Lucky you! If I were in your shoes and had 7500 yen to splurge on a Japanese pescatarian dinner, I'd probably go to an established unagi (eel) place somewhere like in Asakusa and order the most expensive una-ju on the menu, with a glass of beer. Because unagi is becoming scarce and will probably become crazy expensive in the future.
posted by misozaki at 2:17 PM on January 22, 2014 [1 favorite]


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