You may be considering where to have lunch while exploring Tokyo. You want to savor something unique to Japan, but you have already booked a sushi restaurant for your dinner. Ramen is one of the choices. However, I recommend that visitors to Japan drop in at an Izakaya, a traditional Japanese-style pub.
It’s usually open around 6 P.M., but some also serve lunch for office workers in the city.
Today, I’ll share one of my favorite Izakaya lunches at Hokkaido Yakumocho Hamamatsucho-ten, conveniently located near Daimon Station on the Asakusa Line, right between Zojoji Temple and Kyu Shiba Rikyu Gardens. It’s wonderful to take a lunch break while walking from Zojoji Temple to Kyu Shiba Rikyu Gardens.
Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZAYWNSw4pyPE4jZi7
Yakumocho is the name of a town in Hokkaido, where 11 fishing ports unload fresh fish and other seafood every morning. The restaurant Hokkaido Yakumocho has a contract with the local fishermen’s associations and procures fresh fish, shellfish, and other seafood directly from Yakumocho every day. The restaurant says the fish is so fresh that the best way to savor it is with simple BBQ, just salt and grilled over charcoal flames, which looks barbaric. The restaurant calls it “Genshi Yaki,” which means primitive grilling.
It’s simple yet incredibly delicious. Unfortunately, the restaurant doesn’t have an English menu, but you needn’t worry about that. You point at the fish on the grill and say, “Are Kuda Sai,” which means I want that one. Or please take a look at the photo of the lunch menu below. All meals come with rice, miso soup, and some small dishes of the day.
I wanted to enjoy a half-dried mackerel meal that day, but unfortunately, it was already sold out. My second choice was salmon belly. Sweet salmon oil went so well with salt on it, and it was also so yummy.
When I guide my guests to Zojoji Temple or Kyu Shiba Rikyu Gardens around lunchtime during my tour, I always recommend that they try “Genshi Yaki” at Hokkaido Yakumolcho. So far, the meals at the Hokkaido Yakumocho have never disappointed my guests. All my guests said, “So yummy!”
Thank you for reading my blog post. If you need an English-speaking guide to explore some hidden gems and have a real local lunch in Tokyo, please message me via the “Contact me!” box below. I will do my best to make your stay in Tokyo memorable!
Please click the links to get updated via my X (former Twitter) and Instagram.
X (former Twitter): https://x.com/ToruGuide
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toruhigaki/
Comment