Kaiseki cuisine (Japanese haute cuisine) is so revered that it typically comes with a high price tag. A visit to Inshotei in Ueno for the lunch service is an excellent way to experience this traditional form of fine-dining while sticking to a budget.

The Japanese tea-style three-tiered box lunch is under $19 per person (views of Ueno Park and ancient temples are free). 

Japanese delicacy unagi (eel) is usually one of the pricier options on a donburi menu. At Nodaiwa Azabu Iikura Honten, at the base of Tokyo Tower, sticky, satisfying eel and rice dishes are served in traditional lacquerware boxes with sides of warming soups and savoury custards.  

Unagi dishes start from just under $7.

In business since 1884, this soba shop has served handmade buckwheat noodles the same way for more than 100 years. The current building, in the central Kanda neighbourhood, dates back to 1924 and retains its old-world charm. Dishes are unpretentious, allowing the noodles to speak for themselves. 

A simple soba set starts at $7. 

In an unassuming building just outside Shibuya, Mahakala serves an array of kushikatsu (fried skewers). The late Anthony Bourdain once visited with a local sushi chef, sampling versions with shrimp and basil, seasoned quail egg and lotus root. Like any good izakaya, the beer flows and the clientele is mostly businessmen at the end of the work day. 

Single sticks start at $1 each.

Founded in 1937, Sometaro (2 Chome-2-2 Nishiasakusa, Taito City) feels like stepping back in time to Asakusa’s heyday. Creaky timber floors, cosy nooks and sliding wood-and-paper doors set an intimate tone. The star of the menu is okonomiyaki, a savoury pancake with various fillings. Dishes come pre-cooked by the chef or as a batter mixture you can cook on the scalding hotplate in front of you. 

Single dishes start at just under $7.

Delicate sushi and kaiseki might be the Japanese food you expect but save space for big serves of katsu curry and rice – Tokyo’s comfort food. Curry Station Niagara in Yutenji (between Shibuya and Meguro) is a unique place for a hearty plate; its unctuous curries are delivered by a model train and the restaurant manager wears a stationmaster’s hat. 

Plates start at $8. 

It may boast a Michelin star but this ramen joint in Otsuka (@nakiryusg) is just as compact and casual as any late-night noodle house in the backstreets of Tokyo. Order from the vending machine, where it’s a choice between spicy tantanmen, sour and hot sanramen or a milder soy- or salt-based bowl of noodles. 

Each bowl comes in at $10 to $15, depending on toppings.

No trip to Japan is complete without sampling some sushi. Tsukiji, the site of the old fish market, is still home to some of the best spots in the city. Sushi Dai has a never-ending line at all times of day, but the sashimi tastes just as sea-fresh from Tsukiji Itadori Bekkan and you won’t have to wait for hours. 

Seasonal sushi starts from just over $3 per piece.

There’s almost always a long queue snaking around the block to get into this low-key gyoza joint in Shibuya. If you have the patience to get inside, you’re faced with two choices: fried or steamed dumplings. Pitch up in the hours between lunch and dinner to avoid the longest wait times. 

A plate of six dumplings starts from just over $3.

While Omoide Yokocho, also known as Memory Lane is far from under-the-radar, this narrow street beneath the railway tracks by Shinjuku Station is worth a visit. It’s famous for its yakitori grills that billow sweet-smelling smoke from a line of hole-in-the-wall restaurants. Stop wherever you can find a free seat – everything is cooked in front of you.  

Single skewers cost as little as $2.50.

This Asakusa favourite specialises in an intriguing ancient Edo dish: boiled loaches. It’s been trading for more than 200 years and the timeworn hardwood and tatami floors make it feel as though you’re in a shogun banqueting hall. The loaches (tiny, tasty fish you can eat whole) come bubbling in an umami-rich broth or cooked in fluffy egg.

Dishes start at just under $4.

This is the wildcard entry but is totally relatable to those who have visited Japan and remember the wonderful snacks found in the conbini (convenience stores). The onigiri (sushi triangles) at 7-Eleven are a handheld, pre-packaged lunch on the go and the hot karaage chicken from Family Mart is better than any fried chicken chain. 

From as little as $1.50.

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