"One of Japan 's most talented chefs, Yoshihiro Narisawa presents Japanese ingredients in a style he calls “innovative Satoyama cuisine,” which highlights the country's natural bounty. Narisawa works directly with purveyors to get the freshest seafood and produce. Bread is cooked on the table, there is soup made from soil (yes, literally dirt, along with burdock roots), and a forest-inspired dish that has a live audio feed from a forest in Japan. The exquisite meal is not gimmicky and involves a dizzying array of ingredients, and the wine-pairing option includes some very interesting, untraditional sakes, a great education in the spirit. Knowledgeable staff explain the provenance of each dish—it's like an edible tour through Japan."

"Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa’s modern Japanese cuisine is served in a playful and relaxed atmosphere. A large communal table takes center stage, and conversations with new friends fill the air. Fried chicken stuffed with seasonal ingredients and a colorful salad are two of Den’s signature dishes. The jovial and sociable environment, which reflects the chef’s energy and attitude, is rare for a high-end restaurant. The kitchen overlooks the dining room, and Hasegawa comes out to talk to the diners as if he’s hosting you in his home. Den is a treat for anyone lucky enough to get a reservation."

"Tsukishima is a neighborhood best known for one of Tokyo’s local dishes, monjayaki . This casual dish is similar to Osaka’s savory okonomiyaki pancake but with much more liquid, making it great fun to cook. Diners are seated around a hot iron grill and prepare their own monjayaki after the staff help you with your first one. An ice-cold beer hits the spot as the table heats up. There are a variety of flavors, like seafood, pork, or house styles. A popular combination is mochi, mentaiko (spicy roe), and cheese. At night the main street is open only to pedestrians and is an interesting area to wander and explore."

"While it might come as a surprise, Tokyo is known for its Neapolitan pizza. One of the great pizza makers in the city is Hisanori Yamamoto, whose restaurant is a short walk from Nakameguro Station. The tables are squeezed next to each other, but everyone is happy to dig into the pizzas that emerge perfectly blistered from the wood-burning oven. If the weather is good, there's alfresco dining. The menu is unlike most Neapolitan pizzerias, which only offer a few options; here you’ll find about three dozen. Order some wine and start off with antipasti and fritti , and the pizza will have you feeling like you've taken a detour to Naples on your trip to Japan ."

"Afuri is a popular ramen chain with branches throughout the city in neighborhoods like Harajuku, Ebisu, Nakameguro, Roppongi, and Azabu-Juban. The signature bowl is chicken and dashi with yuzu shio , an aromatic citrus, and salt. Noodles are thin and straight, all the easier to slurp. After you’ve purchased your ticket from the vending machine, hand it over to the staff and they’ll ask if you want regular or extra fat. Afuri will also do limited-edition gentei (limited release) ramen, like a vegan or cold ramen in the summer."

"There are hundreds of soba shops in Tokyo , but Kanda Yabu stands out for its rich history and ambience. Aficionados recommend ordering cold noodles for dipping into the soy broth, all the better to enjoy the texture and aroma of the buckwheat noodles. With a light green sheen to them from the juice of young soba sprouts, they may not be traditional but they are delicious. Yabu Soba has an unusually extensive menu of small dishes, tempting diners to sip on sake and share dishes like vegetable tempura and soba-zushi before finishing with noodles. Patrons here range from local regulars, both young and old, to Japanese from other parts of the country who are making a pilgrimage to this famous shop."

"Walking into Kondo, the aroma of sesame oil fills the air. The master, Fumio Kondo, bends over behind the counter as he observes the tempura frying. Part of the pleasure of dining at a tempura shop is listening to the knives chopping the vegetables and the sound of the tempura frying in oil. The meal is based on seasonal vegetables and seafood. Tempura is traditionally served with a soy-based dipping sauce, to which diners add grated daikon. Aficionados will often season theirs only with salt, to preserve the delicate fried crust. Insider tip: Request the carrots and sweet potato, which do not come with the set meals. The sweet potato takes 30 minutes to cook and must be ordered at the beginning of the meal."

"Udon, a thick, chewy wheat noodle, shines whether it is served hot or cold. TsuruTonTan has a few shops in the city, though the best views are from the floor-to-ceiling windows on the 10th floor of Ginza Tokyu Plaza. The udon noodles are served in giant bowls big enough to stick your face into. Check out the seasonal recommendations like colorful slices of tomatoes with tomato sorbet in the summer. Year-round favorites include curry udon, and shrimp and vegetable tempura with udon."

"While most shojin ryori (Buddhist cuisine) meals are very simple, Daigo elevates such cooking to the level of kaiseki ryori , the multi-course haute cuisine that was long favored in aristocratic circles. Diners are introduced to an impressive array of vegetables prepared in classic renditions: tempura mushrooms, vegetable sushi, deep-fried eggplant with grated daikon dressing. The traditional setting includes tatami mats and low tables, with a sunken area under the table for comfortable seating. Note that some bonito is used, so if you are strictly vegetarian, let the restaurant know when you make your reservation and the kitchen will accommodate you."

"Wagyu katsu sando (beef cutlet sandwiches) have been around for a long time, but under the able hands of Hisato Hamada, the dish is hip and cool. The sleek, Instagram-friendly, stand-and-eat shop is in the trendy Nakameguro area along the Meguro River. Diners select a cut of marbled beef, ranging in price from 2,000 to 20,000 yen ($19–$190), which is then breaded, deep-fried, and served as a sandwich. Truffle fries and salads round out the menu. Drinks include an impressive selection of craft beers, wine, and champagne."

"Bird Land is a yakitori shop that shares the same subway basement space with two other famous restaurants: fifth-generation Nodaiwa and Sukiyabashi Jiro—yes, that Jiro. There is a brigade of staff behind the counter and a master who oversees orders like the conductor of an orchestra. Bits of chicken meat and organs skewered and grilled can be a casual meal under the train tracks, but at Bird Land it is elevated to haute cuisine. Pours from a well-curated wine list, including Austrian Grüner Veltliner and Australian shiraz, are served in Riedel glassware. The “course menu” is highly recommended: It starts with chicken liver paté and the classic chicken and egg over rice, oyakodon , along with the signature skewers."

"Teppanyaki meets French cuisine at this elegant institution, the lobby of which feels like a museum filled with Art Nouveau pieces by Lalique and Émile Gallé. The first few courses are classic French dishes that have been elevated with Japanese seafood and produce. The main stage goes to tender seared Wagyu beef. Niigata koshihikari rice, considered by many to be the best in the country, ends the teppanyaki portion. The meal concludes in a dessert room with a cart laden with petits fours, caramels, macarons, and more. Ukai-tei is open for lunch, which is a good value. Insider tip: For your own private chef, request a private room when booking."

"High-end sushiya are often open only at night, but that's not the case for venerable Kyubey, on the Ginza periphery. Lunch there is popular and a great value, and reservations are required. Some sushi counters can be very stiff and hard to relax at, but not at Kyubey: The restaurant is famous for its omotenashi , or seamless hospitality, and the down-to-earth chefs are happily willing to adjust the size of the rice or amount of wasabi to your liking. Gunkanmaki (sushi such as uni or ikura that is served over vinegared rice and wrapped with black nori) originated at Kyubey."

"A traditional freestanding house in residential Nishi-Azabu is the unique setting for this tonkatsu shop where panko-encrusted cuts of pork are deep-fried until golden. Butagumi has a big selection of pork to choose from, almost too many. There's Spanish Ibérico as well as many choices from regions throughout Japan , from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south, each with a distinctive flavor profile. The menu is ever-changing, so consult with the staff to decide what you are in the mood for on any given day."

"Near Shinjuku Station you'll find Takashimaya Times Square, which includes the Takashimaya department store and a large branch of Tokyu Hands. The depachika , or basement food floor, at Takashimaya has some excellent food counters for sukiyaki and both Japanese and Western sweets. Home cooks can pick up all of their pantry staples at Kinokuniya supermarket, which also has a colorful variety of prepared foods and seafood counters with takeout sushi, and the wine and spirits department hosts jizake vendors who offer samples of local sake. The rooftop garden has seating for impromptu picnics, so you may want to pick up some sake—just remember to ask for a small cup."

"Japan's fascination with flawless fruit is one of those aspects of the country's culture that surprises many visitors. A great way to indulge in it is with a fruit parfait or a glass of freshly squeezed juice at Takano Fruit Parlor. Just minutes from Shinjuku Station, Takano features a menu that changes seasonally to showcase aromatic and juicy fruits at their peak of ripeness. Parfaits are made with precisely cut fruit that's served with waffles, soft cream, or custard pudding. This is a chance to try the famous muskmelon, which can go for hundreds of dollars, in a fruit parfait that is available year-round."

"Enthusiastic staff welcome diners to this tachinomi , a casual pub where there are no chairs, and diners eat and drink at high counters, usually overlooking an open kitchen. The specialty at Saisei Sakaba is cuts of meats and organs that are skewered and then grilled, the accompanying smoke wafting out into the pedestrian street and drawing in customers to the retro-designed shop. Start the evening here and then move onto another izakaya in the area. This part of Shinjuku is packed with small spots for drinks and small bites. Insider tip: Be sure to order the gyū tan , simmered beef tongue."