Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
125
eat something different at each meal. Dinner in this category will average ¥4,000 to
¥9,000, lunch likely half as much.
Many of Tokyo's most colorful, noisy, and popular restaurants fall into the Inexpen-
sive category, where meals usually go for less than ¥4,000; many offer meals for less than
¥2,000 and lunches for ¥1,000 or less. The city's huge working population heads to these
places to catch a quick lunch or to socialize with friends after hours. Because I can cover
only a limited number of cheap restaurants in each neighborhood, ask your concierge or
hotel manager for recommendations; a great, little place may be just around the corner.
COFFEE & BREAKFAST Because prices are markedly different here (steeper), a bit of
readjustment in thinking and habits is necessary. Coffee, for example, is something of a
luxury, and some Japanese are astonished at the thought of drinking four or five cups a
day. Traditional coffee shops (as opposed to imports such as Starbucks) offer what's called
“morning service” until 10 or 11am; it generally consists of a cup of coffee, a small salad,
a boiled egg, and the thickest slice of toast you've ever seen for about ¥650. That's a real
bargain when you consider that just one cup of coffee can cost ¥250 to ¥500, depending
on where you order it. (With the exception of hotel buffets, it's rare to find a bottomless
cup in Japan.) For a coffee break later in the day, look for an inexpensive chain such as
Doutour, Excelsior, or Pronto. Starbucks has also conquered Japan, with more than 700
branches throughout the country (and probably a good deal more by the time you read
this).
If you like starting the day with a big meal, hotel buffet breakfasts are a good way to
go, with the best offering an array of Western and Japanese selections. The cheapest ones,
however, aren't very tasty, consisting almost invariably of scrambled eggs, processed ham,
lettuce, miso soup, rice, and pickled vegetables. If you're on a strict budget, therefore,
you're best off buying fruit, snacks, and juice at the grocery store.
CHEAP EATS Inexpensive restaurants can be found in department stores (often an
entire floor will be devoted to restaurants, most with plastic-food displays), in under-
ground shopping arcades, in nightlife districts, and in and around train and subway
stations. Look for yakitori-ya (evening drinking establishments that sell skewered meats
and vegetables), noodle and ramen shops, coffee shops (which often offer inexpensive
pastries and sandwiches), and conveyor-belt sushi bars, where you reach out and take
the plates that interest you. Tokyo also has American fast-food chains, such as McDon-
ald's (where Big Macs cost about ¥320), Wendy's, and KFC, as well as Japanese chains—
Freshness Burger and First Kitchen among them—that sell hamburgers.
There are also many excellent yet inexpensive French bistros, Italian trattorie, and
ethnic restaurants, particularly those serving Indian, Chinese, Thai, and other Asian
cuisines. Hotel restaurants are good bargains for inexpensive set lunches and buffets.
Finally, remember to check the nightlife section in chapter 10 for suggestions on inex-
pensive drinking places that serve food.
PREPARED FOODS You can save even more money by avoiding restaurants alto-
gether. There are all kinds of prepared foods you can buy; some are complete meals,
perfect for picnics in the park or right in your hotel room.
Perhaps the best known is the obento, or box lunch, commonly sold in major train
stations, in food sections of department stores, and at counter windows of tiny shops
throughout Tokyo. Costing usually between ¥800 and ¥1,500, the basic obento contains
a piece of meat (generally fish or chicken), various side dishes, rice, and pickled vegeta-
bles. Sushi box lunches are also readily available.
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