It's 7:27pm and I'm aboard a Boeing 737 flight home to New York. I spent the last 4 days in Tokyo exploring the offerings of world's largest city. My main pursuit while there?

Where is the best food?

I took full advantage of the vast culinary options complimented by the lively urban setting. This week I'm going to do things differently—Bourdain style—and share the best food I ate while abroad.

This is Live from Tokyo— the third and final installment of the Ball Knowledge series from Japan.

In This Post

• Tokyo’s Virtues

• A Poser’s Tour of Japan

  • TOKYO

  • SAPPORO

  • OSAKA

  • KYOTO

Tokyo’s Virtues

Tokyo is unfathomably large, both in terms of geography and population. There are bright lights, massive crowds, food markets, electronics stores, pachinko arcades, shopping malls, train stations, public parks, and cherry blossoms.

The topography of the city is generally flat and walkable; there are beautiful pockets and sightly treasures scattered far and wide. Clusters of tall buildings tower the sprawling streets yet nothing ever feels too far away— a testament to their world class public transportation (shoutout the Yamanote line).

The subway trains chime and sing songs as you board through gated doors to quiet, speedy cars. Wherever your destination, odds are you're a straightshot on some bus or train. Every day feels like an adventure when transit is effective and cheap, and adventure eat I did.

I chose to focus in on exploring three wards in depth: Ueno, Shibuya, and Shinjuku (the one with Godzilla head and 3D cat). I flaneured my way through each of these neighborhoods, eating and drinking to my heart’s contentment.

I observed some unique facets of city life but was worn out after 2 weeks of travel and didn’t record any notes for this blog. I spent my last weekend abroad in a blissful state of thoughtlessness, totally immersed in a leisurely pursuit for the best food I could find.

Tokyo had great food, so I’m going to focus on that. There will be no more tangential cultural commentary from this 24 year old white boy. The reviews from Live from Kyoto were a scathing indictment of my ability for that:

A Poser’s Tour of Japan

I love food. Not in an ironic millennial-coded ig foodie sense but more like an earnest, Bourdain-evangelized attempt at respect for culinary tradition and craft.

I don't have much street cred or merit to signal my culinary acumen or taste. I've worked in a few kitchens, can cook pretty well, and have strong desire to expand my palette. My recs will suffice for a layman.

I also love food entertainment— I've watched and read Tony's stuff for years (RIP), am a regular viewer of Action Bronson's YouTube channel, hated season 3 of The Bear (exception for the first episode), have been to Flavortown (promptly deported for my views on meatloaf), and been crushing on Giada De Laurentiis since I first watched Food Network as a kid.

Sitting on the shoulders of the food/travel entertainment media titans, here are my top restaurants/bars/cafes that stood out in Japan:

Reference this post or my Google Maps guide next time you're in Japan. Truss.

TOKYO

Any place renowned for one menu item done incredibly well is usually a safe bet. Here, it’s the duck ramen. The ducks are carefully selected from local farms daily and no part goes to waste— the breast is sliced thin and tender, the bones are used for the broth, the fat is trimmed and reduced for a ladle of rich flavor. Complemented by a simple assortment of fresh spring vegetables and spices, this focused dish is well-balanced and satisfying. Order your meal ticket from the vending machine outside and wait 40 minutes in line— it’s worth it.

This Nepalese mom and pop was so good that I went back a second time. I already crave dipping my naan in the addictive chicken butter curry and indulging in the exotic spices of their chicken tikka masala (spice level 3, we don't play around). The naan is served fresh and elongated, hanging off the plate in all directions. It's also unlimited. Unlimited naan. This is my brother's favorite spot, after all. The main server (who's been there 15 years) knows him well and was so kind and appreciative to have us back so quick. Cannot recommend more.

Friday night in Shibuya I couldn't risk waiting in a long line for average food. So I headed a ways from the station crossing and wound up at this diner-style spot. Their signature is the Chillmatic Burger— it's a thick quarter pound patty with a slab of pastrami on top, oozing with mustard seed between a house-made sesame bun. It was as good as it looks. The pastrami and atmosphere made me romantic for New York.

I went to a bar called Roundhouse Kick. There, I eavesdropped on an ignorant Californian couple as they lectured two undeserving Germans about how bad things are amidst a declining America. I think most of the world would be content with a six figure tech job close to the beach in sunny Orange County with the occasional trip to Tokyo. I don't think this couple will ever understand the global envy for the freedom awarded to Americans. The Germans certainly weren't able to get through to them.

I normally would avoid this prototype of bar like the plague but I'll make an exception for HUB. This British pub chain is everywhere, it feels like there's hundreds of them. They pour a decent Guinness, have a bigger space than most bars, are quite social, and attract English speakers. It's a great place to go if you're visiting Japan. I met a variety of interesting locals and travelers across the five (5!) different HUBs I popped into.

My Sunday morning death row meal before my flight home was a cheesecake and double shot cappuccino. The fat, sugar, and caffeine spike hit like crack, I might as well injected myself with dopamine via syringe. This was the best espresso I had on my trip and is a cool neighborhood spot to check out if you stay in Shinjuku.

BLTEC isn't possible, it can't be! & sandwich says otherwise. Situated right next to Shinjuku Gyoen is this almost European cafe with quaint outdoor seating. Here, they understand that the most important ingredient in a BLT is tomato (do not @ me on this). It was nice to leisurely enjoy a coffee with my refreshing, crisp sandwich, then head to walk a shaded, treelined path before seeing the Cherry Blossoms in the park.

SAPPORO

This was the best sushi experience I've had in my life. Probably will be for quite some time. I wrote more about it last week, but you absolutely must go here if you find yourself in Sapporo. It's special.

Tight alleyway/corridor in downtown Sapporo with exclusively ramen shops. Hard to go wrong with any of them but be prepared to wait in line. Every spot seats around a dozen at a time. Not the biggest fan of miso ramen but still liked it here.

OSAKA

Okonomiyaki is one of the signature foods of Osaka. For the uninitiated, it's a savory pancake with a bunch of good stuff in between. It's greasy, delicious goodness and made right in front of you on a flat griddle. The beef one was better than the pork and seafood but get them all.

KYOTO

If I lived in Japan I'd in all likelihood be living at my local Izakaya. Small bites, cheap drinks, good times. Located in the Gion district of Kyoto, the ambience was a huge sell at Rutuobo. Vintage stained glass lighting fixtures filled the dim, smoky space with hazy color. Almost everything on the menu here is smoked or fried. It's all worth at least one order.

I got the oxtail pasta. It was excellent, see above. Go here if you're looking for a nice, intimate dinner date. Get what I got and a glass of red to pair. Then go make sweet love under the moonlight on the Kyoto river bank across the way. Thank me later for the game.

That's it from me. Japan was a trip and a half but I'm glad to be back stateside. I'll be doing more of these kind of posts when I travel, so make sure to stick around.