One of the great things about Tokyo is that you’re guaranteed a good meal at just about any restaurant or little shop you walk into. Heck, even the Family Mart and 7-Eleven offer great options if you’re on the go. While you could certainly eat up a storm in Tokyo without doing any research ahead of time, I’m pretty damn glad I did because I managed to have an incredible meal each of my five days in the city (as well as some great ones that just didn’t make my ‘top 5 places to eat in Tokyo’ list).

5. Kuumba du Falafel

I know what you’re thinking: why in the world would I get a falafel in Tokyo?! Simply because it will be the best falafel you’ve ever had. Kuumba du Falafel is a little shop in the outskirts of Shibuya with only one thing on the menu: falafel. I ordered the full portion of the falafel sandwich (¥1,200) with all the fixings and was honestly in vegetarian heaven (and I didn’t even really like falafel before coming here!).

Read more about Kuumba du Falafel here. 

4. Tsukemen at Fuunji

I had heard a lot about tsukemen (the type of ramen where you dip the cold noodles into the lukewarm, slightly fishy broth) before, but had never tried it prior to arriving in Tokyo. Fuunji was recommended to me and after doing a bit of research, I quickly discovered this was one of the most popular spots in Tokyo for tsukemen. Arrive early (or late) to beat the queues, as there are only about 15 spots around the kitchen, and indulge in a massive bowl of unbeatable tsukemen for a very reasonable ‎¥‎1,000.

Read more about Fuunji here.

3. Sushi Katsura

A trip to Tokyo isn’t complete unless you visit the Tsukiji Fish Market and have an incredibly fresh omakase experience at a nearby sushi shop. While the more famous shops, like Sushi Dai and Daiwa Sushi, charge a pretty penny and have queues that start as early as 3:00 am, Sushi Katsura is a much more reasonable option. With no need to queue up at a ridiculous hour (it only opens for lunch and dinner) and an omakase menu that starts at only ¥950, Sushi Katsura is a perfect alternative for those who care more about the quality of sushi (and getting a decent night sleep) than the name of the restaurant.

Read more about Sushi Katsura here.

2. Soba Noodles on Memory Lane

I stumbled upon this little soba noodle shop along Memory Lane in Shinjuku on my first night in Tokyo at around 10:00 pm when we were scouring the streets for something to eat. There were about 10 seats crammed around the small one-man kitchen and five people queuing in front of us, which naturally led us to believe this place was a winner. For only ¥400 (the cheapest meal I had in Tokyo), I sat down to a delicious bowl of fresh soba noodles, a mountain of vegetable tempura, and a soft boiled egg.

Read more about the soba noodles on Memory Lane here.

1. Narukiyo

This was my one splurge during my time in Tokyo and I don’t regret a single yen spent. From the moment I stepped foot inside Narukiyo, I knew I was going to have a great time. The place is covered in penis paraphernalia (yes, you read that correctly) and I had the pleasure of sitting right in front of a massive black penis for my entire meal. As I’m sure you can guess, the vibe is incredibly fun (be sure to snag a seat around the kitchen) and we ended up spending over three hours in the restaurant. As for the food, you simply tell the waiter if there is anything you won’t eat and after a few minutes, your food starts arriving. We had three flasks of sake and 7 courses (three individual, four shared), and our bill came to ¥20,700.

Read more about Narukiyo here.