
A History of Tokyo in Eight Dishes - stuffedolives
https://roadsandkingdoms.com/travel-guide/tokyo/a-history-of-tokyo-in-8-dishes/
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dforrestwilson
For Ramen in particular you don't need to go to a specific restaurant to get a
good meal.

Ippudo Ramen is a solid local chain and very reasonable at maybe $7-8 for a
big bowl.

On the low-end side for sushi - Sushi Standing Bar is not a bad chain to try
either.

Definitely need to try these others though.

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tokyodude
Not all Ippudos are the same. They franchised all over the world. There in an
Ippudo in Changi Airport Singapore, trust me, it's not the real deal.

It also depends on what you like. Flavorful vs Subtle. Rich vs Light. I'm a
Flavorful+Rich style lover myself so when I go to a light+subtle place I often
feel like I'm getting a bowl of salted water. Conversely my friends into
subtle+light can't take the flavorful+rich style. They feel it upsets their
stomachs.

There's an Ippudo in NYC and in SF. I haven't been to either. Have heard mixed
reviews. The one in SF of course looks nothing like a ramen store in Japan.
It's a restaurant and serves french fries.

I can say the Tsujita in LA for Tsukemen is spot on, exactly the same as the
one here in Tokyo in Jimbocho. The ramen though was at the LA branch was off
the day I went.

For rich+flavorful I'd recommend Jangara Tonkotsu Ramen (pork bone broth).
They have several stores, Harajuku, Akihabara, Nihonbashi, and if you've got
vegan friends in tow they have a vegan ramen. The vegan one is on the
light+subtle side but is one of the few stores that has any vegetarian/vegan
options.

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amyjess
> There's an Ippudo in NYC and in SF. I haven't been to either. Have heard
> mixed reviews.

I got to eat at one of the NYC locations (there are three) last year,
specifically the one on Fifth Avenue, and it was fantastic. Best ramen I've
had in my life. Very much on the rich-and-flavorful side.

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stuffedolives
Jinya Ramen is Los Angeles and other parts of the US is also FANTASTIC!

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jpatokal
> _the third option, the skewered kushi-katsu is an inferior cut_

Them's fighting words: kushikatsu is a quintessential Osakan dish, and while
originally cheap food, there are plenty of gourmet places serving things like
foie gras kushikatsu these days.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kushikatsu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kushikatsu)

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GuB-42
It is not uncommon for "inferior cuts" to end up being highly sought after
gourmet food.

For example bouillabaisse was made by fishermen from bony rockfish that
couldn't be sold. It is now considered gourmet food and you probably won't
find proper (chartered) bouillabaisse in Marseille for less than 50 euros per
person, and you need to order at least a day in advance and as a group.

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ElBarto
'Ramen' is phonetic for 拉面 (lamian) which is a type of Chinese noddles.

That's also the reason 'ramen' in Japanese is written using katakana ( ラーメン ):
It is a foreign word.

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Larrikin
Was slightly surprised to see Narisawa on the list. The multi-course meal I
had there was easily the best (and most expensive) meal I've ever had. I had
to book pretty far in advance, but it was absolutely worth it.

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lunchables
Same, very expensive, but what an amazing meal. It really is an experience.

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tokyodude
Tonkatsu at Tonki .... hmmm. It may have a history but it seemed like Japanree
cafeteria quality tonkatsu.

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lkramer
I don't know where the accompanying picture is from, but definitely not Tonki.

Tonki is really really good (it's the only one from that list I've been to),
it's also a bit pricey at around 2300yen for a portion, but in my opinion,
easily worth it.

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carlosesco
yea Tonki was great. There is a reason the line to get in is out the door
every day.

