Side Trips from Tokyo Restaurants

The local specialty in Nikko is a soybean-based concoction known as yuba (tofu skin); dozens of restaurants in Nikko serve it in a variety of dishes you might not have believed possible for so prosaic an ingredient. Other local favorites are soba (buckwheat) and udon (wheat-flour) noodles—both inexpensive, filling, and tasty options for lunch.

Three things about Kamakura make it a good place to dine. It's on the ocean (properly speaking, on Sagami Bay), which means that fresh seafood is everywhere; it's a major tourist stop; and it has long been a prestigious place to live among Japan's worldly and well-to-do (many successful writers, artists, and intellectuals call Kamakura home). On a day trip from Tokyo, you can feel confident picking a place for lunch almost at random.

Yokohama, as befits a city of more than 3 million people, lacks little in the way of food: from quick-fix lunch counters to elegant dining rooms, you'll find almost every imaginable cuisine. Your best bet is Chinatown—Japan's largest Chinese community—with more than 100 restaurants representing every regional style. If you fancy Italian, Indian, or even Scandinavian, this international port is still guaranteed to provide an eminently satisfying meal.

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  • 1. Hachinoki Kita-Kamakuraten

    $$$

    Traditional shojin ryori (the vegetarian cuisine of Zen monasteries) is served in this old Japanese house on the Kamakura Kaido (Route 21) near the entrance to Jochi Temple. The seating is mainly in tatami rooms with beautiful antique wood furnishings. If you prefer table seating, visit the annex building. Allow plenty of time; this is not a meal to be hurried through.

    350 Yamanouchi, Kamakura, Kanagawa-ken, 247-0062, Japan
    0467-23–3723

    Known For

    • Buddhist-temple cuisine for all budgets
    • Peaceful, traditional atmosphere
    • Elegant dining experience

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Wed.
  • 2. Kamakura Udon Miyoshi

    $$

    Serving up some of Kamakura's best handmade udon noodles and tempura, this unpretentious restaurant is a good bet for quick and satisfying lunch. Miyoshi also has a selection of local sakes to pair with your meal.

    1–5–38 Yukinoshita, Kamakura, Kanagawa-ken, 248-0005, Japan
    0467-61–4634

    Known For

    • Fresh noodles made before your eyes
    • Reliability amid the tourist traps in the area
    • Tempura that won't weigh you down
  • 3. Nantai

    $$

    The low tables, antiques, and pillows scattered on tatami flooring make visitors feel like they're dining in a traditional Japanese living room. Try the Nikko specialty, yuba (tofu skin), which comes with the nabe (hot pot) for dinner. It's the quintessential winter family meal. The seafood here is fresh and both the trout and salmon are recommended. Each meal comes with rice, pickles, and selected side dishes like soy-stewed vegetables, tempura, udon, and a dessert.

    2478–8 Chugushi, Nikko, Tochigi-ken, 321-1661, Japan
    080-7091--3200

    Known For

    • Home-style hot-pot cuisine
    • Cozy atmosphere
    • Local specialties from Chuzen-ji

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Thurs.
  • 4. Sawamoto

    $$$

    Charcoal-broiled unagi (eel) is an acquired taste, and there's no better place in Nikko to acquire it than at this small and unpretentious place with only five plain-wood tables. Service can be lukewarm, but Sawamoto is reliable for a light lunch or very early dinner of unagi on a bed of rice, served in an elegant lacquered box. Eel is considered a stamina builder: just right for the weary visitor on a hot summer day.

    1037–1 Kamihatsuishi-machi, Nikko, Tochigi-ken, 321-1401, Japan
    0288-54–0163

    Known For

    • Simple, beautifully prepared unagi
    • 90 years of history
    • Simple, comfortable atmosphere

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner
  • 5. Shunotei Hira

    $$$$ | Naka-ku

    The area of Motomachi is known as the wealthy, posh part of Yokohama; restaurants here tend to be exclusive and expensive, though the service and quality justify the price. This restaurant is an old-style Japanese house complete with a Japanese garden and five private tatami rooms. For a real feast, try the 27-course banquet that includes traditional Japanese delicacies such as sashimi, shiitake mushrooms, and chicken in white sauce; deep-fried burdock; and broiled sea bream.

    1–55 Motomachi, Yokohama, Kanagawa-ken, 231-0861, Japan
    045-662–2215

    Known For

    • Overwhelming 30-course dinners
    • Traditional atmosphere
    • Long dinners

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Reservations essential
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  • 6. Yokohama Senrya

    $$$$ | Naka-ku

    The hallmarks of this restaurant are ishiyaki steak, which is grilled on a hot stone, and shabu-shabu—thin slices of beef cooked in boiling water at your table and dipped in one of several sauces; choose from sesame, vinegar, or soy. Fresh vegetables, noodles, and tofu are also dipped into the seasoned broth for a filling yet healthful meal.

    4–45–1 Sumiyoshi-cho, Yokohama, Kanagawa-ken, 231-0013, Japan
    045-681–2727

    Known For

    • High-grade Wagyu beef
    • Rustic atmosphere
    • Excellent service
  • 7. Yubatei Masudaya

    $$$

    Masudaya started out as a sake maker more than a century ago, but for four generations now, it has been the town's best-known restaurant. The specialty is yuba (tofu skin), which the chefs transform, with the help of local vegetables and fresh fish, into sumptuous high cuisine. The building is traditional, with a lovely interior garden; but meals here are prix fixe, and the assembly-line-style service detracts from the ambience.

    439–2 Ishiya-machi, Nikko, Tochigi-ken, 321-1405, Japan
    0288-54–2151

    Known For

    • Fresh local ingredients
    • Relaxing environment
    • A perfect place to try yuba tofu cuisine

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Thurs. No dinner, Reservations essential

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