Eat well in Tokyo for under €15 a plate: the locals'-budget edition.
Eat well in Tokyo for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.
Ichiran in Tokyo's Shibuya runs 24-hour tonkotsu ramen for under 1,500 yen including a kaedama refill. Vending machine ticketing, solo-booth seating.
Try: Tonkotsu ramen with customisation slip
Tip: Late-night cheaper than peak hours. Pay at the machine; the slip lets you set spice, broth richness, noodle firmness.
Afuri in Tokyo's Ebisu serves yuzu-shio ramen for around 1,200 yen, open 11:00-05:00 daily. The lightest clean late-night bowl near Ebisu Station.
Try: Yuzu shio ramen
Tip: Vending-machine ordering, cashless only. Lunch sets cheaper than dinner; tsukemen costs 100 to 200 yen extra.
CoCo Ichibanya in Tokyo's Shibuya is the Japanese curry-house chain where you build your bowl: rice size, spice level 1 to 10, toppings, all under 1,300 yen.
Try: Japanese curry rice, choose-your-spice
Tip: Pork katsu plus spinach is the canonical add-on. Spice level 5 is mid; vegetarian curry available.
Tsuta in Tokyo's Yoyogi-Uehara was the first ramen shop with a Michelin star (2016 guide), still under 1,800 yen for the truffle-oil shoyu soba.
Try: Shoyu soba with truffle oil
Tip: Closed Tuesdays. Lunch only 11:00-15:00; no ticket system, queue in person.
Tsukiji Outer Market in Tokyo serves the city's best-value sushi breakfast: standing-counter nigiri at 1,500 yen, tamagoyaki at 200, fish skewers at 400.
Try: Standing sushi, tamagoyaki sticks, uni don
Tip: Closed Wednesdays and Sundays. Start at the Namiyoke shrine corner; the standing-sushi counters thin out after 10:00.
Yoshinoya Branch No. 1 followed the fish merchants from Tsukiji to Toyosu Market: 5am beef bowls under 500 yen, the canonical sub-500-yen Tokyo lunch.
Try: Gyudon beef bowl
Tip: Open 5am-1pm to catch the auction-day market crowd. Cash and IC card accepted.
Uobei Shibuya in Tokyo runs express-belt sushi at 100 yen per two-piece plate, the cheapest sit-down sushi in Shibuya. Touchscreen ordering, English menu.
Try: Conveyor sushi at 100 yen
Tip: Touchscreen ordering in English. Pay at the table by IC card; weekend evenings queue 20 minutes.
Sukiya Shinjuku in Tokyo is the 24-hour gyudon chain undercutting Yoshinoya and Matsuya. The cheese gyudon and the curry-rice are the unusual signature picks.
Try: Cheese gyudon and curry
Tip: Open 24 hours; the standard gyudon is the cheapest at 400 yen. Avoid weekday 12:00-13:00 office rush.
FamilyMart Tokyo Station is the konbini bento standard that anchors traveller lunches in Tokyo. Onigiri, fresh sandwiches, bento, oden, famichiki chicken.
Try: Onigiri, bento, fried chicken
Tip: Onigiri at 150 yen each; the famichiki fried chicken is the local cult order. IC card and cash accepted.
Kura Sushi Shinjuku in Tokyo is the value conveyor-sushi chain at 100 yen per plate plus tax. Touchscreen English ordering and gachapon-prize delivery.
Try: 100 yen conveyor sushi
Tip: Reserve via the EPark app for the no-queue table seating. 100 yen per plate; finish 15 plates for the toy prize.
Onigiri Bongo in Tokyo's Otsuka is the famous omusubi counter rolling onigiri to order, Tabelog Top 100 onigiri shops. 50 fillings, eat-in or take away.
Try: Onigiri rice ball selection
Tip: Closed Tuesdays. Queue from 11:00; eat-in counter seats turn fast. The salmon and umeboshi are the canonical orders.
CoCo Ichibanya Shinjuku East in Tokyo is the Japanese-curry chain's central branch. Choose rice size, spice 1-10 and toppings; chicken-katsu under 1,400.
Try: Custom-spiced Japanese curry
Tip: Open 24 hours. Spice level 5 is moderate, 10 is properly hot. Add cheese or pork-katsu for the canonical combo.