EATING OUT IN TOKYO
If anyone can provide the names of the places I've listed without names, please do. Also, if any of these places have closed, please tell me. Thanks.

When traveling, many people put concerns for quality food on the back burner. In Japan, however, eating and eating well is important to most people. Consequently, Tokyo has some of the best food in the world with quality meals available in almost every cuisine and price range. So even if you are on a tight budget, there's no excuse to be eating fast food all the time!

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If you have any questions, comments, corrections or additions, please email me. Thanks. ^_^

IKEBUKURO

For all you can eat meat try the sukiyaki/shabu-shabu place in Ikebukuro near the south east end of the station. Take station exit 40, go across the street, a few buildings down on the right, 8th floor, 1500Y for 90 minutes, usually a wait. Look for the cow head sign. Minimum of 2 people, you'll have to choose sukiyaki or shabu-shabu unless you have a lot of people (6 I think). Both are great. Credit cards accepted. I think the place is called Bokejo.

Though on the more expensive side, all of the restaurants in the Metropolitan Plaza on the 8th floor (maybe the 7th, too) of the south end of the Tobu side of Ikebukuro Station are good.
I highly recommend the Indian place with the Polo motif. They have a 1200Y Ladies Lunch Set that'll fill you to bursting. (3 kinds of curry, nan, rice, salad, fruit in yogurt, tea or coffee and a leg of Tandori chicken plus great service and a great view) Not too spicy. As I recall, credit cards are OK.
Right next to the Indian place is a Spanish place, called Adolfo It has some fantastic food, but it's pretty expensive. Nishi-Ikebukuro 1-11, Metropolitan Plaza 8F, #03-5951-6531
(There is another Adolfo on the 6th floor of the Lamine department store on the east side of Yokohama station.)

There is also a fantastic cafe somewhere in the basement of Seibu. It has some amazing pastries, great royal milk tea and a black cherry gellato drink that is *out of this world*. Cafe on one end, bakery and gellato shop on the other.

SHINJUKU

Though I've spent tons of time in Shinjuku, I only know of a few places there which are worthwhile. There's an Indian place called Bombay and a Thai place nearby which are both good and affordable. They're both in the underground shopping area called Shinjuku Subnade. This underground runs primarily beneath Yasukuni Dori, past the East exit of Shinjuku Station on the way to Kabukicho. Bombay is easy to find on the map (the name is in katakana). It has some well priced sets and a real ...whatever it's called that they make nan with. The Thai place, once you reach Bombay, is the place at the end of the corridor, with the line of customers in front. The Thai food can be hot and there can be a wait. Their noodle stuffed chicken is divine and I love all their desserts.

There is another well priced Indian place, called Samrat, just northeast of the station, next to Washington Shoes Shop. When you first leave the East exit of Shinjuku station, you will see a little plaza of sorts. There will be a big TV screen on the Alta building in front of you and, to the right, a Sakura-ya Electronics store on the corner of Shinjuku Dori and a road running roughly north south. If you go north, up this road, Samrat will be on your right, about half way between Shinjuku Dori and Yasukuni Dori. Shinjuku 3-18-4, Seno Biru 7F #03-3355-1771, 1533, open 11am ~ 5am (last entree orders at 9:30)
(look for a patterned, fuchsia and black sign with an elephant on it)

Located on the corner of Shinjuku Dori and Meiji Dori, about 3-5 minutes east of the station, Shinjuku's Isetan department store has a bakery in it's basement with *good* sandwiches and juices. Elsewhere in the basement, there are tables. Convenient, tasty and affordable, this is where I'd pick up lunch on the way to watch movies in one of Shinjuku's many theaters. ^_^

SHIBUYA

There are some good places to eat at the top of Shibuya's northern 109 department store. This 109 is located on the corner of the Y intersection of Bunkamura Dori and Dogen Zaka, just west of the Hachiko exit.

The bakery across the street from this 109 is good (2 floors high, be sure to get in the right line (take out or eat in)). It's on the south side of Dogen Zaka.

If you happen to be wandering around in Udagawa-cho, and you find the BEAM building on the south side of a big street which might be Inokashira Dori, there is a place my friend recommends:
If you're non-vegetarian and looking for a cheap way to get the Japanese dishes shabu-shabu or sukiyaki, the Moo-moo Paradise store on the top floor of the Beam building has these dishes "all-you-can-eat" for 1500 yen.

In Udagawa-cho, near Center-gai, north of the station, is an Indian place called Samrat. It's part of a small chain that has good, affordable lunch sets for as low as 850Y. It's on the corner of a Y intersection on the big street just north of Center-gai on what might be Inokashira Dori. Udagawa-cho 13-7, Koyas One Biru, 6F, # 03-3496-9410, 4539, open 11am ~ 10pm
(look for patterned, fuchsia and black signs with an elephant on them)
There is also a pub version of Samrat in the basement in a building on a corner, a block south of the main restaurant, just north of Center-gai. Udagawa-cho 29-2, Kiraku Biru B1, # 03-0770-7275, 7286 open 11am ~ 5am (last entree orders at 9:30)

Center-gai has a lot of fast food and reasonably priced places to eat.

In a sizable building, way up Koen Dori, north of the station, there is a Volks. It's downstairs, on the left as you head towards the NHK building/ Yoyogi park.

Somewhere in Udagawa-cho, north of Shibuya station, fairly near, if not on, Koen Dori, in the basement of a building, on the west side of its street, is a branch of Ninniku-ya. Ninniku-ya is a restaurant which specializes in garlic dishes. Everyone I know who's ever been there has raved about this place. I never got to go because, whenever I stumbled across it, I was with someone who didn't like garlic or it was too crowded. I'm sure if you ask information in the station, they can help you with directions.
(look for white signs with garlic on them)
(There is also a branch in Ebisu-cho, on the east side of the station, north side of the street, a block south of Meiji Dori: 1-26-12 Ebisu-cho, #3446-5887.)

For a list of more places to eat, try the Tokyo Food Page where you can search by neighborhood or cuisine. It's amazing.
For general information about eating-out in Japan, please visit the Eating-out in Japan page.

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