Tokyo is a foodie’s paradise. There are lots of good quality food here, and not just Japanese cuisine. You can find good Thai, Italian, and Indian restaurants here. And it’s not just for people with a lot to spend, even budget restaurants can provide a really delicious meal. As John, June, Grant and I were looking for value for our last meal together before my friends were leaving, we decided to try Hara Hachibunme which was recommended by June. This post is a continuation of the Torikizoku post.

All the menu items at this restaurant were for a set price of 280 yen (which is about $2.55), this is similar to Torikizoku. This includes drinks as well. What was different about this restaurant was that the food choices were more varied than at Torikizoku. Also, it seemed more fancy as we got seated in a private area and had to take our shoes off. You can order classic Japanese dishes such as yakitori (chicken skewers), chicken katsu (fried pork cutlet), and sashimi but also foods such as spaghetti, french fries, and beef stew. This restaurant had a little of everything if you are not in the mood for just one type of cuisine. Both Torikizoku and Hara Hachibunme are on an upper floor of a high-rise building. Tokyo has a lot of these types of restaurants. Don’t be afraid to take the elevator up to try something new.

As you can see in the photos, these portion sizes are not small so it’s quite a good deal. Hara Hachibunme has several restaurants around Tokyo. The one we went to is in Asakusa near Torikizoku. The english name according to google translate is “Legendary Young Chicken Belly Eight” or “Legendary Young Chicken Tongue Belly Eight”. If you are asking for directions, it may be better to just use the Japanese name!

Earlier that day, we took the train to Harajuku to people watch. One thing that surprised me was that Harajuku, a district in Tokyo on the Yamanote train line, wasn’t as good for people watching as I remember from when I was a teenager. This district is still popular among young people and it’s a great place to go for fashion and trendy accessory shopping but it used to be a place where people would gather dressed in anime costumes or the “out there” latest Japanese trends. Not anymore. It seems like the area has definitely gotten more touristy and the young people that go to hang out are much more conservatively dressed than in generations past. I think this is an overall trend in the U.S. also with the kids following the millennial generation (known as iGen by a book by that name) growing up more conservative. Times are definitely changing.

Another recommendation I have if you are visiting Japan in the summer is to try Japanese-style shave ice, called kakigori. These come in all kinds of flavors and I especially like when they also include ice cream or condensed milk. This can be considered a “budget” dessert item as many places sell these big enough for two or more people. So you can get a 2-for-1 dessert deal in a sense.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2018