One approach to get the texture of a brand new metropolis is to familiarize yourself with its meals. On a latest keep in Tokyo we did simply that, becoming a member of the Shibuya Food Tour run by Arigato Travel. This foodie centric tour firm matches teams of travellers with an skilled native information to indicate them across the space, introduce them to some nice native eateries, native meals and to be taught a few of the customs round meals and consuming.
In earlier years we’ve joined the Asakusa daytime meals tour, and the All Stars tour of Ginza and Shimbashi additionally run by Arigato Travel and completely loved them. It was a straightforward choice to choose them once more to get a deeper look into Shibuya within the night.
On this springtime go to we hit Shibuya throughout Golden Week, a interval when a number of public holidays all run collectively. We’ve been within the metropolis earlier than throughout this busy vacation season, but it surely appears to get extra crowded and intense every year. Add to this that Shibuya has undergone some large growth across the station space over the previous few years and even when the place pretty effectively it may be arduous to get your bearings amid the demolition and adjustments. Having somebody information us by way of it early in our keep was going to be an enormous assist to discovering our toes once more rapidly.
The tour begins at Hachiko’s wall, a standard assembly spot adjoining to the statue of Hachico that simply appears to get extra widespread as a photograph spot yearly. If you don’t know Hachiko’s story I’ll hyperlink it right here, it’s a unhappy however transferring story in regards to the bond we’ve with our furry household. Make certain to be careful for the statue and mural as you exit the station close to the Shibuya scramble crossing.
We met our information Yappy and began having a chat whereas we waited for the remainder of the group who have been working a bit late. Before crossing the Shibuya Scramble intersection, we headed as much as a brand new vantage level to get a greater perspective of the crossing and the crowds that may construct up right here.
Until now the Tsutaya Starbucks throughout the street has at all times been my favorite vantage level to see the crossing from above (it reopened in 2024 after renovations) however this new possibility is totally free and publicly accessible, you don’t even have to purchase a espresso to take pleasure in it.
After a take a look at the crossing and a few native historical past of the world from Yappy he was main our little group out into the crossing and thru to the narrower lanes of Shibuya past. We have been headed for our first cease of the night, a standing sushi bar.
Who doesn’t love sushi and what an incredible begin to the night’s meals tastings. Made to order sushi eating places serve primarily nigiri sushi, a layer fish seated on prime of the fashioned vinegar rice however we additionally received to attempt one thing a bit completely different on the tour.
We sampled from each lean and fatty tuna, salmon warmed by its grilled mayonnaise topping and Engawa which is the fragile fin of flounder or different flat fish. It was a brand new one to me however scrumptious, maybe a brand new favorite.
We additionally had a fragile temaki hand roll with conger (sea) eel. I like freshwater eel (unagi) in Japan and at all times attempt to embrace it a few times in any journey however the conger eel was new to us, surprisingly fairly a light flavour, good texture, with the added crunch of recent greens and crispy nori wrapper it was superb.
Our subsequent cease is one other Japanese basic, ramen. You’ll discover many alternative ramen eating places across the metropolis from extremely informal avenue edge eating like this one to mid-range and even Michelin rated institutions.
Ramen will be the spine of finances consuming in Japan, a hearty meal for as little as Y600. There are actually 1000’s of ramen retailers round Tokyo alone and there are a number of choices to make whenever you order so having an concept what you would possibly like or not like up entrance is sweet. Do you want fats noodles or skinny, mushrooms, egg, what kind of broth? So many selections.
A very good broth is a good place to start out and whereas this ramen stand is among the many nice finances finds in Shibuya that doesn’t imply that they skimp on flavour. You can order different broths like miso, however their specialty is their 4-day tonkotsu or pork bone broth. Boiling the bones for a lot of hours outcomes on this milky broth you possibly can see under, it’s loaded with collagen and all of the wholesome bone broth advantages then topped off with a pleasant fatty flavourful chunk of roasted port, seaweed, inexperienced onions and mushrooms.
They are going to need to roll me on to the subsequent cease if we hold consuming like this, I do know you don’t have to complete you plate however yum it actually is sweet.
Giving ourselves a little bit of time for that course to digest slightly we discover a little bit of Shibuya on foot and take some group images. The different 4 in our group head dwelling early tomorrow morning so Yappy reveals us a few of the hottest souvenirs in Donki, or Don Quixote a prime spot for the widespread Japanese KitKat flavours and different meals treats to take dwelling for associates.
We wander by way of a number of extra streets and it’s time for course quantity 3 and it’s one in every of my favourites, okonomiyaki. This isn’t the extra acquainted Osaka type although, they specialise within the Hiroshima model, a layered okonomiyaki with a beneficiant serving of noodles baked in.
Half the enjoyable with this dish is watching it being cooked and whereas we’re seated comfortably at a desk to order our drinks and eat, they have been additionally glad for us to face across the bar and watch the chef assemble our dinner.
Our 4th cease is an izakaya, a mode of informal bar that serves meals together with drinks. This one is a sequence that has specialised in Nagoya type hen wings with their spicy peppery kick for over 50 years. Of course, additionally they serve different izakaya classics like kushi katsu skewers, slices of fluffy Japanese omelette and gyoza, the half steamed, half fried dumplings everybody loves.
We ordered drinks once more at this cease as a part of the tour and for those who haven’t tried matcha beer earlier than it’s surprisingly good. As a common rule I’d say I like matcha higher than I like beer, however I do usually have a beer in Japan and I actually loved this one, I’d undoubtedly order it once more. Normal beer, shochu or gentle drinks are different choices for those who aren’t a matcha fan.
We are all very full at this stage, even the teenager boys on the tour are struggling to complete, so we take a closing stroll by way of the streets of Shibuya which have continued to get busier because the night progresses. Yappy steers us right into a retailer that appears just like the meals basement ground of a high-end division retailer like Daimaru or Mitsukoshi however this one is a part of the station complicated. This is the place our tour ends for the night with a pink bean paste crammed pancake, apparently not a dorayaki however had a really comparable texture and flavour.
The Shibuya meals tour with Arigato Japan is a good one for getting an summary of many Japanese dishes which are loved on an evening out with associates and some drinks throughout Japan. It is a number of enjoyable, nobody is leaving hungry and there are some nice finds alongside the best way to discover additional through the the rest of your keep within the metropolis.
Looking at reserving your individual meals tour in Tokyo? This Shibuya meals tour is an efficient choose for an evening out with drinks, we just like the Asakusa daytime tour as a superb possibility with the household and you’ll’t go previous the All Stars stroll by way of Ginza and Shinbashi if you wish to attempt some meals that the majority of us guests are much less aware of.
