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Travel + Leisure
06-07-2025
- Travel + Leisure
I've Lived in Tokyo for 20 Years—These Are the 15 Things You Should Do When You Visit
The greater Tokyo metropolitan area spans over 5,000 square miles by some estimates. To put that in perspective, all five boroughs of New York City put together are only about 300 square miles. Needless to say, it's a lot of ground to cover. To help you make the most of a visit to this endless sprawl, I've distilled my experience from over 20 years of living here into a list of 15 unmissable experiences that will give you a feel for Tokyo's singular culture and style. Here are 15 of the top things to do in Tokyo, according to a local. View of Mt. Fuji at sunset. Jackyenjoyphotography/Getty Images Although it's two prefectures over, Japan's iconic mountain is visible from the capital in the right conditions. On a clear, low-humidity day, the solitary volcanic cone looms in the west, emerging as a stark evening silhouette when the sun dips behind its bulk. A few high rises in town offer a nice vantage point, including the free observatory at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, but I prefer the swish lounge at Aman Tokyo, where you can appreciate Fuji-san with live koto music and a glass of Bollinger Champagne. Beer pouring into a mug in front of several dishes. Izakaya , often translated as Japanese pubs, are casual eateries with an emphasis on drinks and shareable plates of food. They run the gamut from ancient, beer-soaked venues with overturned sake crates for seats to sleek, modern gastropubs with elevated tapas and curated wine lists, but whatever the venue, the atmosphere when the room gets crowded and boozy is as raucous and chummy as Tokyo gets. You'll find izakaya everywhere, but some of my favorites are Ginza's Uokin Honten, where the cheap and plentiful fish dishes attract huge crowds; Shinjuku's Nihonshu Genka Sakegura, a sake specialist with 50+ bottles on offer; and Shimokitazawa's Shirubee, a venerable haunt serving savory oden. A young woman shopping a thrift store in Shimokitazawa. Shimokitazawa is a grungy counter-culture neighborhood in western Tokyo famed for its live music scene and boho thrift shops. It's a part of town that has mostly resisted large-scale development, retaining the winding alleyways and tiny plots of the post-war city. Even if you aren't much of a shopper, spending a day wandering those narrow lanes and seeing what young Tokyoites are purchasing in their ever-evolving quest for self-expression is an immersion in Japan's fashion culture. My recommendations are Flash Disc Ranch for LPs, Soma for vintage sneakers, and RAGTAG for designer labels. Visitors at Meji Shrine in Tokyo. Manorath Naphaphone/Travel + Leisure The importance of shrines and temples to the cultural life of Tokyo can't be overstated. They also provide much-needed green spaces for rest and reflection amid the concrete jungle. Shibuya's Meiji Jingu and Asakusa's Senso-ji are the city's largest and most popular shrine and temple, respectively, but peaceful Gotokuji in the western suburbs is worth a trip. It claims to be the origin of Japan's maneki-neko beckoning cat statues, and you'll find them all over the grounds, as well as carved into the 17th-century pagoda. The dining room in Sezanne. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Tokyo is famously the reigning king of Michelin cities, boasting 251 stars across 194 restaurants. This naturally includes a lot of sushi and kaiseki powerhouses like Harutaka and RyuGin, and the city is also home to incredible contemporary French fare, with long-time favorites like L'Effervescence and Quintessence. Many of these restaurants have maintained their stars for over a decade, but I favor some of the newer additions like Sézanne, crowned with a third star this year, and MAZ, a boundary-busting fusion of Peruvian tradition and Japanese ingredients. A scenic pond in Shinjuku Gyoen. Shinjuku Gyoen is a massive park run by the city of Tokyo, and it's one of the few in town with well-tended grass that you can actually lay on. Like in New York's Central Park, locals love to bring a blanket and sprawl on the springy turf, canoodling, reading books, and snoozing beneath the skyline. There's a strict no-alcohol policy, but you can bring your own food and non-boozy drinks. I suggest a veggie-loaded sarnie from nearby & sandwich. and a post-picnic kip. A person holding up a microphone in front of a karaoke joints are a ubiquitous part of the Tokyo cityscape. No wonder, because they are an absolute blast! Unlike the anxiety-inducing open-mic bars common in the U.S., these are floors and floors of private rooms where no one but your friends has to hear you drunkenly warble through "Bohemian Rhapsody." Many places even supply costumes and hand percussion instruments. You'll find a karaoke place near pretty much any station, but try resort-themed Karaoke Pasela in Shibuya for wacky themed rooms, some of which have city views. A bartender passing a first cocktail bars emerged in 19th-century Yokohama at foreign-run waterfront hotels that served a largely foreign clientele. The scene has come a long way since then, with Japanese bartenders lauded as some of the world's best drawing on local spirits and produce for their original creations. At the fancy end of the spectrum, you have elegant Zen escapes like Gen Yamamoto, where seasonal craft cocktails are given the omakase treatment and served in custom flights. More toward the rowdy end are the closet-sized bars of Shinjuku's Golden Gai, a warren of grungy alleys home to snug drinking holes with obscure themes and idiosyncratic bartender-owners. Small Residential and Shopping Street in Tokyo's Yanaka Neighbourhood. GrahamShitamachi is a term that's hard to define, but think of it as something like 'old town.' Most old towns are singular districts, but Tokyo's historic streetscape survives in disparate pockets, defined by narrow, winding alleys of two-story homes and workshops that lack gardens or other buffer zones between building and street. Even in these cramped circumstances, residents of the shitamachi create beauty, lining the curbs with flowerpots and other small decorations that make for atmospheric strolling. The shitamachi neighborhoods of Yanaka and Ningyocho are good places to immerse yourself in this retro atmosphere. Monjayaki being cooked on a judge a book by its cover here, because I've sometimes described monja's liquid mix of cabbage, dashi, and flour as looking like vomit on a hot plate. I swear it's actually quite tasty, and scooping it straight from the griddle to your mouth with the tiny metal spatula provided tickles the childish desire to play with your food. The island of Tsukishima in eastern Tokyo is the place to try this quirky dish as there are about 80 specialty restaurants clustered on one lantern-lit street. Venerable Moheji has four stores there, so you can nearly always find a seat for their signature mentaiko and mochi version. Interior of a public bath in Tokyo, Japan. Oleksandr Rupeta/NurPhoto via Getty Images Bathing culture is big in Japan, and before most houses had indoor plumbing, people got sudsy at the public bath or sento . These neighborhood businesses are undergoing a minor renaissance today, still frequented by local grannies and grandpas for whom it's a social center but also increasingly by young people drawn by the retro design. For the old-school experience, try Takenoyu. For something a bit more polished, try recently renovated Komaeyu, which has added craft beer and tacos to the experience. An exhibit inside the Meguro Parasitological Museum in Tokyo. Lars Nicolaysen/picture alliance via Getty Images There's plenty for the art lover in Tokyo, from the classic grandeur of the Tokyo National Museum and the other old-school facilities around Ueno Park to the sleek new teamLab digital art spaces. There are also some really niche museums where a curator has followed their passion to the nth degree, like the Small Worlds Miniature Museum, where entire real-world neighborhoods and even Kansai Airport are recreated in minute detail with moving parts, or the ick-inducing but fascinating Meguro Parasitological Museum. Tokyo has museums dedicated to kites, tattoos, love dolls, printing technology, luggage, children's games, and more. You'll definitely learn something, even if it's just about the power of obsession. Shohei Ohtani up to bat as the Dodgers play in the MLB Tokyo Series. Japanese baseball is a can't-miss cultural experience thanks to the enthusiastic cheering section at games. These die-hard fans memorize songs, dances, and individual cheers for each player to keep the energy high, and their antics are at least as interesting as the action on the field. The greater Tokyo area is home to five teams, so there's almost always a game on—and you might even see the next Shohei Ohtani. Participants enjoying a sake brewery a drink brewed from rice, water, and koji mold, is not only the national drink of Japan but also a staple of Japanese cooking. Learn more about how an infinite complexity of brews is coaxed out of those three simple ingredients by touring a brewery. While Tokyo isn't known as a sake production area, breweries Toshimaya and Ozawa operate in the western suburbs and offer tours and tastings with reservations. A person pouring tea into a tea cup next to a plate filled with small tea is huge in Tokyo, with diners shelling out nearly 90 billion yen each year to nibble scones and petit-fours. That means hotels go all-out to capture a slice of that market, offering regularly changing seasonal sets in plush lounges with enviable views. Some of my favorite venues are Janu Tokyo's outdoor garden terrace, where Tokyo Tower dominates the scene, and the sky-high lounge at Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, whose classic elegance and endless scones keep me coming back.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
This Very Specific Veggie Method Is Becoming Wildly Popular In The US (Though It's Been A Staple In Japan For Forever)
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I think cabbage is one of the most seriously underrated vegetables of all time. It's so versatile, nutritious, and not to love? So, when I saw a super viral dish called Yamitsuki Cabbage making its rounds on TikTok, I knew I had to try it. Yamitsuki literally translates to "addictive" in Japanese, which is why it's commonly referred to as "Addictive Cabbage." The clip from @elanneboake has nearly three million views, and fellow cabbage enthusiasts are commenting on how great the recipe is. It felt like a no-brainer to make it for my next dinner side dish. Yamitsuki Cabbage is nothing new, and it graces the menu of nearly every Japanese Izakaya (gastropub). It's yet another recipe that has been around for ages and is suddenly becoming popular thanks to TikTok (similar to cucumber and carrot salads). Here's my honest review of the dish and how I made it: I followed this recipe from Just One Cookbook. First, I gathered my ingredients. I bought a cabbage I found at my local Japanese grocery store, salt, garlic, white sesame seeds, sesame oil, and dried salted kombu (edible kelp). Per the recipe, you could use any umami-boosting seasoning of your choice in place of the kombu. Options include shio koji, chicken bouillon, katsuobushi, dashi powder, or hondashi. After measuring two tablespoons of sesame seeds, I smashed them using the back of a spoon. The recipe recommends using a mortar and pestle for this part, so I'd suggest sticking to that if you have one. Once the sesame seeds were sufficiently ground, I set them aside and minced two cloves of garlic using a garlic press, setting that aside as well. Next, I halved the cabbage. After coring both halves, I loosely chopped each into one-inch pieces. Some pieces were smaller than others, but oh well. Hey, you! Wanna cook 7,500+ recipes in step-by-step mode (with helpful videos) right from your phone? Download the free Tasty app right now. After the cabbage was cut, I placed the pieces in a bowl and gave them a rinse, ensuring the bowl was drained of all its water. Then, I measured four cups of the cabbage pieces back into a dry bowl, trying to pack as much cabbage into each cup. Next, I added half a teaspoon of salt to the cabbage. I also added half a teaspoon of the dried salted kombu and then used tongs to mix it all. Ideally, I would've had a large bowl for this, but I made do with what I had. Finally, I added two tablespoons of sesame oil to the crushed garlic, mixed it, and added it to the cabbage. After a final mix, I was done! I topped it off with some of the ground sesame seeds from earlier. After taking the first bite, I could completely understand the hype. If you love the taste of sesame oil, you'll be obsessed with this. It has a rich, slightly salty umami flavor, and the crunch of the cabbage makes you want to keep eating. The ground-up sesame seeds also added a nice, subtle nuttiness, and the chewiness of the kombu was the perfect touch to the entire dish. I swear, I finished the entire bowl in less than five minutes. My only note was that I should have cut the kombu into smaller pieces, so it was more evenly distributed, but everything else was perfect. It wasn't too salty or too crunchy, either. In fact, after a few minutes, the cabbage marinated in the sesame oil and became the perfect cross between soft and crisp. I'd definitely make this again and recommend it to anyone who likes the taste of sesame. Because it's so easy to make, I could see this becoming one of my regular dinner additions (paired with Japanese fried chicken and rice, of course). Have you tried Yamitsuki Cabbage? Let me know in the comments! For more cabbage-forward dishes that utilize this underrated vegetable, download the Tasty app to browse and save 7,500+ recipes — no subscription required.
Indian Express
15-06-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Marinate smarter not longer with the help of these two ingredients
Marination isn't just a flavour enhancer — it's a science-backed technique that transforms both texture and taste. Whether you are preparing juicy kebabs, or trying to make a roast, marinating your choice of protein is the first step when it comes to making sure it soaks in all the flavours and spices. 'While not strictly fundamental for every single dish wherein high-quality cuts rely on the meat's natural flavor, marination is a highly beneficial technique used for several key reasons, such as flavor infusion, tenderization and moisture retention,' said executive chef Tamoghna Chakraborty, DoubleTree by Hilton Whitefield, Bangalore. According to Chef Chakraborty, both acid and salt play significant roles, but in slightly different ways. 'Salt is crucial for flavor absorption. Through a process related to osmosis and diffusion, salt helps to draw out moisture from the meat, and helps denature and loosen the protein structure within the muscle fibers. Acids like vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, wine, yogurt, buttermilk on the other hand primarily work by denaturing proteins on the surface of the meat,' he explained. Acids add their distinct tangy flavor to the marinade and the surface of the meat. Unlike salt, acids don't penetrate very deeply into the meat. While they help tenderise the exterior, they don't significantly drive other marinade flavors deep into the cut, he added. For example, Chef Vishesh Jawarani, founder of JSan, an Izakaya gastropub, Goa shared that they use a marinade of rice vinegar, sake, soy, mirin and seasonings to make Chicken Karaage. 'We marinate the chicken for at least 24 hours and keep it in the refrigerator to ensure it is well-marinated and seasoned. Prior to frying we bring the chicken back to room temperature,' he added. Chef Ritesh Tulsian, NXT LVL, Mumbai shared some key pointers to ensure your marination game is on point: 'Don't over-marinate—too much acid for too long can make meat mushy. And always marinate in the fridge, not at room temperature,' Chef Sanchit – head chef, Heritage Village Resorts and Spa, Goa, added.
Forbes
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
An Acclaimed Los Angeles Sake Bar Brings Beachside Bites To Hawaii
The culinary creatives behind L.A.'s Ototo sake bar are staging a restaurant residency at Mauna Lani in Hawaii through September 1, 2025. Noe DeWitt You never know what to expect from Ototo. Two years ago, the James Beard Award-winning Izakaya spot in Los Angeles dressed itself up as the fictional Netflix restaurant Midnight Diner for a Halloween homage. More recently, the Echo Park space transformed into a Japanese 7-Eleven with a one-night menu of crust-less egg salad sandwiches and custom canned chu-hi. Now, Ototo is popping up on the Big Island of Hawaii for a summer restaurant residency at Auberge Resort Collection's Mauna Lani. Between now and September 1, chef Charles Namba and his restaurant (and life) partner and beverage director Courtney Kaplan are overseeing a beachy, barefoot version of what the Los Angeles Times called 'L.A.'s best sake bar.' Each evening, Mauna Lani resort guests can enjoy sesame-seed fried chicken wings, chilled hiyashi chuka egg noodles and other Izakaya delights with their Kohala coast sunsets. Restaurant (and life) partners Courtney Kaplan and Charles Namba want to show how versatile Japanese sake and Izakaya flavors can be. Ototo The California-Hawaii-Japan connection certainly makes sense. With flavors that riff on Tokyo's casual taverns and yatai stalls combined with L.A. creativity (like a tasty spin on McDonald's Filet-O-Fish) and fresh-from-the-land-and-sea Hawaiian ingredients, Ototo's outpost is practically a tri-coastal flavor summit. Surprisingly, this is Namba and Kaplan's first trip to Hawaii, which makes the residency a real-world test of Ototo's playful ethos. I checked in with them to hear how they're adapting their kitchen techniques and keeping that three-way mash-up delicious under Hawaiian skies. David Hochman: You've done interesting pop-ups before but never anything outside Los Angeles. How did Hawaii happen? Charles Namba: I'm not really sure, honestly [laughs]. Our PR person thought it would be a good idea. Mauna Lani invited us to do it and we said yes. Courtney Kaplan: We've done collabs with friends and chefs in L.A., but to actually go someplace completely different was a brand-new experience. We thought it sounded really interesting to have this opportunity for people to eat our food and drink great sake on the beach, if only to prove how versatile these flavors can be. Drawing inspiration from Japan, Los Angeles and Hawaii, the menu is a three-coast flavor summit. Nani Welch Hochman: How does one pack for a three-month culinary residency in paradise? Namba: I packed one chef's knife and an apron. Mauna Lani took care of everything else. Kaplan: We're not there the whole time. We still have a restaurant to run in Los Angeles, and there's a great team in place that we worked with. For us, it was about figuring out how to get the most from the fresh ingredients on the Big Island and match those with delicious drink pairings. Hochman: What excites you most about what's available in Hawaii versus Los Angeles? Namba: We've obviously got great farmers markets in Los Angeles but things somehow feel even fresher in Hawaii. We're doing a grilled fish in ponzu oroshi butter, with farmers market vegetables that are just bursting with flavor. We've got a 'keiki cuke' sunomono cucumber salad that tastes very much like Hawaii. We're using watercress from a nearby farm. Kaplan: We're working with a local taro root farmer who's got a five-acre farm. He was showing us pictures of the hundreds of pounds of taro he's harvested. Namba: But he's also got incredible fiddlehead ferns. It reminds you how much you can grow beautifully on the Big Island. Hochman: You're pairing sake with burgers and fried chicken. What's the idea there? Kaplan: I want people to see how much range sake has. We brought over Shiokawa Cowboy sake from Japan to pair with the burger. The sake itself is meaty and savory. Tensei Song of the Sea Junmai Ginjo comes from a coastal brewery. You get some of that salt-water taffy flavor of a small surf town. Then you pour something like Kameizumi Junmai Ginjo Namazake and it's big, tropical, fruity, fresh. Hochman: What are you doing for fun? Must be hard concentrating on work with all those Mauna Lani beach chairs beckoning. Kaplan: Honestly, we've been pretty busy with the project. We did do some snorkeling, and got to swim and enjoy the landscape. You can hike near Mauna Lani and look at the petroglyphs close by. There are lava formations around the hotel as well. It's pretty incredible. Namba: We ate really well. The hotel has a restaurant called Canoe House that's run by Rhoda Magbitang, who was executive chef at Chateau Marmont and other places, and her food is excellent. She has this shokupan Japanese milk bread that I thought was amazing. The texture is perfect. It tastes like Japan. In Hawaii. Hochman: Does all this Hawaii livin' make you want to give up Echo Park and move to a tropical island? Namba: I love Hawaii. But after working at restaurants in New York and opening Ototo in Los Angeles—I have to say, I love the rush of the city. The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Time Out
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Kappo reopened more refined, more ambitious (and closer to the star)
The light wood tones and red lights have vanished, along with the tables behind the counter and some of the informal charm. A new light contrasts with the black that now dominates the space, there's a new counter — even closer to the kitchen — and a fresh energy. Tiago Penão's Kappo has reopened in Cascais after two months of renovations. It's more elegant, refined, and hopefully closer to its goal: a Michelin star. 'I'm like a kid in a toy shop,' laughs Tiago Penão after another fully booked service — 12 seats at the counter. 'The feedback we've received has been great. People say we're really in a Kappo 2.0. It was a pretty cool upgrade. That was our goal and we're happy with it,' the chef proudly says, for whom two months were more than enough to develop a 'new restaurant'. 'This is the restaurant I've always imagined, with the concept I always envisioned, served exactly as I imagined.' Unlike before, this new Kappo only offers one seating. The aim is to serve all 12 guests at the same time, without rush or pressure to turn tables, as could happen since opening in 2021 — and even before Izakaya launched a year later, not far from here. 'That was always the plan, and now was the right time to implement it,' explains Tiago Penão. This was also made possible by Izakaya's success, which will open a second location in Príncipe Real later this year, and the addition of both restaurants to the Cook Book group portfolio, led by chef José Avillez and the Arié family. 'We believe we should bring something new every year, and this transformation had been planned for a year because we felt the restaurant was a bit tired, so to speak. We wanted to do an extreme makeover, almost,' he adds. The transformation was entrusted to architect João Tiago Aguiar, who also designed LOCO, Alexandre Silva's Michelin-starred restaurant. 'Our idea was for the kitchen to be the stage so that people focus on what they're eating and what we're preparing. That's why everything around is dark,' explains the chef, comparing it to the audience sitting in the shadows at the theatre while the show takes place. 'I don't like to say the space feels more luxurious, but it is certainly more comfortable and nicer to be in. As for the gastronomy, we haven't changed our concept or our offerings, only the way we serve. Gastronomically, we maintain our identity, but now we really have a bit more room to do a little more and better,' he sums up. 'That's always been the goal from the start, and now was the right time to put it into practice.' Guests are invited to arrive a little before 8pm (or 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays when they also serve lunch) so that, even if service happens simultaneously, the personalised attention doesn't disappear. Sometimes from outside the counter, sometimes from inside, where front-of-house and kitchen intersect so often. 'The idea is to serve everyone at the same time, but we can also adapt a bit to each person's pace, and we have tricks within the menu in case there's any timing mismatch,' Penão explains confidently in this new phase. 'We really like trying to practice Omotenashi, which is the Japanese art of impeccable hospitality – anticipating unspoken wishes. Now we have time for that, and increasingly, we'll be focusing on it and improving in this area,' he adds. The menu (€135) is slightly larger and follows the same line that has defined Kappo so far, drawing inspiration from the Japanese omakase tradition, where trust in the chef and their team is absolutely essential. The dishes aren't announced, only the techniques. 'Kappo cuisine in Japan is always divided by several cooking techniques – raw, grilled, fried, boiled, marinated… That's the structure of the menu and it will never change,' he assures. With 11 courses, there are classics that cannot disappear, such as the toro roll (tuna belly) wrapped in nori seaweed with caviar right at the start, or the Edomae-style nigiris towards the end. But there are also surprising new additions, like the crunchy snack made with mochi dough combining caviar and monkfish liver, or the traditional shabu-shabu where thin slices of wagyu are cooked with vegetables in a kombu dashi broth. 'I don't think it's more difficult [to serve the whole counter at once], I think it's more interesting for us and more challenging in the way we prepare things. There are dishes we can make individually, and others that are made for everyone at the same time, like the shabu-shabu. It's also more rewarding because we have time to talk to people, ask if they liked it or not, and that's where the front-of-house team really comes into its own. It's always been the goal to do things this way. We couldn't at first, but now we can,' Tiago Penão reflects. Without rushing, but with a very clear goal, and while avoiding the pressure that comes with it, the chef feels free and with more space to create. 'I've always had complete freedom to create, I've always been comfortable, but now we simply have more time,' he explains. He adds: 'With the kind of service we're doing, it's easier to introduce things that are more complex.' Does that mean Kappo is better today? Tiago Penão has no doubts. 'We've managed to raise the quality of what we deliver a bit, and we can offer Japanese cooking techniques that aren't seen very often.' At the end of the meal, another new touch: coffee is also a moment in itself – or matcha for those who prefer – served alongside petit fours and a poem, in true Japanese style. 'We wanted to improve the final moment, so people could relax and linger in the restaurant afterwards,' explains the head chef. 'We thought of many things we could give guests to take home as a keepsake, and we felt a poem was the nicest and most original way to do that. I also really love matcha – I drink it every day. We wouldn't claim to perform a full matcha ceremony because that's highly complex, but we like to serve it with quality,' he adds, highlighting the 'greater effort to bring Kappo even closer to Japan.' 'Always keeping our identity because none of us are Japanese, and we like to bring a bit of our own experiences and backgrounds, while never disrespecting Japanese cuisine.' Back in March, when announcing the restaurant's temporary closure, the chef wasn't shy with his warning: '[Kappo] is really going to level up, both gastronomically and in terms of the customer experience.' Two months on, the results are clear. 'The goal from day one – and it's always been clear on our part – is the Michelin star. We're putting everything on the line. It's all or nothing,' he jokes, with the lightness of someone who knows the only way to achieve it is through focused, respectful teamwork, as has been the case. 'I owe a lot to my team as well, so I'm living the dream.' Avenida Emídio Navarro 23A (Cascais). 21 484 4122. Wed-Fri 20.00, Sat-Sun 13.00, 20.00
