Izakayas are a Japanese “pub”. They are a place for people (both locals and tourists) to gather to unwind, catch up with friends, co-workers, and family, over small plates and drinks. Izakayas are usually casual and cozy, and many even only fit a handful of people at a time. They are part of what makes Japan so alive at night, more specifically, in the hub cities like Tokyo.
When visiting Japan, you’ll walk through street after street lined with bars and restaurants, and it’s hard to know where to begin. For the record, there is no bad choice, but you are spoiled for choice. That’s why when visiting a new city, I always think joining a food tour is a fantastic way to get to know a culture, cuisine, and learn about a few restaurants you can even revisit during your stay.
On our recent trip to Japan, we joined Ninja Food Tours to do just that! We picked their Shinjuku Izakaya Tour, which brought us through the hustle and bustle of Shinjuku, one of Tokyo’s most buzzing areas. Ninja Food Tours was started by a certified sake professional and trained sushi chef. The company offers a variety of food tours and classes in Kyoto, Tokyo, and Osaka, and it seemed like the perfect way to have a fun night out trying new things and meeting new people. Here’s how the night went…
After meeting up with our guide, Max, an American expat who has been living in Japan with his wife for the last 5+ years. Max is not only a Sake Sommelier, but he also has a wealth of knowledge about the local culture and the best spots to eat. At the end of our tour, he even gave us a comprehensive Google Doc of all his favourite places to eat, drink, and shop in Tokyo.
Our first stop on the tour was to try some yakitori, which is Japanese skewered meat. At this stop, we tried a variety of things such as a Japanese coleslaw, fried chicken, and shio onigiri (a plain onigiri with no filling but just made of seasoned rice). Lastly, the yakatori. We tried all sorts of chicken skewers that were a little “exotic,” such as heart, tail, neck, and then just a simple chicken thigh with leeks. Finally, we also enjoyed some miso soup and had the option of a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. I got the plum wine with soda.
Stop two and my favourite spot was a sushi joint. This spot was bopping with locals there for after-work eats and drinks. We tried sake here, which was delicious, and learned some techniques on how you’re supposed to “taste” it from our guide. Then came the food. We started with fatty tuna rolls with pickled radish on top, then it was followed by a sushimi platter, which was SO fresh. Finally, we had some yummy fried croquettes. I hope you’re not full because we still have multiple more stops to go!
The next spot, we didn’t go inside, our guide popped in and grabbed us some of the yummiest and crispiest katsu (breaded pork cutlets). We had one with the regular sweet and savory sauce, and another that had that sauce, plus spicy mustard. It was SO good. I love katsu. I could eat so much of it!
Our last stop served Okinawa-style food, which is the “tropical side” of Japan. It gave tropical vibes, and we tried several unique dishes that I hadn’t had at any point in my two-week trip in Japan. Trying things like squid ink soba, Gurukun karaage fish (an entire deep-fried fish), sweet potato croquettes, goyah champura (an egg & tofu dish with spam, and bitter melon), then lastly, we ended with ube ice cream for dessert. We also had a chance to try some unique drinks here too! I had a delicious, alcoholic citrus drink.
In between our stops, we weaved our way through the Shinjuku area. We walked down the famous Golden Gai, which is known for its hole-in-the-wall bars, and even learned about the “Red Light District”. The tour gave us some solid insight into the culture and the neighbourhood.
The tour was so informative and fun. We had a fantastic group of people who all shared the same interest in trying new foods and having fun. Our guide was energetic and made sure we left full, and it was a great way to get to know the neighbourhood we were staying in.
What I specifically liked about this tour was that we got a lot of food! I’ve gone on previous food tours where you only get little snacks, but on this tour, we tried a lot at each stop we went to. I wish we had time to do more tours and food experiences with Ninja Food Tours because it was hard to pick just one from their list.
To book a food tour with Ninja Food Tours, click here.
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