If there’s one city in the world where doing a food tour is a must (apart from Singapore) then it’s Tokyo. The sprawling metropolis is a labyrynth of alley ways, small streets and underground tunnels all teaming with some of the world’s greatest food. The problem for a visitor who doesn’t speak or read Japanese is that many of these places are hidden behind closed doors or uninviting dark windows. It takes some nerve to pop your head inside and find out what’s going on and with so much on offer how do you possibly find the best bites?
The best food tour companies will do all of this research work so you don’t have to and at Oishii Tokyo one of their founders Meg has developed her own food tour in her local neighborhood Meguro. Meguro is a hip and trendy area of Tokyo with new and exciting food options popping up all the time. On Meg’s neighborhood tour you go from a unique tempura restaurant to a local teppanyaki place. There’s sake tasting as well as dessert at a hidden restaurant that most locals don’t even know exists.
Japanese food is so much more than sushi and sashimi and on Oishii Tokyo food tours they make it easy for guests to try dishes from various regions of Japan.
On my last visit to the Japanese capital I joined Naoko on their Aka Chochin tour of the Ebisu district. Back in 2001 I lived in this district so I was expecting to go to a few familiar places, I could’t have been more wrong. A door that I had walked past on my way from work hundreds of times turned out to open into a huge food street under some railway arches. Teaming with salary men enjoying some beers and great food with their friends, we sat down and joined them in tasting some of the best Okonomiyaki I’ve ever had. To think I’d walked past this door for a full year and never even thought to go inside.
In Singapore it is easier to see the goings on in different neighbourhood bars and restaurants. At Singabites we have researched the best food stops in Singapore so you can be assured that you are visiting only the best local food stops on our tours.
You can find out more about Oishii tokyo food tours at www.oishiitokyo.com and don’t forget if you have already done a food tour with a TIFTA member tour company you can claim a 10% discount using your exclusive discount code.