If You're Hungry For Lunch and Broke, Visit These 7 Restaurants in Ueno
There are a lot of restaurants and shops around the fun shopping area, Ameyoko, which is in Ueno. People enjoy the wide variety of food available there, including unique regional dishes, traditional Japanese dishes, and international cuisines. This article covers restaurants with welcoming atmospheres, where the prices are reasonable and the food is delicious!
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1. Yoseya (Ueno)
Yoseya is in a convenient location close to the Iriya Exit of Ueno Station. Here, they serve authentic kaisen-don (seafood rice bowl) - their specialty - made with fresh seafood and sold at a reasonable price. There is a relaxing atmosphere, and you can take off your shoes while dining in the zashiki (straw mat room). The menu also includes other items, such as a set meal with sushi and delicious miso soup.
The stand-out among this restaurant's specialties is the Bikkuri-don. It is a rice bowl dish that is nearly overflowing with seafood like tuna, shrimp, scallops, and squid. You'll be convinced of the super high quality and freshness of the seafood with your first bite!
2. Iseroku Ueno Branch (Ueno-hirokoji, Ueno)
The Ueno branch of this yakitori (grilled chicken skewer) specialty restaurant is located in the center of Ameyoko, a mega-popular shopping district that is packed with visitors all throughout the year. Customers are drawn to this place because of its distinctive Japanese atmosphere, which stands out among the other restaurants in the area.
Although this is a yakitori restaurant, one of their most signature dishes is the Oyako-don (rice bowl with chicken and eggs). Their oyako-don consists of juicy, soft chicken with a modestly sweet tsuyu (soup) and fluffy, luxurious eggs on top of rice.
3. Shinsen-an (Okachimachi)
Shinsen-an has a very welcoming atmosphere that makes it easy for anyone to stop in. Their soba (buckwheat noodles) are freshly handmade and have a firm and chewy texture. Of course, adding on items from the side menu, such as tempura, makes it even more delicious!
Another must-try is the Dashi-maki Tamago, which is a very soft tamagoyaki (rolled omelette) with a unique Japanese flavor that comes from the dashi (broth). Try eaing it together with daikon oroshi (grated Japanese radish) for an extra tasty experience!
4. Tokyo Tanmen Tonari Atre Ueno Branch (Ueno)
Tokyo Tanmen Tonari is a popular restaurant with several branches in Tokyo. Its specialty is tanmen (salt-flavored Chinese noodle soup with vegetables), which is healthy and delicious because it's packed full of various vegetables. There is also a set with gyoza (dumplings) that is very reasonably priced. This particular branch is in Ueno Station's commercial facility, Atre Ueno.
Another one of their specialties is yakisoba (fried noodles). The yakisoba of this restaurant features firm, chewy noodles coated in a tasty sweet and spicy sauce that goes really well with the vegetables.
*This place has closed down.
5. Yamabe Ueno Branch (Ueno-okachimachi, Ueno-hirokoji)
Yamabe is a restaurant in Ameyoko that specializes in tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet). This area has vibrant and colorful signboards everywhere, so the purely Japanese appearance of this restaurant makes it stand out. When you sit at the counter seat in the restaurant, you can watch the tonkatsu being deep fried in front of you.
The Pork Loin Cutlet Set Meal is under 1,000 yen even if you order a large portion. The crispy batter-coated pork cutlet is thick and tender, but not too fatty, so you can eat a lot!
6. Konaya Atre Ueno Branch (Ueno)
Located in Atré Ueno at Ueno Station, Konaya is a restaurant that specializes in curry udon, which is a fusion dish combining Japanese-style curry with udon (thick noodles). Made from carefully selected ingredients, the udon are on the thin side, springy, and quite easy to eat. The Keema Curry Udon has minced meat, mild curry soup, and a banana tempura topping, creating an exquisite flavor combination that is actually quite addictive!
Another popular dish is the Shrimp Tempura Curry Udon. Serving shrimp tempura along with curry is aready a great idea, but they take it even further with the Shrimp Mochi Curry Udon, which adds a fried mochi (sticky rice cake) into the mix.
7. Tempura Tendon Tenya Ueno Branch (Ueno)
Tempura Tendon Tenya is famous for their ten-don (rice bowls topped with deep‐fried fish and vegetables). It is a popular restaurant due to its numerous branches, low prices, and of course, its tasty ten-don! It is a dish that many people can't get enough of!
There is also a summer-only menu. The Natsu Ten-don (summer ten-don) is a gorgeous dish topped with tempura of shrimp, lotus root, anago (eel), green beans, and megochi (big-eyed flathead). The price is higher than the usual ten-don, but as it is limited only to summer, you should try it if you get the opportunity!
A delicious lunch at a reasonable price makes for a happy traveller. There are many such restaurants in Ueno and a lot of delicious lunch options to choose from, so why not try one of these options for lunch to recharge your energy before going back to shopping in the afternoon?
Use the above article if you finish all your shopping and eating, but still have a few hours left to kill in Ueno. Most importantly, have an amazing time exploring the streets of Japan!
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The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.
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