8 Bargain Lunches You Must Try in Tokyo’s Asakusa District

1. Asakusa Mugitoro Honten

The main branch of Asakusa Mugitoro which was established in year 4 of the Showa era (1929) uses 100% of the very sticky yamaimo (type of Japanese potato) and has a buffet lunch of barley rice which uses a secret stock and their special “tororo” (grated yam). The buffet has 2 courses and the ¥2000 course gives you 3 kinds of tororo that you can eat and compare.

Business hours: 11:00am - 9:00pm

Holidays: None

Prices: 1st floor - ¥1000, 2nd floor - ¥2000

HP: www.mugitoro.co.jp/honten/ (Japanese Only)

Address: 2-2-4 Kaminarimon, Taito-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)

2. Magurobito Asakusa Shin-Nakamisedori

There’s always a line at the hugely popular conveyor belt sushi restaurant “Magurobito” which placed first in the “1 million people choose the most exquisite conveyor-belt sushi” ranking for edomae sushi. On weekdays for a limited time, you can choose either nigiri sushi or a rice bowl which comes with miso soup, dessert and you can choose 6 sushi toppings for a hearty lunch. This is the restaurant to go when you want to eat cheap and delicious sushi.

Business hours: 11:00am - 10:00 pm

Holidays: None

HP: tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131102/13134644/ (Japanese Only)

Address: 1st & 2nd floor Shallowglass Bld., 1-21-8 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)

3. Daikokuya Tempura Honten

Established in year 20 of the Meiji era (1887), this veteran restaurant in Asakusa has maintained their unchanged recipes and flavors. Daikokuya Tempura Honten uses 100% sesame oil to fry their tempura which is dipped in a secret sauce made of dark soy. Their crispy tempura has made them a famous shop with lots of local fans. You will surely be captivated by their hearty tendon (tempura over rice).

Business hours: (Mon-Fri) 11:10am - 8:30pm, (Sat & Holidays) 11:10 am - 9:00 pm

Holidays: None

Prices: Tendon - ¥1500, Shrimp Tendon - ¥1,950, Tempura set meal - ¥2,100

HP: www.tempura.co.jp/ (Japanese Only)

Address: 1-38-10 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)

4. Namiki Yabu Soba

This is one of the “big 3” yabu soba restaurants, established 100 years ago and loved by many well-known people. The menu is soba only and their strongly flavored broth is said to be the most flavorful in Tokyo and really brings out the taste of the soba. It’s so popular, there is always a line during the lunch hours. Despite the richness of the sauce, it still has a mildness to it and never tastes sour. The noodles are easy to eat and has a flavor that you’ll never forget once you give it a try.

Business hours: 11:00 am - 7:30 pm

Holidays: Thursday

Prices: zaru soba / kake soba ¥750, Ten-zaru soba ¥1,800

HP: tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131102/13003650/ (Japanese Only)

Address: 2-11-9 Kaminarimon, Taito-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)

5. YoshiKami Asakusa

Yoshikami Asakusa is a veteran Western-style restaurant loved by everyone from the locals to tourists from Kyoto. It’s a famous shop that always has a seemingly never ending line during the lunch hours. For lunch, you can enjoy beef stew as listed on their signboard menu. You can choose 2 items from their hearty lunch with options like beef stew, curry, pasta and more. They even have cutlet sandwiches and they’re well-known because everything is delicious.

Business hours: 11:45 am - 10:30 pm

Holidays: None

Prices: Hearty lunch - ¥1,750, Weekend service - ¥3,300

HP: www.yoshikami.co.jp/ (Japanese Only)

Address: 1-41-4 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)

6. Asakusa Imahan Kokusaidori Honten

Asakusa Imahan Kokusaidori Honten is a famous sukiyaki shabu shabu restaurant that uses Kuroge Wagyu (a variety of high quality Japanese domestic beef). It’s an exemplary Asakusa restaurant with exemplary food. The sukiyaki uses a secret Toyko-style soy sauce based stock and each strip of meat is cooked one by one. Although it’s a fairly high class restaurant, if you go for lunch, you can enjoy a sukiyaki meal at a reasonable price.

Business hours: 11:30 am - 9:30 pm

Holidays: None

Prices: Sukiyaki lunch - ¥3500, Hyakunen gyuudon - ¥1,500

HP: www.asakusaimahan.co.jp/english

HP: www.asakusaimahan.co.jp/kokusai (Japanese Only)

Address: 3-1-12 Nishiasakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)

7. Sometaro

If you want Okonomiyaki and Monjayaki in Asakusa then it’s here at Sometaro. Established year 12 of the Showa era (1937), it’s in the style of a traditional Japanese house and its appearance is brimming with character. This shop is also famous for being patronized often by well-known people like Edogawa Ranpo, Shintaro Katsu and many others. Their Osomeyaki is made from yakisoba and other ingredients placed on-top of a thin batter and fried. It’s so good that once you eat it, you will never want to go to another okonomiyaki restaurant again.

Business hours: 12:00pm - 10:30pm

Holidays: None

Price: Osomeyaki - ¥880, Shuumai Ten ¥680

HP: tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131102/13003710/ (Japanese Only)

Address: 2-2-2, Nishiasakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo (Google Maps)

8. Owariya Honten

Owariya Honten in Tawaramachi is a true veteran soba restaurant with a history of 130 years. Although there are many soba and tempura restaurants in Asakusa, Owariya is particularly popular. From the yuzu flavored broth seasoned with bonito dashi, to the noodles which are great to slurp and the extra large shrimp tempura that spills out the bowl, it makes a delicious and hearty meal.

Business hours: 11:30am - 8:30pm

Holidays: Friday

Price: Tempura soba - ¥1,400, Jou Tempura Soba - ¥2,000, Tendon - ¥1,500

HP: tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131102/13003714/  (Japanese Only)

Address: 1-7-1, Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)

Bonus: Try Making Your Own Okonomiyaki Lunch in Asakusa!

The Asakusa Cultural & Street Food Walking Tour is a great opportunity to dive deep into the culture and history of Asakusa while, at the same time, getting introduced to the variety of foods on offer there. Try out the authentic local street food and challenge yourself to make your own okonomiyaki lunch (with the help of an English-speaking guide)!