TOKYO: Fu-unji 風雲児

Over the last few years, Nick and my ramen eating has really evolved. Going way back to the traditional and somewhat perhaps boring pork based tonkatsu --> chicken based --> fish based. But recently Nick and I have fell in love with Tsukemen ( dipping noodles). Ask anybody in Tokyo where they would recommend for tsukemen and this restaurant will almost 90% come up in the list.

If you ever find yourself around Shinjuku, THIS is the place to go for a relatively cheap lunch/dinner if you ever find that you have possibly 30-60mins of spare time to queue. 

Fu-unji serves tsukemen with the soup made with boiled chicken and fish. It's thick and creamy and goes perfectly with the ramen noodles. I've heard some feedback from people I've recommend to try fish based ramen in asakusa ( read here) that they find the broth too fishy. This I promise, the fishiness is not as strong since their soup is a mixture of both chicken and fish. 

When you first enter the shop, there's a machine where you can purchase a ticket based on what you want to eat - tsukemen vs ramen. 

My advice is to go for the special tsukemen 1000yen. 

There's a couple of options on the vending machine which says " spring onion", " chashu", "egg", " nori". DO NOT SPEND EXTRA MONEY TO ORDER THOSE if you already ordered the special tsukemen as it comes with all of those. 

There was a Indian couple beside us who clearly didn't do any research before coming to try, they ended up with 3 eggs, a full bowl of nori and chashu and spring onions lol :/
Wah I seriously didn't know if they were coming for tsukemen or they were coming for eggs + nori + chasu 

Fu Unji 風雲児

Mon - Sat 11-3pm; 5-9pm

 2-14-3, Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan 
Phone Number // 03-6413-8480

TOKYO: Shinjuku Kappo Nakajima 新宿割烹 中嶋 ( 1 Michelin star)

Nakajima is probably best know as the cheapest Michelin restaurant. During lunch, they serve up a mean meal for the price of 800yen. I went crazy there. Haha, read more about my lunch experience here ( click ) 

And I remember telling Nick how we have to return for their dinner kaiseki because I guess that's where they earned their Michelin star. 

So for Valentine's day this year, Nick made a reservation for the 15000 yen set.

Excellent service as always. The middle age waitress is the best, she's always smiling and explaining our dishes in English.
I had some plum wine the waitress recommended as well which was a perfect pair with the meal.

Shinjuku Kappo Nakajima 新宿割烹 中嶋 
Lunch: 11.30 - 2pm Dinner 5.30 -9.30pm last order 8pm
Closed every sunday and public holiday
3-32-5 Shinjuku

TOKYO: Tsunahachi 天ぷら新宿つな八

The pulsing heart of Tokyo, Shinjuku is probably the place you're imagining when you think of Tokyo: bright neon lights, crowds, tall buildings, bustling streets and energy galore. To be all honest, despite going to Tokyo multiple times, I have still not fully explored Shinjuku. Shinjuku is a very strange place - the east side is associated with all the neon lights, crowds restaurants bars and the red light district kabukicho hehehehe. Whilst on the west, it's home to some of the city's tallest high rise buildings, government offices. 

Most of the time I'm only in Shinjuku because it's a train transfer station, this time we decided to explore some of the restaurants and shopping centre. We unfortunately still haven't been to kabukicho, which really kills me because I really like going to red light districts hahaha and see whats going on around there. I'm super busybody yes. 

We decided to have dinner at the popular tsunahachi tempura restaurant. We didn't go to the main shop because we were so tired, we didn't want to wait out in the cold. So glad that they have multiple branches around tokyo, the branch we went to was Shinjuki's keio departmental store. 

Very good - no queue. 

Super tired because we had a long day at Ghibli Museum.

I can't remember if we had lunch.. don't think we did. Maybe that's why I was so hungry !

Condiments for tempura 

They offer ala carte as well as set menu. We decided to go for the ala carte even though this means that our total bill would be slightly more expensive because there were specific items that we really wanted to try which were not in the set menu

Tsunahachi is most famous for their japanese tiger prawns. In fact they pride themselves for being the only restaurant where you can get fresh japanese tiger prawns on a Sunday and New year's.

Kuruma-Ebi

Anago (bottom plate) and shrimp with mushroom (top plate)

can't remember what the specifics of this dish, but look at the tempura fish (top plate) THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN WANTING TO EAT! I've been watching a couple of youtube videos of restaurant serving the fish like this and I'm just so intrigued !

Deep fried small shrimp kakiage

And the most expensive of the lot...

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.

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SCALLOPS, SCALLOPS and UNI!!!!! This fried uni is also something that I've always wanted to try!

Ended our tempura meal off with some tempura ice cream :D

Definitely a place to check out if your budget doesn't allow for those michelin stars collecting (eg, Tempura Kondo read more here ) restaurants hahaha. 

Tsunahachi 天ぷら新宿つな八 

Keio: Keio Department Store 8F, 1-1-4 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023

Main store is at :

3-31-8 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022 (Shinjuku Station East Exit or Shinjuku-Sanchome Station Exits A1-A5)
Tel: 03 3352 1012
Opening Hours: 11:00am – 10:30pm

Other Tokyo Branches
Ginza: Matsuya Ginza 8F, 3-6-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104－0061
Ikebukuro:Lumine Ikebukuro 8F, 1-11-1, Nishi-ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 171-0021
Tokyo Daimaru: Daimaru Tokyo 12F, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-6701

TOKYO: Shinjuku Kappo Nakajima ( 1 Michelin Star )

So I've already said that I'm a brand/michelin chaser. So how could I ever pass on the chance to eat at  the cheapes/most affordable Michelin restaurant in Tokyo?! I WILL HUNT IT DOWN EVEN IF IT REQUIRES ME TO WALK HALF A DAY! 

Well, I suppose their Michelin star was probably awarded for their dinner set, but hey, a michelin restaurant is still a Michelin restaurant :D

Located in Shinjuku, it's inconveniently located sorta underground one of a nondescript building. I had so much difficulty finding it because apple maps was just making me walk round and round and round. Well, thanks apple maps, because of the walking, I found out where Gyukatsu Motomura Shinjuku branch was located. Lol, not really a challenge since unless youre blind, you wouldn't miss that huge line extended out to the pavement. 

After what was around a half an hour intense search, I FINALLY REACHED. 

They open at 11.30am, so please reach 15minutes early or on time if you don't want to be waiting for long. I reached at 11.45am (BECAUSE I WAS LOST urgh) and there were about 10 people in front of me. 

4 set lunches. 800 yean EACH, except for 1 that is 900yen.

Each set comes with your choice of how you want sardine to be cooked, rice and tsukemono (picked veg), miso soup and hot green tea. Quick tip, it seems like most foreigners do not know this (because can't read japanese, duh) but you're able to order the sardine as an ala carte as well.

I had to try ALL the 4 different ways of cooking the sardine. So I opted for 2 sets and 2 ala carte. 

The couple beside me looked on surprised. The elderly service staff must have thought I was mad " 2 SETS?! "  They didn't think a small petite asian like me could stomach everything. But as my colleague once said " I thought she was gonna eat the whole restaurant down" 

crumbed and fried

Simmered in soy sauce daishi

Sashimi tossed in sesame

egg in sizzling hot pot

Very very satisfied with this meal. My favourite is the simmered Sardine.
I've recommended this restaurant multiple times to all my friends and those who've tried it were all very impressed.
I definitely think this restaurant is first grade and a MUST GO!

Will come back for their dinner in a few months time when I'm in Tokyo :D

Nakajima

B1 Nichihara Building, 3-32-5 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan

T: +81 333564534 (reservations for lunch not allowed) 
Closed on sundays and public holidays.