We want to enjoy eating in Japan without queuing an hour for whichever ramen shop has the biggest online following. The food is a major part of the trip, but standing in line at lunch and dinner would eat half the itinerary. We're planning to follow neighborhoods, use menus and local turnover as clues, and treat famous places as optional. What simple approach has led you to good unplanned meals without exhaustive restaurant research?
Planning food stops without queueing for famous restaurants every meal
- japan-travel
- planning
- food
- stops
32
4 replies
The simplest thing is to walk a neighborhood and look for places that are busy with locals at the meal you want. If the menu is short, the t...
The simplest thing is to walk a neighborhood and look for places that are busy with locals at the meal you want. If the menu is short, the turnover looks steady, and nobody is standing around outside, that's usually a decent sign.
I’d add that lunch is easier than dinner if you want to avoid queues. A lot of the places that look impossible online are just average at 1 p.m. and calmer after the rush.
I’m not sure I trust the "busy means good" rule all the time. Sometimes a line is just a line, especially near stations.
Also, convenience stores and department basement food halls can save a whole day when you don't want to gamble. Not every meal needs to be a destination.