Originally Posted by
IMOA
On spotting restaurants the only way you’ll get good at it is to start trying. Here it’s important to look up and down, you may think that the street has 10 restaurants on it when in reality it might have 50. The restaurants on the ground floor typically pay the highest rents and get the most random foot traffic. The restaurant on the third floor pays less rent and needs repeat customers to ensure its survival so chances are you will get better food for less. Or it’s just new, but you’ll never know until you take a punt and walk into somewhere you can’t see inside on a whim. And that’s when you get some of your greatest japan memories and something everyone should try for at least one night.
This is absolutely key to why I need dozens of pre-investigated options when wandering around with companions in Tokyo. My own personality is absolutely fine with taking a punt on an intriguing notice board and then finding an ensconced elevator to go investigate. It’s fun! But neither my husband nor his father take any pleasure from the full impact exposure one feels when that elevator deposits you at the inside entrance of the locale. Arriving and not feeling it’s right and then the tortured embarrassment of returning to the elevator (and sometimes waiting for it - and searching for stairs might make the embarrassment worse) doesn’t lend itself to good dining memories. Not that I share this, a sincere bow, “sumimasen”, and off I go, so I’ll try and case the joint first if I can.
No matter how much research you do, you’ll never cover every eventuality, so being spontaneous and adventurous is great. There are always plenty of opportunities to take a chance, and in Tokyo a very high chance of a good pay off. But those experiences will be shaped by who you are and who you’re with.
And yes, the English menus (if they have one) do not always feature all the choices. Those embarrassment prone companions (particularly the oldest) are great to have around! But one can go far as a non Japanese speaker with a discreet signal (don’t jabby point) towards another diner’s meal and the magic words “soreh oh kudasai” “(I’ll have) that right there please”.
At lunch times, the menus might be very minimal (particularly lunch sets - these can often be identified by price).
If there aren’t too many you can ask the server to read to you a couple of the menu items. In basic Japanese, this would go: “Sumimasen. Kanji wakarimasen. Koreh wah nan des’kah?” “Excuse me. I don’t understand kanji. What is this?”. But it’s kind of pointless if you are completely unfamiliar with the cuisine.
Otherwise, look at what fits with what you want to pay (I cannot overstate how useful the number kanji are - write them on a card and keep them in a wallet/purse), show your choice to the server and say “Koreh oh kudasai.” “This (one) please.” And you’re there.