Gurunavi can help make restaurant reservations for free (for the cost of phone call to Gurunavi) https://gurunavi.com/en/japanfoodie/...nF3ETY9Vb2oreI This service will be stopped at the end of March 2020 https://gurunavi.com/en/site/informa...xmtlhQszt3fUof

To add to LapLap's tip to search by phone number and look at the website, Android Chrome has an option to Google Translate webpages. Very helpful for researching from a smartphone or tablet. You can also take pictures of non-handwritten text in Japanese with Google Translate app and translate it to your language of choice.

Kewpie makes an egg yolk like product for combini bento. Some people here are big fans of Japanese eggs https://soranews24.com/2020/01/15/fa...-store-bentos/ so perhaps you were picking up on it being slightly... different. Combini meals operate on slim margins and fierce competition.

#1 and #2 lead to some humorous memories. Recently I was surfing around google maps street view near Tennoji Osaka and came across an entire traditional neighborhood with small signs in Kanji (many modern low and mid end places don't purely use Kanji in their names). It visually reads like a sizable historical neighborhood of traditional restaurants which I'd never heard of when photographed at probably 7 am. I mean, it is even generally free of vending machines which proliferate Japan. It turned out to be https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobita_Shinchi. OP- In case you also have the same odd talent of finding yourself in Japanese red light districts or walking by odd looking accommodations with hourly rates posted outside which are actually love hotels, "snakku" or "sunakku" are probably not what you're thinking of https://features.japantimes.co.jp/snack-bars/

I also had no problem using them for a couple iron chef restaurants in Tokyo, back when Canadian AMEX concierge used the same US concierge company.

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.

I had not heard about this fake egg thing (I don't like eggs too much anyways), but thanks for letting us know! It does not surprise me.
I'm a huge fan of Japanese konbini and the whole concept, but don't like konbini bentos. I know a lot of people here think they're great, but this is my personal opinion.
I just think konbini bentos are crap, and I think really about the only ready-made food at konbini that's healthy is salad. But then konbini salads are so mediocre because it's usually a small layer of leaves and things sitting on top of a bed of sliced cabbage.
I'm sure you're correct that they operate on slim margin and so they're going to battle with taste and price. Which inevitably compromises the ingredients.
I've never been a fan of konbini bentos to begin with, but I've always loved their onigiri (rice triangle) until my mom started telling me to avoid them since they're full of oil and additives. Turns out she's right. I still sometimes buy onigiri at konbini out of necessity (stopped buying konbini bentos a long time ago), but I don't feel great about eating them and feel a bit guilty feeding that to my kids for lunch. If you want quality onigiri, go to Omusumi Gonbei and you will see the difference in quality.

I mostly go into konbini to collect parcels lately, their appeal diminishes with each trip. But there is one thing I might pop in to get if I need a snack - boiled entire eggs. Those are still genuine enough.
Keeps me going, and I can reserve my limited carb intake exclusively for something worthwhile. (Although I’m ready to make an exception of an Ispahan scented Mister Donut)

In my experience, the bento sellers inside train stations keep one box of each variety open and covered in plastic on the counter. Yes, it sits out all day, but no one is going to eat it, since it just stands in for the plastic models that brick-and-mortar stores use. Just point to the option you want, and they'll give you a freshly made one. (There are laws about how long a bento can stand outside unrefrigerated.) If there's a strip of paper or card with handwriting across it, that usually means "sold out." (売り切れ, oo-ree-kee-reh).

A former coworker went to visit her daughter for a month in Japan and only ate egg sandwiches because she didn't like the food particularly fish/fish based stuff. We thought it was downright bizarre until I finally travelled myself... and ate tamago sando. Bit of joke with a friend but I love picking up a combo with a half tamago/half tsuna, a bottle of Calpis, and eating lunch in a park along the way.

This thread seems like the proper venue to ask a few questions that have come up for me for an upcoming trip.

My SO and I are headed over in winter 2021 for our honeymoon and I've got a list of about 10 restaurants that will require a reservation. I'm wondering what level of hotel will have a concierge that can make these reservations for me. These are kind of my "bucket list" restaurants and I'd like to make sure I get to at least 3-4 of them.

Are you sure this is the right thread. It is “Eating moderately”, I suspect you’re looking to do anything but!

Well, the initial discussion was around reservations and concierges! I promise that most of my eating will be decidedly moderate, though only in price!

Except that the consensus in this thread on the question “Eating moderately- reservations needed?” is “no, not generally needed”.

To the extent you *are* looking for high-end reservations, the concierge service I was referring to for reservations was with Amex, not a hotel. Any hotel concierge, or front desk, should be able to direct you to a nearby restaurant that doesnt require months in advance reservations. If a "bucket list" reservation is what you want, you probably want to make reservations before you get to the hotel.

Understood, thanks for the responses!

Question for jib71 and Pickles - or anyone else who might know.
Am looking to spend time in Kagurazaka and was hoping to add the lovely PowWow Cafe to my hobby map. I think it was originally built and furnished in the 70s but it seems it is no longer there and has been devoured by the Porta building (2011) home to less appealing tenants, such as Saizeriya. Did all that wood and furniture just go, or was there some kind of relocation?

The businesses along there (incl. PowWow) got shunted out around 2008-2009, They stood empty for the longest time before the new building went up.I didn't hear that they reopened elsewhere. So long ago now I wouldn't know how to find out, although I guess some of the remaining old-timers on the street might know what the previous business owners did ...