I have to say that scrambled egg and bacon ice cream would have me vomiting and feeling ill even in the absence of any food-borne pathogen.

I think some of the disagreement here has to do with WHERE the diner is eating rather than what and how much. If one frequents Robuchon and Ramsey's places, one will pay through the nose. Saying that Japan is expensive for dining based on that sample is misleading. The best meals I have ever had were at no-name back-street places (like the "Cafe Macaroni" in the dorama "Lunch Queen"). A tonkatsu, hayashi rice or curry lunch special almost never runs more than 800 to 1200 yen and rarely fails to satisfy completely. Really good ramen or soba at the local noodle joint is always good and usually runs 500-800 yen. I can't eat that well for that little money at home.

To be fair, both jib71 and myself have claimed that Tokyo compares favourably with London at all price levels on a like for like basis.
It's unfortunate that a couple of European franchise holders were used to make the point - and not something I will ever be able to comment on (my interest in eating at a Ramsay or Robuchon restaurant in Japan is non existent) but when it comes to aspirations... would I rather spend �130+ (not including the �10 and 2 hours it takes to get there and back from London) to be sat next to a drafty door at the Fat Duck or �170 for an 11 course meal in a restaurant with only two tables offering unparalleled service and attention? (Aronia de Takazawa)
I've received a few too many first hand reports admitting some disappointment with the Fat Duck tasting menu, 24,000yen for the Aronia experience is something I'm happy to save up for. Thankfully, there is so much incredible food on offer further down the chain I'm just not in much of a hurry to be spending that kind of money.
Ignoring the naive/misguided 'geijin'/'Jap' comments (at least it's balanced), this article pretty much sums up my thoughts on eating out in Tokyo
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/tra...cle1289277.ece

MrLapLap doesn't eat ramen noodles in London - there's absolutely nothing here that comes up to scratch. So a like for like comparison on this is impossible.
I feel the same way about the patisserie. Selections from Raymond Blanc's cake shops (Maison Blanc) seem lackluster and commonplace compared to what any department store in Tokyo can offer - at least there's William Curley, but to sample his creations one needs to travel to Richmond (alas, the shop in London and the concession at John Lewis didn't survive - Londoners just don't know how to support excellence )

You're making this up.

At current exchange rates (1 pound = 139 yen) it's very easy to find a bowl of noodles for much less than �10.00

Typical price of a bowl of shoyu ramen may be around 700yen. That's �5.00.
A big bowl of miso ramen with extra chashu... maybe �7.50.
Even when the pound was at its nadir against the yen, a typical 700 yen bowl would have translated into �5.80.
With a little searching, one can find noodles for under 400yen (*Yes - even in downtown Tokyo). The belly-fillers in London at that price are best avoided.

I repeat - You're making it up. You're inventing facts to fit your theory.

As for Fat Duck in Bray. I hear it's closed down for health and safety reasons... What's the going rate for an equivalent quality of food poisoning in Tokyo? I don't know.

You can have a top-flight dinner course at Robuchon for as "little" as 22K yen. And the most expensive lunch set is 12.5K. Yes, there is a 36K Robuchon dinner, but that's way over the top, something like 12 full-sized courses. You can ask them to pare back the amount on the 36K menu and they'll charge you 26K.

In Tokyo, Roppongi is a fun night.... (Night club district/area) and I always enjoyed checking out Akhibari (Electronics Shopping Area) both are easily accessible by train.

As this thread is directed at a first time visitor who might take some notice.

Akihabara is the area famous for electronics (close to Ryogoku where the sumo stables are as well as Edo Tokyo museum)

In a straight line between Odawa and Rappungi, more or less.

If you have never mis-spelled anything.... step up and clap your hands....otherwise STHU


http://tinyurl.com/dg6ndb

Please remember where you are posting.
It would be unfortunate if someone looking for information spent time in a futile manner trying to figure out where Akhibari was.

I do make mistakes. And I'm comfortable posting advice on this forum because I know that those mistakes are quickly corrected.

Making worthless comments and then telling others to STHU when they are politely turned into something that could be useful helps nobody.

.....??? look, there is one now....

Did you check my link, mr perfect?http://tinyurl.com/dg6ndb

Excellent! I'm so glad you've learned to check names using Google. Well done!

Now that you've learned how, perhaps you could perform the courtesy of checking your posts before submitting them.

Osaka is ok, but if you plan things right I think you can go for a 1/1.5 trip to Himeji and Hiroshima on the Shinkansen with a stop in Kobe (maybe over night if you want). Shinkansen is very comfortable. And, if you have a bit of courage and avoid eating out of the guidebooks pushing folks like Ramsay (and who knows who else ..... maybe even Rachel Ray's ideas) you can eat terrifically for reasonable price (as listed above, Y700-1200 for ramen & udon; Y1000 for good okonomiyaki, etc, etc.). Of course you can go up from there, but you don't need to.

Both the Korakoen in Okayama and the canal area in Kurashiki just beyond Himeji are worthy stops also.

I completely agree. The little mom-and-pop restaurants in Japan offer some of the best low-budget dining experiences in the developed world.

While I occasionally duck into a mid-level Italian or other European-style restaurant during a long stay (where I can get a satisfying meal for �2000+), during short stays, I stick to the neighborhood eateries.

I'm reminded of a friend who took a whirlwind tour of Southeast Asia. went from one luxury hotel to another, and ate in the French restaurants the whole time. My response was, "So tell me why you went to Southeast Asia instead of France."