Mukai

My very first meal in Tokyo and it definitely lived up to the hype! I saw so many great reviews online and couldn’t wait to try it. I arrived around 11:15 AM and had to wait for about 45 minutes. While waiting, the staff gave me black and white magnets, which I believe they use to count portions, if you don’t get one, that probably means they’re sold out for the day. The place feels super homey and cozy. Before entering, you’ll need to take off your shoes, which adds to the traditional experience. The staff were incredibly kind and welcoming! I asked for their recommendation and ended up ordering menu number 2 with red vinegar. It was absolutely delicious, fresh and full of flavor! I didn’t add the dashi soup, just enjoyed it as it was. One tip: don’t forget to mix in the raw egg and seaweed. Thank you for the amazing food and warm service. What a perfect way to kick off my Tokyo trip!

📍Queue: Went on Sunday at 10:05 AM and we were the first in line. By 10:20 AM, there was already a full queue for the first seating. 📍Food: The raw fish was super good — very fresh and high quality. Personally, I’d rate it higher than the viral spots. However, the broth was a bit tasteless for me, so I preferred eating without soup at the end. 📍Atmosphere: Feels very homie and authentically Japanese, with a peaceful garden right next to where you eat. ✨9/10 overall.

The bowl had very fresh and tasty fish. Would recommend getting extra seaweeds (5 piece for 100¥). Nice ambience and quite unique restaurant setup. The garden outside gave it a very serene vibe. Wait time summary: arrived at the line by 11:15 with roughly 20-25 people ahead of us. They gave people on the queue a yellow token some minutes. By 11:45, they posted the sold out signage at the end of the line. I think we got called to come in the restaurant at around 12:30: There is still some wait time inside the shop by the narrow hallway. We got seated around 12:50. Our orders arrived at 1:05pm. Additional notes: main waiting area is outside the restaurant some 20 steps away with no shade so best to bring an umbrella. There is a nearby Lawson in case you need drinks or snack while waiting.

Small hidden restaurant in a residential district. Google Maps labels opening time as 10:45 AM but when we arrived at 10:35 AM there were a few people ahead of us already in line, and the restaurant was fully seated inside, so it seems like they let in patrons earlier. We waited approximately 30 minutes for the people inside to finish their food, and then were seated promptly. Ochazuke was delicious, with large portions at a reasonable price, starting at 1300 yen, with add ons possible. There is an English menu available and ordering is ticked off with a paper sheet. Mixing in their housemade broth with the remaining rice added a great complexity and umami to the dish and would highly recommend doing so as well. Atmosphere in the restaurant is cozy and authentic and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Came on a rainy day…thought people would avoid but good food will always draw people in. For those with bad backs, this is a sit on the floor with your legs crossed restaurant. Feels like going to someone’s home. Once seated, it goes fast since limited menu. Loved the option to select rice amount and type of rice. We got one small rice and one medium. Medium was bigger than expected. Quality and taste was great.

I visited on my first day in Tokyo and had been looking forward to it ever since seeing it online. Being too excited, I arrived to line up at 9:50am and found that there was already one family in front of me! The restaurant is situated on a quiet street and it was a beautiful day so we enjoyed the sunshine. The owners let us in earlier, about 10:30 and I sat at the booth as I was solo. I ordered the recommended large bowl with extras of egg yolk and seaweed, setting me back around $35AUD. This was a lovely meal with excellent, family-run service. Most people ate quickly and left, so I would assume that bowls run out quite quickly. Personally I was not a big fan of the soup at the end as I found it overpowering, but there is no requirement to add it in. Thank you for the meal!

Walked for miles and waited in line for 45 minutes under the pouring rain just to get a taste of the kaihodon from Mukai, and I must say it's really worth all that effort in my opinion. Others might find it completely ridiculous but I'll definitely go back to this place again next time. Two things to take note of is that guests are required to take their shoes off by the entrance, and that the table setting might be a bit uncomfortable for people who aren't used to sitting on the floor. I recall that we had to pay via cash when we dined in (last week of March 2025). Not sure if they'll change that payment system anytime soon.

Very delicious, but difficult to get a spot. They only take a certain amount of seats within the 3 hrs that they are open. We got there at 12p once, but they sold out already. Get here by 1130a latest if you want a seat; earlier the better. It was an hour wait before we went inside. Bring an umbrella since it’s hot waiting outside. We got the number 4 which was the most in topping and price. Come and try it!