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.

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.

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!

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.

I suggest suggest getting there about 20-30min. There are only about 16 seats and dining times average about 30 min per group/person. Hands down some of the best food I had in Tokyo! It is well worth the wait. Seating is on the ground (except for 4 chairs at the counter) which made it hard to get comfortable if you are not used to sitting cross-legged for long periods of time but overall it added to the experience. Highly recommend to everyone!

Found this place through social media and had to experience for myself. Totally worth it. We got there 45 mins early and were the first first three people in line. The number 3 was perfect. As other reviews stated the line is uncovered from the elements but they provide some umbrellas for the sun or rain. I’d recommend you bring your own if you’re sensitive to the heat/sun.

Great food, got the outdoor table which was nice because the weather was perfect for it. Portion was great! I got the menu number 2, with white rice and red vinegar. Would come here again. Would love it if they serve green tea as well.