Onigiri Bongo

I heard about this restaurant from a famous YouTube channel, so I should’ve known it would be busy, but it was worth the wait! The line can definitely be long! In the early afternoon, I waited outside around 30 or 40 minutes before getting into the restaurant. While I didn’t do this myself, I heard you can skip the line by ordering onigiri for pick up by phone in Japanese. If true, this would save a lot of time! The staff primarily only speak Japanese, so for tourists, I definitely recommend asking your hotel front desk for assistance calling and ordering! When I got to the chairs in front of the entrance, a staff member provided an English menu and took my order. The inside is small with limited seating, which might explain the size of the line. I’ve also heard you can sit and get as many free refills of soup and tea as you want, but I personally felt pressured to finished my meal as soon as possible to make room for the people in the line behind me. The service was quick. It only took five minutes after sitting down to get my onigiri. The soup and tea were good, and the onigiri were great! They’re large, delicious, and better than any from a cobini! They are more expensive than cobini onigiri, but they have a lot of fresh flavor and filling is packed in for a good ratio compared to the amount of rice used! Three of them were enough to fill me up! I liked this restaurant enough to try to stop by a few other times when I was in the area, but the line was always so long that I had to skip it. But I do think it’s worth getting at least once if you’re visiting, even with the line!

The famous Onigiri place in Japan 🇯🇵 Everything made fresh to order We were there about half an hour before they open and there were some people lining up already The owner came out from the store to greet us and gave us and other people chairs and hot green tea 🍵 while waiting for the open what a great hospitality!!! It wasnt a long wait but the line was starting to build up For the onigiri 🍙 i would say that this is one of the best so far i have had before You can choose from the menu or you can also customize your own!! But to be honest it is really good!! The price is really reasonable and you should order their miso soup as well it goes well with the onigiri 🍙 I will definitely come back next time when i visit Tokyo!!!

This is the kind of food that makes you feel "home". Had to wait for around 45minutes. Ordered some "cooked" menus. The most unique part is, it doesn't make me feel "full" eventhou i had 2.5 rice balls already. Size is pretty big compared to convenience store's, but i can't eat more than 1 rice ball from convenience store. I think the secret experience lies on its rice and the least seasoning they've made for each rice ball. Trully a special experience and would love to visit again, IF the queue is less than a hour. 😊

Onigiri Bongo is one of the food places we are the most excited to try in Japan. The first time we got here, it was raining down and we gave up queueing (it was around 10 AM on a Saturday morning), so we tried again on a Thursday and arrived at 9.15 AM, we waited around 1 hour-ish, the staff offered hot tea to us while waiting in line and it was so nice as it was very cold, she also took the orders while we were waiting in line, not to worry because they have Japanese, English, Chinese and I think Korean menu. I got the salmon, pork kimchi and cod roe&salted squid. The rice balls were huge (probably ordering 3 for one person is more than one could handle), the rice is fluffy, perfectly salted and seasoned, with generous filling. The onigiri were made freshly in front of us and my favorite is the salmon. One onigiri is about 400-800 yen, which is a really good price. Tea is free and we added miso soup for 200 yen a bowl. The staffs were really friendly and nice, they really appreciated our (limited) Japanese and chatted with us very cheerfully. Overall a really good place to try, I suggest coming early when opening time and go when the weather is nice because you'll have to wait in line. I saw some people coming and got food for take away, I think if you are staying at a hotel, the hotel staffs could help you call the place and order for takeout.

Onigiri Bongo was one of my favorite breakfasts during my last trip to Japan. I remember trying to go here a few years prior, but the line went across the block. So this time I had a hotel that was close by, I went on a weekday and got there at 8am. I felt a little silly but time moved fairly quickly. A member of the staff even came out and gave me a hot green tea and greeted me good morning. How awesome is that? About thirty minutes before opening we were given menus. As they opened more staff (possibly the manager or owner) came out to greet the crowd. Onigiri Bongo has about 12 counter seats and I don’t remember seeing any tables. They also offered onigiri to go which was also a nice touch. I placed my order and my food was prepared within a couple of minutes, it was fresh, looked good, and tasted amazing. The rice complemented each ingredient very well. Plus the egg, tuna, and bacon along with the crispy seaweed was a symphony of flavors. The trio meal also came with a good miso soup and more hot green tea (both refillable). This simple but amazing meal only cost 1,350 yen too! This was one of those meals in Japan I’ll remember for all the right reasons.

We arrived right at opening and still waited about an hour before being seated. The onigiri were delicious, with a wide variety to choose from. A bit more expensive compared to others we tried, but definitely worth it for the experience.

Came here right before it opened and a long line already started. I waited about an hour. During the wait the store provided us a cup of hot tea I was very thankful. The staff took my order before going in and still waited another 15 minutes to really enjoy my highly anticipated onigiri 🍙 I ordered an egg yolk with ground meat and spicy mentako with konbu sesami leaf and last one sesami leaf with mountain gobo. I liked the first two very much. And I struggled with the last one which was not because not tasty but me being full almost. I should have just ordered two. And there’s miso tofu soup. And you could order a refill no charge. Also the owner couple were very friendly to everyone and gave out very positive energy to the whole house which made the experience even better.

Our first fresh onigiri experience in Japan and we loved it so much, we came back the next night. Yes, there’s a line and you have to wait but the server takes your order while you wait so the operation is quite smooth! Our favourite was the peanut miso but the salmon/tuna combinations were just as delicious. We’ll be back when we’re in Tokyo again!

This place was so good and worth the wait. You wait outside if it's busy - we got there 15 mins before opening on a weekday and there was a line. Luckily we were the first few in line so didn't wait too too long but it was closer to an hour wait. It was chilly that day and the workers got us hot tea to drink while waiting. They also take your order outside. They have an English menu available but you can also find it online to save time. There are so many options to choose from. The onigiri themselves are HUGE. We each got a set that comes with 2 onigiri, a miso soup, and a refillable hot tea all for 800yen. Service was amazing. Everyone was so nice and attentive. They only allow pictures inside and no videos.

Finally tried the famous onigiris! Their serving sizes are huge. We didn't have to experience any sort of wait, since we ordered it for delivery via UberEats. The best ones here were the onigiris with the soy-marinated egg yolks! Those and the tuna ones were my fav. It's definitely on the pricier side compared to other spots in that area. I didn't find anything too unique from this spot, apart from the onigiris with the egg yolks too. However, they were still delicious and I'd still recommend them!

Everything you want out of onigiri, but turn it up to 11 The staff is so nice and accommodating, and luckily on a weekday the line was non-existent at lunchtime The list of onigiri can be overwhelming but luckily they have multiple language menus to explain what each one is I opted for a good mix so I got salted egg yolk, squid with spicy roe, chicken karaage, and the short neck clam and each bite was better than the last The onigiri is stacked with a large mound of rice, and stuffed that each bite had filling coming out (in the best way) Insane, worth the wait, this puts the 7-11/Family mart onigiri to shame and I can't wait to try other flavors

I give Onigir Bongo not because of quality or service but in due to the wait time and what customers are willing to endure. Every day we were in Tokyo the line was really long all day and night. Sad that we could not get a chance to visit them.

Onigiri to me, without any relation to resemblance, is like potato chips. I can't have just one and I get random cravings for them. Onigiro Bongo is a place that completely satisfies this craving and is also a fine location to fall into a food coma. Unlike your standard onigiri, the portions are much larger and the fillings are very generous so for each bite, you won't get just nori and rice. This is a famous venue so expect a long wait. I waited about 1.5 hours and upon entering, I understood why. Like most places in Japan, there's maybe only about ~12 seats at the bar where you'll find one person making the all the onigiri orders. The other staff are doing the other prep work for the onigiris so it's like a very small production line. They work fairly quickly so once inside, you don't wait very long to receive your order. I tried a variety of onigiris and they were all fantastic. The menu is extensive with a lot to choose from. But with limited stomach space, I went for the minced ground beef & egg yolk, salmon with mayo, and the salted roe and salmon. All were very delicious! One thing to note tho is the salted roe is JUST that. Salty...very salty. But the rice and salmon did help balance that out. The wait is all entirely outdoors so be prepared for whatever weather is forecasted. When I went, it was very hot and sunny but occasionally, the staff checked on the line and provided cold green tea to everyone waiting. And as you get closer, there are umbrellas available which the staff handed out to shade us from the sun.

Happened to be staying caddy corner to Bongo, which is apparently the most famous onigiri place in Tokyo, and noticed one afternoon that the line looked unusually short. After having read that people often wait two, three, sometimes even four hours for these onigiri, we thought we'd give it a shot. We ended up only waiting an hour, which seems like a lucky break. At the time of this writing there were 57 different varieties of onigiri on the menu. I ordered three of the "top ten" onigiri and could only finish two. They're huge... and bursting with umami flavor. Watching the owner and her staff whip the rice balls up is incredible and you'll be tempted to film the whole thing on your phone until the miso soup comes and the guy working in front of you reminds you that it's best to drink your soup before it gets cold. If you don't finish an onigiri they will pack it up for you and it should stay good for a few hours. If you're willing to brave the potentially long wait, these large, delicious onigiri will really expand your perception of what a rice ball can be, and also expand your belly. Highly recommended.

I waited 2 hours for this onigiri in the summer heat and I honestly do not think it was worth it. At the end of the day, it's a piece of lightly salted seaweed wrapping around a generous portion of rice and you can add any filling! For ¥900, it's not bad and this comes with tofu miso soup. I maybe would wait 15-30min and this would be good. But waiting 2 hours was way too much. I got their marinated egg yolk and mentaiko squid. It was very very filled. I was so full by the end of this. It was okay honestly. As a tourist, maybe you'd want to try this once!

Don't come when you're hungry! Came around 3:30pm on a Monday and had to wait almost 4 hours. There are 9 seats available inside, so it was almost 7:30pm by the time we were seated. You order your food outside when you're at the front of the line. It was nice that around 6-7pm, they started giving out hot tea to the customers waiting at the front. They make each onigiri by hand so it does take some time(20min) before you get your food. Even though they take your order while you're outside, they only start making it after you're seated to keep your food as fresh as possible, and to keep the seaweed from getting soggy. You also get to watch them make the onigiri in front of you. We ordered curry, egg yolk soaked in soy sauce, cream cheese with salted salmon roe, egg yolk and meat soboro, and salted salmon roe and sake. Surprisingly, the cream cheese with salmon roe was my favorite by far. All the workers were very friendly, and reminded you that you can get unlimited free refills for your hot tea and miso soup. When they saw your bowl or cup empty, they check in to ask if you wanted more. Would I come and wait in line again? No, but it was a nice experience watching them make our food. I will be calling in to go next time!

Calling in advance a week ahead helped us beat the 3 hour line. Just say "O kai mochi shi tai-n desu" for takeout. You can combine options together

Worth the 2 hour wait! Go early, we got in line at 9:30 am (shop does not open until 11:30) and we were 5th in line. Everything was delicious, we got the mentaiko cream cheese, cheese, beef tendon, mayo salmon, spicy mentaiko, tuna mayo, ikura, and soy marinated egg yolk. I highly recommend the mentaiko with cream cheese, egg yolk, and the tuna or salmon mayo classics. Spot is right across from the train station and is really hard to miss.

I had heard about this place and was quite excited. I love jellyfish and uni so I had ordered the onigiri with combination of both. Unfortunately first few bites were pungent. Maybe it was me, or maybe it wasn't. For what it is worth my husband love all his onigiris. Not sure if I would wait an hr for onigiri again.

Waited in line for over an hour to eat at this small place seating maybe a dozen diners at a time. If you enjoy onigiri, then you will definitely enjoy Bongo. There was a single onigiri maker behind the counter and he was so skillful in what me does. Each onigiri formed to the exact triangular proportion adjusted for the fillings and nori wrapping. The way he makes the onigiris is just mesmerizing. If you don't want the nori, he can make it naked. There's about 50 different fillings you can choose from. The other staff members serve the customers with everything else. A wet hand towel and tea to start you off with. If you're in line, grab a menu, pen and paper they provide and jot down your order (by number if off the English menu). Miso soup and ocha is freely refillable. Expect to spend about ¥1,000 for a set of 3 onigiris and miso soup. Highly recommend this place if in the Otsuka Station area and looking for an enjoyable and filling snack/meal. Open until midnight.

Waited for 2.5 hours in the cold. My friends and I all got the Salmon and Salmon Roe onigiri since it was one of their bestsellers and a few other choices. Most of the onigiri's were flat out TOO salty. The pork kimchi was good. They gave free tea and the people were really nice. Good service

Relaxed and friendly shop in laid-back Otsuka featuring onigiri rice balls with a variety of stuffings. Lunchtime deal of 2 (or 3) onigiri + miso soup for 570 and 820 yen, respectively. It's a filling meal; even with two of the rice balls for a late lunch I only needed a light dinner. So it's a good place to stop for lunch while doing a daylong walk through Tokyo. Shop interior is friendly, and there's an open counter where the ingredients are displayed and you can watch the chefs at work.

Onigiri Bongo, おにぎりぼんご is worth checking out when in Tokyo if you love onigiri (Japanese rice ball) as much as we do. Located in Otsuka, just a station away from Ikebukuro, it is known for its made to order onigiri and the menu is a few pages! We arrived 45 mins prior to opening and there was already a line up. We were early enough to get in on the first seating. It was quite fascinating seeing the ladies behind the counter work their way through the orders. We ordered salted cod roe, cured egg, uni, salmon roe, salmon flake, curry onigiri and the sets come with miso. Within 30 mins, they had already refilled their rice bucket twice. Will I go back again next visit? Absolutely because I am a big believer that good food doesn't need to be complicated. .

This place was great! I went with my girlfriend for a late afternoon lunch and the staff there was all smiles and happy to help. One of them even looked up an English phrase on his phone so he could communicate with us. The food itself is filling if you get a variety of onigiri and chow down. The miso soup was also very tasty. Definitely a must eat if you're in the area. Good food and reasonably priced. English menu is available.

Nice rice balls, relaxed decor, very friendly and helpful staff. They have a menu in English.