When considering what and where to eat, many tourists visiting Japan have one or more of the following in mind:
- Tiny izakayas tucked away in narrow alleys
- Reservation-only sushi that costs like $150+ per person
- Fine dining omakase (this category partially overlaps with #2 above but doesn't necessarily include sushi)
- Expensive yakiniku or other specialty cuisine
And what I'm here to tell you is that, yes, you can try those things. There's nothing wrong with any of them, if that's what you want to do. But you're also missing out on what a large segment of working Japanese people in the major cities actually eat, which are these fast casual dining chains that are all over town, and are frequented by salarymen and folks on the go who need a quick meal.
Not endorsing any particular chain, but a few examples are: Ootoya, Matsuya, Sukiya, CoCo curry, and Yayoi-ken.
Ordering is simple. Look for an electronic kiosk next to the entrance. Pay attention for any indication whether it's for dining in, or for takeout orders only. If it's takeout only, then look for individual kiosks/tablets in the seating area. In my experience, all of these have an English language option, although you might have to search for it. The restaurants with electronic menus at the table are the ones I prefer because you can choose where to sit and then take your time figuring out the ordering system, instead of standing at the kiosk and potentially holding up the line. In such cases–especially if it's peak lunch time–I suggest you stand to the side, let others order first, and pay attention to what they're doing so that when it's time for you to order, you'll know what to do.
If you ordered at your seat, a server will bring your food to you on a tray. If you ordered at a kiosk, you get a ticket with a number, and there will be a display to call out that number when your food is ready to pick up at the counter.
When you eat, keep the seating area clean, and confine any food mess to your tray. When you're done, BUS YOUR TABLE: take the tray back to the counter. There will be a place to drop it off. DO NOT leave the tray at your seat.
If you paid at the kiosk when you ordered, you can just leave. If you ordered at your seat, the server will have brought your receipt to you and placed it in a little holder when they brought your food to you. When you're done eating, bring this receipt with you to the payment counter. They will process the payment there. Servers do not come back to your table to handle payment.
Now, why do I recommend these places? Because they have consistently good quality food at a really great value. Sometimes the food is amazing and you'll feel like you just got away with a crime. There were times when I felt like I ate like a king for what must have been under $10. The problem with doing the tourist-y thing is that it can be really hit-or-miss. Even if a place got good Tabelog reviews, it can be more for the atmosphere than for the food itself. Some restaurants exploit their reputation among tourists, especially around tourist hot spots.
by hero_pup