I found a restaurant hack in Tokyo that saves hundreds

A typical meal can cost about $30 per bite, but there is a more affordable way to experience Tokyo’s celebrated omakase restaurants.

Reddit isn’t usually my go-to for travel advice (I’ll spare you the story of a friend who got scammed trying to buy weed in Florence from someone he “met” on Reddit).

But somehow before my three-week trip to Japan, I found myself glued to a post about where to find affordable omakase in Tokyo.

This would be my sixth visit to Japan and over the years I’ve splashed out on this high-end style of dining, which translates to “I leave it to you”, only a couple of times. It’s a rare treat, even for food lovers. If you’re unfamiliar with omakase: the chefs are highly skilled, there are no menus and the venue serves a limited number of diners per night. A typical omakase sushi experience in Tokyo can cost nearly $300 per person. That’s about $30 per bite.

At Tokyo's omakase eateries, the chef dictates the menu.

My taste buds were feeling less bougie this visit so I tried my luck searching “affordable omakase sushi Tokyo” on Google. I’d not heard about inexpensive options being a thing in Japan, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Reddit reckons they do. I scanned one post in which a user recommended an affordable omakase sushi restaurant in Tokyo.

I typed Manten Sushi into Google and saw there were two locations in the city and they took bookings on TableCheck, one of the online restaurant booking bibles essential for tourists navigating Japan’s dining scene.

I proceeded with the booking and found their offer: a 120-minute dinner omakase for just 8800 yen (about $96). I made a booking for two at the Marunouchi location, which was about 40 minutes from our accommodation in Shinjuku. The only timeslots available were 5pm and 9pm, and I chose the latter.

Perfection at Manten Sushi.

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but when the day came and we’d clocked more than 15,000 steps by 5pm, my friend, Phil, and I were exhausted and questioning our decision. But there was no backing out. Throughout the day we’d tweaked the “eat, snack, repeat” routine we’d enthusiastically adopted since our arrival in Tokyo, and set off for pre-dinner cocktails at 7pm.

Manten Sushi is a bit of a distance from Shinjuku, but I figured the savings made it worth the extra time on the subway. The restaurant was a tiny, unassuming blond-timber space in the business district with “kaunta seki” (counter seating) only. It was full of diners facing four omakase chefs dressed in crisp white uniforms and holding court at either side.

We ordered hot sake and within seconds the chef set down our first course on the individual stone plates in front of us. There was no time to twiddle your thumbs here – once bums were on seats, the courses came rolling out.

Impeccable technique meets the freshest ingredients at omokase.

The etiquette at omakase restaurants in Japan is to pick up what’s being offered with your chopsticks and eat it in one bite. First was a glossy tuna nigiri painted with a single stroke of soy sauce. It was quickly followed by scallop nigiri, seared tuna nigiri, a handheld tuna roll and clam miso soup. I lost track of the number of courses we ate, but it was more than 10 and under 20. To finish the meal, we were presented with two fresh strawberries in a tiny bowl.

The experience basically paid for itself. Strawberries are extortionately expensive in Japan. I had to laugh as I had inadvertently paid $18 for six strawberries the night before while hungry-shopping at a 7-Eleven. I may not be able to afford strawberries in Tokyo, but I’ll be dining out on this relatively cheap omakase experience for years to come.

The writer paid for her meal and travelled with the assistance of Jetstar Australia and Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Originally published as I found a restaurant hack in Tokyo that saves hundreds