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These 5 Pocket Friendly Eateries Will Let You Enjoy Tokyo on a Budget

Photo credit: Flickr / Jonathan Lin

Ahhh, Tokyo, one of our favourite cities in the world, infamous for its expensive shopping, food, accommodation etc. Basically everything in Japan is expensive, especially Tokyo — exactly why the frequent travellers at KKday are constantly on the lookout for cheaper options in Tokyo and we discovered these 5 cheap eateries in Tokyo you can indulge in all the yummy Japanese food even on a shoestring budget!

1. Hakata Tenjin Ramen

No trip to Japan is complete without a piping hot bowl of ramenHakata Tengin Ramen, offering a decent ramen at an affordable price, is the perfect place for your ramen fix. There are various kind of soup base and ingredients like spring onion, seaweed to accompany your ramen. Our favourite soup base are tonkotsu (pork broth) and shoyu (soy sauce). Slurp up the bowl of piping hot ramen from only 500 yen (~ SGD $6.70) — even cheaper than a bowl of ramen in Singapore!

Address:
3-22-13 Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo Prefecture

Opening hours:
11:00am — 3:00pm

2. C&C Curry Shop

https://www.instagram.com/p/BAR1kkQl10d/

Japanese curry the comfort food of many locals and boy, it’s not hard to understand why. Sticky rice served alongside a golden brown breaded cutlet fried to perfection before it’s covered with a generous amount of curry gravy. Yum.

A photo posted by @oan0731asih on Jul 8, 2015 at 4:02am PDT

Customised your sauce based on the level of spiciness: mild, medium hot, or hot — the affable Japanese stall owners are more than ready to make a recommendation if you need. Drop by one of the C&C Currp Shop‘s 21 outlets across Tokyo for a plate of Japanese curry paired with Asahi for less than 750 yen (~ SGD $10).

Address:
Tokyo Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, 1-1-4 Keio Shinjuke Station campus
For more branches, click here

Opening hours:
Weekdays: 6:45am — 11:00pm
Weekends: 7:00am — 11:30pm
Public Holidays: 7:30am — 10:00pm

3. Tempura Tendon Tenya

Photo credit: Karla Espinoza

Tempura is definitely one of the must eats of Japan and Tempura Tendon Tenya is known for its affordable and delicious tempura. Offering their classic One Coin Tendon at a discounted price of 390 yen (~ SGD 6) on the 18th of each month and 500 yen (~ SGD $7) on normal days, Tempura Tendon Tenya is one of the most poplar and cheapest fast food chains in Japan.

For a fancier yet equally well-loved selection of tempura, go for All Star Tendon priced at 720 yen (~ SGD $10). Not exactly pocket-friendly but the dish comes with miso soup to complete your meal, guaranteed to fill your stomach till your next delicious Japanese meal. Think about the money you’ll save from snacking!

Vegetarian? No worries, Tempura Tendon Tenya offers vegetarian options like Vegetable Tendon priced at 520 yen (~SGD 7.20). Pssst, Tempura Tendon Tenya tend to have special deals on their websites so give their page a look before heading over.

Address:
Ginza Store, 〒104-0061 Kusano Building, 3-9-4 Ginza Chuo-ku, Tokyo
For more branches, click here!

Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday: 11am — 11pm

4. Rakugama Senmenjyo

A photo posted by Jimmy Park (@jimmyxpark) on Oct 18, 2015 at 5:53am PDT

Rakugama Seimenjyo, literally meaning “easy pot noodle place”, is a chain restaurant highly recommended by locals and frequent Japan travellers for its tasty affordable udon. Best known for their basic bowl of udon that costs only 280 – 330 yen (~ SGD $4 – $5), Rakugama Seimenjyo is proof you can survive in Tokyo without burning a hole in your pocket!

Rakugama Seimenjyo is usually packed at lunch time so do avoid going then if you don’t have the patience to queue. In our experience, it’s best to head there before 11:30am or after 1:30pm.

Address:
Tokyo Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, 1-12-6
For more branches, click here!

Opening hours:
7:30am – 11pm daily

5. Unatoto

Another pocket friendly eatery, Unatoto offers grilled unagi dishes at unbelievably cheap prices. The eel, a favourite of diners, is prepared the traditional Japanese way — marinated in a sticky sweet sauce and grilled before being served on a bed of rice. The Unadon (500 yen, ~ SGD $7) and Hitsumagushi (700 yen, ~ SGD $9.50) in Unatoto are equally impressive as well, ticking all the boxes for a great meal.

Address:
Tokyo Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, 1-25-1 Shinjuku Center Building B1
For more branches, click here

Opening hours:
Mon to Fri, 11:00 – 23:00, Sat 11:00 – 14:00

Whoever said Japan will burn a huge hole in your pocket surely hasn’t read KKday’s travel guide —these pocket-friendly eateries are perfect for your budget holiday to Tokyo. Who says you can’t enjoy Japan even when you’re on a budget?

Looking for more cheap things to do in Tokyo?

>> Tokyo Disneyland / DisneySea
>> Tokyo Skytree
>> Tokyo Tower Observatory

KKday’s Japan travel guides:
>> 4 Hidden Food Gems in Kyoto All Gastronomes Will Love
>> What to Buy From Hokkaido: 7 Famous Food to Bring Back as Souvenirs
>> How to Get to Tokyo’s Suburbs via Tokyo Metro

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