What to try in Tokyo

Tokyo-style sushi rooted in the use of seafood from Edo Bay, historically preserved or seasoned for quick service over vinegared rice.

Tokyo's official guide connects sushi and boxes of vinegared rice with cured fish to the street-food culture that developed during the Edo period.

Also known as Edo-style sushi

A loose savory batter with cabbage and other ingredients cooked and eaten from a hot griddle with small spatulas.

The official Tokyo guide traces monjayaki to an early nineteenth-century children's griddle snack that evolved in the city.

Rice topped with or cooked alongside Japanese littleneck clams, traditionally with miso, tofu, and leeks.

Tokyo's guide documents Fukagawa-meshi as fast food for fishermen in the Fukagawa area when clam gathering flourished near the Sumida River.

Also known as Fukagawa clam rice

Buckwheat noodles served hot or cold with a concentrated dipping sauce or broth in the Tokyo tradition.

The official guide says soba was established as popular fast food by the mid-Edo period and became a major Tokyo specialty.

Seafood and vegetables coated in a light batter and fried, historically suited to quick service at Edo street stalls.

Tokyo's official culinary history places tempura among the quick foods served from stalls during the Edo period.