Best ever food and drink tour! Our guide Kyoko was amazing and her English was excellent. The group size of six people was comfortably manageable. We were five friends and a solo rugby / football player. Kyoko was very knowledgeable of the history and ambience of the area and the Fish Market layout and variety making sure that we visited the very best shops. Kyoko was very keen to pick up on our interests throughout the tour and bought those items for us to enjoy at our lunch. Kyoko was expert at maneuvering us through the market in a timely fashion while still allowing us time to browse and buy what the market had to offer. As a side note, see something you like? Better buy it there because you won't find it elsewhere. I highly recommend this tour and ask for Kyoko.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Friends |
Activity Date: | 2019/09/24 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
Our tour guides were very informative and really nice. We went to a variety of different stores to sample their products. The tour is indoors which worked out for us as it was raining that day. It was great value, worth the visit and we would recommend this tour.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Friends |
Activity Date: | 2019/07/14 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
We had a wonderful introduction to the Golden Gai and tried food items we would have never thought to...our guide was interesting and fun...she shared the history of the area, interesting details of life in Tokyo, and took us to cool places we would have been too intimidated to go into on our own. I HIGHLY recommend booking a tour!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Friends |
Activity Date: | 2019/06/11 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
Great food tasting tour. Our guide was so kind and very informative. Me and my sister really enjoyed ourselves during this trip to Japan
Thank you very much for joining our Best of Japan Gourmet Tour! I'm glad you enjoyed your time in Japan, and hope to see you again in Nihonbashi in the future! ~Megan
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2019/06/01 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
Not only did we get to sample different foods, we also learned about their origins and history. So interesting! After the tour, we went back to the stores we toured and bought sweet potato snacks and wheat flour mochi. Our tour guide was very informative and friendly.
Thank you for joining! We are so happy that you enjoyed it and were able to find some yummy snacks to take back with you after :)
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2019/04/18 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
We had a wonderful time learning to make basic dashi, chirashi, and then using our dashi to make chikuzenni (simmered vegetables). Dishes made in this class may vary by season. The instructor was patient with excellent English and no experience or knowledge other than basic knife handling (vegetable chopping & peeling) is required. It was a great experience to be able to cook in an actual restaurant kitchen. After the food we made was ready, our dishes were supplemented with other items made by the restaurant staff and sake sampling flight. We finished by learning the proper etiquette for chopstick handling and opening and closing formal Kaiseki bento before eating the fruits (vegetables) of our labors.
100% would do this again, and even though we did have some experience with Japanese cooking we were able to improve our skills greatly. 10/10 all around!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2019/05/16 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
Food mostly was good, some items were excellent such as seafood. We would prefer smaller selection and some of wine and beers to be included. Considering abundance of great small restaurants were you can an excellent food for 1/3 of the price, this was not a great deal. If people would like to experience real Japanese food do not go to this buffet. Views from the windows are so beautiful so you can forget about the food.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2019/04/26 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
I've been on these tour twice now, and both times have being with a non-japanese guide. But they definitely know their stuff and it's a mix of Japanese culture and food. Very worth a 1000 yen. You even get a gift at the end :-)
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2019/04/21 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
Wakana-san was amazing!
Such an amazing cultural experience. I went with my family...2 grandparents, 2 parents, 2 children (9yo, 11yo). We let the children do the "work" for udon making, and Wakana was so patient! She speaks English clearly, and easily understandable. The steps were easy to do for the children. While we were waiting for the udon, Wakana showed us how to make different origami. After, we got to enjoy the delicious udon! We are excited to make udon at home!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2019/03/25 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
I only knew Harajuku for the gothic-lolita kawaii fashion so it was very interesting to see the back alleys and food places I normally don't see in guidebooks. We got to sample a lot of regional specialities and lots of desserts (my favorite!) Our friendly guide was super knowledgeable and was flexible to cater to our entire group. But be prepared to swim through the crowd and possibly wait on lines for some of the treats.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Friends |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
Our guide Asami did a great job taking us to places with great eats! She made sure to give us background info about the places we were visiting and even explained Japanese customs and table manners. She also accommodated personal requests (getting specific souvenirs, etc.) which made the tour feel more intimate.
I did expect this tour to feature more Instagrammable food, but it wasn't so much the case. Nonetheless, everything we ate was good. I especially loved the sesame ice cream!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Friends |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
Great experience to taste many Sakes in a nice relaxed environment.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Friends |
Activity Date: | 2019/03/18 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
This review is probably 3 years late, but when we knew we were going back to Tokyo again this year, we had to look for this buffet again because of how nicely this meal/location/atmosphere/deal wrapped our Tokyo trip for us on our last night there 3 years ago.
My wife and I traveled with a friend. All the walking around, traveling, and searching for what we'd eat was daunting. Luckily, I had reserved this place for our last night there, and boy, was it perfect.
We arrived at the hotel on time for the evening buffet. There were a bunch of other people who either had the same deal, or was included in their hotel stay/tourist package. We all rode the elevator with the restaurant representative to the restaurant, then sat in the waiting area until the restaurant was ready for our group of people. There's no guarantee about sitting right next to the window, but luckily the 3 of us were seated where we wanted (which was right by the window). However, no matter where you sat, you have a huge view of overlooking the city.
All the food was fresh as well. Nothing looked like it sat out for a long time. It had a mix of Japanese food and various other cuisines, like Chinese and American. There was sushi (no sashimi), fried noodles, roast, grilled chicken, soups, etc. The selections were varied and wide enough, but I don't think anyone should expect anything fancy. I actually think they had pizza too... There were plenty of dessert that were really pleasant. The drinks were pretty much what you expect: water, juice, coffee, etc. I think we did purchase alcohol separately, but I can't quite remember how much. I just know it wasn't expensive like it would be at other hotel restaurants in Western countries.
This buffet wrapped things up nicely for us, like I said. It's a nice way to just take in the view one last time and just relax with food in your belly. Overall, it has a great view, great dessert, above average food selection and quality, and decent price.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Friends |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
It was a lot of fun. Would love to try other available tours.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Activity Date: | 2019/01/04 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
We had a highly enjoyable experience on the evening food tour Golden Gai Shinjuku. Our guide Norma was excellent. She chose some great food destinations and was very helpful in explaining Japanese food etiquette and culture. In between eating, Norma guided us around Shinjuku, which is a must see destination if you come to Tokyo. She was very knowledgeable and gave us a great download on the activities and history of the Shinjuku area. Towards, the end of the tour we went to the Golden Gai area, which is quite fascinating for tourists.
We dont write alot of reviews, but would highly recommend this tour, and in particular, we felt quite fortunate that our guide was Norma, as she was really very committed to ensuring that the group was enjoying both the tour and the food experience.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2018/12/28 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
We loved our first workshop with him so much last year, that we had to come back for a second time. This time we made a glutenfree Japanese curry. Sato-san adjusted the recipe for us and made a delicious curry that we could enjoy. We will definitely make this curry at home. Sato-san is a wonderful person which makes the workshop even more enjoyable. It was a real challenge for him to make a glutenfree curry for us. Luckily, he accepted the challenge and made a wonderful Japanese curry recipe. We would definitely recommend this cooking workshop to everyone that likes Japanese cuisine.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2018/12/04 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
Really enjoyed this. Learned a lot about the different food items and regions of origin. The guide was great and wore a kimono and had yukata for the kids to wear which was a lot of fun. Also great because it was all indoors and it was raining outside.
Thank you for your review. We're so glad you enjoyed it the tour, and the kids liked the happi! Enjoy the rest of your time in Japan!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Activity Date: | 2018/12/22 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
This little walking tour of some of the famous and historical food stores whose history date from the Edo period was quite delightful and very good value.
The two kimono clad young guides provided us with an excellent commentary in English as well as with samples of the various foods.
I recommend this tour to anyone interested in Japanese food. The Nihonbashi area of Tokyo is a must to visit too!
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Activity Date: | 2018/12/07 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
I enjoyed some sampling and got a small present. These are included in the tour fee. It’s good value plan.
Guide is charming and knows Japanese culture.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Activity Date: | 2018/09/12 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
We all had a lovely time and our sensei was excellent. She was so patient and kind. Highly recommended. We learnt how to make udon noodles and look forward to using our new skill at home.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Activity Date: | 2018/08/07 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
The tour guide was very thorough and gave us a lot of information about each stop. The samples were adequate and overall I felt like I travelled around Japan even though we didn't go far. All round great experience.
Hi Justine, thank you very much for joining our tour! I'm glad you enjoyed it! ~Megan
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Activity Date: | 2018/07/29 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
・初来日の外国人家族と参加。日本の文化の基本というか共通項を見てもらえると期待して申し込む。
・嗜好の違いか、羊羹や昆布は「濃い」(煮詰まっている、甘すぎるといった感じ)というコメント、出汁はこわごわでしたが美味しいとも。日本文化や日本食はある程度海外でも認知度が高いと想定していたが、全く知らない人にはちょっと刺激が強いかも。
・日本の地形や風土が地方によって違うことを知らない場合、県やエリアのことを言われても、何かすごく違いがあるのかわからないので伝わりづらいと感じた。
・終わった後に「短時間で一応いろんなことを学んだ(気がする)。いいツアーだ」と感想を言っていたので良かった。別の家族が来たらまた案内したい。
・スペイン語も対応してくれると嬉しい
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Activity Date: | 2018/07/12 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
One you find the assembly point its all plain sailing the guide. Was knowlegble and gave a lot of information as to where things at the market come from the breakfast was great eating like a japanese with all fresh food. It was by far one of the. Best tours i have been on and by far the best guide
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2018/04/26 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
The food is good and good view of tokyo skytree. Evening is a good time to have good view, whilst having the dinner. Choices are plenty with good selections.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Activity Date: | 2018/04/06 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
Was a fantastic tour of the fish markets where we not only leant a lot but sampled the delicious food! Would recommend everyone to do it when you are in Tokyo
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2018/04/03 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
This was a fun and informative class using your hands and special tools to form the sweets. The only thing of note is that (traditionally) the sweets are not flavored which would improve the tasting experience.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2018/04/05 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
Great knowledgable guide gave concise explanations and background of selected Japanese food types, with yummy samples. Great value.
We're so glad you enjoyed our tour! Hope to see you again sometime :) ~Bryony
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2018/04/21 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
The Tsujiki Market, at least the professional "inner" market will be moving in the fall of 2018, so now is the time to take this tour. Our group consisted of 6 people and one guide, and it appeared that they tried to keep the ratio around that as there were many groups forming up at our meeting place. This is an excellent practice, because the market is crowded and a larger group would have trouble staying together. We sampled oysters, sake, tamagoyaki (egg), crackers, beans, tea, and more. We saw the whole sellers cutting up tuna and chefs ordering fish for their restaurants. And then we settled into a nice little restaurant for a delicious sushi lunch.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2018/04/09 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
Our guide was very friendly and polite, explaining things to us thoroughly.
The market tour included 50 min of free time which I thought was not necessary cos you can always go back there afterwards. The cooking kitchen was an actual kitchen for training sushi chef. The instructor and assistant were helpful and knowledgeable. I am very happy to learn how to slice a fish for sushi. Portion was adequate.
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Activity Date: | 2018/03/12 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
It was so good and I want to do it again. Explanation of Each samples how it was made awesome. Various kind of pickles were great.
We're so glad you enjoyed it! We hope you enjoy the rest of your time here in Japan with your newfound knowledge on all the different traditional foods. ~International Staff
Rating: | |
---|---|
Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2018/03/15 |
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
Reply from activity provider
An unexpected error has occurred. Please go back to the previous page and try again, or wait a few minutes and try once again.
Thank you so much for taking the time to review us! Neha and I are so glad you enjoyed yourselves on the tour, and we hope to see you in Nihonbashi again someday. :) ~Rose