Tokyo rewards obsession. The best places do exactly one thing, often from a counter with a dozen seats, and they have perfected it over generations. The counter that makes only ramen will out-cook the place with a long menu, so a narrow focus is the quality signal to follow.
The range is staggering and the floor is high. A bowl of tonkotsu ramen, a sushi omakase, tempura, soba, and unagi each have their devoted specialists, and even the convenience stores are genuinely good. Eat in the department store basements, the depachika, where some of the city's finest prepared food hides.
Manners are easy once you know them. Slurp your noodles, do not tip, and do not eat while walking. The midday set meal, or teishoku, gets you a specialist's cooking at a fraction of the dinner price.
