Tokyo

Edomae Sushi

Tokyo's own sushi style, developed in old Edo before refrigeration, where fish is cured, marinated or lightly cooked rather than always served raw, and pressed onto vinegared rice by hand at the counter. A seat at a proper sushi counter, watching each piece made to order, is a different experience from a supermarket sushi box.

◆Tsukiji's outer market area still has excellent counter sushi spots for breakfast or lunch.

Monjayaki

A runny, savoury Tokyo pancake of batter, cabbage and other mix-ins, cooked together on a hot griddle at your table and scraped up in small bites with a mini spatula rather than flipped like okonomiyaki. Tsukishima, an entire neighbourhood of dedicated monjayaki restaurants, is considered its spiritual home.

◆It looks messy compared to okonomiyaki at first; let the crust form on the griddle before eating straight off it.

Edomae Tempura

Seafood and vegetables from Tokyo Bay, coated in a light batter and fried in sesame oil until crisp rather than heavy, a style distinct from tempura found elsewhere in Japan. At specialist counters the chef fries each piece to order and serves it to you within seconds.

Fugu (Pufferfish)

A prized winter delicacy served as translucent sashimi, hot pot or fried, prepared only by chefs specifically licensed after years of training to remove the fish's lethal neurotoxin. It is one of the more daring things a visitor can order in Tokyo, and a legally certified restaurant makes it entirely safe to try.

◆Look for a shop with visible fugu licensing; the mild, delicate flavour surprises people expecting something stronger.