first time back in JAPAN in years | ultimate food tour + visiting the hottest coffee shops (TOKYO)

first time back in JAPAN in years | ultimate food tour + visiting the hottest coffee shops (TOKYO)

Heat. Hey, Heat. [Music] Dear Japan, how you been, old friend? I hope you’re doing good. I’ve come back to check up on you. I’ve heard that lately there have been way too many people coming to enjoy the food that you make and recently the amazing coffee that you are brewing. I hope you have room for one more. Just an old friend looking for something good to eat and a good coffee to drink. [Music] Oh, hey. I got that. [Music] I forgot the premium tuna bowl. [Music] [Music] Can I do black coffee? Okay. Thank you. What about you, sir? Oh, um I’ll get one of your What do you recommend? Okay. So, pour coffee or lattes? Um I will do a pourover coffee. Yeah. Thank you. So, um we recommend hot coffees here. Would you like hot one or ice one? Hot please. Hot for you. Hot. Hot for you. Um I will do hot. Yeah. Okay. So three hot coffee, right? So you can smell the aroma of hot and this pipe is more high quality coffee competition and hard to find. So price a little bit higher than innovations. But if you give with the price, we recommend this pipe. And this one is the most fruity, most sweet here. Wow. Smell that one. Smells like chocolate. Yeah. Smell this one. It’s very That’s funky. Yeah. This one has some funk to it. What kind of aroma? Floral one. I like darker usually arabica type of coffee. Okay. So, it’s all lighter. intest. This one is the Yeah, I like I like the Can I Can I smell this one? What would you recommend for fruity fuy one? This one or this one is I’m going to go with this one. Thank you. Pick a cherry in there. Cherry and chocolate notes. Smell this. Like cherry chocolate. That’s exactly what that I’m going to have that one. I don’t remember who is who. It’s like the Ferrari. So this So Lal I think is yours, right? Is that mine? I think so. Mine is what is it? Colia Colio Loma whiskey. Oh, thank you. There it is. It’s like a birth certificate. They treat their coffee like they treat Wagu, you know, like they have like the birth certificate and all that stuff. Smells good. It has like a really good And I would like looking at the color like it’s so light but then when you taste it it’s like it’s like such strong flavor. It’s got a lot of depth. Yeah. That coffee shop was really really cool. It’s funny cuz I met a couple of uh people from LA and we just started talking and I asked them like where were you flying from? It’s like oh LA. He’s like oh cool. Which airlines? Like Singapore Airlines. Like what day did you guys like yesterday? Are we We were on the same damn flight. [Music] Hello. Hi. Um I just want Oh, ticket. Damn, this place is crazy. I went in there and I was going to order something off their vending machine and the girl was like, “You have to get ticket first.” Like, “What ticket?” And right outside there’s another kiosk where you can get a ticket for your wait time. So, I’m like, “Okay, cool. There’s a spot for one.” Right now, it’s about 11:20 in the morning. And the very first available time, see that? 12:30. So, it’s like over an hour from now. Wait, correction, correction. I’m so bad with military time. That actually says 1:30. So, right now, it’s about 11:20. That’s over 2 hours from now. Jeez. Tick tock. Tick tock. 1:30. We’re almost there. All right. Finally. [Music] [Music] Here we go. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] I’ll open up pretty much. [Music] [Music] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Okay, so here’s the verdict. Here’s what I really think about that place. After making me wait for like two hours, like like was it worth it? Hell yeah, it was worth it. It was mind-blowing. It was earthshattering. life-changing. It was amazing. It was banging. It was delicious. God damn, that was so good. That ramen changed my life, man. I’ve had tons of ramen before. That I couldn’t even call that ramen. That was like magic in my mouth. Oh my god. I got to go take a nap. That was too much for me. [Music] [Music] I’m having breakfast at Denny’s today. [Music] Danny’s in Tokyo, Japan. [Music] [Music] Welcome to Shibuya, guys. It’s a bit rainy today. Not sure what to eat yet. I already had it at some Denny’s, but that wasn’t really a lot of food, so I’m still hungry. So, I think the plan is let’s go get some coffee first. [Music] [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] I just love the coffee culture here in Japan. People just take so much pride and passion into what they do, you know. So, I love the drinks. The service was very friendly and just a great experience overall. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Check. Yeah. Don’t ask me why again. We tried again and didn’t feel the same. The plans was open up the diagram. Went overseas. I got some bags that need acquiring. We used to get cash. The checks bigger so they wire them. So, we are now at Tonkatu Akira and uh they don’t open till 11:00 and I’m here like 10 minutes early. So, I’m the first in line. [Music] [Music] limited rice, limited egg, limited cabbage. It’s sour, savory, porky, and then the green onion sort of just balances everything out. It’s amazing. [Music] This is legit. I’m just going to finish this and then move on to the next spot. I promise you did not plan on eating backto-back tonkatu from two different restaurants. But while I was waiting for my meal at Tonkatu, I opened Tik Tok and stumbled on a video featuring this tiny Katudong spot that’s been blown up online. And let me tell you, it packs a serious punch. A punch of flavor. Exact. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and so delicious that people are lining up just to get a taste. But waiting in line, the staff politely asked everyone not to film or take pictures of the cooks, only the food. And I totally respect that. At the end of the day, what matters most to me when visiting these restaurants is their passion for food and their ability to serve the best flavors possible at the best value. [Music] It’s like a video game, guys. Trying to hit people. [Music] Happy. [Music] Good morning. It’s a rainy day today in Tokyo. It was raining hard last night, but this morning I think it’s starting to slow down a little bit. You know, it’s funny cuz when I’m at home in LA, if it’s raining, I don’t leave the house. I stay home, cook some soup, watch TV, or do some work on my computer. But we’re in Tokyo, so we got to head out. [Music] That was an unexpected treat. Like what’s going on? And I peeked inside and there’s a like a sumo tournament or training. But a lot of big people in there. A lot of big dudes pushing each other around. Just amazed by all the stuff that you experience and see in this city. Amazing. Love it. [Music] It’s like how did the people fit in there? [Music] Wow, what a cool little bar. It’s tiny. We were squished in there like sardines. Probably like six, seven, maybe eight the most. But it’s a cool neighborhood. It’s very, very residential. And the guys were really cool in there. Just two guys, the owner and one of his friends. Yeah. such cool vibes. They were playing retro uh music uh on vinyl and that was an interesting coffee. It was really funky. The smell of it, the aromatics was really funky. But then when he um made it into a pourover, it was so balanced. Man, I’m getting kind of like nerdy about coffee right now. But that’s what I love about the coffee scene in Japan. It’s crazy right now. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Look at all that garlic and anchovi. Dried anchovi. How rich this broth is. All right. excited and scared at the same time. Let’s taste the broth first. There’s so much garlic in this, guys. I can smell the anchovies. Like, I can smell anchovies in this entire restaurant. Oh, wishy. Wishy. Yeah, thank you. Spice perfect. Perfect spice. That broth is incredible. It’s rich and it’s not as rich as like a tonkatu, but the spice level is just perfect. Just the right amount of kick like back to your throat. So much umami flavor from the dried anchovies. Let’s try these noodles. I love these curly noodles. Just the perfect amount of balance. [Music] What a mess. What a mess this weather is making. Our food’s like here in Tokyo. So, been looking for this fried bread place called H3 Ginsza. And I think I found it because there’s a line over there. There’s a line or something. It’s usually a viral restaurant either through YouTube, Tik Tok, or Instagram. I was correct. This is the place. age three. [Music] I got the most popular sweet, which is the creme brulee sandwich. They have a bunch of seasonals, too. They had like a creme brulee purple yam which I still I wanted to get but like you know I’m still full from the ramen and um you know I just wanted to try it. Let’s try it. It’s already destroyed. Hang on. I’m just going to put the umbrella down. [ __ ] the rain. Oh shoot. See crumble already fell. But let’s eat it fast. Tastes like if you have like a grilled sandwich and you put creme brulee in the middle. That’s what it tastes like. It’s really good. This is a big sign that says no littering in the park. I might get arrested today. There you go. Just for your entertainment. The thing about Japan, guys, is that when you have trash, you got to carry it with you cuz there’s no trash can around. Well, there’s a trick, actually. You go to any 7-Eleven, any Family Mart, Lawson’s, any of these convenience stores, and they usually will have a trash can in there. And there’s usually one in every corner. So, if you go to Japan and you don’t see any trash cans outside, don’t leave your trash out. Carry it with you. Okay, guys. We got to get some shelter from this rain. I don’t want to use my umbrella too much because the wind is so strong that it’s feel like I’m going to fly away. So, let me uh grab some coffee. There’s a place called Oh, it’s right here. It’s called Roar Coffee Place. [Music] [Music] There it is, guys. There’s the sign. That restaurant is a viral social media restaurant because there’s always a line here. It’s open. What a crazy day to go explore Tokyo. The rain, it’s been nonstop. It’s not letting down. But you know what? There’s a saying that goes, “Don’t wait for the rain to stop. Learn how to dance in the rain.” For me, it’s learn how to eat in the rain. See, that’s what they’re known for right there. It’s noodles. Almost like a double caric, but I think I’m into this one right here. That’s more my style. [Music] So, I got the thick noodles just for you guys cuz you probably are so used to seeing the thin noodles. [Music] There you go, guys. Two different flavor soups. Don’t ask me what it is cuz I don’t know. And an assortment tempora, [Music] [Music] very mushroomy. It’s light, delicate. It’s really well balanced. Look at how light that broth is. It’s almost like water, but there’s tons of flavor in there. Okay, let’s try the other broth. This one has more soy sauce. I think it’s a little bit darker. Yeah. [Music] All right, here we go. [Music] Oh yeah, this one has more umami in form of bonito, probably some anchovies, some seaweed. Solid. It’s incredible. Almost like a lasagna or baradelli. [Music] [Music] [Music] That’s crazy. This noodles, it’s silky smooth, but has the right amount of bounce. Look at that. Look at how smooth that is. It like slips away from my chopsticks. [Music] [Music] Y happy [Music] mushrooms. [Music] [Music] That was insanely good. Incredible. Unbelievable. I’m so full right now. I’m about ready to pass out. Wow. What a meal. What a day. Even though it’s raining. You know what? It gave me an excuse to eat noodles today. So, thank God for the rain. Thank God for Japan. Thank God for Tokyo. Thank you so much. And um about ready to go to bed. So, see you in the morning. [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. Hey, Heat. [Music] [Music] I may have a truffle concurr and also Which is better? This one or this one? Recommend this one. Yeah, I’ll get that. Kind of want to get this pizza. It’s too much though. This entire food baguette looks really good, too. Damn. [Music] [Music] Check this out. It’s nice and warm. And even outside, I can smell the truffles. Truffle is so strong that I can’t even like think. I’m so excited about this. Look at this bread. They bake everything in house. It’s uh I believe it’s grier and an aged grier with uh there’s ham in there. Pushcido in there. Oh, I can smell the cheese, the butter, pushcido, and then the shaved truffles on top. First bite. That’s ridiculous. That is incredible. It’s ridiculous. I could eat like 10 of these. Look at how creamy that is on the inside. I don’t know what she said, but she was smiling when she said said it to me. So, I hope she wasn’t making fun of me. Look at that bashameal sauce in there. So rich. It’s actually not crazy rich. Sorry. It’s just the perfect amount of richness. That is like the best sandwich I’ve ever had in my life. I’ve had sandwiches in France in Spain and Portugal. This I don’t even know what to compare this to. It’s ridiculous. It’s beyond ridiculous. I have to go back and get like three more. It’s about $8 each. Butter and truffle bread. Guys, look at how this is so light. It’s like air. It’s like clouds right here. Look at the glaze. I could spread a little bit of crack on the outside, you know, get all addicting from people. And I can smell the truffles. There’s truffle, butter, and sugar. Oh my god. It’s literally air inside. [Music] It’s light, airy, but the bread on the outside is chewy. It’s not crazy sweet. And the truffle is not overpowering. It’s just like subtle. When you smell it, smells really good with truffles. And then when you bite into it, that truffle just kind of like lingers around your, you know, your pallet. Damn, I feel terrible. So, I’ve been doing this video, right? on the street level right is around the corner from the bakery and then next door to me there’s a house and I don’t I hope I wasn’t being too loud and then all of a sudden I see these people some older people come out wearing all black and they’re bringing with them some signs and I think it’s a funeral said it’s so good I died and went to heaven [Music] [Music] down. [Music] [Music] Hey, You still with me? Are you still hungry? I’m saving the best for last because today we are in Asakusa. This place is known for well two things. They do a lot of uh river festivals and also they do a lot of street food here, isakaya. So today I’m meeting a friend of mine who lives here in Japan. He’s a local and he’s going to show me around and we’re going to go to a place called Hoppy Street. Hoppy as in hops for beer. So, there might be some drinking. I don’t really drink much anymore, but you know, you got to do what you got to do. So, we’re going to eat, we’re going to drink, and then we’re going to sightsee here in Azakusa. [Music] Asah group. customer use this and then we can go only Peron is yours our brand. Yeah. Right. Then we are start September in Japan. My friend I saw I went to Shibuya and they have a big um booth food um showing. Yeah. So what floor is it? Everyone can enter. So this is the restaurant or Spanish restaurant. Yeah. Coffee. Wow. Man, if this is my office, I’ll be here every day, man. We work downstairs, so weird. You don’t get to see expensive, you know. So, is this a like a restaurant with a view? Yeah, with a view. Oh, that’s why that’s why it’s popular, right? We have only this time is only used for this is only so clients go here. Oh just so it’s just a door skyro. Oh that’s why it’s also sunset so people are like I think you two should just hang out and just have dinner here all the time. You know you So like you have to book the whole boat. Do you have to book the whole boat for a party or is it only Okay. So Japanese style food. Maybe one of these days. You know, I was in Amsterdam and we um there was a floating Chinese restaurant. Oh. In Amsterdam. It was the best Chinese food. You know, I’ve been to China and Hong Kong and the best Singapore style noodles is in Amsterdam. this floating home. Yeah. One restaurant, two restaurant, three restaurants, and four restaurants name. Oh, okay. So, that’s the same restaurant. Same name. Yeah. Different name. Yamato. Yamato. We’re going to get one that says Shina and then you can run the restaurant. Oh, I’ve seen this before. Yeah. [Music] This is matcha. Matcha. You want to drive? Well, I’m going to go to Kyoto in Oh, yeah. The best place for matcha. I’m go to your hometown. Go to Nara, too. Yeah, I’m going to go to Nara. You want me to say hello to your family? [Music] all the food stalls everywhere. It’s like um it’s like tapas in in Spain. You have to jump them one next. You know, you need to drink one drink, one one dish or two. You move the next one. Yeah. Sure. [Music] So this is just a Oh, bamboo. Okay. Bye. Thank you. Thank you guys. Good to see you guys. It’s like a bra beef with radish and carrots. Kind of like a soup. Not soup, but like just pick whatever you want. Right here some Okay. I always go for the radish first cuz it soaked up all the juice and you can taste all the broth. You are you okay with the dashi? I make my own dashi at home. Oh, that’s good. It’s a lot of ginger. Ginger. Yeah. [Music] That’s pork. Pork fat. A pork. Some Sometimes they they call it neck nectar. Chicken or pork? Chicken. This is chicken. It’s good. Smoky. Good. Juicy, really savory. See, that’s that’s another reason why I wanted to stick good food. I know. Japan has the best food, I think. No. Ah, yeah. Yeah. Chicken. Oh, the cartilage. Cartilage. Yes. I love cartilage. So, how much is this? 600 yen. Yeah. So cheap. [Music] Ham. Oh, it’s ham. Ham. It’s pork. Yeah. Ham. Yeah. This is really good, by the way. Drink it. Yeah. It’s like a perfect beer. I know. Cuz it’s like salty, crunchy. Like I would drink more beer because of this. It’s very um soft inside. Wow. All right. The guys are looking for a good yaki miko place. So, it’s a lot of choices, but we got to get the best one. Okay. Where are you taking me, guys? It’s becoming less people here. It’s okay. Sometime you go to less people. You know, the best the best places are in like the most dangerous places. No, I’m like you in LA, right? Like Yeah. The best restaurants are in like the most ghetto. Yeah. I think we have found our spot, guys, for yaki niko. [Music] Oh, yes. I can smell it. Yes. This is the spot. Now you get your uh This is the spot. Oh, Japanese barbecue. Yeah. I can smell the barbecue. Whiskey. Um No, it’s like a You You never tried this before? No. Can I take a sip? Can become [Music] I see the bottle hoppy. It’s a classic. So it’s just non-alcoholic. The hops. Yeah. Like a barley. Yeah. It’s like hot water. Is that a taste? M you get like a It’s refreshing. Yeah, it’s like beer and sou mix kind of. Yeah. How much alcohol is in it? I don’t know. We are not sure. I don’t know. We’ll see how long it take for. Which one is this? Ribeyami. Riyami. Harami. Harami. Harami. Harami. Harami. Haram. Wow. All right. Wait, wait for um we asked for lemon. So you got to dip with lemon. Oh, sure. Okay. Sorry for my hair. So you dip it in lemon and then dip. No, no, you don’t need to dip with this. Just lemon [Music] barbecue. That’s good. Yeah. You like it? Oh, thank you. tongue is really this is really thin. So you you be quick. Do we dip it in the other ones or just the uh if you want to? Yeah. So this is the uh skirt or Yeah, this is the skirt. Wow, look at that fat. Orange County, there’s a really good famous Japanese called Anjen. We used to go there all the time. That was our go-to place. Mu is good, too. But try Muku. I’ve been there. The charcoal one. Yeah. Yeah, that was good. They open up brands in LA. Oh, yeah. Oh, okay. [Music] That is so good. [Music] That’s so good. It’s so tender and fatty. Oh yeah, it’s got to be a ribeye. Oh yeah. Okay. Or do we do we put the whole thing in? [Music] Yeah. Let me uh ask for the scissors. The whole thing. Oh. Oh. Oh, wow. comes apart. It’s going to be quick. Yeah. Oh, no. A lot of fat. So fatty. Yeah. You dip it in the egg. Yeah. And you eat it. And then we cut. Okay. I got one more egg. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Okay. That thing literally like melt your mouth. Melted in my mouth. A little bit fatty but with wasabi is good. Oh, with wasabi. Wasabi. Yes. It should be good. [Music] Almost like kind of mix a little bit. Yeah, normally we can rot. It’s usually raw, but you have to raw sear. Just cook a little bit and just I’ll hold it. [Music] Wow. [Music] [Music] [Applause] Coming back to Tokyo after all these years felt like stepping into a memory that was waiting for me. Every bite carried not just flavor, but moments from the past. Moments that reminded me why I fell in love with this city in the first place. From the quiet ramen shops tucked away in alleyways to the bustling isakayas overflowing with energy. Tokyo fed both my appetite and my nostalgia. But in the end, the best meal wasn’t just about the food. It was about sharing it with friends. Laughter of a table in Japan, surrounded by people who make every dish taste even better. That’s the memory I’ll carry with me long after this trip is over. Until next time, Tokyo. Thank you for welcoming me home.

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I ate my way around Tokyo, exploring neighborhoods like Shibuya, Ginza, Koto City, Shinjuku, Asakusa, and more. And since I’d heard Tokyo’s coffee scene is next-level, I checked out a few viral coffee shops—and let’s say, they definitely lived up to the hype.

This is one of many food vlogs from Japan that I will be sharing as I make my way from Tokyo all the way down to Fukuoka, stopping at many places in between.

Let’s go!