Speaking of must-eat food in Asakusa, the century-old “Asakusa Imahan” is definitely on the list. Ever since I tried the delicious sukiyaki at the century-old Kyoto restaurant “Mishimatei“, I have been yearning for it. The sukiyaki in Kanto and Kansai regions are made differently, so I came to Asakusa in Tokyo to try Kanto-style sukiyaki for the first time in my life.
Asakusa Imahan Honten Information
- Store Address: 3-1-12 Nishi-Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
- Phone: 03-3841-1114
- Business Hours: 11:30~20:00 (Last Order 19:00)
- Official Website
- Transportation:
– “Tsukuba Express” Asakusa Station A2 Exit
– “Tokyo Metro Ginza Line” Tawaramachi Station Exit 3, 5-minute walk
– “Tobu Line” Asakusa Station Matsuya Exit, 10-minute walk
– “Toei Asakusa Line” Asakusa Station A4 Exit, 12-minute walk
Asakusa Imahan Honten is located on the international street parallel to the Tsukuba Express railway line. Take the Tsukuba Express and get off at Asakusa Station A2 exit to reach the restaurant. Asakusa Imahan also has a branch at Tokyo Station, which is located next to the Tokyo Ramen Street in GRANROOF. If you don’t want to wait in line at the Asakusa branch, you can choose the Tokyo Station branch.
This time I chose to dine at the Asakusa Imahan restaurant. Although it’s just a subway ride away, it’s difficult to catch the Tsukuba Express when traveling in Tokyo. So, I took a leisurely stroll from Sensoji Temple and arrived around 10:50. I found out that the restaurant’s opening time was delayed by 30 minutes that day and they wouldn’t open until 11:30. The entire restaurant was empty and quiet with no one in sight. Since I had to use the restroom urgently and couldn’t wait in line for a table, I decided to head back to the “Don Quijote discount store” that I had passed by earlier to find a restroom.
Must Read: 9 Best Things to Do in Asakusa to Help You Capture 100 Years of Tokyo within a Day
▼ Asakusa’s Don Quijote is full of festive atmosphere during Christmas, but I found that the products in the Asakusa store are not very affordable… After a brief visit, I went back to Asakusa and joined the half queue today.
Unexpectedly, just 20 minutes after leaving, a Japanese elderly couple had already surpassed me in first place. I quickly joined the team as second place. As a result, within just 10 minutes before the store opened, there was already a long line forming behind me, creating a trend of super popular shops! What happened in those 10 minutes? It was so empty just 30 minutes ago, and now it’s so crowded, it’s really unbelievable!
If you don’t have much time to spend in Asakusa and don’t want to waste time waiting in line, it is recommended to make a reservation by phone or email in advance.
While waiting, take a look at the menu outside the door. Since it’s Chinese lunchtime, the menu is also specific to lunch. Otherwise, how could you possibly enjoy such high-quality sukiyaki in Japan for only 3,800 yen? (That’s right, if you want to eat expensive food, you must choose Chinese lunchtime to save money!!!)
Asakusa Imahan Dining Environment
When being seated, the server dressed in a kimono will ask if you prefer to sit on a tatami mat or a chair. If you choose the tatami mat, you will take the elevator covered with tatami mats to the third floor for dining.
▼ As the second benefit, the location is super great! Even the ceiling is tatami!!!
As soon as you sit down, the waiter will serve tea and explain the menu. The waiters here are probably the best English speakers I’ve encountered in Tokyo, except for the airport. By the way, do the waiters at high-end shabu-shabu restaurants like this one have to be able to chat in English? The waiters at Kyoto Mishimatei can also chat with Piaor in a mix of Japanese and English, which is a big plus.
Asakusa Kinryu Menu
Asakusa Imahan offers a Chinese menu, and at lunchtime there are two pages of special cheap lunch menus, including Sukiyaki set meal, Shabu-shabu set meal, Kaiseki set meal, etc., all for less than 4,000 yen. Compared to other high-end beef dishes in the restaurant, such as Kobe beef and black-haired wagyu, the price is much more affordable and delicious without costing tens of thousands of yen.
Shabu-shabu Lunch Set
There was only one person dining this time, and they ordered the Shabu-Shabu lunch set. The dishes arrived quickly after ordering, and the presentation of the side dishes was quite exquisite.
Next, we will serve raw eggs for shabu-shabu dipping sauce. On the right side, there are soy sauce and diluted soup with hot water for cooking in the pot.
Discovered a tatami mat next to the seat that can be lifted up, and it turned out to be the switch for the fireplace. How elegant!
Green vegetables, shiitake mushrooms, Japanese noodles, and mochi appear, making the dish look incredibly beautiful, perfect enough to be mistaken for fake!
Next up is the star of the show, the meat slices. The distribution of fat marbling is truly amazing, incredibly even – it’s almost too much to handle!!!
After the dishes were served, Piaor, my exclusive server today, came to chat with me! I think she’s so beautiful, and every move she makes is so elegant! Actually, Asakusa Kinhan is selling beautiful women and elegant girls, right! I’m full!!
A beautiful lady with great temperament told me that she would help me cook the dishes and demonstrate how to cook a piece of meat. Then she left the rest to me. However, she found out that I didn’t start cooking at all, so she ended up helping me with all the meat. Actually, I just wanted to chat with you more!
Let’s observe the differences between Kanto-style sukiyaki and Kansai-style sukiyaki. Unlike Kansai-style, where the beef is first cooked and then the sauce is poured over it, in Kanto-style, the broth, soy sauce, etc. are first added and then the beef is dry-cooked in it.
The beef was simply blanched and dipped in egg mixture, mmm~~~so smooth and tender! It has an excellent texture and aroma, and the fresh egg mixture is just perfect!
While eating with one side of the mouth, the eyes continue to admire the dance of the dishes.
After the dishes were served, the waiter handed over the cooking authority to me, and also attached a method for cooking sukiyaki… Although I never actually cooked it myself in the end, haha!
So abundant and satisfying! Even a small eater like me couldn’t finish it all. But for those with a big appetite, they might want to add more meat!
After enjoying a delicious sukiyaki and the charming atmosphere of the restaurant, let’s give a review of Asakusa Imahan. The decoration and service of the restaurant are absolutely perfect, and the food is above average. However, perhaps the author prefers the Kansai-style sukiyaki, or the meat quality of the lunch set is not the highest grade. The author still remembers the “Mishimatei” in Kyoto, but this sukiyaki is still very delicious. If you want to eat sukiyaki in Asakusa, this restaurant is highly recommended.
Asakusa Imahan recommends popular tourist attractions
Asakusa Imahan is only a 7-minute walk from the most complete kitchenware area in Japan, “Kappabashi Kitchen Town” (https://www.bring-you.info/en/kappabashi-kitchen-town). It takes about 15 minutes to walk from the kitchenware area to Ueno Station (https://www.bring-you.info/en/ueno). If you have good stamina, you can take a leisurely walk all the way there. Alternatively, you can refer to my Tokyo Asakusa one-day tour itinerary for detailed transportation connections and fun attractions.
- Fans have been asking for a long time: Must-visit “Kappabashi Kitchen Town” for kitchenware enthusiasts
- Tokyo Ueno attractions guide: Complete guide to shopping and sightseeing around Ueno Station and Okachimachi
Everything You Need to Know about Tokyo
Explore more of our adventures around Tokyo:
- Guide: A Comprehensive Tokyo Travel Guide
- Attractions: Best Places to Visit in Tokyo
- Food: Ultimate Tokyo Food Guide
- Hotel: Where to stay in Tokyo
- Tokyo Disneyland Planning Guide
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