Yakitori, tempura, eel, pork cutlet and soba, each from a room that does nothing else. These twelve sit closer together than any other group we rated in Tokyo, so read the ranking as a short list rather than a ladder. Toriki, a counter in Musashi-Koyama that takes bookings by phone in Japanese, leads; Torishiki, the starred shop whose chef trained there, is third.
The bill is where this format repays the trip. Nodaiwa's fifth-generation chef, Kanemoto, is ninety-seven and was named the guide's Mentor Chef for 2026; Kanda Yabu Soba has served on its corner since 1880, in a faithful rebuild after a 2013 fire; and Tonki has been open since 1939. The rooms range from a nine-seat tempura counter to a sixty-six-seat soba hall, and several run on a queue rather than a booking.
Also in Tokyo: The Travault 46: Tokyo, all forty-six rooms grouped by format, and The 12 Best Tasting Rooms in Tokyo, the other end of eating in this city.
