Tokyo

Tokyo is the menu that never stops. Page after page of delicious food. This time I hit the city for a couple of favourite spots and a couple of new things too. I've focused on the classics: ramen, katsu sushi and tempura.

Ichiran ramen in Shibuya (and Shinjuku I believe) not only only sells tonkotsu ramen but also has a receipe that harks back to the 1960s. Innovation, not so much, but tradition and focus in spades. To help you feel the tradition and focus yourself you eat in a private 'booth' separated from the kitchen even by a partition. Fill in your order, signal for service, eat and leave. How good is it? Not to my mind as good as Ippudo, but still splendid. They claim to have invented the 'red' sauce that's used to garnish ramen here too.

An old favourite Maison remains the best of the 'chain' katsu places in my opinion. This time I discovered their super sized pork loin. So good.

Another old favourite is restaurant Gonpachi, inspiration for Kill Bill and site of a couple of US presidential meals.

What is there to say? Food is decent, if never stellar, but the surrounds rock.

I tried the extremes of tempura with Tempura Tendon Tendon, a chain where dinner will cost you around 1,000 yen or less, and Tempura Tsunahachi Honten, who regrettably don't allow photos. 

The lesson is that tempura is great at both extremes of the spectrum. And surprisingly the very best is only a modest premium in price. 

For sushi I hit up Shibuya's Genki - who've recently replaced their already impressive conveyor system, where tiny 'cars' on different levels bring the food to patrons, with a new even more impressive system. 

Don't be put off by the tech - the sushi is remarkably good too given the very accessible prices. 

Overall I tried to eat fairly cheaply on this trip, given that the pound was at a frankly horrifying 120 yen level. I was pleased to find it was easy on a budget of 1-2,000 yen to eat well for every meal.