Akasaka: Chongiwa (I’ve only had the naengmyeon lunch but they are also known for kbbq), Ichiryu (beef soup). This is actually probably the best neighborhood for authentic Korean outside of shin okubo but I’ve only tried these 2 spots.
Roppongi: Yu Chun (naengmyeon + kbbq)
Ebisu: Chame (soondubu)
I don’t actually think tabelog / Google Maps etc are good for Korean food in Japan. Places that are “too” authentic (like too spicy, or Korean style sashimi instead of Japanese style) tend to get too low reviews. My favorite restaurant in shin okubo has like a 3.3/5 on Google and is surrounded by mediocre chains with a 4.0+.
Near Akasaka and Ueno stations, there’s a street of Korean restaurants. Go to any with good reviews on Google written by Koreans and not Japanese people.
The beat authentic Korean restaurants in Tokyo is generally around Akasaka, where there are a lot of Korean clubs. Look for google reviews where Koreans give high reviews for dinner service. (Lunch specials are a bad gauge) Tabelog and Google scores is horrible to determine non-Japanese restaurants if you want authentic food. I’d say if average score above 3.5 generally suggest non-authentic. Michelin is generally very bad with any food that uses a lot Asian spices. Japanese food is generally OK since Japanese food don’t use much spices. But the michelin Chinese, Korean, and SEA restaurants I’ve been to have been incredibly bland and lacking in any taste, despite being priced significantly higher.
I don’t often go to Korean restaurants in Tokyo, but agree that Akasaka seems to have more of the “real” places. Ie same as in Korea, not catering to jpop lovers or tourists. Just walk by there and enter any place that looks like it could have been in Korea.
チョンソル is one of them, typical, Korea like samgyeopsal, same taste, same portion size (which are big). 一龍 right next door has great reputation among the Korean expat/diaspora community. Really any decent place in Akasaka will do.
One of my favorites is “Ton Ton Teji” (or “Ton Ton Tezi” depending on your romaji transcribing technique) in Meguro. Some Korean friends took me there once, so I guess it is quite authentic.
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Check tabelog.
https://guide.michelin.com/jp/en/tokyo-region/tokyo/restaurants/korean
Akasaka: Chongiwa (I’ve only had the naengmyeon lunch but they are also known for kbbq), Ichiryu (beef soup). This is actually probably the best neighborhood for authentic Korean outside of shin okubo but I’ve only tried these 2 spots.
Roppongi: Yu Chun (naengmyeon + kbbq)
Ebisu: Chame (soondubu)
I don’t actually think tabelog / Google Maps etc are good for Korean food in Japan. Places that are “too” authentic (like too spicy, or Korean style sashimi instead of Japanese style) tend to get too low reviews. My favorite restaurant in shin okubo has like a 3.3/5 on Google and is surrounded by mediocre chains with a 4.0+.
Near Akasaka and Ueno stations, there’s a street of Korean restaurants. Go to any with good reviews on Google written by Koreans and not Japanese people.
とんちゃん 渋谷店
[https://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1303/A130301/13030618/](https://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1303/A130301/13030618/)
The beat authentic Korean restaurants in Tokyo is generally around Akasaka, where there are a lot of Korean clubs.
Look for google reviews where Koreans give high reviews for dinner service. (Lunch specials are a bad gauge)
Tabelog and Google scores is horrible to determine non-Japanese restaurants if you want authentic food. I’d say if average score above 3.5 generally suggest non-authentic.
Michelin is generally very bad with any food that uses a lot Asian spices. Japanese food is generally OK since Japanese food don’t use much spices. But the michelin Chinese, Korean, and SEA restaurants I’ve been to have been incredibly bland and lacking in any taste, despite being priced significantly higher.
I don’t often go to Korean restaurants in Tokyo, but agree that Akasaka seems to have more of the “real” places. Ie same as in Korea, not catering to jpop lovers or tourists. Just walk by there and enter any place that looks like it could have been in Korea.
チョンソル is one of them, typical, Korea like samgyeopsal, same taste, same portion size (which are big). 一龍 right next door has great reputation among the Korean expat/diaspora community. Really any decent place in Akasaka will do.
One of my favorites is “Ton Ton Teji” (or “Ton Ton Tezi”
depending on your romaji transcribing technique) in Meguro. Some Korean friends took me there once, so I guess it is quite authentic.