This gorgeous new website takes you inside Tokyo’s food scene

One of the site’s cornerstone sections takes you inside Tokyo’s epicurean delights and some of the city’s most storied restaurants through in-depth interviews with their chefs.

Among the culinary stars currently highlighted on Go Tokyo Gourmet are Katsumi Kusumoto of Saido, a ground-breaking vegan restaurant once selected as the world’s best by vegan gourmet information portal HappyCow; one-time TV cooking contest winner Kimio Nonaga, the third-generation chef of Nihonbashi Yukari, a restaurant that specialises in Japan’s traditional haute cuisine; and Yahei Suzuki of the acclaimed Italian restaurant Piatto Suzuki, one of the leading proponents of ‘Tokyo-style’ Italian cuisine, which blends Italian techniques with Japanese sensibility and exceptional local ingredients.

And that’s only a small sample: in addition to further interviews with top local and international chefs, the site is also set to be updated frequently with articles highlighting the perspectives Tokyo-based food experts and artisans.

Over the coming months, you can expect conversations with the likes of Daniel Calvert, the man behind the acclaimed Sézanne at the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo in Marunouchi, and Takefumi Hamada, a globetrotting restaurant critic who serves as Japan Academy Chair for the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Tokyo’s status as the culinary capital of the world is built on centuries of history. The delicious legacy of the old city of Edo* is palpable in the present-day Tokyo food scene, where cooks and artisans keep traditions alive through recipes, techniques, handicrafts and axioms passed down through generations.

Articles on the Go Tokyo Gourmet site highlight this heritage from many different angles. One piece dives deep into the history of traditional Edomae sushi, recounting how the chefs of Edo developed the techniques that now define sushi as a global culinary style and exploring the craftsmanship of its leading practitioners, including master chef Toshikatsu Aoki of Ginza Sushi Aoki.

Another intriguing article surveys the history of yoshoku, Japan’s distinctive take on Western food. The origins of dishes such as tonkatsu, omurice, hamburg steak and curry rice can be traced back to the late 1800s, when Japan opened up to foreign trade and international cultural exchange after centuries of isolation.

On Go Tokyo Gourmet, you’ll learn how local chefs reimagined Western favourites using Japanese ingredients and techniques, giving birth to an array of dishes now considered staples of Japanese comfort food. The article also highlights the diversity of yoshoku in Tokyo, where the genre is represented by restaurants ranging from time-honoured classics to cutting-edge establishments.

*Edo (present-day Tokyo) grew into a huge city with an estimated population of one million in the early 1700s, during which time its cuisine and culture also developed.

While inviting users to read up on the culinary legacy of Tokyo, the Go Tokyo Gourmet site also spotlights new trends and forward-looking initiatives in the capital’s food scene.

In one article with an illuminating sustainability focus, chef Naoki Matsuo of Restaurant L’Arbre in rural Akiruno, a municipality in the western outskirts of the metropolis, discusses his efforts to showcase the ingredients of Tokyo’s western Tama region and those of the capital’s remote islands through hyper-local fine dining.

Diversity in dining is another focus area for Go Tokyo Gourmet. The city boasts a rapidly growing range of high-quality vegan, halal and gluten-free restaurant options, and the website zooms in on these offerings with articles such as a feature on the pioneering Gluten Free T's Kitchen.

Established by chef Takako Iino in 2017, the comfy eatery offers a menu of delicious gluten-free takes on popular Japanese dishes including gyoza, karaage fried chicken, ramen and okonomiyaki, all made with traditional domestic ingredients such as rice, miso and soy sauce.

To make sure the experience of eating your way around Tokyo is as comfortable and tasty as possible, it’s best to read up a little on the local dining culture before you dive in. Go Tokyo Gourmet has you covered with a line-up of informative primers on everything from basic table manners and typical language issues to the philosophy and aesthetics of traditional Japanese cuisine.

The cultural explainers are particularly well worth checking out if you’re still fairly new to the world of Japanese food, as they provide tips for feeling at ease in unfamiliar situations, as well as pointers for a more relaxed dining experience. Over the next few months, you can also expect basic guides to eating sushi, tempura and soba like a Tokyoite.

Last but not least, Go Tokyo Gourmet features a series of engaging videos focused on popular facets of the Tokyo food scene, from culinary styles to specific dishes and spots.

One takes you on a tour of the city’s best matcha cafés while another highlights the down-to-earth delights of bar-lined yokocho alleyways. More articles and videos are set to be added to the site, so you’ll want to keep checking back regularly.

Start exploring the Go Tokyo Gourmet website now