Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2010

With shops like Forever 21 and H&M recently opening on Ginza’s main drag, the neighborhood is beginning to shed its reputation as a jet-setter’s playground. Yet budget-conscious diners have long known that the area is home to excellent inexpensive restaurants. Here are some favorites that will leave some yen in your wallet to splurge on a bit of fast fashion.

Tenryu Gyoza

Photos by Yoshitaka Dazai

This popular Chinese restaurant, renowned for its jumbo gyoza, often has a line outside at lunch. Neon lights over the door and a red sign on the sidewalk designate the entrance just off of Chuo Dori, along with a display case of plastic versions of the popular dishes. The gyoza set menu (¥1,020) comes with six thick-skinned, chewy dumplings stuffed with pork and vegetables served with a bowl of rice. Notably, no garlic is used in the gyoza, which means Tenryu could serve as an off-price date destination. Other popular dishes are chahan (¥920), yakisoba (¥920), shrimp in a sweet and hot chili sauce (¥2,100), sweet-and-sour pork (¥1,900), and more. The gyoza are so popular that they’re even sold to go, omiyage-style.

2-6-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku. Tel: 03-3561-3543. Open Mon-Sat 11:30am-9pm, Sun & hols 11:30am-8pm.

Scorpione Stazione

Located between Yurakucho station and the area’s large Muji store is Scorpione Stazione, popular for its selection of pastas and its large portions. On a recent lunch visit we had a hard time choosing, so tempting were the options, in particular the pastas with seasonal seafood. The lunch set includes bread and olive oil, a serviceable salad, a generous helping of pasta, and coffee or tea. Service is professional, albeit rushed, and during our visit the pasta was a bit overcooked—but, at ¥1,000 with everything included, we weren’t about to complain. Scorpione Stazione is the ideal spot if you’re on a lunch break, but if you hope to linger, let the staff know to bring your drinks after you’re finished; our espressos arrived while we were still eating. This is a large restaurant with about 100 seats, and at nighttime the prices rise to more standard levels.

3-8-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku. Tel: 03-5219-1610. Open Mon-Sat 11:30am-1am, Sun 11:30am-10pm. Lunch until 2pm. http://meturl.com/scorpione

Ginza Una

Located near the Sony building and the Sukiyabashi crossing, Ginza Una is the local branch of the Iwate-based Pyon Pyon Sha restaurant chain. The signature dish is the regional Morioka specialty of reimen, a bowl of spicy, cold noodles. A similar Korean dish uses noodles made from buckwheat, but the Morioka variety is made from potato and wheat flour. Ginza Una’s reimen (just ¥1,100 as part of a lunch set) comes with kimchi, beef, hard-boiled egg, cucumbers and watermelon, with a broth made from both beef and chicken. If you’ve never had this dish before, this is a fantastic place to try it, especially in the heat of summer. The menu includes other popular Korean dishes, like the spicy tofu soup known as chige (¥800) and the popular hot-stone rice bowl bibimbap (¥1,000); Iwate beef is the base for hearty meat dishes like gyumeishi and bulgogi. In the evening, Ginza Una offers reasonably priced set menus with an all-you-can-drink option.

11F Ginza Glasse, 3-2-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku. Tel: 03-3535-3020. Open Mon-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun & hols 11am-10pm. www.pyonpyonsya.co.jp

New Castle

The slightly spicy curry served at this nostalgic mom-and-pop shop has long been a neighborhood favorite. The small wooden building looks out of place among Ginza’s designer boutiques and department stores, and the cooking is simple as well: one curry served in four sizes, each named after a station on the Keihin-Tohoku line. The handwritten menu starts with the Shinagawa (¥480), which is a bit on the small side (perfect for the OL watching her waistline). Ooi (¥530) is what most of us would consider the normal, while Oomori (¥630) is larger and comes topped with an over-easy egg; the largest portion, Kamata (¥740), is also crowned with an egg. A small counter and a few tables complete this compact, dimly lit restaurant. With only about 20 seats, diners feel as though they are in the living room of the elderly couple who run it. Look for the building with a small curtain overhang advertising coffee and karai raisu (“spicy rice”) instead of the more common kare raisu.

2-3-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku. Tel: 03-3561-2929. Open Mon-Fri 11am-9pm, Sat 11am-5pm, closed Sun & hols.

Bairin Tonkatsu

Ginza’s first dedicated tonkatsu eatery, Bairin uses Kagoshima kurobuta pork that’s renowned for its inherent sweetness. Another drawing card is the original sauce, whose sweetness comes from apples and vegetables. Opened in 1927, Bairin Tonkatsu’s interior probably hasn’t changed since—and that’s part of the charm. Diners at the long counter can watch as the pork filets are dipped in an egg batter and panko breadcrumbs, then deep-fried until golden brown. Meanwhile, another chef rhythmically chops cabbage into a fine julienne for the side salad. The restaurant gets extremely busy during lunch, but turnover is quite fast, so don’t be shy to join the queue. The donburi dishes offer excellent value, particularly the katsudon (¥980). Bairin Tonkatsu’s main store is located just off of Chuo Dori, but there are branches throughout the city, including the newest in Akihabara.

7-8-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku. Tel: 03-3571-0350. Open daily 11:30am-8:45pm. www.ginzabairin.com

Bunmeido

Famous for its castella sponge cake, Bunmeido is where we like to go to refuel with sweets and coffee. The café-restaurant also offers a signature hayashi rice (¥1,000), with a selection of sandwiches rounding out the lunch menu. But it’s the desserts that the well-coiffed fashionable shoppers of Ginza daintily nibble on: tarts with artfully arranged fresh fruit, chocolate sweets and other Western pastries. Japanese-style treats include a parfait of matcha ice cream with a sweet azuki bean paste. Bunmeido’s high ceilings and large stained-glass window may have some feeling like they are back in church, but the only confessions you’ll need to make are for overindulging. The location on the main Chuo Dori thoroughfare is also a fantastic people-watching spot. Even if we’re not hungry and just need to rest our feet, the extensive drinks menu includes freshly squeezed juices, teas and a satisfying matcha latte.

5-7-10 Ginza, Chuo-ku. Tel: 03-3574-0002. Open daily 11am-9pm. www.bunmeido.com