Onigiri is the epitome of Japanese comfort food. Onigiri is a soft and fresh rice ball filled with various ingredients, shaped into a triangle and wrapped up in a crispy piece of nori (dried seaweed). While you can find Onigiri for sale in Konbinis around Japan, there are fantastic restaurants in Tokyo dedicated to serving up specialty onigiri made to order. Even at these unique and gourmet eateries, you can get a fresh ball of Onigiri for a great price! For anyone looking to eat out in an affordable but delicious way, these restaurants are a great option. Onigiri might not seem like something you’d think of seeking out at a restaurant but trust me, you need to give these great Tokyo Onigiri shops a try!
Onigiri has an ancient history in Japan. They were invented during the Heinan period (794-1185) and initially called “tonjiki” which means “food served at a noble’s banquet.” These savoury treats were designed to go along with the royal family as they enjoyed picnics outdoors. The food was a perfect compact meal that would travel easily without getting ruined. The rice balls were formed into a triangular or cylindrical shape and sometimes stuffed with different fillings – just like today. But when they first were invented they had no outer wrappings. The rice itself is lightly salted and mixed with vinegar, sugar and salt to give it a delicious flavour. But the additives also helped keep the fish inside preserved so it could be eaten at a later date.
One of the oldest recorded filling used in onigiri is ume. Ume or umeboshi is pickled plum. It can be a little sour, but the rice’s sweet, salty flavour helps balance that out. In the 16th century, onigiri was used as troop provisions but they found that running around in the field meant the rice often got dirty. So during the 17th century, samurai used dried bamboo to keep their onigiri fresh while on the move. It wasn’t until the 1800s that using dried nori to wrap the rice was popularized.
Without a doubt, my favourite place to eat onigiri in Tokyo is Onigiri Bongo. The line up here can get to well over an hour, which seems incredible since you can get onigiri pretty much on every street corner konbini. But trust me, this one is special and the line-up is well worth it! Generally, if you see a line-up in Japan, you should always jump in! There is always something fantastic at the end. Come prepared to wait and you won’t be disappointed. Onigiri Bongo has been in business for over 60 years, and during that time, they sure have perfected their craft!
The wait in line gives you time to study their immense menu! You can choose over 50 different fillings to get stuffed inside. You can even get 2 toppings mixed together for an extra 50 yen to create your own bespoke onigiri. Don’t be afraid to try anything that catches your eye. But my recommendations would be the salted egg yolk, spicy cod roe and mayo (mentaiko), spicy pork kimchi, miso and negitoro.
When you finally get inside, they will ask for your order, and you will be seated around the counter, where you will be served a miso soup while waiting for the onigiri to be made. You get to watch the chefs at work behind the counter creating each piece of custom onigiri. The way they masterfully flip each piece to put it together is mesmerizing, and I loved watching what popular fillings everyone else was ordering. I could only eat two, but I wish I could have eaten the 3-piece set since there was so much more I wanted to try!
Information:
Price: 1 rice ball 260 yen | 2 onigiris of your choice + miso tofu soup and green tea 600 yen | 3 onigiris of your choice + miso tofu soup and green tea 600 yen
Address: 170-0004 | Kaneda Building 1F, 2-26-3 Kitaotsuka, Toshima-Ku, Tokyo | 2 minutes walk from the north exit of JR Otsuka Station
Hours: Monday – Saturday 11:30 am – 12:00 am (usually with break midday)
Despite being open for 60 years, Onigiri Bongo is NOT the oldest onigiri shop in Tokyo. That honour goes to Onigiri Asakusa Yadoroku. The onigiri here is so good they were featured in the 2019 Michelin Guide! They start off with the highest quality rice and seaweed with which to wrap the fillings inside. You might expect such a small and prestigious place to have an attitude about it. But the restaurant staff and chefs are extremely friendly and super helpful to foreigners.
The menu here is very limited, but sometimes the lack of choice can make it easier to settle on an option. And you know that there isn’t a single item which isn’t made to perfection. The traditional menu is beautifully written in Japanese on wooden slats on the wall but they also have a paper menu with English translations. The “Ami” (small salted shrimp pickled in soy sauce) is the perfect mixture of sweet and salty, creating that ultimate umami flavour. One of the most exciting fillings is the Hatogarashi, a red pepper leaf boiled in soy sauce. So many of these recipes are made with traditional and classical ingredients. They don’t rely on food trends to catch people’s attention, the food speaks for itself. Keep in mind this restaurant is cash only, so be sure to have enough money on hand.
Information:
Price: 2 onigiris of your choice + Tofu miso soup & Japanese radish pickles 748 yen | 3 onigiris of your choice + Tofu miso soup & Japanese radish pickles 1012 yen
Address: 3-9-10 Asakusa, Taito-Ku, Tokyo | 10 minutes from Asakusa Station
Hours: Monday – Saturday 11:30 am – 5:00 pm
Onigiriya Marutoyo was once much more popular when the Tsukiji Fish Market was located nearby. But in later years, after the Tsukiji Market was relocated and renamed the Toyosu Fish Market, this shop has become a hidden gem, frequented mostly by locals who know what’s up! Despite the large fish market moving out of the area, the outer market, filled with shops, stores, and more, is still a bustling outdoor shopping area. Onigiriya Marutoyo is a take-out-only shop, but that doesn’t mean they skimp on the quality or the freshness.
There are many ingredients here you can’t find anywhere else. One of their most famous varieties is “Bakudan,” which means “bomb” in Japanese. But don’t be scared; the bomb is actually just a rice ball stuffed with an entire soft-boiled egg, boiled in soya sauce. Their anago is another popular option which is freshly cooked, salt-water eel, coasted in a rich sweet brown sauce. Their curry marinated rice and roasted pork are also both excellent options! But my favourite has got to be the “asari” or fresh clam onigiri, that is a unique recipe made at this location. Although this store is so tiny, they still have English translations on all their options, so don’t be scared you won’t be able to read the choices.
Information:
Price: 189 yen – 289 yen (varies by filling)
Address: 4-9-9 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo | 3 mins from Tsukijishijo Station
Hours: Monday – Saturday 5:30 am – 2:00 pm (hours vary significantly as they close pretty much when they run out of ingredients. Despite the listed closing time, I wouldn’t advise arriving after 12:00 pm)
Omusubi Stand Andon is located in historic Asakusa, in a tall and slim 4-storey. Walking inside you’ll notice that the restaurant is located on the first floor but there is also a library on the second floor where you can eat and study at the same time! The shop has a very modern design, compared to the historic restaurants we’ve visited previously.
The onigiri served here blends traditional ingredients with a few modern surprises to go along with the contemporary atmosphere. Smoked takuan pickles with cream cheese and dried whitebait mixed with sansho pepper are just some of the exciting combinations you can try here. However, they still serve traditional flavours like ume, salmon and miso. My favourite was the spicy miso since I’m a fan of anything extra hot!
Information:
Price: 2 piece onigiri set + miso soup +pickles 650 yen
Address: 3-11-10 Nihonbashi-honcho, Chuo, Tokyo | 3 mins from Kodenmacho Station
Hours: Weekdays 5 pm – 11 pm, Saturday 11am – 10pm, Sunday 11 am – 9pm
I hope you loved this guide to my favourite Onigiri restaurants in Tokyo! Let me know in the comment which one looks the best to you and what onigiri fillings you’re excited to try on your visit to Tokyo!
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