Editor's Choice
Founded in 1948 in front of Ueno Park, this beloved anmitsu parlour crowns chewy agar jelly with Hokkaido azuki anko and Okinawan brown-sugar syrup.
Awa-zenzai (millet dumpling with sweet azuki)
Founded in 1854 in a corner of a Senso-ji sub-temple, this Edo-era sweet shop still serves its signature awa-zenzai and anmitsu to downtown Asakusa.
Gluten-free cheesecake & matcha roll cake
A tiny 100% gluten-free cafe near Roppongi-itchome with English-speaking staff, chewy gluten-free lunches and a celebrated matcha roll cake.
Heavenly Vegan Pancakes
The Shinjuku birthplace of the cloud-soft 'Heavenly Vegan Pancakes' that draw queues from vegans and non-vegans alike, with gluten-free options on the same menu.
Lamb shabu-shabu simmered from lamb neck bones for six hours, plus Uyghur dishes
A halal-CERTIFIED (NAHA / Nippon Asia Halal Association) restaurant run by a Uyghur Muslim owner; a fully alcohol-free venue with a prayer room serving Uyghur and Japanese dishes.
Tuna flight: akami, chutoro and otoro cut to order
A bustling standing sushi bar on the edge of Ameyoko where serious tuna cuts are sliced to order at pocket-money prices.
Charcoal-grilled unaju in a sugar-free Edo-style sauce
An eel house dating back nine generations to the Edo period, serving Ueno's most storied unagi beside Shinobazu Pond.
Spicy shoyu chicken ramen
A Sri Lankan-Muslim owner's wholly halal-certified ramen shop where collagen-rich chicken broth meets a fiery soy-sauce kick, steps from Assalaam Mosque.
