Dachibin

Koenji is the gracefully aging rockstar among Tokyo’s neighborhoods — once a den of punks and counterculture, and now a super-cool under-the-radar hangout for those in the know. Dachibin has been serving up delicious Okinawan food in this area for over 30 years, giving locals an authentic taste of Japan’s sun-soaked islands. They use authentic ingredients like goya (bitter melon) and umibudo (sea grapes) to create Okinawan dishes which taste just like the local varieties. Diners also have the chance to sample original Okinawan alcohol too, from unique varieties of rice wine to the prefecture’s famous Orion beer. There’s a real festival atmosphere to the place, with vibrant decor evoking a colorful island izakaya as if it was picked up from the islands themselves and placed right down in Tokyo. They also have regular demonstrations of Okinawa’s traditional instrument, the shamisen, to complete the image. If you want to sample the authentic food of Okinawa without an extortionate plane ticket, just pay the train fare to Koenji instead, and grab a seat at Dachibin — one of the best Okinawan restaurants in Tokyo.