grill GRAND

Asakusa is a district overflowing with history, from the Senso-ji Temple’s five-storied pagoda and colossal Kaminarimon Gate, to the Nakamise-dori and Kappabashi-dori shopping streets. Fittingly, the district also happens to be home to some of Tokyo’s oldest and most respected restaurants, including arguably the most renowned yoshoku (Japanese-style Western food) restaurant in all of Tokyo. Enter grill GRAND, a restaurant just north of Senso-ji and Asakusa Shrine. Founded in 1941, its yellow brick facade (as well as the long line outside it during peak hours) is instantly recognizable from a distance. Grill GRAND is home-style yoshoku at its finest: the menu of favorites, which includes national favorites like katsu sandwiches, gratin, and beef stew, has only gotten longer over its 80-plus years of operation — nothing is ever taken off. But even though every item is immensely popular, there is a clear favorite among GRAND’s veterans: the omu-hayashi rice. Fluffy egg is gently laid over a dome of steaming rice, then drenched in homemade demi-glace: a dark tide of sweet, rich sauce which takes in excess of two weeks to make. It’s obvious why the restaurant has earned itself the Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2024 — better late than never. Michelin Guide: 2024 - Bib Gourmand