Tamahide

Established in 1760, this Tokyo restaurant started as a hotpot specialist, then became super famous around a century later for inventing its own delicious style of donburi rice bowl. This was the famous “parent and child rice bowl,” or “oyakodon” in Japanese. The name refers to the fact that the bowl is filled with a generous helping of chicken and egg. The dish first came about through the combination of rice with leftover hotpot ingredients, used to mop up all of the flavorful broth and other bits and pieces. It became so popular that it evolved into a dish all of its own, and now you can find it all over Japan! The original varieties served at Tamahide have the clear claim to being the most authentic. They’re also some of the highest quality oyakodon around. Their tender, juicy, golden bowls of high-protein goodness use the famously high-grade Shamo variety of chicken. Dining here also offers a window into the history of Tokyo, with an exterior that looks like the home of some samurai lord from days gone by. It’s a big space, with the bottom floor nowadays dedicated to their delicious rice bowl invention, while upstairs they deal in their original hotpot dishes.