Head Chef and owner of Kushya in Kyoto

Having eaten out many times in Japan, I’m fairly comfortable pointing at something and then enjoying the surprise of what turns up at the table.

I can even cook a little myself

Katsudon made by Me

But as this next trip is extra special, I’m wanting to get recommendations of good restaurants that I could try for my big 40th birthday bash in Tokyo.

I’ve eaten at was called the “Best Kushiyaki Restaurant in Japan” and also at street-corner beef bowl shops that offered incredibly value for money. Couldn’t say which is better, but I can tell you I wouldn’t swap my experiences for anything.

So, Tokyo-dwellers and visitors, where can a non-Nihongi speaker go for a very nice night out with friends, and not end up being served the only two items in the world she loathes – unagi and Sea Urchin?