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Cheap! Delicious! Fast! Enjoy gourmet food at Japanese chain restaurants!
When it comes to famous chain restaurants in Japan, the image that comes to mind is that of gyudon (beef bowls), but there are actually many types of chain restaurants in Japan, all known for being cheap, delicious, and quick to serve.
This time, we have picked out five popular chain restaurants in Japan where you can enjoy tasty Japanese food at a reasonable price! Be sure to check them out.
The standard menu item at "Tendon Tenya" is the "tendon (with miso soup)." Its low price of 620 yen including tax is appealing, and it has remained the most popular dish since the restaurant's founding.
This time, we visited "Tendon Tenya Asakusa Branch" in Asakusa.
To order, choose from the menu on the tablet on the table and place your order. The tablet supports foreign languages.
The condiments on the table are, from the left to right, Tendon sauce (sweet and spicy), shichimi pepper (spicy), and salt.
First, try the tendon as it is, and if you want to adjust the flavor a bit, add your preferred condiments. For individual tempura items, you can enjoy different flavors by using tentsuyu, sauce, or salt.
The “Yabu Soba,” which has been offered since February 13, 2024, is one of the three great soba noodles of Edo. It is characterized by its well-balanced harmony of aroma, texture, and firmness, bringing out the natural sweetness of the soba. Yabu Soba also plays a role in enhancing the deliciousness of tendon.
*The photo shows a small bowl of soba noodles, as Yabu Soba had not yet been available at the time of shooting.
The tendon comes with three natural large shrimp and green beans. Each one is quite large and heavy. The natural large shrimp is plump and thick, making it very satisfying to eat.
The shrimp, soaked in the tendon sauce, spreads its sweetness and umami with every bite, offering a surprisingly authentic flavor.
Address: 1-9-2 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Access: 4 minutes on foot from Exit 3 of Tawaramachi Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, or 6 minutes on foot from Exit 1 of Asakusa Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line
Hours: 10:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. , Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
*Last orders are taken 30 minutes before closing time.
*Business hours may vary. Please contact the store directly.
Closed: None
Take-out: Available (take-out menu only)
*The ordering method for the menu varies depending on the store.
Official Website: https://www.tenya.co.jp/english/
The menu is extensive, with not only the main dish but also rice, miso soup, and other side dishes are included in the set. Popular dishes are the "Ginger Pork Set Meal" and "Grilled Salted Mackerel Set Meal."
This time, we visited "Yayoi Ken Kayabacho Branch" located in Chuo Ward, Tokyo.
Orders are placed by purchasing a meal ticket from the ticket machine right at the entrance. The ticket machine supports both Chinese and English languages.
There are condiments on the table that you can use freely. Water is self-service, so please go and get it yourself.
The menu item ordered this time was the "Fried Chicken Set Meal." Yayoiken's "Fried Chicken Set Meal" costs 860 yen and comes with rice and miso soup.
Juicy and crispy fried chicken seasoned with garlic soy sauce is delicious! Miso soup contains wakame and green onions. The photo on the lower right shows 'Hiyakko' (tofu topped with green onions and drizzled with soy sauce).
At Yayoiken, when you order breakfast or a set meal, you can have free refills of rice!
Use this robot to get rice refills.
At the rice refill corner, you can freely take dashi (soup made by extracting the flavor of food) and pickles. You can make "dashi chazuke" by placing the pickles on the rice and pour the dashi over it. This dashi chazuke is a classic Japanese way of eating called "shi-me."
Address: 1F Nihonbashi Yayoi Building, 1-7-1 Nihonbashi Kayabacho, Chuo-ku, Kyoto, Tokyo
Access: 1 minute walk from Exit 12 of Kayabacho Station on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line and Hibiya Line
Hours: 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
*Last orders are taken 30 minutes before closing time.
Closed: Sundays and holidays
Takeout: Available (purchase at the takeout entrance as shown on the right-handed side photo)
*The ordering method for the menu varies depending on the store.
Official Website：https://www.yayoiken.com/en/
At Matsunoya Akasaka (co-opened with My Curry Shokudo), you purchase a meal ticket from the ticket machine right at the entrance to place your order. The ticket machine accepts both cash and cashless payment. There are also foreign language displays.
Water and tea are self-service here too.
When the number written on your meal ticket appears on the bulletin board at the top of the store, go and collect the food.
This time we ordered the popular "Loin Cutlet Set Meal," which comes with miso soup and rice and is surprisingly cheap at 670 yen (tax included).
Tonkatsu can be eaten with the condiments provided on the table. There are two types of sauce to put on tonkatsu: medium-thick sauce and special sauce. Also, two types of dressings are available for the accompanying cabbage: sudachi and carrot (these may change depending on the season).
Matsunoya's special sauce is a sweet and mellow sauce. Chuno sauce is a common sauce used on fried foods, with a little more sour than the special sauce, providing refreshing taste. Please choose your favorite sauce.
Another popular menu item at Matsunoya is the pork loin cutlet bowl, which consists of pork cutlet simmered in a sweet sauce and egg served on top of rice.
Once you have finished your meal, please take the used plates and tray to the return counter.
Address: Akasaka Sanoki Building, 6-4-22 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Access: 1 minute walk from Exit 7 of Akasaka Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line
Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
*Last orders are taken 30 minutes before closing time.
*A late-night fee (7% extra) applies between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. the following day
*Business hours may vary. Please contact the store directly.
Closed: None
Takeout: Available
*The ordering method for the menu varies depending on the store.
Official Website: https://www.matsuyafoods.co.jp/matsunoya/
This time we went to Unatoto Shinjuku Center Building store.
The menu is only available in English, but at this store you can order via QR code (foreign languages support).
As soon as you enter the shop, you can see the eel being grilled!
The most popular dish is eel rice bowl. The "Eel Rice Bowl Double" set includes eel rice bowl, liver soup, eel rolled omelette, potato salad, and kimchi. With these four side dishes for just 2,000 yen (tax included).
The eel on the eel rice bowl is very large and plump! The eel grilled over charcoal in the restaurant has a perfect match of the charcoal aroma and the flavor of the eel.
Among the condiments on the table, sansho pepper is a classic spice to sprinkle on eel, characterized by its refreshing aroma and slightly spicy flavor.
The liver soup contains eel liver. The mild seasoning goes perfectly with the eel rice bowl.
Address: 1F Shinjuku Center Building, 1-25-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Access: Approximately 8 minutes on foot from JR Yamanote Line "Shinjuku Station"
Hours: 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. , Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
*Last orders are taken 30 minutes before closing time.
Closed: None
Takeout: Possible ※Delivery available
*The ordering method for the menu varies depending on the store.
Official Website: https://www.unatoto.com/#
Their standard menu item is "Bukkake Udon," which is udon topped with a rich bukkake broth (made with broth that is brewed on-site every few hours, giving it a fragrant aroma). It is a simple dish consisting of just udon and broth, allowing you to savor the deliciousness of the udon itself.
Ordering at Marugame Seimen is mostly self-service. First, take the black tray from the counter, and if you also want to eat tempura or tofu pocket sushi, place a small plate on the tray as well.
First, order your udon. Please let the staff know the type and size of udon, as well as whether you want it cold or hot.
It is smooth to indicate the menu items with your finger or to convey the number listed on the menu available in foreign languages.
This time we ordered the popular "Nikutama Bukkake Udon (regular)" (840 yen). ※Some stores may not sell this item.
Once received your udon, move to the tempura corner next door.
In addition to tempura, they also have onigiri and "inari." Inari (Tofu Pocket Sushi) is a dish made by wrapping sushi rice (rice mixed with vinegar) in "kitsuneage," deep-fried tofu.
Once you have chosen your toppings, you can pay.
Then top it with condiments and tempura flakes.
Yakuimi refers to the aromatic vegetables and spices added in small amounts to dishes. It is recommended to top hot udon with green onions and to add both green onions and grated ginger to cold udon.
Water is self-service.
Nikutama Bukkake Udon is a dish topped with meat and a poached egg. The chewy noodles are mixed with the sweet and spicy grilled meat, making it hard to stop eating. Split the soft-boiled egg and eat it with the runny yolk for a mellow flavor!
Once you have finished your meal, please take the used plates and tray to the return counter.
Address: HF Kanda Ogawamachi Building 1F, 3-3 Kanda Ogawamachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
*Last orders are taken 15 minutes before closing time.
*Business hours may vary. Please contact the store directly.
Access: 5-minute walk from Exit A7 of Jimbocho Station on the Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line, Toei Subway Shinjuku Line, and Mita Line (or 5-minute walk from Exit B5 of Ogawamachi Station on the Toei Subway Shinjuku Line)
Takeout: Available
*Not available for some items, some stores have a dedicated takeout counter
*The ordering method for the menu varies depending on the store.
*Takeout may not be available at some stores
Official Website: https://jp.marugame.com/en/
*The above article is based on information from April 2025.
*Prices, business hours and other information in this article are subject to change. Please check the latest information on the official websites before your visit.
This time, we have picked out five popular chain restaurants in Japan where you can enjoy tasty Japanese food at a reasonable price! Be sure to check them out.
Table of Contents
- 1. Tendon Tenya (Tempura Rice Bowl)
- 2. Yayoiken (Set meal)
- 3. Matsunoya (Pork cutlet)
- 4. Nadai Unatoto (Eel Rice Bowl)
- 5. Marugame Seimen (Udon)
1. Tendon Tenya | 天丼てんや
When it comes to Japanese tempura chain restaurants, "Tendon Tenya" comes to mind. It is a chain restaurant where you can eat "tendon (Tempura Rice Bowl)," a well-known representative of Japanese cuisine. Tendon is a dish consisting of rice served in a large bowl topped with tempura and drizzled with sauce. Tempura is a dish made by deep-frying ingredients such as vegetables and seafood covered in batter. At the restaurant, you can casually enjoy tendon with a variety of tempura toppings.The standard menu item at "Tendon Tenya" is the "tendon (with miso soup)." Its low price of 620 yen including tax is appealing, and it has remained the most popular dish since the restaurant's founding.
This time, we visited "Tendon Tenya Asakusa Branch" in Asakusa.
First, try the tendon as it is, and if you want to adjust the flavor a bit, add your preferred condiments. For individual tempura items, you can enjoy different flavors by using tentsuyu, sauce, or salt.
This time, we ordered the popular menu item "Natural Large Shrimp Tendon (small) with Yabu Soba Set" (2,300 yen including tax). The set includes a tendon topped with large shrimp and a serving of Yabu Soba.
*The photo shows a small bowl of soba noodles, as Yabu Soba had not yet been available at the time of shooting.
The shrimp, soaked in the tendon sauce, spreads its sweetness and umami with every bite, offering a surprisingly authentic flavor.
Information
Tendon Tenya Asakusa Branch | 天丼てんや 浅草店Address: 1-9-2 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Access: 4 minutes on foot from Exit 3 of Tawaramachi Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, or 6 minutes on foot from Exit 1 of Asakusa Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line
Hours: 10:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. , Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
*Last orders are taken 30 minutes before closing time.
*Business hours may vary. Please contact the store directly.
Closed: None
Take-out: Available (take-out menu only)
*The ordering method for the menu varies depending on the store.
Official Website: https://www.tenya.co.jp/english/
2. Yayoiken | やよい軒
Yayoiken is a chain restaurant where you can enjoy cheap and delicious Japanese set meals.The menu is extensive, with not only the main dish but also rice, miso soup, and other side dishes are included in the set. Popular dishes are the "Ginger Pork Set Meal" and "Grilled Salted Mackerel Set Meal."
This time, we visited "Yayoi Ken Kayabacho Branch" located in Chuo Ward, Tokyo.
Orders are placed by purchasing a meal ticket from the ticket machine right at the entrance. The ticket machine supports both Chinese and English languages.
Juicy and crispy fried chicken seasoned with garlic soy sauce is delicious! Miso soup contains wakame and green onions. The photo on the lower right shows 'Hiyakko' (tofu topped with green onions and drizzled with soy sauce).
Use this robot to get rice refills.
Information
Yayoi Ken Kayabacho Branch | やよい軒茅場町店Address: 1F Nihonbashi Yayoi Building, 1-7-1 Nihonbashi Kayabacho, Chuo-ku, Kyoto, Tokyo
Access: 1 minute walk from Exit 12 of Kayabacho Station on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line and Hibiya Line
Hours: 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
*Last orders are taken 30 minutes before closing time.
Closed: Sundays and holidays
Takeout: Available (purchase at the takeout entrance as shown on the right-handed side photo)
*The ordering method for the menu varies depending on the store.
Official Website：https://www.yayoiken.com/en/
3. Matsunoya | 松のや
At Matsunoya, you can casually enjoy authentic tonkatsu, a Japanese dish made from deep-fried pork loin or fillet.At Matsunoya Akasaka (co-opened with My Curry Shokudo), you purchase a meal ticket from the ticket machine right at the entrance to place your order. The ticket machine accepts both cash and cashless payment. There are also foreign language displays.
When the number written on your meal ticket appears on the bulletin board at the top of the store, go and collect the food.
Tonkatsu can be eaten with the condiments provided on the table. There are two types of sauce to put on tonkatsu: medium-thick sauce and special sauce. Also, two types of dressings are available for the accompanying cabbage: sudachi and carrot (these may change depending on the season).
Once you have finished your meal, please take the used plates and tray to the return counter.
Information
Matsunoya Akasaka (co-opened with My Curry Shokudo)Address: Akasaka Sanoki Building, 6-4-22 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Access: 1 minute walk from Exit 7 of Akasaka Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line
Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
*Last orders are taken 30 minutes before closing time.
*A late-night fee (7% extra) applies between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. the following day
*Business hours may vary. Please contact the store directly.
Closed: None
Takeout: Available
*The ordering method for the menu varies depending on the store.
Official Website: https://www.matsuyafoods.co.jp/matsunoya/
4. Nadai Unatoto | 宇奈とと
Eel is known as an expensive ingredient, but at "Nadai Unatoto," you can eat authentic charcoal-grilled eel at a cheap price, quick and delicious.This time we went to Unatoto Shinjuku Center Building store.
As soon as you enter the shop, you can see the eel being grilled!
The most popular dish is eel rice bowl. The "Eel Rice Bowl Double" set includes eel rice bowl, liver soup, eel rolled omelette, potato salad, and kimchi. With these four side dishes for just 2,000 yen (tax included).
Among the condiments on the table, sansho pepper is a classic spice to sprinkle on eel, characterized by its refreshing aroma and slightly spicy flavor.
Information
Unatoto Shinjuku Center Building store | 宇奈とと 新宿センタービル店Address: 1F Shinjuku Center Building, 1-25-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Access: Approximately 8 minutes on foot from JR Yamanote Line "Shinjuku Station"
Hours: 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. , Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
*Last orders are taken 30 minutes before closing time.
Closed: None
Takeout: Possible ※Delivery available
*The ordering method for the menu varies depending on the store.
Official Website: https://www.unatoto.com/#
5. Marugame Seimen | 丸亀製麺
"Marugame Seimen" is a chain of udon restaurants. They serve the famous "Sanuki udon" from Kagawa Prefecture, which is known for its strong chewiness and chewy texture.Their standard menu item is "Bukkake Udon," which is udon topped with a rich bukkake broth (made with broth that is brewed on-site every few hours, giving it a fragrant aroma). It is a simple dish consisting of just udon and broth, allowing you to savor the deliciousness of the udon itself.
It is smooth to indicate the menu items with your finger or to convey the number listed on the menu available in foreign languages.
Once received your udon, move to the tempura corner next door.
In addition to tempura, they also have onigiri and "inari." Inari (Tofu Pocket Sushi) is a dish made by wrapping sushi rice (rice mixed with vinegar) in "kitsuneage," deep-fried tofu.
Then top it with condiments and tempura flakes.
Yakuimi refers to the aromatic vegetables and spices added in small amounts to dishes. It is recommended to top hot udon with green onions and to add both green onions and grated ginger to cold udon.
The condiments to sprinkle on udon are the spicy 'Shichimi' and 'dashi soy sauce.' 'Dashi sauce' and 'salt' can be added to tempura as desired.
Nikutama Bukkake Udon is a dish topped with meat and a poached egg. The chewy noodles are mixed with the sweet and spicy grilled meat, making it hard to stop eating. Split the soft-boiled egg and eat it with the runny yolk for a mellow flavor!
Information
Marugame Seimen Kanda Ogawamachi Branch | 丸亀製麺 神田小川町店Address: HF Kanda Ogawamachi Building 1F, 3-3 Kanda Ogawamachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
*Last orders are taken 15 minutes before closing time.
*Business hours may vary. Please contact the store directly.
Access: 5-minute walk from Exit A7 of Jimbocho Station on the Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line, Toei Subway Shinjuku Line, and Mita Line (or 5-minute walk from Exit B5 of Ogawamachi Station on the Toei Subway Shinjuku Line)
Takeout: Available
*Not available for some items, some stores have a dedicated takeout counter
*The ordering method for the menu varies depending on the store.
*Takeout may not be available at some stores
Official Website: https://jp.marugame.com/en/
*The above article is based on information from April 2025.
*Prices, business hours and other information in this article are subject to change. Please check the latest information on the official websites before your visit.
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THIS ARTICLE IS BASED ON INFORMATION FROM 07 25,2025 Author：DiGJAPAN! Editorial Team
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