Did you know Zojirushi has a restaurant in Tokyo? Zojirushi Shokudo is super fun for anyone who is a fan of their rice cookers and hot water boiler. Every entree comes with an (all you can eat) tasting of different rice varieties. From insulated mugs for tea to electric sesame grinders, the whole meal is outfitted with all types of Zojirushi products ^_^
Welcome to Zojirushi Shokudo Tokyo!
Rice is our main staple starch in Hawaii. We eat it daily, and it often makes an appearance at all three meals (even breakfast).
Many families have a rice cooker at home and Zojirushi is a popular brand. They have tons of different models and price points.
Zojirushi rice cookers have carried me all the way from childhood to college and now present day!
I learned about the Zojirushi Shokudo from @foodsaketokyo, and was super excited to check it out our most recent Tokyo trip.
The restuarant just opened in 2023 and already seems to be a very popular spot ^_^
Location
Zojirushi Shokudo is located right across Tokyo Station. It's on the 5th floor of the Kitte Marunouchi.
It's best to make reservations ahead of time. But if you don't have reservations, go right when they open. The restaurant fills up very, very fast.
What To Order
Here's the fun part! So the restaurant is all about rice. Every entree comes with an unlimited amount of rice, and you can also switch between types of rice.
First you pick the entree. The Zojirushi Gozen is the most popular for lunch (pictured in menu above). It comes with:
- Main dish (fish, meat, or seasonal).
- Red sea bream sashimi.
- Red sea bream broth (to make tai chazuke).
- Three small side dishes: peanut-tofu, purple cabbage and chrysanthemum râpé, and burdock with a tofu, white sesame, and miso dressing.
- Three accompaniments for the rice: roasted mentaiko (seasoned cod roe), seaweed cooked with soy sauce and served with wasabi and pickled cucumbers, and umeboshi (pickled plum) further pickled in olive oil.
- Eice cooked in the Zojirushi Enbu-daki rice cooker (pick two varieties so you can eat them side by side and compare).
- Miso soup with dried daikon radish strips.
- Dessert: rice ice cream.
For the main dish (photo above) you can pick between three dishes:
- Fish: Japanese-style bouillabaisse with cod and seafood.
- Meat: Stewed cabbage roll with yuzu citrus pepper.
- Seasonal: Chicken poêlé with mushrooms and mustard sauce.
I ordered the meat / stewed cabbage roll and it was so good! The cabbage roll was served in a soup bowl with dashi broth and lots of veggies. Very warming with the yuzu and citrus pepper. You can see this dish pictured in the top photo of this post.
In addition to the Zojirushi Gozen, they also have many other lunch options. We also ordered the Wagyu Roast Beef Gozen (also pictured at the top of this post).
The roast beef was fine but mom and I both agreed that the Zojirushi Gozen not only a better deal but the more delicious option.
Once you place your order, the server will direct you to the tea station.
It's a DIY set up with a couple of hot water boilers (I believe it's this specific model).
Select your tea (they have four types):
- Misugi Japanese black tea
- Hojicha
- Sencha
- Genmaicha
Place the tea bag in an insulated mug. The insulated mug is a Zojirushi product but I haven't seen it for sale in the US....now wish I bought one!
Fill the mug with hot water from the hot water boiler. Bring your mug along with a small glass dish (which they have next to the tea bags) back to your table.
Once the tea is done steeping (they give recommended brew time), remove the tea bag and place it on the glass dish.
I love how every detail is thoughtfully planned, down to where guests will discard the tea bags.
You can go back to the tea station throughout the meal to try the different teas. Yes, I tried all four ^_^
When you first order your meal, the ask you which two types of rice you want to try. They have three options:
- White rice - the Zojirushi standard.
- White rice - cooked in steam mode.
- Healthy rice - a blend with brown rice.
Once you select the two option, you then decide what size bowl you want: small, standard, or large.
No matter the size, you can have unlimited rice refills (you just have to stick to your same "type" of rice because the bowls are color coded).
To get a rice refill, just bring your bowl up to the rice cooker station and a server will help you do the refill.
Seeing so many beautiful rice cookers lined up neatly in a row makes me so happy.
One of the courses included in the Zojirushi Gozen / lunch set is red sea bream sashimi and a red sea bream broth. The broth comes in a small insulated thermos.
Here's how you eat this:
- First: Try a slice of the red sea bream as sashimi. Simply dip in the sesame sauce and enjoy.
- Second: Dip the red sea bream in the sesame sauce and then place it on your bowl of rice. Eat it together with the rice.
- Third: Pour the red sea bream broth over the rice and enjoy as rice porridge.
And don't forget about dessert! It is rice (of course) ice cream ^_^
There's a strict 90 minute dining limit, so enjoy but not for too long. Can't wait to come back on our next trip.
Insider Tips
- Make reservations in advance. You can walk in, but would be taking a chance. They put up the "restaurant full" sign within 30 minutes of opening.
- Go on a weekday if you can. The weekends are crazy busy.
- There are many lunch options but the Zojirushi Gozen is the tastiest deal that gives plenty of variety.
- Make sure you check out all the Zojirushi products they feature: rice cooker, hot water boiler, insulated mug, hot water thermos, and sesame grinder. It's all marketing, but it's brilliant and fun.
- Try to get a window seat. You'll get a beautiful view of Tokyo Station and it makes the experience even more lovely.
Zoujirushi Shokudo Tokyo: Info
- Website: zojirushisyokudo.com
- Instagram: @zojirushisyokudo
- Address: Kitte Marunouchi (5th floor), Marunouchi, Chiyoda 100-0005 Tokyo
Mahalo for Reading!