Andon

Cheerful owner Takeda Masada brings the rice and sake of his home prefecture, Akita, to Tokyo at this casual food and drink spot. Masada comes from a family of rice farmers, and is passionate about the grain and all it produces. Bonus Track is the second Andon location, coming after the first hip little renovated shop in Nihonbashi. Inside the pint-sized Shimokitazawa store, you order at the counter, then take a seat around the courtyard to enjoy your Akita sake or beer and bites. 

In the mornings, try rice porridge with assorted toppings such as salted salmon or pickled plum; in the evenings, oden (Japanese hotpot) with ingredients like local Hinai chicken dumplings, daikon or tofu. All day, you can order rice balls and snacks to go with your sake, along with sweets. Masada is especially proud of the shop’s fragrant rice, which is single-origin, grown by young farmers, and cooked in the store in a traditional kamado cauldron.