One day in... Gakugeidaigaku

Higuma Doughnuts’ Hokkaido-born owner uses ingredients from his home prefecture to create the store’s delightfully fluffy and ‘mochi-mochi’ (springy) doughnuts. Free from additives and preservatives, these rings have garnered cult status in Tokyo. You can’t go wrong with the classic varieties – plain, cinnamon sugar, kinako (roasted soybean powder) and black sugar, and raspberry jam – but keep an eye out on the seasonal offerings such as honey-mascarpone and limoncello. There’s seating inside, where you can watch the doughnut-making action through the glass wall.

This eclectic, pint-sized Vietnamese restaurant seats just five guests along its ceramic counter. On the menu is a selection of colourful Vietnamese dishes with a Japanese twist. The classic  bánh mi overflows with layers of house-made pâté, pork, fresh herbs and pickles. The dashi-braised pork bowl, on the other hand, is served with fragrant jasmine rice, namasu (Japanese pickles), a soy-marinated egg and a fistful of Vietnamese herbs. Ingredients are mostly organic and locally sourced, aligning with the store’s philosophy.

Owner Megumi Fukuda opened Tsukinowaguma in 2018 out of a love for, and the desire to, showcase Japanese craft beer. The interior is simple yet modern, with one long timber bar running the length of the room, while the huge windows give it an airy, spacious vibe. Beer comes on tap as well as by the bottle, and includes Japanese breweries such as Far Yeast, Punk IPA, Big Hazy Monkey and Sakura Gose.

Only open five days a week during lunchtime, this udon joint can be real hard to get into – paying little heed to the listed business hours, the shop often runs out of noodles and closes long before 2pm. Prepare to queue up for a seat inside the small space, but once you get in, you'll be glad you did: the soft, aromatic noodles are served in a flavourful sardine-based broth, making for a heavenly combination. The tempura, fried on order, also maintains excellent quality: we recommend the mochi and soft-boiled egg.

Atsu Atsu Ri Carica is a small natural wine bar-meets-inventive Italian gastropub. The owner, being part Italian himself, rolls with the Italian idea of what is good food: a few simple but good ingredients, dressed up with the bare minimum yet make them shine precisely through that. Add in a little extra Japanese precision, local ingredients, and a flair for plating, and you have yourself some of the area's most interesting dishes. The menu changes along with the seasons, but their staple ‘cacao risotto’ should be available whenever you go. Made with the rice leftover after making narezushi (fermented sushi) and topped with cacao from Peru’s Amazon, it has the smoothness characteristic of risotto, but with a tangy bite.