A Tokyo Station breakfast institution, this large openplan dining hall is a favourite stop for salarymen on their way to work – yep, it’s an eat-and-dash affair. You simply order from the vending machine: there are seven breakfast set meals (teishoku) including shioyakizakana (salt-grilled fish), tonjiru (pork and tofu miso soup; pictured top) and beef simmered with tofu. Optional extras include tamagoyaki, cold tofu, natto and fried eggs. All dishes come with a bowl of rice, miso soup and pickles.
The interior offers a quaint mom-and-pop vibe. The large communal table in the centre is always buzzing, but there are private booths as well. Hatsufuji is open from 7am for breakfast before switching to its lunch menu from 11am, and from 3pm it turns into an izakaya serving seasonal cuisine. To find it in the labyrinthine Tokyo Station, take the Yaesu central exit, head for the Sotobori Chika 3rd Street, and by exit 19, you’ll find the restaurant opposite a FamilyMart.