Dining at Sakura in Tokyo: Authentic Japanese Buffet You Don’t Want to Miss

Hi everyone, it’s Aya!
This time, I’m introducing the lunch buffet at “Sakura,” the Japanese restaurant inside Dai-ichi Hotel Ryogoku in Tokyo.
Conveniently connected to Ryogoku Station on the Toei Oedo Line, this elegant restaurant is located on the hotel’s top floor (25th floor), offering a stunning view of the Sumida River and Tokyo Skytree. 🌸

This luxurious lunch buffet features 60 authentic Japanese dishes crafted by professional chefs, all available all-you-can-eat.
In addition, guests can choose one freshly prepared main dish and one chef’s recommended plate — a perfect way to savor high-quality Japanese cuisine at a relaxed pace.

Basic Information

Open: Wednesday to Sunday (Closed Mondays & Tuesdays)

Hours: 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (90 minutes, 2 seatings)

Price: Weekdays ¥3,600 / Weekends & Holidays ¥3,900 (tax included)

Highlight 1: Freshly Made Main Dishes

In addition to the buffet, you can choose one main dish and one chef’s special.
Main options include crispy Japanese pork tonkatsu, Inaniwa udon noodles with a smooth, firm texture, and warm dipping noodles with tender eggplant soaked in savory broth — each one truly tempting.
For the chef’s special, you might enjoy saba oshizushi (pressed mackerel sushi), a Ryogoku specialty, or flavorful katsuo tataki (lightly seared bonito).

Highlight 2: Ryogoku’s Specialty: Chanko Nabe

Each table is served a personal hot pot where you can choose soy sauce or salt broth and simmer your own ingredients.
After about 10 minutes, scallops, fish balls, and vegetables are perfectly cooked — the warm, delicate broth is simply comforting and delicious.

Highlight 3: Kurobe Spring Water Pork Bun

A popular menu item featuring a black bun made with squid ink.
Inside the chewy dough, you’ll find juicy, flavorful pork — a local favorite that’s also great as a take-home souvenir.

Highlight 4: Tofu Gratin and Chawanmushi

The tofu gratin combines silky tofu with a Japanese-style white sauce made from katsuobushi broth, while the chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) with chicken and ginkgo nuts offers a soothing, homestyle flavor.

Highlight 5: Colorful Small Dishes

Enjoy a variety of beautifully plated appetizers such as sesame tofu, rolled omelet, vinegared mozuku seaweed, miso-marinated tofu, and steamed chicken with leek sauce.
Each dish is elegantly presented, allowing you to sample many flavors in small portions.

Highlight 6: Refined Japanese Delicacy

One standout dish is the Pumpkin Surinagashi — a velvety pumpkin soup infused with gentle Japanese dashi broth.
Its natural sweetness spreads through your mouth, complemented by soft, untoasted croutons for a lovely texture contrast.

Highlight 7: Japanese-Style Hayashi Rice with Soy Meat

This flavorful dish features soy meat simmered in a rich sauce made with katsuodashi, shiitake mushrooms, red wine, and tamari soy sauce.
There are also plenty of rice toppings like pickles, mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and kombu tsukudani (simmered kelp), which you can wrap in nori seaweed for a hand-roll style bite.

Highlight 8: Create-Your-Own Drinks

Guests can mix their own drinks by combining orange juice or roasted green tea (hojicha) with syrups of their choice — a fun way to customize your beverage!

Highlight 9 & 10: Variety of Japanese Desserts

The signature dessert is the Ryogoku Downtown Pudding, served in a traditional wooden box.
Its firm texture and delicate egg flavor are delightful.
There are also matcha pudding, mango pudding, coffee jelly, warabi mochi, mitarashi dango, and six kinds of ice cream — a perfect way to end your meal on a sweet note!

Summary

The Japanese Cuisine Sakura lunch buffet is a hidden gem where you can enjoy both the craftsmanship of skilled Japanese chefs and the local flavor of Ryogoku’s famous chanko nabe.
If you’re looking for an authentic Japanese buffet in Tokyo, this place is highly recommended.
Relax and enjoy a graceful dining experience with breathtaking views of the Sumida River and Tokyo Skytree. 🌸🇯🇵

📺 For those who want to discover more all-you-can-eat and hotel buffet spots:
On my YouTube channel “Aya’s Food Adventures,” you can also watch videos of the buffets I introduce!
Be sure to subscribe and check out the latest all-you-can-eat updates. → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoNxyUqJMXnIxIiKBl5fVTQ