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Yuki Tanaka

Staff Writer · Tokyo, Japan

Yuki Tanaka is a food writer based in Tokyo, where she has lived for most of her life, minus three years in Vancouver for university. She focuses on the small, family-run restaurants that locals return to for decades, the kind of places that do not have English menus or Instagram accounts. Yuki has been eating ramen professionally for longer than some of her colleagues have been alive, and she keeps a notebook of every bowl she tries, with details on broth clarity, noodle firmness, and how long the line was. She writes in English and Japanese, and her work has appeared in regional Tokyo food guides.

Expertise

Japanese cuisine, ramen, Tokyo restaurant scene

Years Writing

8 years

Favorite Tool

A pocket notebook she has been using since 2019

Articles by Yuki Tanaka

Food Culture |

Breakfast in Turkey Is a Meal Worth Traveling For

The Turkish breakfast tradition and social rituals worth traveling for.

Food Culture |

The Bento Box in Japan: What a Packed Lunch Reveals About How the Japanese Eat

The art and culture of bento in Japan, from kindergarten obento to ekiben sold at train stations.

Restaurant Reviews |

Hawker Centers in Singapore: The Food Courts That Earned Michelin Stars

A review of three Singapore hawker centers, from Tian Tian to smaller neighborhood spots with loyal queues.

Food Culture |

Ramen by Region: How Japan's Favorite Noodle Soup Changes From City to City

A guide to ramen styles across Japan, from Sapporo miso to Hakata tonkotsu to Tokyo shoyu.

Restaurant Reviews |

Korean BBQ at a Table in Seoul: The Banchan, the Meat, and the Soju That Keep the Grill Going

A review of three Korean BBQ restaurants in Seoul, from high-end wagyu to neighborhood samgyeopsal joints.

Food Culture |

Khachapuri: The Georgian Cheese Bread That Arrives With a Raw Egg on Top

A look at Georgia's national bread, from Adjarian boat-shaped to Imeretian flat, and the cheese that fills it.

Food Culture |

Dinner at a Kyoto Kaiseki Restaurant: Twelve Courses, Two Hours, and a Different Way of Thinking About Food

A kaiseki dinner in Kyoto, Japan, and the seasonal philosophy behind each course.

Restaurant Reviews |

Dim Sum in Hong Kong: The Morning Ritual That Feeds a Table of Ten in Forty Dishes

A review of two traditional dim sum houses in Hong Kong, comparing har gow, char siu bao, and the tea service.

Restaurant Reviews |

Kahvalti in Istanbul: Four Breakfast Spots Where the Meal Lasts Two Hours

Four Turkish breakfast restaurants in Istanbul, from Bebek to Kadikoy, where the spread is generous and unhurried.

Restaurant Reviews |

Finding the Real Tokyo Ramen: Eight Shops Past the Tourist Maps

Eight ramen shops in Tokyo that visitors rarely find.

Recipes |

Butter Chicken From a Kitchen in Delhi: The Tomato Marinade That Changed My Mind About the Dish

A butter chicken recipe with a yogurt-tomato marinade, tandoori-style chicken, and a creamy makhani sauce.

Restaurant Reviews |

A Counter-Seat Lunch at a Tokyo Sushi Bar: What Thirty Dollars Buys at the Right Place

A review of a mid-range sushi bar in Ginza, where the lunch set changes daily based on the morning Tsukiji market haul.

Food Culture |

Izakaya at Midnight: The Japanese Drinking Snacks That Become a Full Meal Without You Noticing

A guide to izakaya culture in Tokyo, from the snacks to the drinks to the unspoken rules of the counter seat.

Restaurant Reviews |

Pho at Dawn in Hanoi: Three Bowls From Three Different Neighborhoods

A comparison of three pho shops in Hanoi's Old Quarter, each with a distinct broth style and history.

Recipes |

Miso Soup Without the Packet: How Real Miso Paste Changes the Bowl

A guide to making miso soup with real miso paste, dashi stock, and seasonal ingredients instead of instant powder.

Food Culture |

The Street Food of Istanbul That Tourists Walk Past Every Day

Overlooked Istanbul street foods beyond kebabs: simit, kokorec, balik ekmek, and kumpir from the vendors who make them.