Restaurant recommendations for Narita airport, Terminal 1?
 

Hi all. I usually stay confined to the 3rd floor when in transit to BKK or IAD. I don't know why, but I've traversed NRT 12 times and never once strayed! This time I want to eat at any great restaurant (as long as very good). Thanks if you can suggest something!

Also, any other cool little store/shop that has Japanese goodies, etc.

There is a restaurant in the terminal where United lands that gets good reviews. It's Japanese, of course, and several flight attendants told me that they always pick up food there. There is a window and a sit-down restaurant. Kuranosuke has also eaten there and given it good reviews. Sorry, I don't know the name of it. Perhaps 10 yards away is a small store that has some lovely Japanese items - refined pottery, small crafts, etc.

To my knowledge there is no gourmet experience to be had in Terminal 1 restaurants. On Level 4 there are a selection of eateries, but they are no different from other average places you find in any station buildings in Japan, at inflated prices. I usually go to the self-service food court on level 5, much patronised by airline staff and airport workers (but open to the public), where you can have honest food at honest prices. There is also a kaiten zushi (conveyor belt sushi) place near the observation deck, where you can have a plate of sushi from 250 yen. More expensive than in town (where a cheapest plate costs from 100 to 120 yen), but not bad for an airport outlet.

As for souvernir shopping, a branch of Oriental Bazaar (in Harajuku) has a small but decent range of goods (landside). Airside, the selection (only a couple of places) is poor, but you save 5% consumption (sales) tax.

Kathie- Thank you. I will look for it.. I think its got to be OK if the Japanese attendants go there! :)

Alec- I've noted your suggestions too, and they sound great. Will definitely go up there. I've heard of the Kaiten zushi as well. I appreciate your input :D

Alec- I think I've been to the Oriental Bazaar in Harajuku! Thanks for mentioning this. Good to know.

Regards,

Kurt

I think we ate at the place Kathie recommends and remember it as being pretty good.

Are you located near DC Kurt? Maybe we need to have a DC GTG one of these days.

Agree with Alec, no really gourmet places so if that's what you are looking for, sorry. There is no demand for such places at airports, I guess. A good thing is even at "inflated" prices, they are not that expensive (to me). Some noodle and sushi places seem not too bad. Oriental Bazaar is also slightly more expensive at the airport than the Harajuku shop. I made once a comparison on the same items at both shops.

There's a really good sushi place just across from the United departure gates. They have tables and also take out which I used as the tables were full. So, I had some great sushi before my night flight to Bangkok. Enjoy and travel well.

Yup, that's the one!

Oh THAT place.
Never been but the staff are very vocal in enticing customers in, in a typical Japanese fashion.

Thanks everybody, again

Travelaw- Yes, I am in the DC Area. A gtg would be nice, but I might get beaten up, lol. I would like to meet at Bangkok this month at Tawandaeng, but I'm fearful, unless the Dogster goes. Meeting him might be worth being pelted mercilessly by Singha bottles (and one wine bottle) :D

..that's WITH Singha bottles, btw

i hope that it would be EMPTY singha bottles, or else it would be a waste of good beer.

It's a nice taste of Japan if you're transiting at Narita. In my case, I had been in Shinjuku for a week, but still wanted some good sushi before Thailand, thinking I wouldn't find any there. How wrong I was as there's some very good sushi and Japanese food in Bangkok. One night I would up in a restaurant near Emporium shopping mall, taken by someone who lives there, and it was like being in Tokyo.

Sorry got off topic here.

kuranosuke- Yes, indeed. That would be a waste of perfectly good beer (and wine)

citywalks- That's what I've heard, but when given the opportunity to eat real Thai food, Japanese food is not even an option! (no insult to anyone:) Thanks for the input, tho'