Hyotan

If you don't already live in Nerima, you'll probably wish you did after paying a visit to this cosy, convivial Thai joint, a short walk from the station. ‘We don't have standing bars in Thailand, but I thought about the kind of place I'd want to go to as a customer, and this is how it turned out,’ says Hyotan's ever-smiling owner, who speaks fluent Japanese. First-time visitors should quickly feel at ease, and they won't be worrying about clocking up a large tab either: small plates of food start at ¥350, while you can have bottled Singha and Beer Lao for close to retail price. Staples like phad thai and green curry sit alongside dishes that will test the hardiest of diners (cucumber and gizzard salad, anyone?), and the flavours haven't been toned down in the way they are at so many Thai restaurants in Tokyo.