Teishoku: Breaking Down Japan’s Traditional Set Meal

With so many mouth-watering options in the world of Japanese cuisine, choosing your next meal on your Tokyo trip can feel like an Olympic sport—but teishoku, Japan’s traditional set meal, makes this choice simple. Why? Because it offers a balanced variety of staple dishes in one convenient meal. Quick, filling, and tasty, the humble Japanese set meal is the go-to choice for Tokyo’s busy locals.

In this blog, I’ll break down the components of a classic set meal by taking you with me to the popular teishoku chain, Yayoiken.

What is Teishoku: Breaking Down Japan's Set Meal

Teishoku, pronounced tay-show-ku, directly translates to “set meal” and is often served at local mom-and-pop restaurants as well as nationwide chains for lunch and dinner. A standard teishoku meal includes one main dish, one side dish, miso soup, rice, and Japanese pickles called tsukemono. The main dish can range widely, featuring anything from crispy fried chicken (karaage) to grilled fish, and even noodle dishes or donburi rice bowls.

These set meals are particularly popular because they offer great value for their price, providing a satisfying, balanced, and complete meal without breaking the bank.

Inside a Teishoku Restaurant

To best illustrate what teishoku is, I headed over to Yayoiken, my local teishoku chain, for dinner.

Our teishoku adventure begins in front of Yayoiken.

Upon entering, you’ll immediately notice the wide variety of set meals offered. The atmosphere is calm and casual, with the gentle hum of the kitchen hustle and bustle blending with mellow jazz music. It’s the perfect environment to unwind and enjoy a comforting meal after a long day of sightseeing.

From grilled fish to fried chicken and even noodles—there's something here for everyone!

I headed to the vending machine to choose my dinner. Once you select and pay for your meal, a ticket will pop out which you can pass to the wait staff. It’s a very efficient process perfect for a quick, no-fuss, meal.

Touch screen vending machines make ordering incredibly simple.

I was coming here for one thing and one thing onlyーthe grilled salted mackerel, or saba shio yaki teishoku. Not only is it my favorite, but it is also one of the classic items you will find at any Japanese set meal restaurant. After handing over my ticket, all I had to do was wait for my set meal to appear.

And…voilà! After a few minutes, my teishoku was in front of me and I was ready to dig in.

Let’s take a closer look at the meal. As you can see, everything is served at once. This is a defining characteristic of teishoku, where unlike other traditional dining experiences like kaiseki ryouri, each item in your teishoku will come together as a set. Additionally, the rice and miso soup will always be placed closest to you while the main dish and side dish or dishes will be placed farthest away. Traditionally, it is advised to start your meal with a sip of miso soup and a bite of rice before diving into the main dishes.

Now, I'll break down each of these dishes further, starting with the star of the showーthe main dish!

Teishoku Breakdown: The Main Dish

Welcome the saba shio yaki, or grilled salted mackerel to the teishoku arena! Yayoiken grills the mackerel to perfection as you can see by the crispy, almost golden exterior. It’s best eaten with a bit of grated daikon radish and a squeeze of lemon.

Teishoku Breakdown: The Side Dishes

I was served two side dishes this time. One was a complimentary chilled silken tofu. The mild flavor pairs well with the salty grilled fish. It’s a great palate cleanser on its own but I like to put a little bit of soy sauce and Togarashi, red chilli pepper flakes on top for a bit of punch.

Pro-tip: Eat tofu or other cold side dishes like Japanese pickles on top of the warm rice for a never-fail combo.

I had just finished a workout so I decided to add an additional side dish with plenty of protein—tamagoyaki, or Japanese-style omelet!

While this tamagoyaki is certainly on the more rustic side—you can definitely find more delicately prepared tamagoyaki in Tokyo, this one hits the spot, especially when dipped in a little bit of mayo. Trust me, it works.

What separates tamagoyaki from a standard western-style omelet is its seasoning. In Tokyo and other parts of the Kanto region, tamagoyaki tends to be sweet, seasoned with sugar and dashi broth. In contrast, Kansai-style tamagoyaki, popular in Osaka, is typically savory and salty.

Teishoku Breakdown: Miso Soup

Soup can be traced back to the origin of teishoku. Zen temples offered meals called ichiju issai (one soup, one side.) Over time, the number of sides grew, and main dishes became a central part of the Japanese set meal. However, soup, specifically miso soup, has remained a staple component to this day. This time, I upgraded the normal miso soup to a miso soup filled with asari clams.

Teishoku Breakdown: Rice

This rice gets its purple hue from a blend of barley, pearl barley, golden rice and red glutinous rice.

Last but not least, we have rice, the grain at the heart of any Japanese set meal. It is the perfect way to balance out all the flavors on your tray. At most teishoku shops you can choose from white rice, brown rice, and mixed grain rice. Today, I went for the mixed grain rice, my personal favorite.

Shime: Teishoku's Secret Bonus Meal

You thought we were finished? Not so fast!

In Japan, a meal is never truly complete without the shime—the final touch to wrap up your dining experience. Shime is a light, comforting dish to signal the end of your meal and leave you satisfied but not overly full. The shime is usually simple and soothing, like a rice or noodle dish.

At Yayoiken, you can try shime out for yourself with ochazuke. This dish is a comforting, light finale made by pouring hot tea or dashi (a savory broth) over your leftover rice. It's a traditional way to use up any rice that remains at the end of your meal, transforming it into a flavorful dish.

Cold brew on tap? No...it's dashi on tap!

You can top it with pickles, seaweed, or even bits of your leftover grilled fish to add texture and taste, creating a satisfying yet gentle close to your meal. Simply head to the condiment station after your meal to pour hot dashi over your leftover rice, topping it with tangy pickles.

Conclusion

Teishoku is a simple and satisfying way to experience Japanese cuisine, with every dish working together to create a balanced meal.

Next time you're in Tokyo, don’t miss out on trying a teishoku set for a truly local dining experience!