Florence Knight — the chef behind London's Polpetto, Sessions Art Club and the newly opened, much-hyped Lunette at the St. Clement Hotel in Temple — recently shared her personal Tokyo restaurant list, and it's a refreshingly unglamorous one. Her picks are mostly tiny counters and hole-in-the-walls, chosen for a single obsession of hers: places that do one thing, and do it perfectly.

First up is Tori no Ana in Ikebukuro, a ramen counter with a horseshoe bar wrapped around the chef. You order via a little computer screen, the room is completely unassuming, and yet the queue runs out the door even in the rain — the draw is a chicken broth so rich it's almost creamy. Knight calls it unlike anything she's eaten anywhere else.

For a splurge night, she recommends Noda in Harajuku, a 15-course fine-dining tasting menu that she admits is "a lot" — she brought her whole family and it was challenging — but ultimately worth it. The detail she loves: non-alcoholic pairings made table-side, including grapes crushed in front of you and a spiced, creamy whey-and-sake-style drink.

Tonkatsu Nanaido, also in Jingumae, is devoted entirely to breaded pork cutlets — crisp crumbs, succulent meat, well-cooked rice. It has roughly eight seats, opens only on certain days, uses a ticket machine and draws a permanent queue, so arrive early. In Shinjuku, Baba Ten is her tempura pick: small, unpretentious and reliably excellent. And in Taito there's Kabuki, an all-dark room — even the glassware — where phones and photos are banned, reached up a narrow wooden staircase, and famous for its hot chocolate.

Beyond the list, Knight offers a few useful observations for anyone planning an eating trip to Japan. Yes, the sushi is extraordinary — she had some of the best of her life at a train station counter — but she argues the country's real magic lies in specialists: ramen shops, tonkatsu counters, hot chocolate dens. She also notes Japan's no-eating-while-walking culture, which means no takeaway in hand but, in exchange, remarkably litter-free streets. And because the sheer volume of options can be overwhelming, inside tips like these are exactly what make a food-focused trip easier to plan.

Why it matters: Knight's approach flips the usual Tokyo itinerary. Instead of chasing Michelin stars or famous sushi counters, these are affordable, local spots where you'll queue beside regulars and eat one perfect dish. Most cost a fraction of fine dining — Noda is the exception — and the only real requirement is patience and an early arrival. If you're the kind of traveller who plans a city break around meals, this is a ready-made eating route across Tokyo, from Ikebukuro in the north to Shibuya and Shinjuku in the west.

This piece is based on the original feature by Condé Nast Traveller UK.