An outstanding feature of Tokyo is the "box lunch" combination plate served with some of the restaurants's best dishes. The box lunch is probably the most substantial lunch served in terms of the quantity of food, and it consists of the cutomer's choice of foods from two groups (one of which has sushi as one of the choices). The sushi is whatever the chef wishes to serve, but a California roll can be ordered instead of nigiri or sashimi. The box lunch comes with miso soup, usually making it the best deal for lunch even though it is more expensive than the other plates.

Other lunch specials come with one main item and several appetizers, but no soup. These offer a cost saving if you do not want sushi, but I think if I were to order the miso soup the total would come out almost the same as if I ordered the box lunch. More choices for entrees are avaialable than the ones that come on the box lunch.

One of my favorite items on the lunch plates is Salmon Teriyaki with a very thick and flavorful teriyaki sauce. Atlantic salmon is used, one of the least desirable varieties, but the sauce is a winner (chicken and beef teriyaki are also available). Even though this is Atlantic (which is usually another term for farm raised) salmon, I nevertheless enjoy it and find it to be quite fresh. I have seen an improvement in the salmon quality over the years, corresponding more or less with the better fish that is now available in the markets and grocery stores.

The sushi served in the box lunch does not include the "chef's recommendations of the day" (usually the fresher and higher quality sushi varieties), but any type of sushi can be ordered for a lunch or as individual items. The sushi lunch usually includes tuna and salmon, while the sashimi option includes a couple of additional choices such as a crab stick and octopus. Usually I think at least one of the sushi items served on the lunch plate is very good, and the others are good (but not exceptional). Obviously they have to charge higher prices for the best sushi, but what they serve for lunch is pretty good considering the price and the fact that so many other items are included.

To really test the Sushi I have ordered the "Chef's Recommendation" at dinner with the Yellowtail Nigiri being quite fresh and just about the same as can be found on the west coast. While I probably do not know enough about sushi to recoginze the really outstanding fish that is served, I do know good sushi, and Tokyo Restaurant has it. Tokyo may not have the most exotic sushi in the world, but the chefs know enough to serve only what is fresh.

Of the regular varieties served in the lunch boxes the Tuna and Snapper are probably the best.

Chicken Katsu has one of the best sauces I have found in any restaurant, and the breading is quite good. This is one of the choices for lunch, or is available on the dinner menu.

Vegetable Tempura is one of the options on the lunch plates and is excellent. I think the plates normally offer a combination of shrimp and vegetable tempura, but it is so seldom that I find restaurants that can make good vegetables that I like to order this at Tokyo.

The Miso Soup is fresh, and one of the best.

A bowl of Tempura Udon I tried from the dinner menu was outstanding, with a dark, rich broth and good noodles. The shrimp and vegetable tempura was the same excellent quality as the one served at lunch. I have always enjoyed Tokyo's tempura dipping sauce.

For lunch a bowl of Udon is available without the tempura. This soup is not much more expensive than the miso, but is more filling.

Tokyo is a friendly, comfortable, and relatively inexpensive restaurant where you can feel at home, especially if you are a regular customer. Not all the sushi is great, but I think anything offered in the "chef's recommendation" would be about the best one could find in the Southwest (with the possible exception of the seacoast area around Houston). The sushi chefs are among the most experienced I have met, and this is one of the key factors that makes a good sushi restaurant.