Gourmet tour through Düsseldorf's Little Tokyo: this is how far you can get with 50 euros

From perfectly brewed green tea to teddy bear desserts, there's something for everyone! 

The answer to the question "If you could only enjoy one cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be?" is unlikely to win a single penny on the country's big quiz shows. Because the answer is clear: Japanese! Or do you know a country with such extraordinary, yet always incredibly tasty and almost always healthy dishes? Exactly. It is therefore tempting to wander through Little Tokyo in Düsseldorf again and again. After all, the district not far from the main train station is a central meeting point for foodies from all corners of the world, regardless of age or budget. But how much does it actually cost to feast here? And how do you pick out a few of the many highlights from the abundance on offer? We put it to the test for you and set off with 50 euros.  

Margarine butter soft start 

Strolling through the Japanese quarter on an empty stomach is only for the daring. The temptation to try here, there and everywhere and quickly find yourself 50 euros short is great. So let's take things slowly, without skimping on the taste or originality of the first meal of the day. What do we choose? A wonderfully moist and soft 'melon roll' with chocolate chips from the Dae-Yang supermarket (Immermannstraße 21). The fantastic pastry - which, by the way, is only named after the fruit because of its appearance - comes from the team at Bakery My Heart, whose store in Marienstraße has unfortunately been closed since June 2022. Fortunately, the pastries are still available in some supermarkets. For just a few euros, you can bite into a roll baked with butter and margarine that seems to come straight from dessert heaven. And the amount of chocolate chips leaves just as little to be desired! With your first sugar and energy requirement of the day covered, you can set off without feeling full despite the calories.  

Checkout The bread roll cost 2.40 euros, leaving 47.60 euros.  

Let's go on a culinary tour - although, of course, a little time is allowed to pass between the individual meals of the day. This is an opportunity to visit typical Japanese stores around Immermannstraße. At DaBamDaBoo (Immermannstraße 29), for example, which is just a few steps away from the supermarket, you can buy household items such as beautifully painted cups and plates, compact grills for the table, as well as very tasteful lamps. By the way, Daruma are smiling at you in the shop window. The papier-mâché lucky charms, which are based on the founder of Zen Buddhism, Bodhidharma, are said to fulfill various wishes depending on their color - from love to health to professional success. 

Lunch with a risk of addiction 

Did a little shopping? Maybe bought a few gifts for friends and family? Great, then why not treat yourself to something - a really tasty lunch, for example. The Yabase restaurant is just a two-minute walk from Immermannstraße at Klosterstraße 70. What makes it so special and is a clear sign of the outstanding quality of the food: even on an ordinary weekday lunchtime, the restaurant fills up to the last seat. With a bit of luck, you might even catch a celebrity at the tasting (on the day I was researching this text, actor Armin Rohde was sitting at the next table). What will it be? Fish or meat? Or a plate of hot broth? Highly recommended, also because of the comparatively low price: the "Nabeyaki" soup with a choice of udon or soba noodles as well as prawn, seaweed, mushroom and egg. When it comes to sushi, because this also needs to be tried, the choice falls on pumpkin, i.e. "Kanpyou". Both are extremely fresh and extremely delicious; not a drop is left in the soup bowl. The green tea, which rounds off the lunch dish, arrives at the table hot and tasting of pleasant roasted aromas. It's really no wonder that Düsseldorfers, members of the Japanese community in the North Rhine-Westphalian capital and numerous tourists speaking a wide variety of languages come and go here. 

The soup costs 16 euros, the sushi (six maki) five euros. Plus a green tea for two euros and a tip of three euros, the total comes to 26 euros. That leaves 21.60 euros for the rest of the day. 

What can follow a savory dish? That's right, a sweet one - and that actually has a double meaning at the next address, just a few hundred meters away. 

Clouds in the mouth 

For dessert, it can be - typically Japanese - "kawai", i.e. sweet or kitschy. The Japanese love cute things, as can be seen once again at Café Number 18 (Bendemannstraße 18). Mini clouds with matcha flavor, square ducklings with orange filling or an Earl Grey-style pig are waiting at the counter. After the green tea we had earlier, we feel like a light caffeine kick. The choice accordingly falls on a coffee mousse tartlet with a teddy face. Airy, neither too sweet nor too bitter, it makes the perfect start to the afternoon. Enjoy it with a coffee or a blue lemon soda, for example. And if you have a birthday or big party coming up soon: Don't hesitate to ask to be shown the cakes. Baking art on a new level! 

Cash register craftsmanship with special attention to detail has its price. The dessert costs 5.90 euros, which leaves 15.70 euros left over. 

Continue on, Immermannstraße is within sight. You cross the main street to pass the Japan-Center, which also houses the Hanaro supermarket (Immermannstraße 45c). You could spend hour after hour here alone, you will see so many items that are foreign to German grocery stores. 

A different kind of bean 

One special feature catches the eye right at the beginning of the store: Shortly after the huge range of different teas and coffees, a number of specialties await the curious in the freezer. On this day, red and green rice cakes end up in the shopping cart, as they not only look particularly appealing. The contents of the "baramtteok" - namely bean paste, a typical component of Japanese cuisine - make you want to try them. Slightly firmer to the bite, they develop a special sweetness that is an explosion of flavors for European palates. 

Checkout The cakes (eight pieces, about the size of a cookie) cost 4.06 euros. That leaves 11.64 euros left in your wallet from the previous 15.70 euros. 

Dinner rolls 

Hopefully you won't feel hungry, but perhaps a little hungry? This is completely understandable, as Japanese cuisine is considered to be one of the best in the world. So it's better not to skip a meal and enjoy your evening meal too. Unfortunately, the budget is no longer sufficient for an extensive dinner in one of the many restaurants, which are always very busy. Never mind: even with little money, you can get to know a very special dish. Namely: pasta in a roll. Sounds crazy? But it actually tastes great. The very soft bread roll consistency combines brilliantly with the firm Asian noodles, and the vegetables in between give the taste experience that extra kick. Try it out for yourself. 

Checkout The bread roll, which - pro tip - is best bought in the morning at Dae-Yang supermarket (otherwise it may already be gone due to its popularity), costs 3.60 euros. That leaves a remaining amount of 8.04 euros.  

And finally: Well-being!  

Once you've acquired a taste for Little Tokyo's culinary delights, you probably won't want to stay away for long. However, if you can only return in a few days, weeks or even months, take some of your leftover money home with you. A good soy sauce or seaweed snacks often cost no more than a few euros in supermarkets. You can also find well-known sweets in Germany with a flavor that is otherwise only available in Japan - such as "Kit Kat" with mint or strawberry filling - for 6.40 euros each. The first flavor should be it! Finally, as we're heading to the sofa, a Japanese beer is a must. The cost of a can of the "Leo" brand: 1.50 euros. And with that, cheers to an all-round delicious day! 

Check the cash register: 14 cents are left in your pocket! Dining in Düsseldorf's Japanese quarter is not exactly cheap fun, but it is definitely worth it. Apart from that: as important as frugality seems in many situations in life - when it comes to good food, it's worth investing. Especially in Little Tokyo. 

Cover picture: Düsseldorf Tourismus

Would you rather drift and be guided? Then join our guided tour Sushi, Sake and Japanese Lifestyle.