As the city crow flies, it's just a short hop from the bustle and bright lights of Ginza to the laid-back, low-rise backstreets of Ningyocho. But once you're there, it can feel half a world away — especially when you arrive at Imahan.

With its rust-red plasterwork, tiles and sliding wooden doors, the squat, two-story building stands proud as an emissary from another era. Beyond its white half-length noren curtain, you taste a tradition that dates back well over a century.

One of Tokyo's oldest and best loved purveyors of beef cuisine, Imahan originally specialized in gyu-nabe, the beef casserole that was the forerunner of sukiyaki. As well as shabu-shabu, it now also offers teppanyaki and steak. All are great, but nothing beats sukiyaki prepared and served in the old-school style.