Japan has such a diversity of cuisine that we can only introduced three of them. Depending on which part of Japan you visit, there will be more delicious Japanese food to find in the local area. We hope our advice will be helpful to you, and wish you a great food-journey during your stay in Japan!
When speaking of Japanese food, perhaps most people will think of sushi! As one of the most famous Japanese dishes all over the world, sushi is also very popular among Japanese people. You can find sushi restaurants on almost every busy street. Some are expensive and some are quite cheap, but most of them will not disappoint you in their taste. There are many different types of sushi, such as Nigiri, which are small rice balls with fishe on top, and Gunkan, a kind of sushi that looks like a small cup of rice filled with seafood, etc. Sushi is usually eaten with soy sauce and wasabi. If you go to one of the conveyor-belt style sushi restaurants, you can try all types of sushi at one time at a reasonable price (usually about 100yen/dish). You can eat sushi at restaurants at the famous Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. However, restaurants there are so popular amongst travelers, that you may have to wait in line for hours! Since Japan is an island country surrounded by ocean, it has an abundant supply of fresh seafood. So it is definitely a great idea to try sushi in Japan!
What kind of restaurant is most numerous in Japan?
Well, the answer might be 'Ramen'. There is a variety of ramen provided in different regions in Japan, which differ in their soup base and noodle texture.
Ramen can be categorized into four types: shoyu (soy sauce) ramen, shio (salt) ramen, miso (soybean paste) ramen and tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen.
If you like light and mild soup, you may like to try the shoyu or shio ramen, which is less oily. But if you prefer thick and creamy soup, the miso or tonkotsu ramen will be perfect for you.
When Japanese eat at a ramen restaurant, they often order a 'set', which includes a bowl of ramen, a side dish and a drink. It might seem strange to some foreigners, but Japanese often eat two kinds of stodgy, staple foods in one meal, like ramen noodles and fried dumplings or rice. It is not that Japanese all have a big appetite; these side dishes are usually quite small in size.
When you come to Japan, try to eat ramen just like Japanese do.
And remember to make a slurping sound while eating ramen, as it will show your appreciation for its taste and to the chef!
Where do Japanese go after work? Most choose to go to the 'izakaya', where they can drink beer while chatting with their friends and colleagues.
In that situation, 'yakitori' would be a perfect side dish, and perhaps the most popular dish on any izakaya’s menu. Yakitori is grilled chicken on a skewer, made from bite sized pieces of meat from different parts of the chicken.
The most popular parts include the thighs, wings, breasts, skin, heart and other internal organs.
Also, yakitori is one of most inexpensive Japanese foods you can try, at around 100-200 yen per stick. When you order yakitori, you might be asked to choose the seasoning, from either sweet yakitori sauce and salt.
If you are not sure which one to choose, why not try both!.
Here are two things you should pay attention to when eating yakitori.
The first is that you might notice an empty cup on the table. This is for discarding used skewers into.
Second, some restaurants might place a bowl of sauce on the table for you to dip into freely. You should never dip the same skewer twice!