Everything you’ve heard about Japan is real, and then some. In terms of what to eat, my biggest takeaway from my trip to Japan was that you can go armed with a long list of restaurants to check out, but all the signboards are in Japanese so you will most likely struggle to find them. My recommendation is to 1) have a general idea of what you want to eat and 2) if there is a queue outside – that’s the one! Queuing for at least 30 minutes to an hour is pretty standard. And if the locals are doing it, it’s probably good!
To help you plan your trip to Japan, here is a list of my most favourite food experiences which I recommend for when you visit.
JAPANESE BREAKFAST
What looks like lunch or dinner is actually a typical Japanese breakfast. It consists of a set-meal including a piece of grilled fish, white rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles (tsukemono) and 1-2 small side dishes. Walking around the city early morning, you can see lots of salarymen lining up outside restaurants to fuel up with something wholesome to kick start their day.
WHERE – Japanese breakfasts are available all over the country. I tried it at Shinpachi Shokudo located in the back alleys of Shinjuku. The restaurant is tiny. You sit at the counter shoulder to shoulder with other diners while the lady in the middle goes back and forth refilling teacups and providing speedy service. They don’t speak English so I took a photo while waiting in line of the set-meal I wanted (grilled salmon), and showed it to the lady to place my order. Such a fab and delicious experience!
JAPANESE SOUFFLE PANCAKES
Another breakfast option, or even dessert! While planning my trip to Japan, I saw these towering souffle pancakes all over Instagram and knew I had to try them! They are thick yet airy and fluffy, and taste like light vanilla sponge cake served with a huge mound of butter and syrup.
WHERE – Hoshino Coffee in Shibuya. Grab a seat by the window to get a view of the iconic Shibuya crossing. Pancakes with a view! For more options, Pass me the dimsum has a long list of recommendations on her site.
SOBA NOODLES
I was in Japan for my birthday and for lunch that day, we went to a soba noodle restaurant in Roppongi. Apparently, soba (buckwheat) is considered to be the most artisanal of all noodles, especially compared to ramen and udon. Soba masters have their own secret techniques, from sourcing buckwheat to their preferred ratio of buckwheat to wheat flour, signature kneading and rolling techniques. The restaurant we went to had an open kitchen so we could watch the maestros in action. You get a variety of soba dishes: served chilled with a dipping sauce or hot in a dashi broth.
WHERE – Soba shops can be found all over Japan from standing shops in train stations to fine dining restaurants. I went to SobaRoppon close to Tokyo Midtown and loved it. Pro: English menus!
PIZZA
Yep, you’d think I was in Italy for the amount of pizza I ate in Japan. Truth be told, Japan has some of the best pizza I’ve ever eaten, dare I say even better than Italy. Japanese chefs have a God-given skill of taking a dish and mastering it. Case in point Tokyopolitan, their take on Neapolitan (Naples-style) pizza. The dough is thin, made in a wood-fired oven and toppings are incredibly high quality.
WHERE – In Tokyo, Pizza Slice who do New York style slices, Seirinkan, Pizza Studio Tamaki, and Savoy which is a local institution.
Pizza bar on the 38th in the Mandarin Oriental hotel was a real treat. The bar seats only 8 people. The pizzas are made right there in a brick oven by a chef who is half Japanese, half Italian. Best of both worlds! We ordred a burrata, a marinara pizza, and a Pizzino which is a focaccia sandwich with mascarpone and three other cheeses, black olive paste and truffle essence. Super indulgent and luxurious, worth every calorie and yen!
In Kyoto, we ate at Pizzeria Da Naghino which felt like we were in a small pizzeria in Italy.
IZAKAYA
An izakaya is the Japanese version of a ‘gastropub’. Its one of the best ways to immerse yourself into Japanese culture real quick. I had the best experience during my trip; the izakaya we went to was loud and heaving with locals. We sat at the counter while staff went about carrying trays laden with food, pints of beer and bottles of sake. The best part? NO ONE spoke English! They gave us an English menu and when we were ready to order, the server handed me a telephone. Someone on the other end of the call said, “Hi, what would you like to order today?” How fab is that!? She answered all my questions – yes, the menu was quite a mystery but she helped pick some good dishes. When the food arrived bit by bit, the friendly Japanese lady sitting next to me saw me struggle with the cabbage leaves with miso sauce that I’d ordered. We couldn’t converse but shared a few laughs and she even asked for a selfie – so she’s probably showing her friends a photo of the weird foreigner who was eating it all wrong! 😀
Epic night! You have to go here.
WHERE – Izakaya Kabune Shinjuku, next to Park Hyatt Tokyo.
KAISEKI
Another must-do experience in Japan is kaiseki, this time a fine dining experience. Kaiseki is an intimate multi-course meal served by the chef himself in a tatami-matted ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn). The beauty of kaiseki dining is that it celebrates ingredients at the peak of their freshness. Each dish is presented so simple that the true flavour of the ingredients shines through. The chef will most likely come from a generation of maestros and has most likely honed his skill for decades. The result is the most spectacular synergy of talent and artistic expression on a plate – or 10! The experience itself goes beyond the meal, we left with memories to last a lifetime.
WHERE – Jikishinbo Saiki. Kyoto is famous for kaiseki since it was the home of the imperial court and nobility for over a millennium. Picking a kaiseki restaurant is tricky; I got a few recommendations from the hotel concierge and then researched each to fit my preference: good reviews, within budget, and the chef should speak basic English so we can understand what we are eating. Chef Mitsuru Saiki from Jikishinbo was amazing. He is a 3rd-generation chef, receiving a Michelin star in 2011 for 6 years straight. His family has had the restaurant for over 80 years! This isn’t old by Kyoto standards though, he mentioned that other establishments have been around for 300-400 years!
Another incredible experience, one of the highlights of my trip!
MARKETS
Like anywhere in the world, the local markets is where all the fun happens. I went to three markets in the three cities I visited (Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo) and they were all filled with the tastes, smells, sounds and textures that define Japanese food. A maze of lanes and alleys filled with stalls selling excellent seafood, local fruit and veg, and more. What to eat: fresh sushi, tamagoyaki on a stick, ginormous oysters, grilled scallops cooked in a combination of butter, soy sauce and sake, matcha treats, sakura mochi, baked cheese tarts and more.
WHERE – When I visited Tokyo in November 2018, the famous Tsukiji fish market had just closed shop. The outer market however was still open and was bustling with food stalls, sushi and other seafood restaurants, keeping the foodie in me well satiated. I’ve always wanted to eat sushi for breakfast at Tsukiji market and so glad I got to tick that off my bucket list! The fish market from Tsukiji was moved to Toyusu; I didn’t go there but that’s where the famous tuna auction takes place between 5:30 – 6:30am. Advance bookings are required, more details here.
In Kyoto, head to Nishiki market which dates back almost five centuries. It’s not your traditional bazaar with stalls but more a shopping street stretching over five blocks. It is lined with open-fronted stores selling everything from matcha to knives to sushi, sake, mochi, tea and more. Details here.
In Osaka, head to Kuromon market which has welcomed everyone from chefs to housewives for over 170 years.
Walking and eating is frowned upon. In fact, Japanese manners place great emphasis on “ikkai ichi dousa” a phrase which means “one thing at a time.” So eating while walking is seen as impolite. If you grab a bite from one of the stalls, stand on the side and finish before you move on. Also, you’ll find that there are hardly any dustbins anywhere so its easier to give your empty containers back to the vendor.
STREET FOOD
Japan offers some incredible street eats – most of it also now available around the world. But nothing like trying it in the home of its origin. Osaka is famous for three dishes:
Okonomiyaki: a savoury pancake made with flour, eggs, cabbage, and a variety of fresh meats and veg. Okonomiyaki literally means ‘grilled as you like it’.
Takoyaki: golden balls of fried batter filled with octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, spring onion. They are topped with mayonnaise, a savoury brown sauce and katsuboshi (dried bonito fish flakes).
Kushikatsu: Skewered and deep-fried meat or veg.
Other street eats you cannot miss:
Yakitori: Chicken skewers grilled over charcoal.
Taiyaki: Dessert shaped like a fish, comes in various fillings like red bean paste (anko), chocolate or custard.
KARAAGE
Pronounced ka-ra-gay. Japanese fried chicken is a popular treat. And whats not to love about fried chicken? Walking back to the hotel one night, I was peckish and so we stopped by a gastropub and enjoyed a plate of this deep fried goodness with a side of craft beer! Winning.
WHERE – Taigu, Kyoto.
Have you been to Japan? What were your highlights?
