Top 5 Eats in Japan

Hi everyone, in this post I’m going to outline my top 5 eats in Japan. Of course everyone has their own opinion and it’ll probably depend on if its your first time, second time or 10th time in Japan. So if you have something different (or even the same picks), please let me know what they are - I’d love to know!

RAMEN

When people think of Japanese food, the first thing that might come to mind is sushi or ramen. While these things are “basics” when it comes to Japanese food, I cannot leave ramen out because the Japanese just does it so well. You also might be thinking, “I have ramen in my home country, I don’t think I need to try it in Japan as well.” But why not try ramen from the masters themselves? I guarantee ramen in Japan will be different from ramen in your home country…

Ramen is usually a pork broth that has been boiled for hours to really intensify the pork flavour and it also ends up being very creamy. There are a few shops that sell chicken broth bases or even vegetarian/vegan ramens but you really have to do your research to find these places - they aren’t common but they are out there!

Ramen with all toppings from Ichiran Ramen

Ichiran Ramen is one of the most famous ramen chains in Japan. I would say, you don’t really have to focus on the popularity or rating (unless it has like 1000 2 or 1 star ratings…) of the ramen shop. Each will do something different, they will have their own specialties and each have their own overall experience. So, don’t be afraid to stop by any ramen shop you come across and try it out - I’m sure they’ll all be tasty!

SUSHI / SEAFOOD

Like I mentioned above, you can’t talk about Japanese food without talking about sushi! I feel that fish in Japan is super fresh no matter which place you buy it, even at convenient stores - unlike Canada, you probably wouldn’t dare buy sushi from a convenient store or supermarket.

I broke it down to sushi and fish because there are so many other ways that the Japanese serve their fish: whether it is raw as sushi or served with rice or it might be grilled like unagi for example, which I will be talking to.

Tuna is probably the most popular. There are various grades of tuna but overall it is really soft and the fattier cuts will melt in your mouth! You don’t have to worry about any fishy smells or tastes from tuna or even salmon - these two have a clean flavour profile. There are some cuts of fish that have that fishy taste and smell, so beware if you are ordering a set selection and are sensitive to it.

Tuna & tuna w/salmon rice bowls @ Tsukiji Fish Market

Something you also have to try while in Japan is unagi - it’s SO delicious. Unagi is eel that is usually grilled on a charcoal grill and then slathered with a sweet and savory sauce that’s sort of like teriyaki sauce. There is so much umami flavour that comes from unagi that’s prepared this way and the charcoal flavour from the grill is to DIE for.

Often times you will get a small pitcher of soup/broth. You can mix a bit of everything together in the bowl and this is just another way of enjoying the dish!

SOBA

Maybe you’re thinking ramen is a little too basic for you (not saying ramen is basic or anything but…), you have it in your own country so you just want to try something a little more unique. Then I recommend you try soba! Soba is made from buckwheat and I feel it has less of a bite when compared to ramen noodles and the broth is much cleaner/simpler than ramen. You can either have hot soba or cold soba, depending on your preference or maybe the season.

Here I got the cold soba with assorted tempura combo. They give you a small cup of their cold broth. All you do, is pickup the noodles, dip it in the cup and eat. Make sure you aren’t pouring the sauce on the noodles, that’s not typically how its eaten. There will be seasoning shakers for the tempura.

I don’t remember the place I got this soba but it was at a restaurant in a department store and was surprisingly very tasty.

Hot soba is a great option for colder seasons or anytime really. I also got this soba with assorted tempura. This one is equally delicious and seemed more flavourful, probably because heat seems to enhance the flavour. This tempura came with some wasabi salt which was so, so delicious - salty all while giving you that nose clearing (more like burning, which is addicting) sensation. And to finish off, a side of sweet tamagoyaki (Japanese egg pancake)!

I ordered this from a restaurant inside Tokyo Station - there are quite a few restaurants down there.

TAKOYAKI

How would I even describe takoyaki? I don’t think there’s anything similar or even comparable that I have here in Canada. I think the best is and I’ve heard others describe it this way, is a savory, pancake-like batter (but solid on the outside and ooey gooey on the inside) with a piece of tako (octopus) inside. It might sound a little strange but I’m telling you now, you HAVE to try it. It is SO good. My mom tried it once and she said it was so delicious we actually went back to get more that day.

I don’t think all takoyaki is made the same though, they all generally have: the batter of course, bits of deep fried tempura, and octopus of course. Then, it’s topped with Japanese mayo, takoyaki sauce, bonito flakes and aonori (dried seaweed). And sometimes it might have pickled ginger or onions - depending on the vendor.

Both times, I went to a shop called Kukuru on Dotonbouri in Osaka. This place I 10/10, 100% recommend you go to. I personally feel like they make it the best! They also have a museum set where half will also include ham and cheese, which sounds delicious. THIS is something I crave from time to time - such a good street food choice.

PASTRIES

I know this is such a broad category of foods but I feel every country has their own style of pastries and flavour profile. So of course, Japan is no different. Some very popular flavours would probably be matcha/green tea and red bean - I definitely recommend you try those out. But here, I’ll be introducing you to some other things.

You may have a Krispy Kreme back in your country but do they have a crème brûlée donut? We definitely don’t here in Canada. You see the staff there filling up the inside with custard and torching the tops. So of course these donuts have the signature crackly sugar top. My sister raves about this donut, she really enjoyed it. Since the donut is very sweet, I recommend you pair it with black coffee or tea (in Japan tea is typically not sweetened).

These mochi donuts were my favourite in Japan, from Mister Donut. They have this amazingly addicting chewy texture and bite to them. If you’ve ever tried any sort of mochi, you probably can guess how it would feel but it doesn’t have the same pull as mochi of course. I feel Japan really loves their holidays so they’ll usually have special limited edition flavours that coincide with a holiday or even season.

My favourite is definitely the strawberry flavour. THIS I crave all the time. Again, goes amazing with coffee or tea.

Lastly, I want to touch on the Starbucks Roastery in Japan, which is a higher end version of Starbucks and only have a few locations. They sell specialty coffee blends, drinks (they even sell alcoholic drinks) and food items.

When I saw their tiramisu though the glass, I knew I had to get a piece. It was sweet, creamy and had a strong espresso flavour without being overly bitter or strong. It was so delicious, if I wasn’t there to try other foods, I would have definitely went back for another piece. I got a cappuccino with it - such an amazing combo.

There are so many more food options in Japan, this barely touches the tip of it all. I encourage you to not be afraid to try new things - eat things you’ve never seen before. You might discover something you really enjoy!

Let me know what are some your favourite eats were in Japan. Have you tried any of my choices? If not, which are you looking forward to trying?

Thanks!

-Thomas

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