Everything I Ate in Japan
If you were allowed to only do one thing in Japan, it better be getting your hands on all the delicious food this country has to offer. I'm a big proponent of the kids call “you do you boo boo.” And for me, experiencing the local food and flavors is central to ensuring a memorable trip. Continue on below to see snippets of all the things that went in my belly when I visited the land of the rising sun.
Destination: Tokyo
Tsukiji Fish Market
A trip to Japan would not be complete without a visit to its infamous Tsukiji fish market. Though the inner market renowned for its tuna auctions closed in 2018, the outer market of restaurants and food stalls still remain. We arrived at the outer market at 9 am, and decided that for breakfast we were going to have sashimi crab legs, uni in the shell, giant oysters, unagi, and a nice cold Sapporo.
We also stopped by the only sushi restaurant that didn’t have a giant line of people waiting outside of it. Unfortunately, because we picked this place at random, I can’t recall the name of it. Don’t fret though, there are plenty of sushi restaurants in the outer market for you to choose from. So for breakfast part 2, we ordered toro, wagyu beef topped with uni and truffle, plus a nice little sushi sampler platter. Perks of traveling with a partner is that we share EVERYTHING. It prevents us from getting too full from one meal, which means we can nibble on even more things. It may be a little awkward splitting a single piece of sushi, but my boyfriend is kind enough to always give me the bigger half.
Matcha lattes FTW
Walked by this guy making matcha lattes. There was NO WAY I was leaving without one.
You’ll find a number of ramen options sprinkled throughout this post, despite the fact that I’m more of a ramen-LIKER than a ramen-lover. But Ilya LOVES ramen, and so a big chunk of my research revolved around just finding good ramen shops to try out. (Side note: I highly recommend watching season 1 of Mind of a Chef, featuring David Chang. It's a few years old at this point, but I learned a lot about ramen from this series.)
In the two weeks we were in Japan, we had ramen about 5-6 times. It may not seem like a lot, but if you really consider how often you consume ramen on a normal basis, having it that often in a short time span is an easy way to make yourself sick of it.
Luckily for us, we discovered that you could have ramen many times over, and never get tired of it. The reason being that everyone makes it differently! Most notably, we found that the broth and the noodle textures were so vastly different that it felt like eating a different dish every time and it never got boring.
Fuunji
Japan, 〒151-0053 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Yoyogi, 2 Chome−14−3 北斗第一ビル１F
(Yes, the blonde in the background is the ramen master himself!)
Tsuta
In 2015, Tsuta became the first ramen shop to receive a Michelin star. If getting into a good ramen joint wasn’t hard enough already, that little star made it even more difficult. When we visited Japan in 2019, Tsuta was still at its Sugamo location. However, it has since moved upward and onward to the more trendy Yoyogi-Uehara neighborhood. Though Tsuta no longer has a Michelin star as of 2020, by no means does that mean the quality and deliciousness of their ramen has declined.
Address: Japan, 〒151-0066 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Nishihara, 3 Chome−2, ２−４−Ｂ1
Onigiri Asakusa Yadoroku
Located behind Sensoji Temple, Onigiri Asakusa Yadoroku has been making onigiris since 1954. It is considered to be the oldest onigiri shop in Tokyo, and is still owned and operated by the same family that opened it over 60 years ago.
Address: 3 Chome-9-10 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0032, Japan
Bubble team from Sin an ju
I’m just gonna say it - the classic brown sugar bubble milk from Sin an ju is LIGHTYEARS tastier than Tiger Sugar. You would think they would be equally sweet given how much sugar you see in the picture. But Sin an ju is more mild and refined. So if you’re like me, and you think Tiger Sugar could be taken down a notch or ten, you’ll love Sin an ju. There are a number of locations spread around Tokyo, but the one I went to was near my Airbnb in Shibuya.
Address: 12-12 Udagawacho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0042, Japan
Destination: Osaka
Google “foreign words with no English equivalent” and you’ll come across pages and pages of posts showcasing words such as fernweh (German: longing of unseen places), gigil (Tagalog: the urge to pinch or squeeze something irresistibly cute), and hygge (Danish: the pleasant and intimate feeling of sitting around a fire in the winter with close friends). The Japanese have a lot of words like this too, and there is one word in particular that describes Osaka’s culture perfectly - kuidoare. Kuidoare means to bring ruin upon oneself by extravagant spending on food. How many of you felt this definition in your soul just now?
Osaka is Japan’s culinary center and has been known as tenka no daidokoro (the nation’s kitchen) since as far back as the Edo period. We found ourselves getting lost going from one arcade of restaurants to the next. They all looked so similar. If we didn’t have our wits with us, we would probably still be wandering around the streets of Osaka. Some people who wander ARE LOST.
Kuromon Market
Visiting Kuromon Market is a must do when you’re in Osaka. It’s similar to Tsukiji fish market, except BIGGER and MORE. I personally enjoyed it more than Dotonbori. We even discovered an entire shop dedicated to UNI here.
Kuromon Market Address: 2 Chome-4-1 Nipponbashi, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0073, Japan
Oh the Toro
This picture is totally unedited. I wanted to showcase how beautiful and pink the coloring is on this fish. The fatty marbling makes it look like a piece of quality steak!
Uni in the Shell
There is no shortage of shops selling affordable uni in Kuromon Market. If you see a long line at one shop, just keep walking, and you’ll bump into another shop selling uni in the shell like this.
Kuromon Kaidouya
Where my uni lovers at?! Buyer be aware though - given that it is the only uni specialty shop, their prices are NOT cheap. Since there are so many stalls that serve affordable uni, we initially passed over Kuromon Kaidouya for the cheaper options. But by our last day, we could not get this place out of our heads. We looked at our budget and decided “FUGGET, YOLO” and headed back to Kuromon Market to blow the last of our yen on uni. I would recommend doing the uni sampler like we did. They have a few different options depending on your budget, but we balled out and went with the 8 uni sampler. It’s somewhere between $50-$75 if I’m recalling it correctly. But if you’re looking to simply eat as much uni as you can, they also serve bowls of uni over rice.
Fugu Fish
Who else out there was introduced to fugu fish via The Simpsons? Not just me right? It’s the episode where Homer eats a poisonous piece of blowfish and only has 24 hours left to live. That episode aired in 1991, and that has been my impression of fugu fish for the last 20 years. Though the fugu fish is certainly poisonous, eating it in Japan is actually pretty safe. One has to be trained, tested, and certified in order to fillet fugu in Japan. So of course when the opportunity presented itself, we, once again YOLO’ed. My thoughts on it … meh.
Crown Melon
Though this slice of melon isn’t one of the coveted and pricey crown melons going for hundreds of dollars, it still cost us a $5. We were really curious as to what all the hype was about and wanted to give it a try. And let me tell you … it tasted like a normal cantaloupe.
Ichigo Daifuku
Nerd alert! When I was in college, I was obsessed with an anime called Bleach. It’s main character is named Ichigo, and that’s how I learned that “ichigo” means “strawberry".
Takoyaki
“Tako” = octopus, “yaki” = grilled. It’s a street snack originating in Osaka, and is made up of minced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, and green onion, which is then cooked inside of wheat-flour based batter and shaped into a ball. I will, without a doubt, always order takoyaki if I see it on a menu.
Okonomikyaki
“Okonomi” = what you like, “yaki” = grilled. A savory Japanese pancake made from flour, eggs, shredded cabbage, tempura scraps, and pork belly; topped with dried seaweed, dried bonito flakes, okonomiyaki sauce, and Japanese mayo. You can sub the pork belly with a protein of your choice, making it an incredibly versatile dish. Takoyaki and okonomiyaki are two items you cannot leave Osaka without trying!
Japanese Souffle Pancakes
A Happy Pancake
Japan, 〒542-0086 Osaka, Chuo Ward, Nishishinsaibashi, 2 Chome−10−10番32号 スマイルステップ B1F
Oh-Em-Gee were they amazing. I’ve had this souffle-style of pancake before, so I knew to expect greatness. But my boyfriend who had never known how fluffy these fluffy pancakes could be was totally blown away. We ended up eating at the Happy Pancake twice it was so good.
Ramen Kikuhan
1 Chome-9-11 Nakazakinishi, Kita Ward, Osaka, 530-0015, Japan
I lied earlier - we don’t share EVERYTHING, and ramen is the exception. Given how small many ramen shops are, it doesn’t make sense, and honestly feels a little rude, to take up two seats and eat only one bowl. No matter how hearty and filling the meal may be, don’t go into a tiny and packed ramen joint and ask to share one bowl. You’ll be wanting your own anyways.
Destination: Ishigaki Island
Yes, More Ramen
Our snorkeling tour guide has been living in Ishigaki-jima for a couple of years, and dropped us off at what he revealed to be the best ramen shop on the island. I have no idea what the name of the place is, because there was no signage out front (I honestly thought the place was closed). But I can tell you that it is run by the cutest O bāchan. There are only a handful of items on the menu, so I asked for her recommendation. She brought out this wonderful BUTTER RAMEN. A morning of snorkeling followed by ramen for lunch made by grandma - what else does a girl need in life?
Tofu No Higa
GET HERE EARLY. They open at 6:30am, and close whenever they run out of tofu. We got here around 9-10am, and still had to wait an hour to be seated. That’s how many people come here for breakfast. It’s just as bad as getting brunch in Boston without a reservation. When we were initially trying to find this place, we thought we had gotten lost because our map led us to a dirt road. But if you see the field and then pass the cows, don’t worry, you’re totally in the right place! Just keep going and you’ll eventually make your way to Tofu no Higa.
The yushi tofu here is really something you can’t get anywhere else in the world. The menu is entirely in Japanese, so I ordered our meal by showing the waitress a picture from Google and let Jesus take the wheel from there. We were going to eat whatever they brought to us no matter what anyways.
Address: 570 Ishigaki, Okinawa 907-0023, Japan
Burger Chibaru
I don’t love being that person, but after a while, sometimes you just crave familiar food. We don’t even want burgers that often when we’re home, but when we do, the craving is so strong! Can anyone else relate?
Address: Japan, 〒907-0012 Okinawa, 石垣市美崎町 8-9 石垣島ヴィレッジ1F
The Meal That Ruined Steak For Us Forever
Doesn’t matter if we’re home or traveling, Ilya and I primarily opt for street food and mom&pop shops over fine dining. But for his birthday, I wanted to splurge on a special dinner for him. Kobe beef is world-renowned, but have you ever heard of Ishigaki beef? This meal has absolutely ruined steak for us forever. When I say “melts in your mouth like butter”, this stuff melts in your mouth like butter that was already left out at room temperature and then melted down even more.
We were a little nervous at first when we arrived because the restaurant was set up like a Benihana’s. The food is cooked in front of you, and for a moment I thought I got myself into a tourist trap. But I’m setting the record straight, right here, right now - it was the BEST MEAL of our entire trip and worth every single penny I spent. In total, I paid $240 for the both of us
Teppanyaki Steak Ishida Ishigaki Restaurant
Address: Japan, 〒907-0022 Okinawa, Ishigaki, Okawa, 2 730COURT 3F
¥11,500 Ishida Course (A4 Sirloin 130g)
¥13,500 Choice Ishigaki Beef Course (A5 Sirloin 150g)
Uncooked A5 beef - uedited photo
Cooked A5 beef - it doesn’t look like it will fill you, but it’s so fatty and decadent that I couldn’t possibly eat more
And like with every meal I eat, I gotta end it on a sweet note. Purple yam flavored bubble tea! And that’s actual yam in the cup! It sounds a little weird to have what is essentially mashed potato in your bubble tea, but it was absolutely delicious. I wish I could get something close to this in Boston.
And there you have it! (Almost) all of the things that I ate when I went to Japan. I left out a few airport meals and 7-11 snacks. But still, I can safely say, I have kuidaore’d.
