First-Time Japanese Food Encounters
Ramen, my favorite Japanese food
This one needs no explanation: this quick food staple is loved worldwide by kids, college students, and anyone looking for a cheap, easy, and tasty meal; it’s also our absolute favorite of the trip. What was once a Chinese dish has been adopted and perfected by the Japanese — there is no comparison to the ramen in Japan! It’s the real deal, or as the Japanese would say, “honmono”.
Although there are many variations of the beloved noodle soup, we were fortunate to try 2 of the most popular styles: shio or white ramen (salt based broth), and shoyu or black ramen (soy sauce based broth). We were even lucky enough to find a more rare type in Gion/Kyoto: Duck Ramen
Each style of ramen we had and each ramen-ya, or ramen restaurant, had their own particular taste. Trimmings and toppings included nori (seaweed), negi (chopped or shredded leeks and green onions), menma (bamboo shoots), kimchi (spicy fermented vegetables), corn, butter, and boiled eggs. We were never picky; we just said “ramen, ya!”
Finding narutomaki, an iconic fish cake with a red or pink swirl and the namesake for the beloved anime hero, didn’t happen. But we will have to save that for another trip to Japan! 
Naruto for short, this fish cake is so famous, it even has an emoji!
As someone who has loved Americanized instant ramen for most of my life, I can attest that there is no comparison to the ramen in Japan — the flavor of the broth, the quality of the noodles, and the freshness of the ingredients come together to create a dish that is simple and able to be enjoyed worldwide by even the most reserved of palates.
Now I can only hope to master the art of ramen so I can incorporate it into everyday life back home, and share the delicious experience with friends and family. The #RamenTour must go on!
Yakisoba
Translated to “fried buckwheat,” this stir-fry style noodle dish originating in the early 20th century was way more delicious than anticipated. If only we had known, we’d surely have made room in our bellies.
Teppanyaki Manryu in Gion/Kyoto served us a wonderfully made example toward the end of the trip that left us wondering, “why haven’t we eaten more of this?” With so many delicious foods to try in Japan in a limited time, it’s hard to eat it all. Yakisoba is hereby added to our list of Japanese foods to make at home!
Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki became a Japanese staple meal during World War II, as a short supply of rice and other common ingredients gave rise to cooking whatever was currently available. Everything went into a delicious pancake with a taste more than the sum of its parts.
Okonomi, meaning “whatever you like”, and yaki, meaning “cooked or fried”, is sometimes referred to as Japanese Pizza or Japanese Pancakes.
Today‘s okonomiyaki is more freely customized and filled with vegetables, meats, cheese, and even noodles! The Japanese name may change slightly depending on what’s in it, but across the board it’s known as okonomiyaki!
This savory and filling dish was so unforgettable, it’s another dish I’ll be learning to make at home; it was just too good to leave in Japan. Next time someone asks what okonomiyaki is, you can tell them it’s “whatever you like!”
Tempura
Love battered and deep fried meat or vegetables? You’ll love tempura! Ranging from street food prices to very fine dining in Japan, tempura can be found in many places. More affordable options include street vendors and izakaya. Restaurants specializing in tempura can be expensive. We weren’t willing to pay the cost of wallet or belly space for expensive tempura on this trip, so we only had “cheap” tempura, which was all delicious! We got had our favorite tempura at Torikizoku in Tokyo, one of our trip value favorites for all one price cheap food and drinks.
Kushiyaki and Yakitori
Japan loves skewered and grilled delectables, from beef, chicken, pork, and seafood, to vegetables and more. Kushiyaki is a blanket term for anything skewered and grilled. More specifically we ate a lot of yakitori, or grilled chicken skewers. These quick and tasty treats are found at street food vendors, Izakaya (Japanese pubs), fancy sit downs, and just about anywhere there is food in Japan.
Every skewer we had was wonderful and covered in a variety of sauces or cheese. We especially enjoyed our time at Torikizoku in Tokyo. This chain restaurant is found around Japan and specializes in skewered eats and other “pub style” Japanese food and drinks. The best thing? Everything on the menu is one low price. It all costs around 3-4USD, even drinks! No stressing out here over buying something to try and not liking it.
See us get our skewer on in our Japanese Food at Home post coming soon!
Taiyaki
Resembling a tai fish, this soft, muffin-like pastry is popular all around Japan. Filled with sweetened red bean paste, custard, and chocolate, to sweet potato, cheese, sausage and more, this little fish is always sure to be a tasty treat!
We had several taiyaki at the street food vendors in and around Yasaka Shrine in the Gion area of Kyoto.
You can make these fish at home with a taiyaki pan — available on Amazon — check out our take on homemade taiyaki coming soon!
Takoyaki
These pan fried goodies consisting of minced octopus, tempura scraps (think the flaky good stuff from KFC extra crispy chicken), negi/green onions, pickled ginger and more are a popular Japanese food. They were a common sight at street food vendors in Tokyo and Kyoto.
My response to: do you want to try the octopus balls? “I didn’t know an octopus had balls!” 🤷♂️
We were glad we decided to try the takoyaki. They were fried in a special tray fresh in front of us, brushed with tangy takoyaki sauce and garnished with mayonnaise and onions. These tasty octopus balls were devoured in no time! Luckily we did capture a picture as proof.
*Disclaimer* The takoyaki was surprisingly delicious however did not directly contain any octopus testicles. I think we will leave this one to the professionals in Japan
Sushi
Samantha and I are admittedly NOT sushi experts. This was one of the foods we wanted to try, but were nervous to eat in front of a sushi chef. So, we settled on the privacy and adventure of conveyor belt sushi!
Fin of squid, cuttlefish soft bone, broiled pig ribs, gizzard shad, sweet shrimp with onion, salmon and egg nigiri (our “sushi-sheltered” favorites), and minced tuna rolls with miso soup were a few items we saw on the menu at Smart Sushi (located underground in Shinjuku Eastside Square). Plus, many more things we couldn’t name strolled along the conveyor belt past us!
There were many “look but don’t touch” moments with some of the more exotic offerings. That said, we committed to try more sushi back home to better appreciate the art when we return to Japan.
7-Eleven
This 24/7 beacon of comfort is found around nearly every corner in Tokyo and all around Japan. We frequented 7-Eleven for a wide variety of Japanese food: yakitori, croquettes (fried potatoey balls), and onigiri (stuffed rice balls wrapped in seaweed), as well as for coffee, tea, and alcohol. Where there isn’t a 7-Eleven, and sometimes right next to one, Lawson and Family Mart are the other go-to convenience stores. Pro Tip: These stores are great places to find an ATM if you are in need of yen.
Say hello to affordable snacks, chūhai (highball cocktail), and beer, around $1.50-4 USD each. We hand-selected many different ones to try in Tokyo and Kyoto, which made for fun tastings back in the hotel after we turned in for the night.
