Top 5 Foods I Want to Eat While Visiting Japan

Food has always been one of the aspects that excite me the most when traveling. Getting to taste different dishes and culture while in another country has always been a big dream of mine. The place I most want to visit for their amazing food is Japan. This post will show my bucket list of the top 5 dishes I want to try while in Japan. Being able to taste authentic Japanese food has always been a dream of mine, because it's one of my favorite cuisines. The place I would like to visit while in Japan is Tokyo, hence these top 5 dishes will have that destination in mind while talking about the food.

SAVORY

1. Ramen 

Ramen varies from one region to the next in Japan. Ramen is cheap and widely sold across the country making it very appealing to travelers. The dish is comprised of noodles in a soup, it encompasses warmth and flavour! There are many variations to the broth which is the base of the dish. Tokyo's most popular is the Shoyu (soy sauce) base. It is a clear soup that is usually made with chicken broth, but can also include other meat such as pork or beef.  Common toppings are  roasted or braised pork, pork belly, bamboo shoots, soft boiled egg, leeks, bean sprouts, fish cakes and seaweed. If visiting Japan ramen is definitely a must have on my list of foods to eat!

A typical price for ramen is around 1000 yen, which is about 8.85$ USD and 11.68$ CAD. 

For more information about ramen check out this site, https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2042.html

2. Okonomiyaki 

Okonomiyaki, often described as a savory pancake is another food I'd love to try while visiting Japan. It originated in Osaka and Hiroshima and so the common styles are the Hiroshima style where the base of the dish is a batter, noodles and cabbage and your choice of toppings and the Osaka style which is similar simply without the noodles. It is pan fried for a crispy taste! For added fun, most restaurants allow you to cook the food yourself. The most common meat is pork, however, beef, squid and octopus are also popular. The filling usually has egg, green onions, carrots, pickled ginger and other vegetables. The sauces put on top are okonomiyaki sauce (similar to Worcestershire sauce), mayonnaise, seaweed flakes and bonito flakes (dried and smoked fish flakes). 

This dish is also around 1000 yen at lunch time and 2000 yen around supper time. 

This website gives a list of 8 popular okonomiyaki restaurants situated in Tokyo, https://jw-webmagazine.com/8-best-okonomiyaki-restaurants-in-tokyo-shibuya-harajuku-etc-9bf1b8ddeb18

3. Omurice

Rice and noodles have always been my favorite types of food. I've already mentioned a noodle dish and so now onto the rice! Omurice, considered a western-style japanese dish, is typically an omelette over fried rice. The friend rice is made with ketchup and tomato puree, peas, carrots and meat of your choice. You're probably thinking that it's very plain, but the flavours make it worthwhile. Omurice is actually something that i've tried cooking and really enjoyed. However, my cooking skills can't compare to authentic Omurice and so when I go to Japan it will be one of the foods I will be really excited to try. 

The price varies depending on the restaurant and the time of day you decide to eat out, but the price usually ranges around 1500 yen. 

A list of 4 Omurice restaurants in Shinjuku, Tokyo, https://www.localexperttravel.com/japan/shinjuku-tokyo-japan-guide/best-omurice-in-shinjuku-japan/

SWEET

4. Fluffy Pancakes

One of my all time favorite breakfast food has got to be pancakes. And after seeing these fluffy pancakes go viral, I just knew one day I'd have to go visit Japan myself and try them! The fluffiness of these pancakes comes from whipping egg whites to give them a light and airy feel. Which in retrospect makes them more like a soufflé. After reading reviews, most state that the pancake is light and melts in your mouth. They are usually dusted with powdered sugar and toppings such whipped cream, caramel, nuts and fresh fruit like strawberries and bananas. 

These delightful looking pancakes cost around 1200 yen, which obviously can vary from one place to the next. 

3 different places to get these fluffy pancakes, https://livejapan.com/en/in-harajuku/article-a0001511/

5. Taiyaki

Taiyaki is a common Japanese street food. It's a crispy batter that is in the shape of a fish and usually has sweet red bean as a filling. However, there can be variations such as chocolate, ice cream and others as filling ingredients. This dessert is something I would love to try because I'm a big fan of sweet red beans. Also, if sweets aren't your thing they make savory ones too!

This dessert costs around 100 to 300 yen each.

The following website shows a few street stalls  that sell these desserts, https://hubjapan.io/articles/5-best-taiyaki-stands-in-tokyo-recommended-by-japanese-eater 

 If you liked this blog post, leave me a comment by heading over to my contact page!