Dining Out
Perhaps one of the biggest attractions of traveling in Japan is dining.
Japan prides itself on its traditional cuisine which has become renowned throughout the world. The true pleasure of Japanese food culture, however, is that it provides opportunities to enjoy dishes from all over the world, thanks to the chefs from different countries who have come to Japan to introduce their diverse food cultures.
Tokyo in particular offers a concentration of every conceivable dish in the latest fashion.
To explore the diverse Japanese food culture, the best idea is to stop by at a nearby train station as a starter. Most stations have restaurants that serve the dishes the Japanese themselves eat daily, for reasonable prices. Wax dish samples are displayed in a showcase at the entrance of a restaurant or photo images of the dishes are pasted on a menu to make ordering easier for those who do not speak Japanese.
It is also recommended to visit major department stores. At the top floor and in the basement are many restaurants. At some of these facilities, customers buy tickets first at the cashier or from an automatic vending machine to place an order. Remember that you do not tip restaurant staff in Japan. |
Japanese Cuisine
Today, sukiyaki and sushi are known and loved all over the world and need no explanation. Many foreign visitors to Japan have already tried sashimi and tempura.
For those who visit Japan for the first time, however, it would help to know certain things about the richly varied Japanese food culture.
| Here are some typical Japanese dishes! |
Sukiyaki
A one pot dish of thinly sliced beef, vegetables, tofu and bean-starch vermicelli. Most people dip the ingredients in a scrambled raw egg.
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Tempura
Battered (a mixture of eggs, wheat and water) ingredients such as vegetables and shrimp are deep-fried in oil. Tempura is dipped in a special tempura dipping sauce with condiments such as grated daikon radish and ginger.
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Sushi
A small slice of raw fish is placed on cooked rice that is mixed with sweeten vinegar and shaped into a bite size. An assorted plate of sushi offers a variety of tastes of different kinds of fish. Typical ingredients for sushi include tuna, squid, shrimp and thick Japanese omelet. Gari or thinly sliced pickled ginger, which is eaten to refresh the palate, accompanies every sushi dish. |
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Kaiseki Ryori
Of all the Japanese dishes, kaiseki ryori is prepared in the most artistic and elegant manner. The menu mainly features fish and vegetables that are cooked to bring out the best of the ingredients. |
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Yakitori
Chicken or chicken liver cut into bite-sized pieces are skewered with thin bamboo skewers, marinated in teriyaki sauce and grilled over a charcoal fire. |
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Tonkatsu
Breaded slice of pork loin deep-fried in oil. |
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Shabushabu
Super thin slices of beef are picked up by chopsticks one by one and dipped in boiling water in a pot to instantly cook them. Beef is then dipped in a special sauce. |
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Soba and Udon
Typical Japanese noodles. Soba is made of buckwheat and udon is made of wheat. Served in a hot soup or served cold to be dipped in a sauce called tsuyu. |
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Nihon-shu:(Japanese sake)
Sake is made by mixing rice and water which are then brewed. It has been a popular drink since the ancient times. Drinking nihon-shu warms the body so it is often consumed during the cold season. Nihon-shu breweries exist in different parts of Japan. Every brewery creates its own unique flavor by using different brewing methods, and various kinds of rice and water. |
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