So many things have surprised me since arriving in Japan, but one thing that particularly stands out is how absolutely delicious all the food is here. Before arriving in Japan, I knew that there would be really great traditional Japanese dishes such as sushi, okonomiyaki, and ramen. However, I was not prepared for the diversity, affordability, and availability of delicious foods. I have been here now for ten days and I have yet to have a single bad meal. In fact, I have not had a meal that was anything short of absolutely phenomenal.
Let me break down some of the mouth watering food destination options in Japan:
Bakeries- I have had the amazing opportunity to travel to some of the countries most well known for their baked items. I’ve had croissants and baguettes in Paris, fresh bread in Italy, tiropita in Greece, I’ve been to many famous bakeries in NYC. Let me tell you guys, nothing compares to the bakeries in Japan. Japan’s bakeries blow all other bakeries out of the water. In the morning you wake up and walk around and you’re smacked in the face by the insane heavenly aroma of fresh baked bread. I don’t know how to read any Japanese so I don’t know what’s in any of the baked goods but it doesn’t even matter because anything you get is going to be good. So far I’ve tried cream cheese puffs, bread with ham and cheese, peanut bread, walnut bread, bread filled with miso, and my personal favorite: curry bread. Curry bread might sound nasty, I don’t even like curry, but this crunchy shell with soft spongy bread and spicy meat inside is straight up ungodly. Two baked items usually comes down to less than 300 yen (around $2.50).
Conveyor Belt Sushi- here’s the deal: a conveyor belt containing plates of sushi wraps around each table of the restaurant, each plate has about 2 pieces of sushi and costs 100 yen, you see a piece of sushi you like, you pick it up and eat it, at the end all plates are counted up and you pay for how much you’ve consumed. Super cheap, fast, convenient, and delicious. There are so many different sushi options and they are all amazing.
Ramen Shops- The noodles: out of this world. The pork: melts in your mouth. The broth: from God herself. The veggies: picked and steamed by angels. The spice: divine.
Street Food- whenever you go to a large shopping street or mall strip there are multiple small street food shops with everything from crepes and bubble tea to meat on sticks and small squid balls. Everything is tasty so I recommend trying something you’ve never seen before, odds are it’s delicious. Enlighten your palate.
7/11- the 7/11’s in Japan are different from the 7/11’s in America. First off, they are everywhere. At all points in Kyoto, you are walking distance from a 7/11. The food in 7/11 is amazing. There are fully cooked packaged meals, rice balls with fish or meat filling wrapped in seaweed (called onigiri), miso soup, huge pork steamed buns, and a ton of different eas cook cheap ramen options. There are also a lot of healthier affordable options too. 7/11 is the quick grab and go food option in Japan.
Overall, food is Japan is crazy good. I’d recommend visiting Japan for the food alone. Here are some pictures to tantalize your taste buds.
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