We just returned from a 2-week trip to Japan and we are definitely missing all the amazing food. Here’s a summary of what we ate there. It’s been split up into regional-specific and general eats.
Hokkaido-Specific
We began our trip in Hokkaido. Since it was our first time in this region of Japan, we wanted to try all their famous regional foods! (See what we did here in our last post.)
Soup Curry
The first thing we had to try was their curry. In this region of Japan, they are known for their “soup curry”. It’s a lot more watery compared to the usual thick Japanese curry we’re used to. I got the chicken one and it was not bad. They used dark meat for their chicken which I preferred over tough and dry white chicken meat. Overall, I still prefer the more usual thicker Japanese curry more. Their soup curry was also more on the spicy side (not necessarily hot, but full of spices). The other difference is that it’s often served with yellow instead of white rice.
Miso Ramen
Ramen is one of our favourite Japanese foods. Per tradition, it’s usually our first meal we must eat in Japan. Each region of Japan specializes in its own version of ramen. In Hokkaido, they are known for their miso ramen. Instead of just trying one ramen restaurant, we decided to attend the ramen festival at Odori park. Here we sampled 5 different ramen. I particularly enjoyed it with corn as a topping. If I had to compare though, I still like the depth of flavour of Hakata tonkotsu ramen more.
Seafood
The seafood is famous in most parts of Japan but particular in Hokkaido. We went to a couple of fish markets while we’re here and enjoyed some kaisendon (raw fish on rice). Their scallops were particularly fresh. It was also snow crab season so we had to choose a whole snow crab and had them steam it for us on the spot. It was a truly memorable meal. To be frank, I am usually not a fan of crab because it requires too much work to extract the meat, but this was well worth the effort.
Genghis Khan BBQ
A very unique dish that this region is known for is the Genghis Khan BBQ, which is mutton or lamb BBQ. We decided to try this dish at one of the restaurants on the Sapporo Beer Museum campus. Usually, I’m not a fan of lamb but this was actually quite good with no gamey taste at all.
Sapporo Beer
While in the home of the Sapporo beer, you cannot leave without having a few pints of this famous Japanese beer. Although you can have Sapporo beer in most food establishments, I recommend going to the Sapporo Beer Museum to try some of their special drafts as well. It’s a light, easy to drink beer and goes well with most dishes.
Dairy products
Hokkaido is also known for their creamy milk so it would be a good idea to try their dairy products here. Between intolerances and allergies in our group, we didn’t the chance to try too much. We did have a few soft-serves while here.
Fried potato balls at this rest stop
One surprise food we had were these fried potatoes balls from a rest stop close to Rusutsu. We actually didn’t know what we was ordering but we saw everyone lining up for it so we knew we had to try. The potato was so sweet, the coating was so crunchy and delicious, we’re so glad we didn’t pass on this lovely road snack.
Osaka-Specific
We didn’t spend too much time in Osaka, but something we had to eat were the 551 Horai steamed pork buns (butaman). In fact, we almost missed one of our flights trying to acquire this. We could not get over the juicy filling and pillowy bun. We had to get some more when we returned to Osaka to fly out of Japan.
General
Here are some of the other meals we had in Japan which are not specific to the region we visited.
Onigiri
We’ve had these delightful Japanese rice balls multiple times this trip. They were just a nice easy breakfast item, whether we purchased it from a local convenience store or at a specialized restaurant. The way they would wrap them up at the convenience store keeps the seaweed so crunchy. If you get it from a restaurant, you usually pay more but they are usually more fresh, have more choices for fillings and usually just larger in general.
Japanese Sandwiches
Another must-have in Japan are their sandwiches. They’re unique for their pillowy soft white bread and the delicious fillings. One of the most popular filings, of course, is the egg sandwich as well as the fruit sandwiches. We had these sandwiches multiple times this trip as well as a quick breakfast item. Similar to the onigiri, you can get this at your local convenience store or a specialized restaurant, such as Sandria.
Gyudon
Since we’re speaking of breakfast ideas, another one of our favourite Japanese breakfast options is gyudon (beef bowls). There are multiple chains here (Yoshinoya, Sukiya, and Matsuya). They have similar menus with slight differences. You can eat-in (fast food style) or take-out as well. My favourite option is the beef bowl with a mountain of seasoned green onions and topped with the yolk of a raw egg. Again those who are not used to eating raw egg may feel squeamish at this thought, but trust me, it make the whole bowl super creamy and flavourful. Don’t be alarmed, as raw egg is generally safe to consume in Japan.
Traditional Japanese Breakfast
Another go-to for breakfast is a traditional Japanese breakfast, usually with rice, miso soup, pickled veggies, seaweed and grilled salmon. Whether it was in a restaurant at the Tokyo train station or my DIY versions at the hotel buffet, this usually is my favourite breakfast which reminds me I am in Japan.
Japanese Curry
If you’re looking for good comfort food in Japan, you must have the Japanese curry. You can find this not only in restaurants but in their zoos, play cafes for kids, and amusement parks. It’s as common as finding burgers in North America. Compared to curry from other countries, their curry is usually milder in taste and much thicker in texture. Most restaurants also make a “kid’s curry” which are even more appropriate for little one’s palates. I particularly enjoy the beef tendon one for extra flavour.
Yakiniku
If you like meat, you have to eat at least one meal of yakiniku. Some restaurants offer all you can eat but are usually of lower quality beef. We opted to go to a tasting menu restaurant (Cossott’e) with high quality wagyu and really enjoyed the different ways they cooked the beef. On this trip, we even bought some wagyu from Costco and cooked it at home and even that was so melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
Gyukatsu
One of my favourite ways of eating beef is in the gyukatsu (beef cutlet) form. We didn’t have time to go to a specialized gyukatsu restaurant this time, but we did have some in a sandwich form at Cossott’e as mentioned above.
Sukiyaki
Another way if enjoy delicious Japanese beef is in a thinly sliced manner cooked in a scalding hot bath of flavourful broth. We had this at the Rusutsu Resort and it was very delightful after a long travel day. This is usually served with a raw egg on the side. You cook the beef (usually just takes seconds), then dip this hot beef into the raw egg mixture.
Tonkatsu
Even more popular than their gyukatsu is their tonkatsu (pork cutlet). Their heavily panko-crusted pork is usually served with bottomless rice and cabbage salad as well as a soup. They usually make their side soup (tonjiru) out of the same pork, and it’s one of my favourite Japanese soups! We have been able to afford to wait in line for the famous Maisen in previous trips but we had to regretfully give up on this idea this time with two toddlers in tow.
Sushi
Sushi is undoubtedly of one of the most popular Japanese dishes in North America; however, we actually did not eat too much sushi when we visited this time. I did have a significant amount of sashimi usually at hotel buffets but did not go out specifically for sushi much. We did go to a conveyor belt sushi (kaitenzushi) chain restaurant called Uobei. The quality of the fish is not top quality (for Japanese standards but their toro (fatty tuna) was still much better than what you can get in Canada) but it was an efficient and fun experience for the little ones.
Yakitori
If you’re a chicken lover, you must try the yakitori. We are a huge fan of the chain Torikizoku but it’s often way too busy. We again did not have the luxury of time during this trip with two hungry toddlers. Also note that many yakitori restaurants allow smoking so that again is not ideal with little ones. We managed to find a not-as-busy yakitori restaurant in Shibuya (super busy area of Tokyo) and asked for the private area on the top floor. It was a bit more challenging to order a million chicken skewers not from a tablet (which is the case with Torikizoku) but from our server but luckily it all worked out. Our favourites usually are the chicken skin, chicken heart and chicken liver. If you’re less adventurous, chicken with green onions skewers a safe bet as well as fried chicken (karaage).
Unagi
Good quality freshwater eel is usually hard to find outside of Japan. We were glad we managed to squeeze one unagi meal while hanging out at Tokyo Midtown (Maruya Honten). Don’t be surprised if your bill is a little higher, as good unagi is usually on a pricier side. We had it hitsumabushi style we again it in various forms, first by itself, then with condiments, then finally with hot broth poured over it. I enjoyed the second course with condiments the most. They even had a kid’s set which a tiny piece of unagi which we enjoyed more than our toddler.
Soba
We love noodles (especially our toddler), so in addition to ramen, we also had soba. This is their buckwheat noodle usually served in a broth. If it’s a hot day, you can also get it cold and dip it into a cold broth. Popular toppings include various tempura or deep-fried veggies.
Udon
Similar to soba, udon is usually served in a soupy broth. We were hungry after a long day in Tokyo Disneyland and it was so comforting to be able to grab a quick bowl of udon at the subway station on our way home. As with most Japanese establishments, service is very speedy. Usually with soba and udon shops, you can order your food from the vending machine at the front of the store, then hand in the slip to the staff before you find a seat and the food will magically appearing within a few minutes.
Gyoza
If you like dumplings, you need to have some crispy, juicy pork dumplings before you leave Japan. We had some at first day we arrived in Tokyo at a nearby izakaya called Ichiya. The dumplings were delicious we had to order seconds. We did prefer the pan-fried over the boiled dumplings. We also particularly enjoyed the fish cake wrapped cucumbers as an appetizer.
Ekiben
Last but not least, if you’re taking a train in Japan, don’t forget to pick up some ekiben or railway bento boxes before you board! There are various options so take look around the train station before purchasing. There are some with sushi, grilled fish, sandwiches, etc. They even have cute kid’s version in a box shaped like a train!
Well, writing this post has made me very hungry. Hope you enjoyed reading and that this provides a guide for you when you visit Japan. Happy Eating!
Bowsing Nom Noms | Ottawa-Based Food and Travel Blog 