What foods do you recommend for me to eat in Japan?

Question

I am going to Japan for 10 days and am very hesitant about the food selection there..I do eat chicken and salmon but need it to have a lot of flavor...I would want to eat in an inexpensive way most of the days so what kinds of places and food would you recommend in Tokyo? Thanks :)

Answer 1

As Twikfat has mentioned, public health is something that Japanese people take seriously so everything you eat at a restaurant there will be safe.
Compared to the $3.99, $4.99, $5.99 breakfast that you can have at a local Denny's in the US, Tokyo will be a bit more expensive than that. Also the portions will be much less than what you can get in the US.

With that said, you'll have many choices if you go to a Denny's in Tokyo or Jonathan's is another family oriented restaurant where you can have a decent meal for around $10-$13 equivalent in Japanese yen.
Also if you want to go cheap, noodles (Called ramen) can be had for $8 equivalent and Beef bowl shops have (Which you can find on street corners everywhere) will have some sort of bowl which you can eat for $4 to $8 equivalent.

Also they have fast food restaurants in Japan so McDonald's is also a way to go if you're stuck on options.
But I say what's the fun in eating American fast food when you're visiting another country? The fun is enjoying the culture and as you well know, food = part of culture.
Have some sushi. High on price but something you'll enjoy if you're a big sushi fan. THey also have kaiten sushi where the price will drop considerably compared to traditional highclass sushi places. So give that a go if you want.

Ah yes and Yakitori is something you must have. Hit the local drinking place where the Japanese business men hang out in Shinbashi and Yurakucho area around and under the train racks. Very cool and it's also fun to watch drunk business men having a great time.

I know it seems like you're getting contradicting info but I also agree with Alec O. The thing is, if you live there you'll know what's a cheap place to eat and what's not. You'll also be able to experiment with food you've never had before because well if it sucked you can always try something different when you come back. But when you're a tourist and visiting for a short period of time, the chance to eat is limited so you tend to go with the non-risky choice. Which in my opinion is the family resutarants because they have picture menus and service is professional.
But if you're intent on trying out new things, then by all means look around and try to find something that smells nice.
There are places you can get alot of food for cheap like Gold Rush in Shibuya. They have these fat sizzling beef patties for like $4-8 equivalent.
So basically it's what you know and if you're willing to be adventurous. As I said before being adventurous is not risky in japan since the quality of the food there is top notch. (I want to say best in the world but I don't know so let's just leave it at that.)


Shell, we are talking about Japan not China. In case you didn't know, these are two VERY different countries.

Answer 2

Okay, you are going to Japan, you cant be stingy with the money, its an amazing experience.
EAT EVERYTHING! The food in Japan is safe and clean (just don't eat off the ground)
I recommend going to a tabehoudai (all you can eat) its like a little BBQ in your table and delicious. shabushabu, tonkatsu try heaps of ramen. Do you have any friends living there or are you just on holiday?
If you have the time, visit around, take your time and find some nice cheap places. Don't go to the one right across the road form the train station, its bound to be a rip off.
good luck and eat your little heart out!

Answer 3

Japan can be a fairly INexpensive country as far as food is concerned.
The key is to make lunch your main meal of the day.

That way, you can have a complete plate/ mini-course for 800 - 1200 yen, whether it's traditional Japanese dishes like sushi or tempura, or Chinese, French, Italian or some other ethnic cuisine. Try to avoid 12:00 - 13:00 (very crowded 'cause this is the lunch hour for most office workers), and people will generally be very helpful even if you don't understand Japanese.

When you are in the city, department stores come in handy. For lunch, head for the restaurant floor (usually one of the top floors). For supper, try the food floor (usually in the basement) where they sell take-away box meals. These are typically 500 - 1000 yen, but significant discount is applied shortly before closing time.

Many coffee shops offer 'morning set' (read breakfast), which typically consists of toast/roll with butter and jam, small bowl of salad and coffee and costs 400 - 500 yen. As for fast food, I agree with shadowarrior_1 - Moss Burger, despite its rather unattractive name, offers quality food with local flavor, even though it is definitely more expensive than McDonald's.

Have fun and enjoy the good healthy Japanese food!

Answer 4

Shell >>> sweety, 2 weeks holiday in China doesn't really qualify in claiming that you 'have to be careful with meat in Japan'... People in supermarkets or restaurants are more than happy to tell you where the meat is from :)

If anything, Japan is overly-sceptical about ANYTHING they get from China... Chinese made / grown products are ALL OVER the world darlin'...

Now, with regards to what's recommended food in Japan... (The actual point) :

Depends where you're headed... If you do get around to it, go to HOKKAIDO, the northern island -- beautiful FRESH seafood... I know I had the BEST giant crab there as a gift for DJing at this club in Sapporo, CAN'T EAT CRAB ANYWHERE ELSE NOW!!!

Tokyo... Well, in my opinion, having lived mostly in Osaka (and even people from Tokyo agree) that food from Osaka tends to be very tasteful (perhaps not as strong flavoured as Tokyo).... That's more local banter though ;)

Tonkatsu... Sushi.... Okonomiyaki (from Osaka especially)... Yakiniku... Shabu Shabu... Udon... Onabe (especially in winter)...

Hope you have a great time -- I agree, a bit expensive though... Japan's a place where you've gotta princess-out a bit and not hold back spending (not that you really can anyway!!)

B

XXX

Answer 5

One commenter suggested you should be suspicious of meat in Japan. In fact, Japan and China are completely different and there's absolutely no reason to be suspicious of meat in Japan. China is a country of great poverty whereas Japan is a country of wealth which is notorious for lack of crime. In Japan, you're not going to get a sleazy restauranteur giving you cheap rat-meat when you asked for beef.

Another commenter suggested Japan is expensive. In fact, I've always been stunned by how cheap it is to eat out in Japan! You can get tasty, large and healthy meals for as low as US$2.90 and the average price for a meal is perhaps US$6.63. Portions are big too (much bigger than in London at least).

If you're worried about food being bland, don't worry. The most famous Japanese food internationally is of course sushi and sashimi (raw fish) which is renowned for its delicate taste. Most Japanese food is not like that though, and you'll be pleased to know that most Japanese food is pretty damned flavoursome!

What foods do I recommend?

Okonomiyaki - it's a pan-fried pancake type dish which is very popular. There are different ways of making it depending on what part of Japan you're in!

Teriyaki - A very flavoursome and quite sweet dish. Usually you get teriyaki chicken or fish. Popular outside Japan too.

Yakiniku - Very flavoursome and absolutely gorgeous! It's like barbecued meat in a thick sauce. Don't miss it!

Manju - Not a meal but a traditional Japanese sweet. Really nice. You'll see them everywhere in Japan and you can get special touristy ones depending on where you are and what the local specialities are. Cheap too. The inside is red bean paste but don't be put off by that as a lot of Westerners are, it's sweet and is a kind of jam.

Answer 6

1.Chicken and salmon are comparatively not expensive in Japan.
If you visit a super market, you can buy smoke salmon and fresh salmon Hashim at an affordable price. We put soy-source and Wahhabi, or soy source + mayo + and sliced onion) to eat at home.
If you prefer to eat those salmons at restaurants without spending much money, salmon sushi (usually 2 pieces of sushi on each plate) is only around 100 yen at many "Conveyor belt sushi" (= "Kai ten Sushi" in Japanese language) restaurants. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conveyor_belt_sushi
http://www.kura-corpo.co.jp/manu_teiban.html


2. I recommend you to try breads in bakeries or bake-shops. (bake shop is "pan-ya" in Japanese.) There are numerous bakeries making and selling fresh delicious breads in Japan. Usually breads aren't expensive, and people eat them for breakfast, lunch and etc.
Although sometimes it is hard for us to find a bakery while we are walking on the street, we can find fabulous bakeries at the basement levels of the food section of most of the department stores. another location where we can often find bakeries in Japan is near train stations.

Answer 7

you should definitely go to an IZAKAYA!!! they are called "drinking places" by us (foreign people) because most of the people go there to drink. but trust me, they are simply the best. they have all kinds of different foods, drinks, AND everything's soooooooo cheap!!! and if you pick the right place you'll be amazed by the really really good taste there. i'm sure you'll find there something you like. izakayas are located anywhere in shibuya, harajuku, shinjuku & etc. (major city parts)

Answer 8

after going to japan for the past 7 years I would say moss burger.
ofcourse sushi,soba yaki niku is great. Japanese BBQ is excellent. You cannot go wrong in Japan the food is great.

Answer 9

If you like confectionery, try Wagashi!
These are famous wagashi shops in Tokyo.

http://www.toraya-group.co.jp/english/
http://www.itakuraya.com/global/shop.html

Answer 10

firstly hun japan is expensive period! wait till you see for your self!
chicken try chicken yakitori-delicious or chicken katsu or stir fried dishes.