Japanese food is amazing. It’s also incredibly varied and during our trip there we ate a lot of things that were surprising to me. Here in the UK, unless you search out Japanese restaurants or pop ups like Tsukemono, chances are, your understanding of Japanese food is limited to sushi and ramen. Japanese food culture is complex and wonderful and despite the fact that I LOVE ramen and sushi, I enjoyed trying some lesser known foods whilst I was there. Look out for these 10 things you must eat in Japan – you won’t be disappointed!
It was hard to keep the list this short as I could wax lyrical about Japanese food all day long. Luckily for you, I somehow managed to trim the list so here you go, 10 things you must eat in Japan that aren’t ramen or sushi!
Okonomiyaki
Hands down the best dining experience of our trip. If you can, get to Hiroshima for their own version of this delicious savoury pancake which includes noodles as well as cabbage, onions, and shrimp plus whatever toppings you desire. We headed to the retro cool Okonomiyura for the beast pictured below and had a fantastic time watching the Okonomiyaki being expertly prepared in front of us on from bar stool sat around a giant hotplate. Read more here. Go go go!
Try Okonomiyaki for yourself:
You’ll find Okonomiyaki all over Japan and it’s often served as street food or in diners. It’s spiritual home is Hiroshima so if you’re going there, make sure you head to Okonomiyura. Okonomiyura is an indoor street food market made up exclusively of okonomiyaki restaurants, each with a slightly different style and set of ingredients) and it’s a brilliant place to try the best of the best.
Kaiseki Ryori
This is a must try for a taste of old royal Japan. Kaiseki refer to a traditional and ceremonial multi-course meal and the dishes are often designed to show great skill in the preparation. Each dish is beautifully presented and designed to showcase local, fresh and seasonal ingredients so don’t expect strong flavours. Everything is very delicate and served to allow the natural flavours sing through. This special meal isn’t available everywhere and your best chance of trying it is during a stay at a traditional guest house called a Ryokan.
Try Kaiseki for yourself:
We tried Kaiseki during our stay at a lovely Ryokan called Momijiya Honkan Takao Sanso just north of Kyoto city. They also have the traditional bathing facilities there and beautiful rooms overlooking mountains and forests. A real touch of luxury!
Monjayaki
I had never heard of monjayaki despite doing a fair bit of reading on Japanese food (obvs) before we went. In fact, we stumbled on this dish purely by chance. We’d been walking all over Tokyo and were completely knackered and hungry. After a quick look around and before hanger set in, we chose a place which looked a little run down but with wonderful smells emerging from it’s steamed up doors. It was raining so we took a chance and I’m so glad we did.
Monjayaki is kind of similar to Okonomiyaki except that you cook it yourself on a hot plate.
Try monjayaki for yourself:
We loved our experience at Hyōtan near Asakusa in Tokyo. Just minutes from the Nakamise Street market and very close to the massive Sensō-ji Buddhist temple.
Takoyaki
God I love Takoyaki. I first tried it when we lived in Melbourne, Australia and it became a bit of a habit to grab some from the stall at Flinders Street Station every time I went into the CBD. I was keen to try the real thing and we ate them at every opportunity during our travels around Japan.
These little balls of fried batter are filled with octopus and often served with a special Takoyaki sauce (like a thin HP), kewpie mayonnaise and dancing bonito flakes. I love them that way but during our stay in Osaka, we found some without all that extra decoration which were even more delicious (see below).
If you’ve seen the Netflix series ‘Streetfood’, you might remember the 100 year old family run Umai-ya Takoyaki place featured on their Osaka episode? We headed out away from the touristy areas to find it. And we did, complete with mother and son working in perfect harmony to create what were most definitely the tastiest example of these octopus snacks we’ve ever had. Flecks of ginger took them to a new level and we didn’t even miss the usual sprinkling of bonito and mayonnaise. They just didn’t need them.
Try Takoyaki for yourself:
There is no shortage of Takoyaki places, especially in Osaka. walk along Dōtonbori and over the Ebisu bridge and you’ll see at least 10 shops but for something special, go find this place…
Grilled oysters
We know that fish and seafood is a big part of Japanese cuisine, what with sushi being so popular across the world but I wasn’t expecting there to be as much of it as there was. As we headed towards the coast in the south west of the country, it was the main thing we saw and ate. When we were on Miyajima island, we tried grilled oysters for the first time. I’ve had them raw, French style with vinagerette and shallots, but never cooked. Despite looking pretty gnarly, they were delicious! The Hiroshima area has been fishing oysters for nearly 500 years and they are considered a real speciality item on Miyajima where you’ll see them served straight off the grill like this on the main street Street and on almost every restaurant menu.
They’re grilled in their shells and then seasoned with soy, ponzu or lemon juice and a sprinkle of shichimi (Japanese spice mix). This guy was fantastic, grilling right outside our hotel. He was friendly and told us about the oysters and where and when they’d been caught (that morning right in front of us!). We loved them so much we went back for seconds.
Try grilled oysters for yourself:
I can’t recommend this stall enough. Get yourself to Miyajima (you won’t be disappointed) and head to the Sakuraya hotel on the Main Street between the port and the shrine. The stall is out the front, you can’t miss it. By the way, this was also our hotel and I recommend it!
Kashipan
One for lovers of cake and anything sweet! Kashipan is basically a sweet bread or bun, often with cookie dough or iced top. The most famous is probably the buns known as melon pan (so called because they look like a melon) which have a think cookie crispy top. In fact, there is a dessert chain called Melon Pan which you’ll find all over Japan. They serve them filled with cream or ice cream, perfect for a summer day. Here’s Dave chomping down a melon pan with matcha ice cream. The bitterness and coldness of the matcha ice cream was perfect against the crispy hot sweet bun.
Try melon pan for yourself:
Melon Pan are all over Japan (and beyond by the looks of it!). Here’s a map to their Kyoto branch which is very close to both Kawaramachi and Nishiki Market.
Katsu curry
Ok, this is one you’ve probably tried before. You. can get a quick and cheap meal (with classic pork Katsu often under ¥700 / £5.50) served at lots of no-frills diner style places. I think Katsu curry is probably one of those go to dinners for when you’ve been in the office late and are knackered and need your fill. Or maybe you’ve been on a day time drinking session with your mates and need spice and something stodgy. It feels like that kind of food. Love it!
Try Katsu curry for yourself:
There are a few different Katsu chain restaurants dotted across most of the main cities in Japan. We loved Go Go Curry with its bright stores, self service kiosks and fun branding (including a random gorilla). Find your nearest store here.
Omurice
This is something Dave has made for me at home and it’s a great quick fix meal. It’s basically an omelette over fried rice and a real mash up of Japanese and western food cultures. Sometimes you’ll see it with ketchup and other times, with a savoury sauce like below. We ate it at a well known family diner called Star Restaurant in Kyoto. Very cheap and cheerful with terrible customer service but cheap prices and tasty food, this would make a good lunch stop on a day of exploring (that’s what we did). It was full of families, students and groups of friends. The menu was cheap and had many a variation on this modern classic.
Try omurice for yourself:
You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see a large glass display of very odd (and slightly disturbing looking) plastic dishes. If you’re still not sure, look out for a giant golden omurice next to the entrance door! This place is perfect for shopping in Nishiki Market so combine it with a day there.
Natto
Ok, not for the faint hearted this one. Natto is something which is typically eaten at breakfast and is basically fermented soybeans. Natto is often flavoured with soy sauce or mustard and this is how we ate it. I’m glad I tried them but don’t think I’ll be heading in for more any time soon. The flavour was not as strong as I expected but the texture was just bad. The stringy sticky gloop between the beans makes them difficult to eat and a messy affair. Like it said, not for me but give them a try to get a taste. of authentic, old school Japanese breakfast food.
Try Natto for yourself:
We ate it with grilled sardines on rice and miso at a traditional and popular breakfast joint. Find it just across from Shinjuku station in Tokyo. You should be prepared to queue and remember to take cash!
Traditional Japanese Breakfast
At the same place as the Natto, we enjoyed a traditional Japanese breakfast of grilled fish, miso and rice. Dave had sardines which were cooked over coals and despite being full of little bones and a bit fiddly to eat (especially with chopsticks) were delicious. I had soy glazed salmon which was absolutely gorgeous, especially with the grated radish and salty pickles.
So there you have it – 10 things you must eat in Japan that aren’t ramen or sushi! Have you been? What’ve I missed from this list? Let me know in the comments below!