[Travel Advice] Japan for Foodies
I gained 10 lbs in Japan and this is why
Random Observation/Comment #856: Why don't I live in Japan? For me, this place is a paradise.
I've had the best food in my life in the past week, and I think I know why. Everything in Japan is done with intention and great pride. You want a pizza? No problem. The sushi apprentice masters rice for 15 years. The committed Japanese pizza maker will learn from masters and experiment daily. There's no acceptance to mediocre. There's dedication to art. An average worker knows their shit.
Since I've previously lived in Osaka and finished many travel tours all around Japan, I felt a very small need to see any of the major touristy things. In fact, I was so confident in this that I actively conducted unplanned itineraries with the sole purpose of eating (and walking a bit only so I can be hungry enough to eat again). This plan was delicious an absolutely the best way to travel.
Some things to be aware of in Japan:
Japan is still a cash economy for shrines, little markets, and some restaurants
Cash exchange at airports get the best value, but you can always just go to a convenience store to debit card withdraw for a 220 yen fee
Apple iPhone international users have the advantage here with integration - The IC cards can be purchased and topped up within Apple pay. Android phone users will not be able to do this unless their phone has the Japanese sim.
Not to mansplain math, but the fastest estimate with an approx 1 USD to 150 yen exchange rate is considering 100 yen is $0.67, so you can calculate 30% off with yen*3 minus original or yen*7 or (yen*2)/3
Buying an IC card (you can do this at any JR station) saves a lot of time for frequent train rides and it works at vending machines and corner stores
Train stations have excellent restaurants. It's expensive real estate and chefs are dedicated.
Hole in the wall food is actually the best food. Find a place they doesn't speak English with a niche limited menu.
When going to Japan, pack very light in a big suitcase. I bought a new suitcase just to fill all the stuff I bought - probably $800 USD total to change my whole family’s wardrobe and add a bunch of tea and tea cups.
Uniqlo and Muji are literally 50% off from NY prices. It's less expensive by sticker price, you get a tax rebate, and also the currency exchange is ridiculous.
Carry a spare bag for impromptu purchases and also spare garbage. Your pockets will be filled with random trash by the end of the day. I was always happy having a little shopping tote bag with me.
Avoid subway peak times from 730-9am. You should be sleeping in anyway.
Reminder: Trains stop running at midnight, so plan accordingly
While most food and local shopping was very affordable, I've found that the niche nerd culture was what costs extra money. For example, shoes (I couldn't get a size 28 anyway), Gundam, playing cards, stationary, pens, Japanese whiskey, camera lenses, electronics, watches, and jewelry was more or less the same price compared to global markets. I also just listed some pretty expensive niche hobbies.
Most Japanese Google reviewers don’t give more than 4 stars. I’ve found a lot of places have 3.5-4 ratings and they’re actually pretty good. All the Americanized places like beer spots tend to have over 4 because foreigners are more generous (or have lower standards).
Unlike my other travel advice articles, I'll just focus on the specific dishes and where I ate them (and some commute advice). I wound up writing 40 Google reviews for the restaurants I’ve attended and got quite a few responses quickly from the restaurants.
Nara
The whole point of this trip was to celebrate in a Japanese shrine wedding of a fellow Cooper Union friend. It was a
once in a lifetime experience for a lot of us. Deeply honored to be invited and so lovely.
As a travel note, I felt very thankful we flew into Osaka KIX rather than Tokyo Narita or Haneda and taking a long commute. It was worth the extra money to be closer and have a faster commute.
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Variety of Tofu (2000-3000 yen per set meal) at Koushi - This is exactly what I needed as the first meal after just landing. This was a tofu hamburger. Yummy.
Special seasonal drink (2100) at Nara hotel bar - What a lovely cocktail at the oldest hotel in Nara.
Onigiri (150) at 7-11 or Lawsons - This is a must eat on a daily basis.
Fish on a stick (700 for male, 800 for female) at Nara food festival - This was an unexpected treat. There were huge lines, so we pretty much just waited for this one. I got one male and one female (with roe). I prefer the male fish so there's more fish meat. The roe can also be a bit dry.
Omurice (1350) at Spice Chicken Labo - This wound up being the best Omurice in the whole trip. The sauce was perfect with the onion and light spiciness.
Green matcha mochi crepe (880) at HAKU cream and crepe - This was the most delicious dessert of the whole trip as well. The matcha mochi had a perfect chew. Buttercream was basically crack. The crepe was more like a thin fortune cookie. It all worked.
Condensed milk shaved ice at Kotonoma Akari - This was so light and flavorful. The strawberry was my favorite.
Sashimi, sushi, and tempura at Umasshu - I loved the fish so much I ate 3 of the orders and drank all the sake. What a beautiful way to celebrate all the people traveling.
Drinks and Cuban cigar at Bar Dalwhinnie - High class Cocktails for a large group. It was nice to just hang out and extend the party.
Bakery breakfast (1800) in Ochanoko - We wanted to try an assortment of things, but the best was the egg and pork sandies. They’re just so fluffy. Get sandwiches all the time.
Osaka
Osaka secret food tour ($130) - https://www.secretfoodtours.com/osaka/ - After doing the Tokyo version, this one was a little bit disappointing on the amount of food. We were still able to eat a lot of things and our tour guide was knowledgeable, but the Tokyo one had very specialized reservations everywhere with a super secret reveal.
Plum juice and fried udon at this Udon noodle restaurant next to the shrine - First time eating fried udon. It was pretty tasty snack when mixed with the plum juice.
Freshly made udon dip and tempura at Tsukumo Udon Tenjinbashi - Don't forget to add the dried fish to the broth. Great texture and super informal place.
Custard fish waffle at Naruto Taiyaki Honpo Tenjinbashi 3 chome - This reminds me of a Hong Kong style pastry. Impressed it's filled all the way down to the tail.
Takoyaki yummy at Takoyaki Wanaka in Ten-yon - All Takoyaki is yummy Takoyaki. As long as they’re freshly made in front of you, they will have delicious molten lava insides. I love the dancing of the bonito flakes.
Assorted fried izakaya on a stick at Shichifukujin Temma Station - There were a lot of delicious choices.
Okonomiyaki at Okonomiyaki Chigusa - I loved that it was made in front of us. I would try additional okonomiyaki types. The steamed pork in the middle was not my ideal way of doing it.
Spa world hotel - The rooms were the biggest from all the places we stayed. The location was also quite nice for seeing some touristy things. I think it was worth reserving ahead of time and a great family option. I should have tried the dried cup of noodle vending machine.
Shinsekai Market and Tsutenkaku area - What a fun area! It’s super touristy.
Chicken sashimi at this place with no English name - Okay we didn't actually eat the chicken sashimi. It was a bit too much to get salmonella this early in the trip. Check out the Google Lens translation of the menu.
Korean-inspired Ramen (1080) at Kinryu Ramen Midosuji near Dotonbori - This wasn’t the best ramen, but it was a great 5 minute breakfast.
Squid and shrimp with beer (2000) at Sakaezushi Sennichimae - Slightly overpriced, but it was yummy.
Omurice (1200) at DearBros - This place is fast and delicious. They don’t even make it into a closed omelet because it’s not necessary. There’s a bit of a sweet sauce to the rice.
Takoyaki (650) at Takoyaki-house Biya - There’s always space for takoyaki snacks.
Conveyor belt sushi (5000) at Daiki-suisan Kaitenzushi - This wasn’t the highest quality, but it did a good job as we were pretty hungry before our commute.
Kyoto
Craft beers (1000) at Shalara Craft Beer - My tastebuds needed something instead of Asahi, highballs, and Calpis sours.
Izakaya meal (4000) at Mamoriya - Shout out to that cartilage-based karaage. So crunchy. I also thought this chicken skin was better than the street food one from the Nara fair.
Manhattan (2000) at an upstairs bar with no Google review - This guy poured me a great cocktail. So delicious.
Mcdonald shaka shaka (240) - We just had to have the seasoning on the fries for a quick breakfast.
Breakfast udon with egg mixture and tempura (2000) - This was the first time having it with just the raw egg and seasonings. It’s so yummy. Look at that orangy-yellow yoke!
Grilled Beef tongue (3377) at Sendai Gyutan Fukusuke - We shared this one in between shopping. It had a great texture and flavor.
Yakiniku BBQ (20200) at Kurozakura Hachijoguchi - There’s an 9,000 minimum per person, but the ordering was easily done from the little touch screen. Don’t just pick the default one because it’ll be less food than just doing a la carte ordering.
Traditional Japanese Breakfast set (3000 per set) at Japanese Cuisine Uoman in the basement of Miayko Hotel - I’m sure this set changes frequently, but the best thing was this tofu with the extra soy milk and fish stock. The flavor was so deep and comforting. This joined the clean plate club.
Tokyo
If you get the chance, take the green car shinkansen nozomi. Super smooth and got there in 2 hours. If you sit on the left side, you’ll be able to see Mt Fuji in the last 30 minutes of the ride. Note that there’s no food in the train! We were pretty hungry by the time we got to the hotel.
Ramen (2000) at Ichiran Shinjuku - There’s an Ichiran by Consensys Bogart stop in Brooklyn, but it was like $30 instead of $12. You can order and eat without talking to anyone. It’s extremely crowded all the time.
Spring valley yuzu beer (1500) at Shinjuku Ale - I didn’t particularly love the beer (but that’s only because I’m spoiled by the delicious beer in Colorado). Snake wine would be exciting.
Random yakitori dishes (2000) at a 5-person bar in Omoide Yokocho area - The lady of the yakitori does not have a Google maps location. It’s the shop right next to Kameya.
Rare Whiskeys (17,000) at Bay window - In my defense, I really liked the Japanese whiskey.
Kobe beef katsu (4000) at Beef Cutlet AONA Shinjuku store - I don’t know if we needed to order the most expensive thing on the menu, but it was pretty delicious. The taste is delicate and frying is very thin.
Pork katsu curry (3400) at Niimura Main Store - This was the domestic pork one eaten at 11:30PM. It was so meaty and the spiciness of the curry was just right with the rice. I would have been happy just eating this and omurice for every meal.
Tokyo Secret food tour ($130) - https://www.secretfoodtours.com/tokyo/ - This is definitely the more mature and delicious food tour with 7 stops and drinks at every stop. Natsumi was extremely inquisitive and friendly.
Tuna, yellowtail, salmon nigiri at Sushi Tsune - These were some of the freshest sushi pieces I’ve had in my life. I would have stayed here at eaten a lot more.
Cheese and Chive Gyoza at Ueno Ichigoro - Weird combo, but tasty. The filling was very juicy.
Croquettes at Niku no Ohyama - So crispy and yummy. I don’t think a sauce is needed.
Delicious chicken and leek yakitori at Kanoya - Fun fact: The meatballs have cartilage mixed in so they have a different texture.
Sukiyaki special individual pots at Kisoji Ueno shop - This was such a treat!
Sweet treats from Karuta-ya - These were not exactly my thing, but they could be yours. I wanted the to be more like little New York cheesecake bites.
Green tea ice cream at Tea Garden - Super deep flavor of matcha
Yokocho random eats in Mass tavern Chibachan Akihbara - Nothing was really amazing to write home about, but I did love the location. We got kicked out after 3 drinks and 2 hrs (this is actually standard practice). Personally love the cucumbers salad.
Petting doggies (350 per 10 min) at Rio - Doggies are so cute. I found a shibby that did the shibby face.
More yakitori at Kajiya Bunzo - The crispy tofu here was absolutely delicious. Highly recommend. I also love the vibes under the train tracks.
Julep at Mandarin Bar - What a beautiful 37th floor lobby and delicious cocktail menu. We had a friend stay at the Mandarin hotel or else we had no chance of getting a seat for 6.
Freshly made soba (530) at Kameya - This place is so iconic. 2 minutes prepared dish and 5 minutes to slurp it all down.
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden beautiful (500 entrance) - I didn’t eat anything here, but I thought it was lovely. Great for a run.
Meiji Jingu shrine - This was a passthrough walk for me as I headed towards Mikkeller bar. I also dropped by Harajuku to see the scenes.
Gose beer (1500) at Mikkeller Kiosk/Bar - I will visit a Mikkeller wherever they are. It’s just a nice place for a beer.
Art aquarium museum (2500) in Ginza Mitsukoshi mall - If you have any interest in goldfish or koi, then this is the place for you. The art exhibit has really cool fish with amazing lighting.
Yakitori and highballs at Tsukiji Gindaco Highball-Yokocho - There was this thinly sliced pork wrapping rice thing that was really delicious.
Soba curry (1000) at Yomoda Soba Shinjuku - Soba and curry sauce was really well executed. I had such a burst of flavors and layers.
Sukiyaki (5300) at Tofu Cuisine KICHIZA - This was the longest we waited for a seat, but we really wanted to eat some sukiyaki. Those plastic food sets are so effective!
Airport sushi (5000) yumminess in Narita Terminal 1 by Gate 37 - What a great way to end a delicious trip! We had manifested that fresh uni and overflowing sake.
This was truly a marathon of eating many meals. I can honestly say there was not one bad meal the whole trip. We definitely found some places that were decent, but I would go there everyday if it was in Denver. I can’t wait to go back!
~See Lemons Love Japan and Fat