So if you haven’t already guessed by the title this is going to be about my trip to Japan! I got to do so many firsts during that trip including getting to go to an animal cafe and a Disney park. I’m going to break this into multiple segments as I’m sure i could write for days on the subject.
I was in Japan to visit my cousin for 10 days in December of 2017 and I am so grateful that i got the opportunity to go and I hope to go again soon. I want to talk about the food in Japan for this segment. Japanese food in my opinion is some of the best in the world and there are so many options in Japan. I never had anything that wasn’t made to be great. One piece of advice I have to give is that you should at least try everything once. You may not like everything you try but I think you’ll definitely enjoy most of it. I also think that if you’re curious you should try restaurants from your home country in Japan or other foreign countries. I must also say that food from your home country shouldn’t be all you eat! While it’s cool to see what a restaurant from home does in a foreign country, it’s more important to take in everything the country has to offer and food is just one part of that.
I ended up in a Denny’s early on in the trip, my first night i think. The menus in Japan have pictures of everything on the menu which makes it so much easier to order. i got tonkatsu that came with tonkatsu sauce which is derived from Worcestershire sauce but with other fruits and vegetables added. I usually hate sauces but i loved this one! Needless to say a bottle came home with me so that’s why i definitely say try everything! You will find all kinds of things that you like! I also ended up taking home some Dashi and Mirin which are types of stock for soups.
When you go to Japan you should definitely check out traditional restaurants. I went to two types of restaurants that you probably won’t find in other countries. I went to a Shabu Shabu restaurant and it was great! If your chopstick skills aren’t up to par please note you will struggle at this type of restaurant. You’ll have to pick up the meat and sides with your chopsticks and then hold them in pot of boiling water in front of you. If you can’t hold on to the food you’ll have some issues. Be sure to practice using chopsticks so you can actually eat properly. We also went to a traditional sushi restaurant and the chef actually showed my cousin and I how he prepared it. We had to take off our shoes coming in and sat at a low table with cushions on the floor. The decor was beautiful and it was such a great experience. I got to try all sorts of traditional foods at that restaurant and I hope I can visit it again. I do want to mention that sushi in japan has wasabi already in it in between the rice and fish but it shouldn’t be enough to really bother you if you don’t like spicy food. You’ll notice it but if I can eat it then anyone can.
Japanese food is arguably some of the best food in the world at least in my opinion. There are so many variations and so much to try. When you go to Japan don’t be afraid to be adventurous in what you choose to eat. You really can’t go wrong! Food is such an important part of any culture so be sure to try new things! Being open to new experiences is how you can get the most out of traveling abroad! Stay tuned for the next entry into my time in Japan.
Sincerely Yours,
Pocket Elf Travels
