Traveling To Tokyo - Bring Your Appetite

Oct 22

If you are a foodie, Japan needs to be on your bucket list! There are so many delicious options to try, from ramen and sushi to curries, wagyu, and more.In Tokyo, one does not have to worry about finding a good diner or two to enjoy local food.

Instead, the city’s streets are filled with restaurants and stalls, ranging from quaint to luxurious. Coupled with the city’s heartwarming hospitality, exploring the food scene in Tokyo is worth every penny. Hence, this article is for everyone planning to travel or move to Tokyo, or even natives looking to explore more of Tokyo’s cuisines.

Exploring The Food Scene In Tokyo

Tokyo is heaven for fans of good food and rich culture. The diversity of Tokyo’s food scene means that the cuisine has something for every palate, from the loved-by-all ramen to which the country is home to the luxurious experience of a well-cooked wagyu steak. For more adventurous eaters, the city also offers a wide variety of menus, including udon noodles, tempura, Japanese curry, and Yakitori, grilled chicken skewers.

After all, there is a reason that Japanese food continues to leave its mark globally. However, no matter how much Japanese food you have already enjoyed, nothing quite matches the experience of relishing the native cuisine from where it belongs.

What Is Tokyo’s National Dish?

Tokyo’s national dish is just as tantalizing as the rest of its cuisine. The people of this city have a favorite dish when it comes to eating in or out: Japanese curry and rice or Katsudon. This curry is quite different from the traditional curry. The meat and vegetables are cooked within the curry mixture in this recipe, giving it a sticky texture. Then, the rich and silky boiling curry is served on white rice. Japanese people tend to eat this dish at least once a week, given its simplicity, richness, and how well it complements several other dishes. In fact, they enjoy curry so much that they have now combined it with other popular dishes, for example, curry soba and curry ramen.

What Are Popular Dishes In Japan?

Japan's locals may be more biased about certain dishes than others, and understandably so. Here are some of the most popular dishes in Japan:

Sushi And Sashimi

It is impossible to talk about Japan’s food scene without bringing up sushi and sashimi. While sushi offers a diverse palette of seafood, rice, and seaweed, joined by earthy ginger and soya sauce, sashimi offers a more subtle combination of raw seafood served with soya sauce mixed with wasabi. These two classics are undoubtedly the most recognizable of Japan’s cuisine.

Kushiyaki

Kushiyaki is a Japanese grilled meat skewer that can be made with beef or chicken, the latter being known as Yakitori. These succulent pieces of meat grilled over an open flame and seasoned with just the right amount of spices are perfect for those that enjoy fusion cuisines.

Soba

Soba is a noodle dish in which the noodles are made from buckwheat flour. These noodles can be coupled with hot or cold soup, making soba the perfect dish to eat all year round.

Yokan

Yokan is a traditional Japanese dessert made with agar, sugar, and the key ingredient: red bean paste. These melt-in-your-mouth blocks of jelly are ideal for finishing any meal without compromising the flavors in your mouth.

What Are The Top Ramen Dishes In Japan?

Ramen is a globally popular dish of wheat noodles served in a broth with a variety of toppings. The Japanese locals have several favorite ramen dishes, such as miso, tonkotsu, kitakata, etc. Some top ramen dishes are given below:

Shoyu

Shoyu broth is made with boiled-down chicken or pork bones enriched with dry sardines, kelp, soy sauce, and dashi.

Shio

Shio broth can be made with a base of any protein, but what differentiates it is the heavy amount of salt in it.

Miso

Miso broth consists of chicken broth, pork, and vegetables, but the key ingredient is miso, a fermented soybean paste.

Tonkotsu

With a pork broth made from collagen-rich pork bones, tonkotsu is distinguished by its rich and silky smooth broth.

Explore More International Foods

I hope this article will answer your questions about Tokyo’s food scene and tantalizing cuisine. If you’re interested in knowing more about global food scenes, click here to learn more about international foods and dishes!

Sarina Swalm

Sarina is a self-taught cook and self-proclaimed foodie. She enjoys sharing her love of cooking, and sharing new recipes. When Sarina isn’t traveling she enjoys her home base in New York, NY with her Labrador Retriever, Bailey.