A culinary must-eat list - dishes you can never quite recreate at home. Try them where they belong.
🍣
Sushi
Fresh nigiri and sashimi straight from the market. In Japan both the quality and the price can surprise you - even at conveyor-belt sushi (kaiten-zushi).
📍 Toyosu Market in Tokyo, or omakase at the counter
🍜
Ramen
A bowl of hot broth and noodles - different in every region. Tonkotsu in Fukuoka, miso in Sapporo, shoyu in Tokyo.
📍 Order from the ticket machine by the door
🐙
Takoyaki
Batter balls with a piece of octopus inside, topped with sauce and mayo. The icon of Osaka street food.
📍 Dōtonbori in Osaka, hot off the griddle
🥞
Okonomiyaki
A savoury cabbage pancake - "grill what you like". Two schools: the looser Osaka style and the layered Hiroshima style.
📍 Often you grill it yourself on the teppan at your table
🍢
Yakitori
Charcoal-grilled chicken skewers, perfect with a beer. The heart of every izakaya.
📍 In the evening at an izakaya, or under the tracks (Yūrakuchō)
🍤
Tempura
Prawns and vegetables in a light, crisp batter, fried golden. Surprisingly light despite the frying.
📍 Best at a specialist tempura-ya
🥩
Wagyū / yakiniku
Top-grade marbled beef (Kobe, Matsusaka), grilled piece by piece at your table.
📍 Yakiniku - you grill it yourself; look for A5 grade
🍱
Unagi (eel)
Eel grilled in a sweet-savoury glaze, served over rice (unadon). A summer delicacy said to give you strength.
📍 A summer specialty; famous spots in Nagoya
🍱
Kaiseki
A multi-course, seasonal haute cuisine - true art on a plate. Often served at a ryokan.
📍 Kyoto; book well ahead
🍵
Matcha & sweets
Bitter green tea with delicate wagashi sweets - and in summer, matcha parfaits and ice cream.
📍 Uji near Kyoto - the matcha capital
Eat it at the source
I’ll put together a trip with culinary gems matched to your taste.
