If you know me, then you know that my two favorite things are travel and food. Planning my trip for Japan, I had no idea what I was going to eat. My idea of “Japanese food” was limited to ramen and sushi. Luckily, my aunt was with us and she brought us to all these places in Tokyo with amazing food! There were so many different foods and restaurants to try, we didn’t have time to go back for a second time. I wanted to try them all! Below are all my favorites from the trip, including daring foods to try (eel) and familiar comfort food (ramen).
Kaki Fry (Japanese Fried Oysters)
I’m a big fan of fried food. Chicken tenders with french fries was my go to meal in college. After trying Japanese fried oysters, I’m adding oysters the list of foods that taste good fried. Oysters are available year round in America, but are seasonal in Japan. Oysters are considered in season from mid autumn to winter. We walked past this restaurant that was promoting fried oysters. It was a limited time special. My parents and my aunt were over the moon excited. It was exactly what they had been looking for. We went in and they all ordered the fried oysters and I ordered the fried pork with rice. I took one bite of their fried oysters and knew I had ordered the wrong thing. I should have ordered the special.
Price: 1,198 yen
Location: Ootoya Shinjuku East Side Square
This is by far the best ramen I’ve ever had. Ichiran Ramen is a large chain restaurant. They have many locations and are probably most well known for their individual ramen stalls. Ichiran Ramen gives you a lot of choices so that when you get your bowl of ramen, it’s exactly what you want. You can choose from additional sides and toppings like adding an egg or extra meat or nori (seaweed). After you order, they give you a form to fill out where you can choose your preferences for flavor strength, richness of the broth, how much garlic, what type of onion, and noodle texture. If you can’t make it to Ichiran Ramen, try one of the other many ramen shops in the city. You can’t go wrong with ramen in Japan.
Price: 890 yen
Location: Ichiran Asakusa
Note: If you are looking to try Ichiran Ramen, but want to sit together as a group, Ichiran Asakusa location offers seating for groups who want to eat together, as well as individual stalls. Go at unpopular eating times to avoid lines.
Taiyaki
This was my favorite dessert in Tokyo. Taiyaki is a fish-shaped cake. There are a lot of variations of taiyaki. The most common filling is red bean paste made from sweetened azuki beans, but there are other fillings like custard, cheese, chocolate, or sweet potato. For me, red bean paste wins hands down. I’m looking forward to trying taiyaki with ice cream next time. The place we went to usually has a long wait, but when we went, there was no line. I suppose it depends on your luck.
Location: Yanagiya Taiyaki
Beef Tongue
I know it doesn’t sound appetizing, but it’s not too bad. Beef tongue are almost like really thing pieces of beef. Try it with their curry! You won’t regret it!
Price: 1,500 yen
Location: Rikyu (Shinjuku)
Sushi Train
Eating at a sushi train in Japan was on my bucket list. Sushi train is when there are small plates of one or two pieces of sushi that go round and round on a conveyor belt in front of you. I’ve had been to a sushi train restaurant in Taipei, but the sushi in Tokyo is a million times better. I can even begin to explain how delicious the sushi was. It’s a perfect place for groups with different tastes because everyone eats what they want. In the end, the the price is calculated is by the number of plates you eat. If you’re on a budget, it’s best to note which plates cost how much. I didn’t pay attention to the price and kept picking “red” plates which were the most expensive. The plates can add up quickly and become a somewhat expensive meal.
Tamagoyaki
Tamagoyaki is a Japanese omelette made by rolling several layers of cooked egg. If you go to the Tsukiji Fish Market, you’ll see lots of stands selling this. It’s a specialty at the Tsukiji Fish Market. I recommend sharing because there’s a lot to eat in the area. But seriously, this egg omelette was really good.
Location: Tsukiji Fish Market
Unagi Kabayaki (Eel)
Another favorite of mine at the Tsukiji Fish Market is the sticks of eel. There’s just something about the sauce that is so addicting. Beware of the tiny fish bones. It would be perfect if there weren’t fish bones.
Location: Tsukiji Fish Market
Green Tea Ice Cream
Japan is home of matcha. To satisfy your green tea craving, a visit to this ice cream shop is a must. This place has seven different levels of green tea. This place is perfect for groups with people who like different levels of green tea. I’m not a big fan of green tea, but even I have to admit, their level 1 green tea ice cream was delicious. It’s the sweetest out of all the green tea ice creams. My mom preferred the level 7 green tea, the strongest flavor of green tea. My dad preferred the middle level 4 green tea. It definitely depends on individual taste. If you like your ice cream more bitter, you can order a higher intensity of matcha. The level 7 green tea ice cream is a little bit more expensive because they have to use more ingredients to make the flavor stronger. This ice cream shop might be known for it’s green tea, but the true winner here was the black sesame. I know it sounds weird, but trust me. If you’re looking for another flavor to try, try the black sesame.
Price: 490 yen
Location: Suzukien Asakusa
Cake
Harbs is a great place to rest a grab something sweet for an afternoon snack. We went at 7pm so it was more of an after dinner dessert spot. The cakes were pretty and tasty. I recommend the fruit cake.
Location: Harbs (Shibuya)
I can’t wait to go to Japan again. What are your favorite foods to eat in Tokyo?
