Must Try Food in Japan

If I can list all the Japanese food I would but if we limit it to 18 items here is it. This perhaps this is quite the hardest Must Try Food list I have to make because this is one of my favourite cuisine and most of the food in Japan is so good, the quality on each of them is quite incomparable, you will feel that all the food served with this country is made with pride.

So let’s start with some obvious ones.

Sushi/Sashimi – I guess this don’t need an explanation, the best way to enjoy this is in here and if possible get the freshest one in Tsukiji Fish market.

Kobe Beef – If there is one place to be a cow I want it to be here, they are pampered, massaged and fed well resulting to this amazing piece of meat marbled with tasty fat.

Bento – The joy of having a lot of different things in a box, it’s like a degustation menu on one serving.

Okonomiyaki – I guess no one does this better than here, these savoury pancakes is what I want for breakfast.

Takoyaki – My favourite Japanese street food, the soft warm creamy balls are just a pure delight.

Yakitori – Meat + Grill + Beer, this is the best way to end a busy day in Japan

Karaage – What is better than a Fried chicken? well a Japanese style fried chicken.

Katsu – Another fried treat but this time the pork version. Tender juicy meat on crispy breading, forget the rice.

Katsu Curry – Let’s put some delicious mild Japanese style curry sauce on the one above now you can have it with rice.

Gyoza – This thing is everywhere in Japan, usually served as a side on most dishes. Definitely better than wontons, with a crispy bottom crust and soft top and insides, it’s the best of both steamed and fried world.

Ramen – Shio, Shoyu, Tonkotsu, Miso and other specialty variants it is made with passion here. The broth is full of flavour sometimes you forget it is served with only one or two pieces of thinly sliced meat. Did I say even the instant ones were amazing.

Soba – If ramen is all about the broth then this one is all about the noodles, the texture is out of this world, bouncy, slimy, chewy, it’s hard to describe, you just have to try it yourself.

Shabu-Shabu – Can’t decide on what to put on your soup? then why not try everything.

Ichigo Daifuku – Strawberry covered with mochi best enjoyed cold.

Soft Serve Ice Cream – You may find a lot of flavours are weird like sake, white bait, jelly fish, miso, squid ink curry, eel, beer or crab. It’s not for the faint hearted but it’s worth a try as you will never find most of them out of Japan.

Taiyaki – It looks like a fish so you think it might be flavoured like a fish, well it’s not, this is an amazing dessert street food made with sweet waffle like bread filled with either ice cream or sweet red beans.

Crepes – If you thing the French can make good crepes, the Japanese sometimes can do better. The cream they use here is the killer! it’s like a very soft marshmallow.

Anything Matcha – Tea, Ice Cream, Chocolate, Junk Food, Kit Kats, Popcorn, Oreo, etc., they flavour almost everything possible here with matcha.