1. Campon
This dish may look like ramen at first sight (and you could
say it belongs to the same category), but it’s different and unique. So if you
want to taste something traditional, don’t miss out on this dish.
Champon is originally from Nagasaki, as it first appeared there in a Chinese restaurant during the Meiji era (1868-1912). However, unlike the many different kinds of ramen, its noodles (specifically made for this dish) are boiled in the soup itself instead of being added later.
A great seasonal dish, Champon’s ingredients vary slightly depending on the season (pork, seafood, vegetables, or any combination of these).
The ingredients are fried in lard, and a soup of chicken and pig bones is later added. The result is a robust and satisfying taste that is rarely the same. In fact, not only can different versions of this dish be found in many countries in Asia, but also within Japan. This creates a variety of unique styles and flavors that will keep you wanting more!
2. Buta-No-Shogayaki (Ginger Pork)
This is one of the most common (and tasty) Japanese dishes. Try it in many restaurants, izakaya (traditional Japanese restaurant/bar), fast food chains, and even as a bento box (a pre-prepared Japanese style lunch) found in many grocery stores and convenience stores.
The word yaki means literally “grilled.” This dish is prepared by grilling thin slices of pork dressed with a delicate sauce of mirin, soy sauce, sake (Japanese rice wine), granola oil mixed with sliced onions, and ginger.
The dish makes for a great quick and tasty meal, and it’s perfect for any season
3. Endamame
Okay, so they're not really a dish, but they are a wildly popular food in Japan. These are not yet mature soybeans, still in their pods. They can be served hot or cold (at times grilled instead of boiled) and are usually dressed only with salt. Edamame make for an amazing appetizer.
Try a few, and you will find yourself reaching for more and more before you know it. Edamame usually accompany a meal in all izakaya, but they are almost always part of the menu in the vast majority of Japanese restaurants in Japan.
4. Fugu
For those looking not only for amazing food in Japan, but also for a thrilling experience, fugu is the dish to try!
The fugu is a pufferfish that is, yes, delicious, but it can
also be lethal due to a toxin in some parts of its body. Fugu is usually served
as sashimi or in certain kinds of Japanese nabe hot pots.
The preparation of this fish, due to its characteristics, is rigidly controlled by the Japanese government. Chefs who aspire to prepare this fish must undergo at least three years of very rigorous training to get their license. Before being served, the toxic parts of the fish are removed, making it safe to serve.
Interestingly, fugu liver is considered the tastiest part of the fish, but it’s also the one that can be the most poisonous. As a result, serving fugu liver was outlawed in Japan in 1984. Should you try this dish, you’ll certainly remain amazed by its taste, but do careful research before ordering it in a restaurant (and never try to prepare it by yourself).
5. Gyoza
Gyoza are moon-shaped dumplings. Another one of those dishes that can be found in almost every Japanese restaurant, regardless of their style, but that many people miss. Although Chinese in origin, the varieties you'll discover during your Japan stay are often quite distinct from the original.
Gyoza comes in several varieties in Japan. One of the most popular is "yaki-gyoza": the dumplings are prepared with a filling of minced pork meat, cabbage, garlic, onion, and ginger. They are then lightly fried until they become crunchy and of a nice dark-gold color.
Enjoy them with a dip made with soy sauce, rice vinegar, and spicy oil.
6. Gyukatsu (Beef cutlet)
A wonderful beef variation of the popular pork-based tonkatsu (which we also recommend you try) is a dish of deep-fried breaded beef, usually served with cabbage, barley rice, miso soup, and potato salad, and pickles.
The preparation makes for a tender and crunchy texture and a very flavorful but not overwhelming taste. You won’t find this dish as easily as its pork counterpart, but if you do, you’ll be happy!
7. Gyudon
Gyudon is a mouth-watering one-dish meal of beef over rice (gyu = beef). Gyudon is a quick meal served in specific restaurants or Japanese fast-food chains such as Yoshinoya.
A bawl of steamed rice is topped with thinly sliced beef and tender onion, simmered in dashi broth (a popular Japanese ingredient) and seasoned with mirin and soy sauce. Sometimes it’s served topped with a lightly cooked egg.
If you want to experience a typical Tokyo office worker’s lunch break, enjoy this quick and tasty dish and get back to your tasks (although you probably won’t be needing to go to work, you’ll definitely enjoy having more time to sightsee and explore on a full and satisfied stomach).
8. Gyutan
Depending on your country of origin, this dish may appear, at a glance, too atypical, but bear with us and keep reading.
Gyutan literally means cow tongue, and this is exactly what the dish is: grilled cow tongue. You can usually find this dish in yakiniku restaurants, served with salt or different sauces (usually a lemon one) and scallion. The meat is thin, tasty, and tender.
Gyutan originated in Sendai, where the owner of a yakitori restaurant opened a new one in 1948, which served gyutan. Since then, the dish has spread all over the country like wildfire. Try it, and you’ll know exactly why.
9. Katsudon
Like gyudon, but prepared with pork, this is another popular Japanese food and often neglected (by foreigners) dish that is as cheap as fast and tasty. Perfect for those on the go, you can enjoy this meal in specific restaurants and all Japanese-style fast-food chains. A bowl of rice is served with a topping of deep-fried pork cutlet, egg, vegetables, and condiments.
It’s a standard dish in Japan, but you can find several kinds, like the one served with tonkatsu sauce, the demi katsudon (a specialty of Okayama), shio-katsudon (flavored with salt), or the miso-katsu (originally from Nagoya). Regardless of the variety, you’ll love this dish!
10. Ramen
The broth can be based on chicken, pork, beef, fish, vegetables, and flavored with soy sauce, miso, dashi, and many other seasonings. Usually, scallion, seaweed, tofu, and bamboo shoots are added, but it’s impossible to list all the different combinations in which this dish can be served.
Not only each region, but even each restaurant can have a different recipe, sometimes creating very original and tasty meals.
The noodles are specifically made for ramen and have a very
distinctive texture, being soft but with a bit of a bite.
The most common soup stocks are miso, salt, soy sauce, and
curry.
Ramen is probably the most popular shime (the last meal at
the end of a day or night out). It’s considered to be fast food, and, while
some kinds can be served cold, it’s usually hot, and a godsend on cold days.