{"id":19148,"date":"2018-04-20T12:25:48","date_gmt":"2018-04-20T11:25:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/?p=19148"},"modified":"2020-01-29T15:48:48","modified_gmt":"2020-01-29T15:48:48","slug":"favourite-dishes-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/20\/favourite-dishes-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Top three dishes to eat in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F19148&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F19148\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F19148&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F19148&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F19148%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F19148\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F19148\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul><p><strong>The top 3 dishes in Japan? As a team of Japanophiles, we&#8217;re a little sceptic. Is it really possible to narrow it down? Tour leader, <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/IJTBrian\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brian<\/a> certainly thinks so. <\/strong><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>There are so many good dishes to eat in Japan that many people end up gaining weight rather than losing it when they visit. This is also true for my Japanese friends who live in the US. While you won&#8217;t be short of things to try, if I could only choose three dishes for a newcomer in Japan to try, this would be them (in no specific order). All three also have vegetarian options!<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">1. Sushi<\/h2>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-half-width wp-image-19154\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Sushi-720x540.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Sushi-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Sushi-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Sushi-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Sushi-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Sushi-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Sushi-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Sushi-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Sushi-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Sushi-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Sushi-510x383.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Sushi.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/h2>\n<p>Traditionally, people used their hands when they ate sushi and at many fancy sushi restaurants you\u2019re supposed to do it that way, so feel free to pick those bad boys up. Especially, if your chopstick skills are not up to par.<\/p>\n<p>Bear in mind that you only need a tiny dab of soy sauce, otherwise it&#8217;s all you\u2019ll taste. The proper way to dip your sushi is fish (or vegetable) side down. Although, I see Japanese people dipping the rice side down, or even taking the fish off the rice, dipping it and putting it back on the rice. This is something you\u2019ll see a lot of at a revolving sushi bar, kind of a free for all when it comes to etiquette.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re eating at an upscale sushi place, then definitely make sure you do as the chef instructs you to, so as to not offend him. I thought I wouldn\u2019t be able to tell the difference between the Japanese-owned sushi restaurants in California and the ones in Japan, but boy was I wrong. Yep, sushi in Japan tastes completely different and is much tastier &#8211; as it should be.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">2. Okonomiyaki<\/h2>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-half-width wp-image-19151\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Okonomiyaki-720x540.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Okonomiyaki-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Okonomiyaki-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Okonomiyaki-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Okonomiyaki-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Okonomiyaki-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Okonomiyaki-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Okonomiyaki-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Okonomiyaki-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Okonomiyaki-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Okonomiyaki-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Okonomiyaki-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/h2>\n<p>This sweet and savoury pancake \/ omelette \/ pizza type thing has to be one of my all-time favourites. The two most popular kinds of <em>okonomiyaki<\/em> are Hiroshima style and Osaka style. Japanese people will often have a preference and even argue over which is better at times. The main difference is the Hiroshima style includes noodles, making it more filling and giving it a different texture. I love both styles, but if I had to choose one I\u2019d have to go with Osaka. I like the texture better and the portion size is perfect.<\/p>\n<p>At most of these restaurants you\u2019re expected to make it on your own. Don\u2019t worry, the staff are always very helpful and some restaurants have English instructions. At some restaurants the staff will prepare it for you, if you can\u2019t be bothered. I consider myself a good cook and making it on your own is definitely fun, but for some reason it\u2019s never as good as when the staff make it. They make this stuff all day every day, so in my opinion it\u2019s best to just let them do it for you (it is quite a bit of work as well).<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">3. Yakitori<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-half-width wp-image-19150\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Yakitori-720x540.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Yakitori-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Yakitori-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Yakitori-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Yakitori-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Yakitori-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Yakitori-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Yakitori-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Yakitori-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Yakitori-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Yakitori-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Yakitori-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>BBQ &#8212; yay! I\u2019m American so I love pretty much anything on the grill. <em>Yakitori<\/em> are chicken skewers, but most restaurants will also do pork, beef, and vegetables too. You\u2019ll always see these at festivals, supermarkets and <em>izakaya<\/em> (Japanese style gastropubs). There are <em>yakitori<\/em> restaurants too where it&#8217;s all they have on the menu.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s completely fine to pick these up by the skewer with your hands to eat. In a group setting though, where people are sharing, you should use the upper part of your chopsticks or flip your chopsticks around to use the side that hasn\u2019t touched your mouth to separate the meat from the skewers. This way ensures everyone gets a bite.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>So there you have it, my top three, and all can be made vegetarian. There is vegetable sushi; vegetable skewers and you can ask the staff to have your <em>okonomiyaki<\/em>\u00a0prepared without meat or fish (watch out for the bonito flakes on top).<\/p>\n<p>If your trip to Japan didn\u2019t include these dishes, I think you\u2019d be missing out. Don\u2019t worry if you can\u2019t remember the proper etiquette, just remember the golden rule: \u201cDo as the Japanese do\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>*While these are my top three, honourable mentions go to <em>shabu shabu, <\/em>ramen<em>, yakiniku, yakisoba<\/em>, tempura, and <em>kaiseki-ryori<\/em> (traditional multi-course Japanese dinner).<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>For more information (and inspiration) about food and drink in Japan, check out our <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/IATFoodandDrink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">dedicated Food &amp; Drink page<\/a>, or <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/contactusJapan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">contact our team<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F19148&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F19148\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F19148&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F19148&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F19148%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F19148\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F19148\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Like this post? Help us by sharing it! The top 3 dishes in Japan? As a team of Japanophiles, we&#8217;re a little sceptic. Is it really possible to narrow it down? Tour leader, Brian certainly thinks so. Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2366,2360],"tags":[1521,2559,3727],"class_list":["post-19148","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-japanese-food-and-drink","category-travellers-tales-from-japan","tag-food-in-japan","tag-okonomiyaki","tag-yakitori"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19148"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19148\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25515,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19148\/revisions\/25515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}