Top 12 Foods to Eat in Tokyo, Japan | Famous Foods of Tokyo
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Tokyo is the busiest capital of Japan that infuses a very great mixture of modern and traditional heritage. You can find tallest skyscrapers along with the most historic temples in Tokyo. This beautiful city not only combines the culture but also structures a very great combination of the best food in Tokyo. You will be surprised to see the variety in which you can suffice your hunger in Tokyo. As the stereotypical thoughts jump onto the noodles you can get much more than just noodles in Tokyo. Of course, you’ll be served with the best handmade noodles that are just super tasty but besides noodle dishes, there are a lot of foods to try in Tokyo that can reveal subtle intricate differences of Japanese cuisine and their skilful art involved in making the dish, not just regular but iconic. Here I have curated the top 12 foods of Tokyo that you must go through if you really wanna explore the flavours or entire Japan.
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List of Must-try Foods in Tokyo
1. Sushi
Sushi
This is one of the famous dishes you can taste in the entire world under the title of Japanese cuisine. They own the biggest fish market (Tsukiji fish market) bringing in tonnes of fresh seafood from different parts of Japan. Sushi is a delicate fish which is eaten raw sliced by the skilled chef into thin slices and served over a roll of rice along with traditional Japanese sauces like soy sauce or wasabi. You can visit Sushi no Midori who serves one of the popular foods in Tokyo and have the top quality of sushi at a reasonable price. That means, you definitely need to make reservations or wait in line to dine at this restaurant.
2. Sukiyaki
Sukiyaki
This dish is perfect for all the passionate beef-lovers. As the aroma of any food makes it, even more, tastier and desirable this famous food to try Tokyo is cooked right at the table in a Japanese hot pot style (Nabemono) to make you experience every crunch and smokiness of the dish closely. Like most Japanese foods, Sukiyaki also has some cooking variations that are followed by different chefs but the core ingredients used in Tokyo include vegetables, tofu and Negi, all of which are added to the fresh beef slices and cooked in a clay pot right on your table. Later you can mix soy sauce, sugar and mirin to add different flavours according to your preferences.
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3. Ramen noodles
Ramen noodles
Right now your country might have already marketed the ramen noodles in any pattern which shows its popularity and fame all over the world. But the typical ramen noodles are made from wheat and are served in a meat or fish-based broth, often flavoured with soy sauce or miso, along with the toppings such as sliced pork, Nori, Menma, and scallions to bring out every delicious flavour. But this top food from Tokyo has already so many variations that you might find it hard to decide which one to take home. Just pick out a few from each section and try them out on your own. A lot of grocery stations in Tokyo have microwave sections where you can eat the package items at the store. Or you can visit Tokyo ramen street at Tokyo station or the Ramen museum at Shin-Yokohama station to get the best ramen noodles.
4. Soba
Soba
These noodles are made from buckwheat flour that sets them apart from any other noodles as you can experience the distinct flavours. This noodle has also been known as traditional Japanese food since the Edo period (1603-1868). There are lots of delicious famous foods to eat in Tokyo if you just keep following our food guide! Soba is taken with a soy sauce, called Tsuyu. You can have the sauce as a dipping along with cold soba, or boil the hot soba by mixing the sauce in it.
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5. Chankonabe
Chankonabe
This is one of the heaviest dishes that is going to ruin all your diet plans so be aware of it. Chanko Nabe was originally cooked for sumo wrestlers to accommodate their weight gain diet. But some weird person thought why can’t normal people eat like sumo wrestlers and here we are! This is one of the best foods to try in Tokyo. This cuisine basically comprises all the proteins you can mash up together in a hot pot dish made from chicken-based broth, vegetables, tofu and/or fish. In fact, the restaurants selling this dish are also usually run by ex-Sumo wrestlers. Sometimes, it is even served with rice and beer to increase the calories as it was not enough before!
6. Sashimi
Sashimi
Another high-end continental dish that you might have tasted before but how come you don’t try this at its birthplace? Sashimi is considered as a Japanese delicacy, regarded by Japanese chefs as the finest dish in informal Japanese dining. In essence, it displays every fresh, raw seafood or meat, thinly sliced and served with a soy sauce and other ingredients, such as wasabi or ginger – most commonly offered to showcase their famous foods from Tokyo that you can never forget. Traditionally, sashimi is recommended as a first course, ahead of something strongly flavoured while being ordered in restaurants.
7. Udon
Udon
This dish is similar to soba noodles, but these are made from wheat flour that are slightly more cylindrical than the flat ramen wheat noodles. As with soba, it can be served either cold or hot but people usually prefer it cold in local areas. The simplest hot dish for which foods of Tokyo have gained incredible fame among their slurpy cuisines is when udon is made in a broth, called Kakejiru which owns a variety of toppings can be added, like scallions or prawns. This particular udon soup is known as Kake Udon.
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8. Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki
This is a Japanese version of pancake that is filled with all sorts of things – mostly pork, shrimp or cabbage. You get an interesting and delicious topping of mayonnaise, sauce and dried seaweed over your dish. The name of this must-try food in Tokyo is translated as something close to “whatever you like grilled”, hence the multiple ingredients present in the dish are grilled at your table right in front of you. Sometimes, they let you try it too to prepare your own food. But better you leave it over the professionals as grilling might seem easy but burnt meat tastes very awful so trust me so don’t try if you feel completely unsure about grilling.
9. Yakitori (Grilled chicken skewers)
Yakitori
These are another grilled masterpiece you can buy in Tokyo at any street corner. This is one of the famous street foods in Tokyo that you must not miss. These are typically skewered chicken pieces cooked over charcoal grills to make the meat crispy outside and tender inside. Seasoning is either done by salt or with savoury tare sauce made from soy sauce, dashi broth, and vinegar. So, just like wasabi, be careful while spilling the tare sauce too much on your Yakitori to make it extra spicy. As instead of spicy it will become a life-threatening food for you that you can’t even smell.
10. Unagi
Unagi
This dish in Japanese translates to “fresh eel”. You can guess which popular food in Tokyo it is? Yes, it’s the eel which might at first you find it weird but the taste of it is much richer than chicken which is usually dry in texture. They are usually served like sushi placing their thin slices over the bed of rice, or Unakyu making up for dishes, such as Unadon. You might even find there’s a special day in Japan for eating unagi, that is the midsummer day of the Ox.
11. Tonkatsu
Tonkatsu
For all the fast food lovers here is your dish! Tonkatsu is a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet, or let’s just say Japanese schnitzel. It has been a working-class dish and a Japanese comfort-food staple for centuries. The mind-blowingly crispy texture on the outside while being juicy on the inside. You might not get any other top fast food in Tokyo besides this. It’s typically served with a sweet-savoury sauce, along with fluffy steamed rice, a cool pile of shredded cabbage and pickles or miso soup.
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12. Japanese Pastries
Japanese Pastries
For all those who have been eagerly waiting for the desert just go for these Japanese pastries trust me these are awesome. And I think you won’t get this much variety in flavours anywhere in the world. Their flavour ranges from matcha green tea, cherry blossom, chestnuts, black sesame, yuzu, red bean, to Japanese sweet potato. For the savoury department of this incredible food in Tokyo, Japan, you’ll find fresh hot buns like curry pan (crispy fried bread infused with Japanese curry filling), melon pan (sweet bread having crispy biscuit crust), yakisoba pan (savoury noodles in stuffed in hot dog bun), and Anpan (a sweet red bean bun). Just don’t miss this delicacy of Tokyo.
Hope you enjoyed this delicious food tour of Tokyo that includes the popular foods of this city. Japanese take their food very seriously and prepare them with devotion and precision so it becomes so easy to customise your taste according to your preferences as they know what they are serving very well. Hence, you must explore their intricately prepared cuisines that hold way more splendid flavours than your regular pasta or spaghetti. Just try out an above-mentioned list of foods from Tokyo and comment if you have any more suggestions for our beloved travellers.
FAQs
What are the top 10 foods in Japan? ›
- Ramen. Closely tied with instant noodles for the most popular dish among college students in Japan, ramen has been around since 1910 according to some records. ...
- Sukiyaki. ...
- Curry rice. ...
- Basashi. ...
- Gyūdon. ...
- Sushi. ...
- Yakitori. ...
- Sashimi.
Tokyo is a that has a long association with soba noodles -- so much so that there were around 4,000 soba restaurants here during the Edo period. There are 3 main soba varieties used in Edo soba – sunaba, sarashina and yabu. Sunaba soba has a long history and first appeared in Osaka.
What is Japan's number 1 food? ›1. Sushi. Sushi is one of the best known Japanese foods around the world.
The Number 1 Most Popular Foods in America are Hamburgers!
What is real Japanese food? ›The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese: washoku) is based on rice with miso soup and other dishes; there is an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. Side dishes often consist of fish, pickled vegetables, and vegetables cooked in broth. Seafood is common, often grilled, but also served raw as sashimi or in sushi.
Now there's sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami and kokumi. It wasn't that long ago that Kikunae Ikeda, a chemist at Tokyo Imperial University, claimed to have discovered a new taste, a certain savouriness which he called umami.
What is Japan's most popular snack? ›Mochi (餅) Mochi is one of the most popular snacks in Japan. With its chewy texture and variety of fillings, it's a snack that anyone can enjoy. Mochi is humble in flavor and truly gives its fillings center stage with red bean, matcha paste, plum flavors to name a few.
Simply put, ramen is a Japanese noodle soup, with a combination of a rich flavoured broth, one of a variety of types of noodle and a selection of meats or vegetables, often topped with a boiled egg.
Why Japanese food is famous? ›Japan has always been famous for its unique approach to gastronomy, combining a world of exotic ingredients and aromatic spices to create truly inspiring dishes. In addition, Japanese cuisine is known for being as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate.
The diet is rich in steamed rice, noodles, fish, tofu, natto, seaweed, and fresh, cooked, or pickled fruits and vegetables but low in added sugars and fats. It may also contain some eggs, dairy, or meat, although these typically make up a small part of the diet.
What are Japan's top 3 favorite foods? ›
- 1 - Sushi/Sashimi.
- 2- Ramen.
- 3- Tempura.
- 4 - Kare raisu (rice with curry)
- 5 - Okonomiyaki.
- 6 - Shabu Shabu.
- 7- Miso soup.
- 8- Yakitori.
Sushi, Ramen, Gyoza, Yakitori, Okonomiyaki and menchi katsu. If you are wondering what to eat in Tokyo, these 6 food items are a must! People who are visiting Tokyo for the first time can get a taste of classic Tokyo cuisine by indulging in Japan's most famous food in the best restaurants around the city.
Is food good in Tokyo? ›Tokyo is one of the world's most exciting dining destinations. The city features a wide range of both local and regional Japanese cuisine in addition to all types of international fare. Its top restaurants have accrued more Michelin stars than both Paris and New York combined.
Mochi (もち, 餅) is a Japanese rice cake made of mochigome (もち米), a short-grain japonica glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch. The rice is pounded into paste and molded into the desired shape. In Japan, it is traditionally made in a ceremony called mochitsuki (餅搗き).
What do Japanese eat for breakfast? ›Traditional Japanese breakfast usually follows the style of a Japanese set meal, with the staple being rice and miso soup and ohitashi (boiled vegetables) served as side dishes. Natto (fermented soybeans), pickles, and grilled fish are often also served on the side to help complement the rice.
Persimmons are the national fruit of Japan. They are usually in season between September and December, and are a good source of potassium, phosphorous, and vitamin C. This article will look at the types and benefits of persimmon fruit, their nutritional content, and how to include them in the diet.
What are the 5 most popular foods? ›- WHEAT. Share of average daily global human calorie intake: ~ 18.5%
- RICE. Share of average daily global human calorie intake: ~ 18.0%
- CORN. Share of average daily global human calorie intake: ~ 5.3%
- PIG MEAT. ...
- POTATOES. ...
- POULTRY MEAT. ...
- CASSAVA. ...
- CATTLE MEAT.
As this infographic shows, Cookies are the most popular snack food, with 59 percent of snackers saying they eat the sugary comfort food regularly.
Is Ramen Japanese or Korean? ›Ramen (/ˈrɑːmən/) (拉麺, ラーメン or らーめん, rāmen, IPA: [ɾaꜜːmeɴ]) is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles (or 中華麺, chūkamen) served in a broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including sliced pork (chāshū), nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions.
A typical Japanese dinner includes rice, soup, pickles, salad, and protein and vegetable dishes. Beverages, such as tea, beer, and sake, are served alongside, and the meal may be followed by dessert. The dishes include classic Japanese foods, and other Asian and Western cuisines influence many modern recipes.
Is Japanese food healthy? ›
Japanese food is one of the healthiest in the world. People around the world consider Japanese foods to be one of the healthiest in the world because they are low in fat and calories but still filling and satisfying. If you're looking for a healthy meal option, look no further than Japanese cuisine.
The seven most common flavors in food that are directly detected by the tongue are: sweet, bitter, sour, salty, meaty (umami), cool, and hot.
Is spicy a taste? ›Hot or spicy is not a taste
Technically, this is just a pain signal sent by the nerves that transmit touch and temperature sensations. The substance “capsaicin” in foods seasoned with chili causes a sensation of pain and heat.
Daifuku, or mochi, is a classic Japanese dessert that's popular all over the world. In fact, when someone says Japanese dessert, more often than not, people will instantly think mochi! Mochi is a small, sticky, round confection with a sweet filling. It gets its iconic chewy, gelatinous consistency from rice flour.
Is ramen rice or egg? ›What are ramen noodles? Ramen noodles are a relatively thin, long and bouncy noodle that originated in China, but is now most often associated with Japan. Made primarily of wheat and egg, it has a springy, firm texture.
Ramen is a Japanese-style noodle dish that uses Chinese-style wheat flour noodles. It is served in a broth, typically made from stock based on chicken or pork, and topped with sliced pork, nori (seaweed), bamboo shoots and scallions.
Is ramen pork? ›The pork meat in ramen is commonly called “Chashu” or “Cha Shu” and it means grilled or fried pork. Chashu is the Chinese reading of Kanji script 焼豚 but it can also be read as Yakibuta in Japanese.
Japanese ingredients blessed with distinct seasons and an abundant harvest from the sea and mountains are very rich in variety. The key appeal of Tokyo's culinary scenes is the availability of fresh and flavorful ingredients from all over Japan.
Why Japanese food is yummy? ›Japanese cuisine has long been revered for its unique ingredients, innovative flavors, and distinct sense of culture and history. The best Japanese food tells a story through its creative use of ingredients, shaping the dining experience into something both enjoyable and eye-opening.
Various rice bowls and noodle dishes are popular for lunch. For example, ramen, soba, udon, and gyudon beef bowls are popular. Many people take bento lunch boxes to school or work. Dinner is usually the main meal of the day and can range from sushi to tori katsu, which is like a chicken cutlet.
What do Japanese girls eat for breakfast? ›
- Mixed rice with either ikura or uni.
- Eggs with furikake.
- Pickled vegetable salad.
- Grilled fish.
- Miso Soup.
- Natto.
- Miso for seasoning.
For Japanese people, eggs are an essential part of their daily diet. According to the International Egg Commission (IEC) (1), Japan is second only to Mexico in the number of eggs consumed per capita per year; according to data from 2020, 340 eggs per capita per year are consumed.
Do Japanese eat 3 meals a day? ›Of the 95% of Japanese that eat three meals a day, most people consider dinner to be the most important.
We are so excited for Stranger Things Season 2 coming out next week on Netflix that we had to prepare some DIY Eggo Waffles, Eleven's favorite waffle!
What is the number one food in Tokyo? ›1. Sushi 寿司 Tokyo, the world capital of sushi, is where you get next-level sushi that sets them apart from sushi in the rest of the world. Two major winning factors: the abundance of fresh seafood and the time-honored skills that go into making the vinegared rice aka sushi rice.
Mandarin oranges are Japan's most popular fruit. A basket piled high with these vivid orange citrus fruits is a common sight on dining tables in most Japanese homes.
What is the most popular dessert in Tokyo? ›If there is one dessert that permeates all of Tokyo, it is matcha soft serve ice cream. This treat can be found in convenience stores (konbini in Japanese terms), cafes with a dessert menu, and pretty much every food basement (food hall in Japanese terms) in Tokyo.
Japan's capital Tokyo ranked second with 304,900 wealthy individuals. Compared to New York, a much smaller proportion of them have assets worth over $10 million. The report found that 7,350 people in Tokyo are multi-millionaires, 263 have above $100 million and 12 are billionaires.
Is Japanese food tasty? ›Japanese food is delicious, healthy, and actually quite simple. Whether you're just getting into it or have loved it for years, there's no denying that Japan knows how to do food right. Here are just a few of the reasons why you should be eating more Japanese dishes!
It is not necessary to starve yourself to save money when traveling in Japan, as it is easy to find a wide selection of cheap, quality meals throughout the country. The extremely budget-conscious could thrive on as little as 1500 to 2000 yen per day on food without sacrificing much variety or their health.
What is popular food in Japan? ›
In Japan, one of the most famous types of fried food is tempura. In tempura, vegetables and fish such as pumpkin, sweet potato, seaweed, shrimp, and green beans are fried. The possibilities are truly endless, but shrimp tends to be the most well-known and popular type of tempura.
- Rice.
- Noodles (ramen, soba, somen, and udon)
- Vegetable including sea vegetables and daikon radish.
- Soy (soy sauce, tofu, miso,edamame)
- Fish such as salmon, mackerel.
- Green tea.
- Fruits, like tangerine, persimmons and Fuji grapes.
For over 2000 years, rice has been the most important food in Japanese cuisine. Despite changes in eating patterns and gradually decreasing rice consumption over the past decades, rice remains one of the most important ingredients in Japan today.
Try favourites like sushi and ramen, taste authentic regional cuisine, and enjoy local sake, shochu and beer. Japanese cuisine is roughly divided into washoku (traditional Japanese dishes like sushi, somen and tempura) and yoshoku (Japanese versions of western dishes, like pasta, omelette and beef stew).
Is ramen Japanese or Korean? ›Ramen (/ˈrɑːmən/) (拉麺, ラーメン or らーめん, rāmen, IPA: [ɾaꜜːmeɴ]) is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles (or 中華麺, chūkamen) served in a broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including sliced pork (chāshū), nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions.
Food are divided into 7 different groups : drinks, carbs, fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat / fish / eggs, fats and high-sugar foods. Each of these groups provide different nutrients and should be consumed at a different rate.