Ohisashiburi! Long time no see! Vacation time is over, so I will be working on the blog a lot more now. Two of us from afpk spent the last two weeks going around Tokyo, eating at various restaurants and sight-seeing, so I have quite a bit to share with you all!
I also want to let you all know that we can communicate with you in English, Chinese, Spanish, and German, so if you have a question but would rather communicate in your native language, please do so! I will pass your questions/comments on to the proper person and then post their response. We want to be as accommodating as we can!
One of the things I love the most about Japan (specifically, Tokyo), is the great variety of food you can find. To give you a little perspective, within five minutes from where I live I can choose among Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, or ‘American’ (i.e., McDonald’s) food. Personally, I generally don’t eat from American fast-food chains, but the option is still there; some people really can’t stomach the food here! For those of you who aren’t adventurous with food, know that there are still many options for you: McDonald’s, Subway, KFC, Denny’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, and quite a few other recognizable names are all here. HOWEVER, I would STRONGLY recommend trying the local flavor!!
As this blog develops, you will be introduced to all the different kinds of foods available, so today I will only cover what I consider some of the basic Japanese foods. First, the most basic of them all (meaning it is known to virtually everybody who has never been to Japan): sushi. Sushi is usually a slice of raw fish on a bit of rice, eaten with some wasabi (like horseradish, but green) and soy sauce (called Shouyu). There are also cooked fish, fried egg, hamburger, fried shrimp, and many other kinds of sushi you can find. I remember that I used to think sushi sounded so unappetizing, but after trying it I really love it! There are certain types I don’t like or won’t eat, but keep in mind most places offer at least 30-40 different kinds, sometimes more, so at least go and have one piece! If you don’t know what to try, I would suggest getting the tuna. Just go and say ‘Maguro o onegaishimasu!’
Another so-called basic food is also one I would guess everyone knows: ramen. I love ramen. Like sushi, there are many different types. You can choose different soups, noodles, and toppings, depending on where you go. I would say the most common types are shouyu, miso, shio, and tonkotsu ramen; that would be soy sauce, bean paste (might not sound too appetizing but is really delicious), salt, and pork stock, consecutively. If you go to a ramen shop and just order ‘Ramen!’ you will probably get the basic shouyu ramen for that shop.
One food I was surprised to find was Japanese curry. I had never associated curry with Japan, but they do have their own kind. It is usually a light or semi-dark brown color with anything from vegetables to fried pork cutlets, all poured over rice. In curry houses, as they are called, you can really customize your curry to your liking: you can usually choose the amount of rice, what toppings you want, and the spicyness of the curry. If you are not accustomed to foreign tastes, I would suggest either the rousu katsu (pork loin) or chiken katsu curry, with either regular spicyness or (if you don’t want any spice) amakuchi (which means sweet mouth; it isn’t sweet or sugary, but rather means it isn’t spicy).
Next, the plethora of donburi (or domburi). Donburi are the various rice bowl dishes. If you have a food that comes in a bowl and has rice on the bottom with some other food on the top, you are most likely eating donburi. The most common, from my experience, is gyudon, which is often translated as beef bowl in English. Donburi are usually inexpensive and tasty, so a good option for the traveler on a budget!
Another popular food is tempura. Tempura is deep fried food eaten with a dipping sauce or over rice (the latter dish is part of the donburi group, and is called tendon; the ‘don’ part is pronounced with a long ‘o’ sound). Tempura is usually made with vegetables and seafood. I would recommend a tempura set that has eggplant (nasu), pumpkin (kabocha), green beans (ingenmame), sweet potato (satsumaimo), lotus root (renkon), and prawns/shrimp (ebi).
The last food I want to introduce today is my personal favorite, shabu-shabu. This is a dish everyone can enjoy. It consists of beef, pork, and vegetables. This food was joked about in the movie Lost in Translation when Bill Murray complains about having to cook your own food at a restaurant. In the middle of your table is a large bowl filled with boiling water or broth. You get plates of raw meat and vegetables, and as you want, you cook each piece of meat and the vegetables, then dip them in one of two sauces, goma (a sesame sauce) or ponzu (a shouyu-like sauce). Both are delicious; I usually dip the meat in the goma sauce while saving the ponzu for the vegetables. The meat cooks in about 10-15 seconds, and the vegetables can be cooked for as long or short as you like. This is a popular food for 90-minute all-you-can-eat (tabehoudai) courses. I HIGHLY recommend it!
Many people who come to Japan don’t think much about trying the different tastes, but the food is also a big part of the whole Japanese experience. Afpk will help you truly savor your meals!
Tags: afpk, agency, Anfipokoka, curry, domburi, donburi, Food, goma, Japan, ramen, shabu, shabu-shabu, shio, shouyu, shoyu, sushi, tempura, tenpura, Tokyo, tonkotsu, Travel, Vacation, wasabi
