#134 What the Locals Eat - Japan

Having lived in Japan for over a year, I am well versed in the Japanese art of dining out. When travelling I often find it difficult to find one particular restaurant out of millions that Lonely Planet has recommended - so let's be practical. I prefer to eat at chain stores and restaurants that can be found all over the country. Chain stores are easy to find and are plentiful both in Tokyo and across the country, saving you time and effort looking for a little local eatery where they don't speak English and you're completely overpriced.

Colorful chopsticks!

There a few key things you should know before embarking on your Japanese food journey, no matter where you decide to eat. The first, and most important, is this; everyone uses chopsticks and knives and forks are not available. Expecting to find a fork in a Japanese restaurant would be like a Japanese woman coming to Ireland and being shocked when she goes into Super Macs and finds there are no chopsticks. If you can’t use them, watch a few YouTube tutorials before you go, or carry around a fork when you go out for the day. Seriously.

As for language skills, outside the main tourist areas English is usually unavailable, but some menus have photographs and many restaurants have realistic plastic models of the food in the window, so worst case scenario you can always just point at what you want. In Tokyo ticket vending machines are in many restaurants to save time – you simply put in the money, click the picture that looks best, then hand your ticket to staff and your dish is delivered swiftly, without having spoken a word.

Otherwise, many chain stores have an English menu, or in the case of international chains the words have usually been adopted into Japanese and so sound very similar to the English (for example; a “hotto ratte” in Starbucks or a “cheezu baagaa” in McDonalds).

As a final piece of advice, Japan has a lot of unique flavors and varieties of Western foods (such as KitKats) and trying these is always fun, so if you have time pop into a grocery store and see what treasures you can find. Popular variations often include matcha (green tea) and wasabi (like green horse radish).

Below is a list of chain stores that can be found across Japan, as well as the food they serve and the prices to expect.

Breakfast

The Japanese word for breakfast – asa gohan – literally translates as “morning rice”, so there’s no surprise that rice, fish and miso soup are still the most popular choice for Japanese every morning. However, many tourists are shocked to learn the Japanese have a love of bakeries and sweet breads, and these can be a popular choice, especially at weekends.

Vie De France – An affordable chain bakery with everything from sweet churros and croissants to savory curry breads and a kind of bread with bacon and fried egg on top (the Japanese-French take on a breakfast roll?). Breads are around 150yen-350yen with coffee around 300yen.

Dennys – Despite the familiar name the American chain has a very different menu in Japan. However, this is a good place to try some of the breakfast sets including rice and soup (or you could just get the pancakes). The morning select set meals are about 800yen.

McDonalds – While not exactly Japanese, the menu is different to Ireland, with breakfast options such as a Chicken Egg McMuffin and something called a McGriddle, and a side menu of hash browns, apple pies or chicken nuggets. A set meal is about 400yen.

Coffee break

While not exactly known as a nation of coffee drinkers, café chains are very popular in Japan, especially in summer when locals and tourists alike escape the soaring heat and relax with various kinds of iced coffee.

Starbucks - Lovingly shortened to “Su-ta-ba” in Japanese, the notorious chain is possibly even more popular in Japan that it is in America, and there’s one (or two) to be found on every street corner. Unlike their American counterparts they always have some kind of unique seasonal drink limited only to Japan, for example a Cherry Blossom Latte in Spring and a Baked Cheesecake Frapuccino for Summer. Check out the menu when you’re in town to see what’s new. Prices are similar to home at about 500yen (they don’t include tax in their price list so it will be a little more expensive).

Tullys

Mister Donut – Another cultural surprise, the Japanese enjoy donuts. This chain is found in a few parts of Asia and is cheaper and has more selection than Krispy Kreme (although they win when it comes to seasonal decorations). I recommend the Pon De Ring – a unique Japanese kind of squishy donut. Look out for their 100yen sales, otherwise expect to pay around 140yen for a donut and 300yen for coffee (they boast unlimited refills of the delicious café au lait).

Tullys – This is a Japanese coffee chain, similar to Starbucks but with more luxurious drinks, and usually not as crowded. Prices are around 500yen.

Lunch

The Japanese are hard workers and as such keep their lunch breaks to an absolute minimum before returning quickly to work. Japanese lunchtime is at 12.30pm and it’s best to avoid eating at this time as everywhere will be insanely crowded for that one hour. Several restaurants have only a counter with stools to accommodate more solo diners and to facilitate a quick turnaround, so sitting together in groups of more than 2 can be tricky.

Sukiya

Sukiya – This is one of many gyudon chains in Japan, gyudon being a large bowl of rice with slices of marinated beef drizzled on top. While it doesn’t look so glamorous, it tastes good, is served to you within seconds and is probably the cheapest and most filling meal you’re likely to find in Japan. A regular bowl costs around 350yen, with miso soup usually being served free. (Other popular chains include: Yoshinoya, Matsuya).

Mos Burger – This is a Japanese burger chain that is regarded by the Japanese as more healthy and fresher than rival McDonalds – though how true this thinking is, I’m not sure. Regardless the burgers are big and the options are interesting than what you find at home. Try the classic mos cheese burger with a green melon soda and fries. Prices are around 800-1000yen for a set.

7-Eleven – Convenience stores are big business in Japan, opening 24 hours and found on every street. For lunch on the go, pop into any store (options include Lawson, Family Mart, Circle K) and grab some pan (bread) from their extensive collection, or act like a true local and grab an oni giri – a ball of rice covered in a sheet dried seaweed and containing some kind of fish in the middle – my favourite is the tuna mayonnaise. Wash it down with a bottle of Green Tea or a Fanta Grape. Breads and onigiri are around 100-200yen, and drinks are about 150yen.

Snacks

Gindaco – This place sells takoyaki which blatantly are “octopus balls”, but intricately are delicious, piping hot battered balls with a teeny tiny piece of octopus tentacle on the inside, served with tons of seasonings, mayonnaise and various unknown sauces. Be brave and give them a try, you’ll be surprised! A set of 6 is about 550yen.

Vending Machines – There are vending machines on every street corner in Japan, including streets in the middle of the countryside surrounded by nothing but rice fields. Unfortunately, about 98% of these sell only hot/cold drinks (the other 2% selling cigarettes) and to find one with food is a rare occurrence. The upside is that in the cold winter you’re always within reach of a hot tea or coffee, and in summer you can keep constantly hydrated. I recommend a hot can of Boss coffee to wake you up first thing, and an ice cold bottle of Pocari Sweat sports drink to keep you energized throughout the day. Drinks are around 110-180yen.

Dinner

Since Japanese often work late, dinner time is around 6 to 8pm, so it’s best to try get in before them as lines can be long. However, it’s usually more staggered than lunchtime.

Tonkatsu Wako – Tonkatsu is deep fried breaded pork, but you can also get katsu variations of vegetables or seafoods such as prawn. The real star of the dish is the tonkatsu sauce – like a blend of Brown sauce and Worcester but a billion times more delicious. Just trust me. This chain offers formal table service and all you can eat rice, soup and cabbage, but the cheaper and more informal Katsuya chain is just as appetizing. Prices here are around 1,100-1,500yen, and Katsuya is about 600-1,000yen.

Uobei

Uobei – This is one of Japan’s popular kaiten zushi chains where the dishes go round and you take what you like. Modern chains like this now also have a kind of tablet at every seat that allow you to order what you want, which is then freshly prepared and promptly delivered to you on a mini train. They also serve hot dishes like ramen and French fries. All plates (2 pieces of sushi) are 108yen each, expect to eat about 5-10 plates for dinner (although some salary men can eat up to 20+…).

Ippudo – One of the best ramen places, ramen of course being a big bowl full of noodles in a soup, generally topped with bean sprouts and a slice of pork. The trick is to slurp the noodles and soup loudly. A popular side dish is gyoza, similar to a spring roll and best doused in a mixture of vinegars and oils. Ramen is about 800yen while gyoza are about 400yen.

CoCo’s Curry House – If you can’t use chopsticks, this is the place to go. Curry rice is very popular in Japan and is typically found on every menu, regardless of the restaurant focus. As the name suggests it’s always some kind of variation of rice with curry sauce, this would be almost impossible to eat with chopsticks and so is always served with a spoon. CoCo’s has a lot of customizable options including degree of spiciness and ingredients – ranging from cheese to beef to squid. A plate will cost you around 550-800yen.

Sweet Treats

Marion Crepes – The popularity of crepes in Japan is yet another by-product of the Japanese fascination with France. Surprisingly, Nutella is very rarely an option and instead the most popular options include a wedge of cheesecake and a ton of whipped cream. The best place to get one is in Harajuku in Tokyo, where there are about six on the one small street. The basic crepes go for around 300yen, while the cheesecake options are closer to 600yen.

Taiyaki

Baskin Robbins – Known as “31 Ice” in Japan, the chain even has Halloween and Christmas themed ice-cream cups, thanks to the fact most of Japan only starts to get truly cold around December. For a Japanese twist try their matcha and anko flavors. A small double (which is pretty big) is 470yen, and on the 31^st of each month it’s 31% off.

Food stalls – Found at temples or festivals and especially populous in Spring and Summer. Classic snacks include tai yaki - a fish shaped kind of waffle filled with custard or anko (sweet red bean), choco banana - a phallic looking banana on a stick covered in chocolate icing (sometimes pink or blue in colour), sprinkles and good for a giggle, kaki gori - a summer specialty consisting of shaved ice and syrup, perhaps best described as the Japanese cousin of a slushy. Expect to pay between 150-350yen for any of the above.