Foodtripping In Japan
4 August 2014 | 4:35 pm
|
Stephanie Liew
Eat/drink editor Stephanie Liew ate her way around Tokyo and Osaka. Here are some of the foods she dreamt about for days afterwards.
A beginner's guide to keeping your belly (and therefore self) happy when travelling around Tokyo and Osaka.
Ramen @ Ichiran, Shibuya (various branches)/gogyo ramen, kyoto (various branches)/anywhere, really
Even the chain restaurants are excellent. Ichiran is a little different: they focus exclusively on tonkotsu (pork-based) broth, and the ordering system requires you to buy tickets for your menu items from a vending machine and then fill in a form detailing your tastes (broth richness, hot sauce spice level, noodle density and so on). The result is a beautifully balanced bowl of ramen tailored just the way you like it.
For something a little different, try kogashi (burnt) ramen from Gogyo Ramen (a chain created by the people behind Ippudo Ramen, who have a branch in Sydney... lucky Sydneysiders). Gogyo's two signature burnt varieties of broth (one miso-based and one soy-based) are prepared with lard flambeed in more than 300-degrees Celcius heat, making them dark-coloured and robustly-flavoured. Kogashi ramen’s heaviness will make you feel like you’ve lost a couple of years off of your life-span by the end of the bowl, but if you like a rich broth, it will have been worth it.
Gyoza @ Harajuku Gyozaro, Harajuku
¥290 (roughly AU$3-3.50) will get you a plate of six of the best dumplings to ever grace your taste buds. They only have two kinds of gyoza (that’s all you need), which come steamed or pan-fried, and a few other small side dishes like cucumber with miso sauce and bean sprouts with a meat sauce.
Yakitori @ Akiyoshi, Shibuya
Meat skewers dipped in one of four kinds of sauces (soy, vinegar, mustard, cutlet), depending on the meat and cut. Grilled right in front of you and then placed on a stainless steel bench if you’re seated at the counter, where you can watch the chefs at work in the open kitchen. It’s stupid how much flavour is packed into each tiny bite of yakitori.
Coffee @ Omotesando Koffee,
omotesando & kyoto
There are a few cafes and franchises that do a decent brew, but Omotesando Koffee was miles ahead of the rest, serving up lattes and macchiatos to rival Melbourne’s best. A lone barista stands inside a metal cube-shaped frame and looks like he's concentrating really hard on creating the perfect cup o' joe for you. Oh, and they have these baked custard cubes that are a must-try.
taiyaki @ fushimi inari shrine markets, kyoto
Fish-shaped waffles, made right before your eyes, with a squirt of hot custard in the middle and stuffed with things like red bean paste and matcha cream or fruit, and topped with whipped cream, icing sugar and caramel or chocolate sauce. Oh, and don’t forget the Pocky stick! It’s not as sweet as it sounds (in a good way – it’s not overwhelming but rather subtle), and the fish-cone is fluffy with a slight crisp on the outside. Well worth the 15 minutes you might have to wait in line on a busy evening.
Okonomiyaki @ Dotobori/anywhere in Osaka
Osaka (and the Kansai region in general) is famous for its ‘savoury pancakes’ consisting of cabbage, meat, flour, eggs and other ingredients. Often restaurants have a hotplate on the table, which the waiters use to either cook the okonomiyaki or just to serve it up. If you’re lucky they even draw on it with sauce and mayonnaise to make it look like some cute animal.
Yakiniku @ Susumu, Osaka
Charcoal-barbecued meats served with dipping sauce and sides of pickled and seasoned vegies. This particular yakiniku place is a tiny, standing-only bar. Seems like they have just about every part of cow you could think of: tongue, rump, third stomach, intestine, diaphragm... And the staff have a great time trying to communicate the body party by gesturing to it on themselves. Each cut of meat has its own distinctive texture and flavour, complemented by a superb smokiness. Wash it down with a cheap, refreshing mojito.
Kushikatsu @ Tenjinbashi-suji, Osaka 
Skewered, seasoned meat and veg (we even tried cheese... it was as weird as you could imagine) dipped in a panko breadcrumb batter and then deep-fried. Dunk each skewer into a tub of communal dipping sauce (don’t double-dip!) before eating. The wagyu and mushroom are the clear winners. There are plenty of places offering kushikatsu along the famous Tenjinbashi-Suji shopping street, and Osaka in general.
Sushi @ Umegaoka Sushi no
Midori-Sohonten, Shibuya
One of the best places for sushi in Shibuya, according to the internet, this is a tiny place with notoriously long queues. It’s delicious, but is it an hour-plus-long wait delicious? If everything was as good as the unagi (eel) sushi, maybe, but it’s only worth a half-hour wait at most. To be fair, the food is top-notch quality at an affordable price (rather than cheap and average or amazing but expensive), so it's understandable why it's so popular. If you're going to Tsukiji Fish Market's sushi restaurants, maybe don't bother with this.
Butterbeer @ Hogsmeade, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Studios Japan
Tastes like a magical combination of creaming soda, liquid cinnamon shortbread and butterscotch, with salted caramel creamy froth on top. When sipping it in the picturesque setting of Hogsmeade, you could swear it warms you from the inside out (even though it’s really just the best spider you’ll ever drink in your life, no big deal). Have a cup before going on the fantastic Harry Potter & The Forbidden Journey ride, and then another one after.
Disney character-shaped foods @ Tokyo Disneyland
What the Mickey Mouse burger lacks in flavour and substance it makes up for in novelty and cuteness.
The raspberry and peach-flavoured Minnie Mouse icypole is a GREAT thing to have in your hot little hands/mouth when it’s 34 degrees and humid and you’ve got an hour’s wait ahead of you to get onto a ride.
The Little Green Men mochi (rice cake balls) are filled with strawberry, chocolate and vanilla ice cream. Surprisingly tasty.
Look, Disneyland may be the happiest place on earth but it's really not the most delicious: perhaps its one flaw.
burgers @ w.p. goldburger, shibuya
W.P. Goldburger is also known as Whoopi Goldburger, a small bar and burger place in Shibuya's back streets. They serve up fresh burgs with names like Whoopi Goldburger, Charlotte Gainsburger, Kevin Bacon Burger and Helena Bonham Burger, with a side of mash potato or fries. A range of beers are available, including personal favourite Suntory: The Premium Malts on tap (how do they get it so creamy?!) , and even juices for those not in the mood for alcohol (don't think they're fresh but the mango one tastes just like a liquified version of the real thing). The decor features a bunch of Western and Japanese band posters and stickers on the walls, skate videos playing on the tiny TV in the corner, and NSFW Supreme posters in the toilet.
More From Our Network
