Dining in Tokyo

When we first got to Japan we were pretty determined to have sushi every day, at the very least once a day. I suppose that's a common thought for people traveling there- or should I say a common mistake? Little did we know that it would be the dish we actually ended up eating the least...out of a simple reason that there are so many other delicious dishes that we had no clue about! Sure we had eaten some Ramen before, but never had we ever 'prepared' our own Sukiyaki or Okonomiyaki! So, we left the sushi splurges to a minimal (picnics/lunch) and focused on the stuff we hadn't had before and dishes that we saw locals ordering. No regrets there, as we left Japan knowing so many other dishes than just the usual off the top of our heads- foods. But at the same time, there are probably still so many things left to try, but that's what the next time's always for...;)

By the way, my two favourite excuses for lack of pictures in restaurants were and are: I'm simply too hungry to take out my camera or often it just doesn't feel appropriate to make a photography session out of it. Anyhow, let's take a drool look at some of the things we had on our plates (from the occasions I did bother to dig the camera out of the bag...) :D.

SUSHI PLATTERS

The different sushi and sashimi we tasted were beyond delicious (not to mention how pretty they always looked like) and I swear I'm not just promoting the country of its origin here. If we loved sushi before, I don't know what's the word for the current post-Japan situation then. But now there's the downside that all the sushi back at home will never taste the same again... So thanks for that, Japan!

RAMEN

Ah, Ramen. The royal of the noodle soups. You can have this dish in any variant and style imaginable- especially in eateries designated only to Ramen. I remember my dad telling us how "I won't be full of just some soup..." till he had his very first Ramen in front of him. Let me tell you, he wasn't only full after that but he couldn't even finish it all. And ever since, he learned to give this soup way more credit...just like it deserves. Yum. 

Also this tasty dish we just had to have again (I mentioned it in my earlier post, where I explained it in more detail) and since you can basically choose any filling and topping, it never gets old. And part of the fun is definitely the preparation process that happens right in front of you! Tip: If this is your lunch, split one Okonomiyaki- they're usually huge!

IZAKAYAS

Here comes our favourite topic when it comes to eating in Tokyo: Izakayas. These are typically pub-style restaurants, although they can be sometimes slightly fancier too, that are popular after-work establishments. Locals come in for drinks and the tapas type food keeps coming to their tables all night long. It's the very place for them to socialise over a long dinner. We thought it was the coolest concept, and that we're missing this type of places in Paris. The main thing is, the proportions are small, cheap and tasty, and you'll get to taste through entire menu if that's what you wish for! These places ranked easily on top of our eating experiences in Tokyo, not only because the food was tasty and plenty, but also because the entire atmosphere was just off the charts and 100% local. This was the real deal, I remember us thinking...

YAKITORI-YA

PICNICS

Last but definitely not least comes the picnic option that never fails! Our lunch often consisted of fresh sushi rolls, some tasty noodles/ salad and a local brew to wash it all down with. What was perfect about it was that we had a perfect excuse to check out a new park each day around lunch time...and since we had the entire week sunshine, why to waste that indoors...10/10 for this dining option. 

DIFFICULTY OF CHOICE

Before wrapping this up, I want to mention few things about ordering food in restaurants. Because unless you eat in fancy western-style places, the odds are that you won't see an English menu very often throughout your stay. In all honesty, we played more guessing games than saw recognisable alphabets. But not to worry, there are often ways and clues to find out about what's on the menu; sometimes it's presented in a plastic manner (fake food portions) in the window displays, sometimes it's pictures on the outside of the restaurant and if you're partly lucky you'll have at least a beer image on the menu in which case you know at the minimum what you're drinking! And once in a blue moon you'll get the luxury of being handed over an entirely English menu, but I wouldn't count on it...

The best food we ever ordered was actually off the kanji character menu- not thanks to us understanding any of it, but thanks to people around us who recommended what to pick. Once you get a dish you like, you can just keep ordering "the same" all over again (especially in Izikaya where the portions are smallish). But enough food talk for now, otherwise I really have to dig out some Okonomiyaki recipe and start cookin'...

{All pictures © Voyages of Discovery}