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I’m not an avid foodie. When I’m in Japan, I don’t seek out restaurants with Michelin stars or queue for the latest viral restaurant. Most of the time, my meals are more to give me the energy to keep sightseeing than gourmet sensations – but that doesn’t mean I don’t eat some amazing food on my trip. And here are the eight dishes I think have been the most memorable so far – either because of their taste or the experience of consuming them.
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1. Chicken Ramen from THANK in Daimon, Tokyo
Okay, let’s start with a dish I can’t stop thinking about even three months after I tried it. It’s probably the dish I have enjoyed the most on all of my trips to Japan so far.
Daimon is an area in Tokyo close to Tokyo Tower, and I choose to base myself there (usually in the Sotetsu Fresa Inn Daimon) when I’m in the city. One reason I like it there is that it’s full of little local restaurants. One rainy night, I wandered into THANK and ordered what felt like a hug in a bowl—their signature chicken ramen.
It’s much thicker than normal ramen but just so good. They also serve an interesting side dish of rice topped with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Mix some of the ramen broth into this to create a kind of risotto that goes perfectly—and you won’t regret it! The carb overload also means you probably won’t need to eat breakfast!
You can come here for the evening as Daimon or the nearby station of Hammatsucho are easily connected to most of Tokyo, or combine a trip to THANK with your visit to the Tokyo Tower.
THANK is open for lunch seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and for dinner from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday.
2. Brothless Ramen from Aburaya in Kanazawa
This local secret is hidden underground around the corner from the Hotel Forza in Kanazawa. They specialise in one thing: a dry noodle dish that you mix with the oil at the bottom of the bowl and various oils on the counter to create your own unique combination.
It was absolutely delicious and gave me some welcome spice to a meal which I was craving a lot by this point in my trip.
The restaurant only has a handful of seats, so you might have to wait a little while for a table, but, people tend to move on fairly quickly If you’re stuck, the chef will help you order from the ticket machine. English instructions are also on the table to explain what to do once your dish is served—basically, add your condiments and start mixing.
Aburaya is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 11:30 a.m to 2:30 p.m and 5:30 a.m to 9 p.m. To find them, head down this set of stairs, and they are inside the underground mall.
Oh, and while we’re talking about places to eat in Kanazawa, you won’t go far wrong with any of the sushi places in the Onomichi Market.
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3. Grilled Conch at Tsukiji Market
This might be a little harder to find than the others on this list because I don’t know exactly where I got it from. I had it back in 2012, and I totally bought it because it was the weirdest thing I could find to eat in Tsukiji Market, and it lives in my memories even now.
The first mouthful was just amazing, the second one was good, and the third was one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever tasted, meaning I had to hide the remains in the shell! But it makes it onto this list for that first bite and the fantastic memory it’s given me of that morning in the market.
I’ve been served another giant snail at a very upmarket restaurant in Japan since that date. Remembering my past experience, I chewed mine slowly to see what everyone else did when they reached the end—and yep, bleurgh. They all complained about how bitter it was. So, I think it’s a snail thing!
If you do spot the stall freshly grilling giant snails, give one a try, but maybe keep a napkin handy for that last bite.
4. Gyoza at Menya Ryu in Nara
Located by Nara Station, this has just 5-6 seats. You order from the machine outside the door before you go inside, so you don’t get a chance to see other people’s food. Which means I made one good decision and one amazing one during my visit.
The good decision was ordering the spicy dragon ramen. It comes with a firey red broth that zings with taste. However, after noticing that everyone else in the place had ordered the milky brothed chicken soup, which looked amazing, I regretted not going for the most popular choice. However, what made up for it was the gyoza I’d ordered on the side.
These are the best dumplings I’ve ever had, let alone the best in Japan. They’re crunchy, and once I tried one, I immediately regretted not ordering a bigger portion. The Karaage Chicken here is also apparently a stand-out dish, so maybe pick up one of each if there’s two of you.
Menya Ryu is open from 10 a.m to 5 a.m, so, I’m sure you can find a time to fit them into your Nara visit.
5. Chicken Sashimi from Hanamidori, Fukuoka
Yep—raw chicken. I was also a bit surprised, but on this trip, I was a guest of the Japan National Tourist Organisation, so I figured they probably weren’t going to poison us.
They normally say everything tastes like chicken, but this tastes like raw fish! At least it feels like it. It doesn’t really have a strong taste—I didn’t even realize what I’d eaten until afterwards when they told us.
In fact, I only took this photo as one of the other dishes was tofu skin, and I was intrigued enough by that – then I discovered what was in the green bowl!
The dish was one of Hanamidori’s specialties, and they feel it’s safe to serve as it comes from a specialist farm with the highest hygiene standards—this is the same reason why you’ll commonly be served raw eggs on dishes in Japan, an addition that might see you running for the hills in any other country.
Hanamidori has a few branches, but I visited the Tenjin Branch in Fukuoka. This is open for dinner from 5 p.m to 10/11 p.m seven days a week and for lunch on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
6. Fire Ramen in Kyoto
Why would a bowl of noodles that the chef lights on fire in front of you, producing a roughly two-foot plume of flame, not be on my most memorable list? And the ramen itself is pretty good, too—the flames give the onions and pork on top a nice charred taste.
On top of that, though, the man who owns the restaurant is lovely. He gives everyone a little book of lesser-known sights to hunt out, and if you’re a tourist, he’ll draw you a little map telling you what bus you need to catch back to your hotel. It’s just fantastic.
It is popular, and there are no reservations, so unless you get here as it opens, expect to queue for a while outside while the people inside enjoy the show.
You’ll find it at Menbaka Fire Ramen, located near Nijo Castle. It’s also easy to combine with a trip to Arashiyama, as a bus from there goes directly to the restaurant. That’s how I suggest you do it in our four-day Kyoto plan. They are open from 11 a.m to 9 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays.
7. Chasu Pork Rice at Okinoshima Ramen in Okayama
This ramen shop is known for its fish-based broth, which is incredibly tasty, but the knockout part of my meal was the small bowl of rice topped with chasu pork, which you can order as a side dish. Go hungry so you can fit it in. Do not miss it.
When ordering the ramen itself, you can choose from three different types of broth: rich shellfish broth, light clam broth (the one I chose), and clam broth with soy sauce.
They are open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. seven days a week.
8. Octopus Stuffed With Quail Eggs in Kyoto
There’s a reason why this is called the most memorable things I’ve eaten, not just ‘the best’ meals I’ve eaten. When I was deciding what to put in it, some of the things that stood out to me were things I wouldn’t eat again if you paid me—and here is exhibit A.
The stuffed octopus on a stick is the specialty of Kyoto’s Nishiki Market, and it wasn’t even the octopus that made it so disgusting—it was the boiled egg inside. I hate boiled eggs, and even one as tiny as a quail’s egg made me feel queasy. But I was determined to try it.
You’ll find the octopus delight at several stalls in Nishiki Market. The market is open from 10 a.m to 6 p.m., although exact stall hours vary. Stalls are also often closed on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Eating the octopus gives you a little sticker you can show all your friends! Personally, I’d need a gold medal to do it again.
I’m sure these won’t be the only memorable meals I eat in Japan, so I’ll keep adding them to this list as time goes on. Watch this space.
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