The Tokyo neighborhood of Tsukishima is famous for monja yaki, a sort of cousin to the well-known okonomiyaki. The basic ingredients are similar—cabbage, pork and flour with infinite topping options—but the batter includes a liquid element, usually dashi stock, that makes it runnier. The consistency is almost like melted cheese! The Iroha Honten restaurant in Tsukishima is very welcoming to foreign visitors that want to experience this unique dish, and they also offer many izakaya style items, allowing you to experience the best of two different worlds of Japanese cuisine. Credit cards and cashless payment options accepted.
Amazing Food part1
Tokyo
Monja Yaki at Iroha Honten
Himitsu-do Shaved Ice
Kaki-gori, or shaved ice, is the definitive Japanese dessert. Although it’s commonly available and easy to make at home, the experts at Himitsu-do in Nippori, Tokyo have elevated the dessert to haute cuisine levels. First of all, the commonly used syrup is eschewed here for hand-made, additive-free sweeteners that use real fruit. The establishment also uses all-natural ice made from spring water gathered at a specific site. They’ve been making kaki-gori since blocks of ice were transported by horse carriage, but today you can check out their menu on Twitter before arriving for a refreshing shaved ice treat.
Kura Sushi
Sushi is considered gourmet cuisine in many Western countries, but in the land where it was born, it’s also evolved into a more convenient dining experience. Kura Sushi is a modern conveyor belt sushi chain with 471 locations in Japan, 34 in Taiwan and 29 in the United States. It employs a high level of automation, including a touch screen for making orders and a digital tracking system that counts finished plates to calculate the total bill. The establishment also uses top-quality domestic rice and vinegar to create the sumeshi, or sushi rice that is the backbone of each bite. Currently, Kura Sushi provides a completely contactless dining experience at many of its locations to help keep everyone safe. They also boast high-quality ingredients and zero use of MSG for a genuinely delicious sushi experience, and it’s hard to beat the prices!
Aomori
Nokke Don Rice Bowl
Aomori Prefecture’s location in Northern Japan and crystal-clear, cold ocean waters make it a seafood paradise. Nokke don starts with an assembly line that allows customers to pile their own bowl of rice high with fresh, local seafood including maguro (tuna), ikura (salmon roe) and kaibashira (scallops). Japan loves a good buffet, and although you can’t go back for free seconds here, the excitement of choosing your own mouth-watering ingredients is highly popular with kids and adults alike. Nokke don is the perfect choice for picky eaters, or for visitors who want to eat sashimi to their heart’s content!
Iwate
Wanko Soba at Azuma-ya
This traditional and engaging way of enjoying soba noodles will test your competitive eating edge! Wanko Soba is an all-you-can-eat affair that allows diners to enjoy miniature portions of soba noodles, one after the other, alongside tasty toppings like tuna sashimi, pickled vegetables, wasabi and radish with red chili. Fifteen of the miniature portions add up to one regular bowl of soba, and your servers will encourage you with chants of, “Hai, don don!” as you tuck into the buckwheat noodles. Anyone who can finish 100 bowls or more will be gifted a commemorative wooden plaque. There’s no rule requiring you to eat quickly, so please enjoy as much as you like at your own pace.
Miyagi
Kisuke Beef Tongue
Gyu-tan, or beef tongue, is a much-enjoyed delicacy in Japan, particularly in the northern Tohoku region. The Kisuke Foods company has been purveying the tender yet resilient beef specialty for over 45 years in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. They are proud of their reputation for making charcoal-grilled gyu-tan a famous and much-enjoyed dish throughout the country. The establishment prioritizes food safety in its original hand-processed manufacture of beef tongue products, highly regarded by chefs and consumers throughout Japan. When you’re in Sendai, be sure to stop by one of their many restaurants for an unforgettable culinary experience in the world of beef.
Fukushima
Kitakata Ramen at Kiichi
Gourmet ramen has become synonymous with Japanese cuisine throughout the West over the last 10 or 15 years. Hailing from Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture, Kitakata ramen is considered one of the three great styles of ramen in Japan. It uses Kitakata soy sauce made using nutrient-rich waters from the nearby Iide mountain range, and thick, curly noodles. The Kiichi brand has popularized the Kitakata ramen style, and offers many locations to try this regional specialty in Fukushima—all for only 500–600 yen per bowl! Don’t forget to slurp—it’s the Japanese way.
Fukui
Oroshi Soba at Echizen Soba Village
Soba is one of Japan’s most famous foods, alongside sushi and tempura. Here in Fukui Prefecture at the Echizen Soba Village, oroshi soba is served with a generous portion of grated daikon radish, giving the broth a slightly spicy yet refreshing flavor. The village produces soba noodles created from buckwheat grown in a massive field the size of 86 Tokyo Domes! Soba is traditionally cut by hand, and the facility also offers hands-on soba making workshops. A tour of the factory, which produces and sells 50,000 servings of soba each day, is also available. Come to Fukui and leave with a new appreciation for one of Japan’s healthiest and tastiest foods.
Ishikawa
Kaga Kaiseki at Kinjohro
Kaiseki represents the culmination of Japanese cuisine in an aesthetically refined and luxurious ambiance. At the kaiseki establishment Kinjohro in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, diners can appreciate an extravagant meal with all their senses, including rare offerings from the Japan Sea and local delicacies from the land presented on exceptional handcrafted plates and dishes. The style of Kaga Kaiseki here is specifically from this area, including specialties such as jibuni (duck meat stew) and steamed lotus root. For the foodie or gourmet aficionado, a kaiseki experience can open your eyes to the sense of harmony that ties all of Japanese life together. For many, this fine balance is exemplified by exceptional cuisine that represents the livelihood of the people preparing it with unmatched devotion.
Toyama
Sushi Masa (Toyama Bay)
Sushi is an international sensation and a truly Japanese form of cuisine to its core, from the painstaking traditional preparation methods used, to the delicate, refined flavors and artistic presentation. Sushi Masa in Toyama Prefecture offers a truly gourmet sushi experience without breaking the bank, with especially affordable lunch prices. Toyama Bay includes up to 500 of the 800 total species of fish that inhabit the Japan Sea, and the seasonal variety available at Sushi Masa represents this ocean bounty. A full selection of Toyama Prefecture sake is available to compliment your meal. Reservations are recommended.
