CHAPTER 6

Eating

Japan has many options for food and for every budget, especially in bigger cities like Tokyo and Osaka. With the great competition of the various restaurants, the prices are very reasonable. If you would like to go to a fancier place, a reservation is a good idea. With so many restaurants in Tokyo, it can be overwhelming. However, asking your hotel or walking around and seeing a place that is busy might be a good indication that it is a good place to try. Also, if you go to a bookstore in Japan, you will often find city guide magazines mostly in Japanese, but some in English that have plenty of great restaurants being recommended. They are usually very accurate.

There are also certain areas in Tokyo that specializes in certain types of food. For example, if you go to Shinjuku or Shimbashi, you will find a lot of great yakitori places that locals go to. If you like sushi, the Tsukiji area (the former place of the fish market) or the Ginza area will give you a great variety. If you like ramen, you can easily find streets and streets of great places to head to. These areas are widely known and not a secret. The Internet is also a great resource for finding the best food in Japan. Another tip might be to ask the locals for their recommendations. You can also find a lot of restaurants on the top several floors of the department stores. If you are wandering around and not sure of the smaller restaurants that you see, a sure bet will be to go up to the top floors of a department store.

The food in Japan is just so good. I usually eat the minute that I land and have a meal at the airport as well to get my final fix before departure! Finding a great place to eat should not be a problem.

FINDING SOMETHING TO EAT

Can you recommend a good restaurant nearby?	Kono chikaku no ii resutoran o oshiete kudasai.
Someplace not too expensive.	Amari takakunai mise ga ii desu.
Someplace quiet.	Shizuka-na fun’iki no mise ga ii desu.
Is there a/an ~ restaurant near here?	Kono chikaku ni ~ (ryōri) no mise wa arimasu ka?
local cuisine	kyōdo
Japanese	Nihon
French	Furansu
Italian	Itaria
Indian	Indo
Thai	Tai
Korean	Kankoku
Chinese	Chūka
I’d like to try the best local food/cuisine.	Jimoto no meibutsu ryōri o tabetai n’desu ga.
Can you recommend a place?	O-susume no mise wa arimasu ka?
Can you make reservations for me?	Koko de yoyaku o shite moraemasu ka?

JAPANESE FOOD 1: SUSHI AND SASHIMI

SUSHI, an art in itself, and well-known even to non-natives. To watch a sushi chef serving up orders is a pleasure. There are cheap sushi shops, sometimes using circular conveyor belts from which the customer selects his own plates. SASHIMI is a simpler presentation of raw seafood than sushi, and less confusing to order. Good sushi is very abundant in Japan and once you eat sushi in Japan, it is hard to come back to your home country and eat the sushi there.

Some of my favorite places to eat sushi have been in Ginza, Tsukiji, Shibuya, and Shinjuku. There are so many options in those places in Tokyo. The more famous sushi bars are listed in the travel guide magazines that you can get at a Japanese bookstore. The Kaitenzushi, or the conveyor belt sushi restaurant, is a good option for anyone new to sushi who wants to see it before they order it. For higher quality sushi, I strongly recommend you go to a sushi bar that locals would go to.

JAPANESE FOOD 2: YAKITORI

YAKITORI comprises various chicken parts skewered on bamboo slivers and broiled over open charcoal. Usually, izakaya (Japanese pubs) patrons will wash down their chicken with nihonshu, or Japanese sake or cold beer. Yakitori can be found all over Japan and are often in very small restaurants with the chef cooking the yakitori in front of you. The chefs usually have specials and sometimes you can leave it up to the chef to decide what to serve you rather than ordering from a menu.

Yakitori is very well known especially in the Shimbashi area of Tokyo, as well as in Shinjuku. They are usually filled with businessmen who are grabbing their dinner with their buddies from work. Follow the smell of charcoal—it usually leads to a yakitori place.

JAPANESE FOOD 3: NOODLES

NOODLES, including rāmen (Chinese style), soba (buckwheat), and udon (wheat). A wide diversity of places, from cheap to highbrow, offers diverse menus of soba and/or udon, usually including regional specialties. Rāmen shops usually offer only ramen and accompaniments like gyoza (dumplings or potstickers) and sautéed vegetables. You can taste various rāmen from the entire country at the Ramen Museum in Shin-Yokohama. You can also see a lot of ramen places near any of the colleges, as it is a very inexpensive meal.

Soba and udon shops often have tempura (prawns or vegetables deep fried in a batter) with their noodles. They also offer cold and hot noodles and each of the restaurants pride themselves on the way they have made their noodles and broth.

JAPANESE FOOD 4: TONKATSU

A favorite among many visitors is a TONKATSU restaurant. They specialize in tonkatsu – a deep fried pork cutlet paired with special sauces—which also comes with shredded cabbage, miso soup or pork soup, along with white rice. You usually can have as much rice, miso soup, and cabbage as you want.

These restaurants can easily be found on the top floors of the department stores and some specialty ones can be found in areas such as Ebisu in Tokyo. A nice cold mug of beer works well with tonkatsu.

JAPANESE FOOD	UNCOOKED RICE	COOKED WHITE RICE	BOWL OF COOKED RICE
washoku	kome	gohan	donburi
BEANCURD	BEAN-JAM BUN	PICKLED PLUM	RICE CAKE
tōfu	manjū	umeboshi	mochi
MISO SOUP	JAPANESE SWEETS	PICKLES	RICE CRACKERS
miso shiru	wagashi	tsukemono	senbei
BOX LUNCH	BUCKWHEAT NOODLES	WHEAT NOODLES (thin)	INSTANT NOODLES
bentō	soba	sōmen	insutanto rāmen
BOX LUNCH (sold at stations/trains)	WHEAT NOODLES (thick)	CHINESE NOODLES	RICE BALL
ekiben	udon	rāmen	onigiri
GRILLED FISH	SUKIYAKI	TEMPURA	SEAWEED
yakizakana	sukiyaki	tenpura	nori
GRILLED CHICKEN	PORK CUTLET	BROILED EEL	SEAWEED (for broth)
yakitori	tonkatsu	unagi	konbu
BOILED BEEF	SUSHI	SLICED RAW FISH	SEAWEED (for soup)
shabu-shabu	sushi	sashimi	wakame

WESTERN FOOD

Western food is very abundant in Japan. You can find family restaurants that are more familiar to us such as Denny’s and other places that you might make regular trips to. Family restaurants also have great deals on fountain drinks, such as bottomless drinks, perfect for meeting up with friends and just chat over some non-alcoholic drinks.

You can also find restaurants that specialize in Italian, French, and Mexican food quite easily as well. The bigger chains like Outback, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and McDonald’s are quite ubiquitous.

SOUP	SANDWICH	CURRIED RICE	CHEESECAKE
sūpu	sandoitchi	karē raisu	chiizukēki
SPAGHETTI	HAMBURGER	DESSERT	PIE
supagetti	hanbāgā	dezāto	pai
SALAD	PIZZA	CAKE	ICE CREAM
sarada	piza	kēki	aisu kuriimu

ASIAN FOOD

The larger cities in Japan offer non-Japanese food all over each of the cities. For example, you can easily find Chinese, Korean, and Indian food at a very reasonable price. Korean food has become especially popular in Japan and many offer the Korean barbeque experience. Although many of these Korean barbeque places are expensive, there are several restaurant chains like Gyukaku that offer this experience at a very reasonable price and the food is still very delicious.

Many ethnic Asians, such as the Koreans and Chinese who have relocated to Japan, run their own restaurants, making the food served even more authentic. These Asian restaurants can be found all over Tokyo, but certain areas are known for certain types of food. If you would like authentic Korean food, you might want to go to Shin-Okubo. If you would like Chinese food, you may want to try Ikebukuro. In the Takadanobaba area, you will also find a lot of Indian, Thai, Nepalese, Pakistanian, and Mongolian food (try the barbeque in Hokkaido) as well.

CONVENIENCE STORES

When you first get to Japan, you may be shocked at the amount of convenience stores that are around you. At a konbini, you will find drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), along with prepared food, instant noodles, batteries, pantyhose, shampoo, snacks, and batteries. They are truly convenient! Furthermore, if you were to buy some instant noodles, you can also fill it up with hot water there so that you can eat it on the spot. Also, if you buy any of the prepared food, they will heat it up for you.

If you are ever in a bind and are looking for an umbrella, the konbini offers umbrellas that are only a couple of dollars. The konbini is also open 24 hours a day, so after flying into Japan in the middle of the night, a konbini might help you find some great food at 4:00A.M.

The konbini is also a great place to just try the various snacks that Japan has that may be quite tasty and unique. They also have magazines and newspapers, along with any toiletries. A definite stop to just get a feel of Japan.

VENDING MACHINES

Japan has vending machines all over and they are filled with goodies, from hot and cold drinks, ice cream to food and batteries. You can purchase items with money, including coins and bills or with a Suica or Pasmo card that you may have already acquired for the trains. I would stop by the vending machines frequently as the drinks and food in the vending machines are quite good and some are hard to get in your home country.

READING A MENU

Reading a menu can be quite challenging. Luckily, at many restaurants, they have a plastic version of the food (which looks exactly like the real food) in the display case at the entrance of the restaurant. If you see something that strikes you, you can always point to it for the waitress. In some restaurants, they might offer an English menu. To ask for one, you can say:

Do you have an English menu?

Ei-go no menyu arimasu ka?

Some of the menus also come with pictures which can help you through the ordering process. You can also look around the restaurant to see if you see a dish that you think might be good and point to it as well.

ASKING A WAITER/WAITRESS FOR HELP

Trying different types of food in a new country is both fun and scary at the same time. You could be apprehensive that you might order something very exotic that you are unused to. Use some of the following phrases can help you through the process so that you select an item (within your comfort zone) that you’d like to try.

Do you have ~?	~ ga arimasu ka?
I’ll have ~.	~ o kudasai.
I don’t want ~.	~ wa kekkō desu.
What’s the house speciality?	Koko no o-susume ryōri wa nan desu ka?
Is there a set menu?	Setto menyū wa arimasu ka?
I’ll take what you recommend.	Anata no o-susume ni shimasu.
I’ll have that.	Sore o moraimasu.
Give me the same as that.	Are to onaji mono o kudasai.
How long does it take?	Dono kurai kakarimasu ka?
How many minutes will it take?	Nan-pun kurai de dekimasu ka?
Can I have it right away?	Sugu dekimasu ka?
How do you eat this?	Tabekata o oshiete kudasai.

If eating with Japanese companions (or even if not), say itadakimasu just before starting the meal. When finished, saying gochisōsama deshita will be appreciated by your host (and the chef). Say both with sincerity.

POINTING AT A PHOTO MENU

At different restaurants, photo menus are available to help its customers to know what the dish would look like when it’s been prepared. Although the photo menus can help you gain a better understanding of what you’ll be eating, here are some phrases to help you ask what the dish has in it.

Is this ______? Kore wa ______ desu ka?

beef	gyūniku
pork	butaniku
chicken	chikin, toriniku
vegetables	yasai
fish	sakana

OTHER FOOD OPTIONS

With different allergies and perhaps food items you don’t care for, here are some phrases that might come in handy if you need to decipher whether you can (or want to) order the dish or not. For Muslim travelers, it would be best to do some research online beforehand to find Halal-certified resturants.

I have allergies to ________. I cannot eat __________.

_____no arerugii ga arimasu. _______ga taberaremasen.

shellfish	kairui
peanuts	piinattsu
prawns	ebi
gluten	komugi, guruten
meat	niku
pork	butaniku
lard	rādo

PREPARATIONS

Is there a table for ~ people?	~ nin desu ga seki wa toremasu ka?
I have a reservation.	Yoyaku shite arimasu.
Where is the restroom?	Toire wa doko desu ka?
May I use your restroom?	Chotto toire o karitai n’desu ga.
I’d like to see a menu, please.	Menyū o misete kudasai.
Is there an English menu?	Ei-go no menyū wa arimasu ka?
A little more time, please.	Mō sukoshi matte kudasai.
We haven’t any tables.	Are you ready to order?
Manseki desu.	Go-chūmon wa okimari desu ka?
Just yourself?	Do you want something to drink?
Ohitori desu ka?	Onomimono wa ikaga desu ka?
How many in your group?	I’ll return when you’re ready to order.
Nan-mei sama desu ka?	Go-chūmon ga kimattara mata ukagaimasu.

ORDER	MEAL	RESERVED	EATING OUT	NO SMOKING
chūmon	shokuji	yoyakuseki	gaishoku	kin’en
FOOD	MENU	WAITER/WAITRESS	SECOND SERVING	SHARE A TABLE
tabemono	menyū	uētā, uētoresu	o-kawari	aiseki

BREAKFAST	LUNCH	DINNER	SET MENU WESTERN FOOD	SET MENU JAPANESE FOOD
chōshoku, asa gohan	chūshoku, hiru gohan	yūshoku, yū gohan, yūhan	setto	teishoku

DRINKS, HOT AND COLD

I’d like a drink first.	Mazu nani ka nomitai n’desu ga.
Do you have ~?	~ ga arimasu ka?
I’ll have ~.	~ o kudasai.
I don’t want ~.	~ wa kekkō desu.

DRINK	DECAF COFFEE	LEMON TEA	COCOA
nomimono	kafein nuki no kōhii	remon tii	kokoa
COLD (drink, adj.)	ICED COFFEE	MILK TEA	LEMONADE
tsumetai	aisu kōhii	miruku tii	remonēdo
HOT (drink, adj.)	TEA	COLA	JUICE
atsui	o-cha	kōra	jūsu
ICE	GREEN TEA	MILK	APPLE JUICE
kōri	ryoku-cha	miruku	ringo jūsu
WATER	OOLONG TEA	SKIM MILK	ORANGE JUICE
mizu	ūron-cha	sukimu miruku	orenji jūsu
HOT WATER	BARLEY TEA	LOW FAT MILK	PINEAPPLE JUICE
sayu	mugi-cha	rōfatto miruku	painappuru jūsu
COFFEE	BLACK TEA	COLD MILK	TOMATO JUICE
kōhii	kōcha	tsumetai miruku	tomato jūsu
AMERICAN COFFEE	ICED TEA	HOT MILK
amerikan kōhii	aisu tii	hotto miruku

THE HARD STUFF

Never fill your own glass—someone else will keep it full. Your responsibility is to keep other glasses filled. Doing so will help bring you into the group. Drinking in Japanese culture helps to strengthen relationships both in friendship and business, and there are countless establishments for evening drinks, from sunakku bā—much like Western lounges—to nomi-ya, more traditional Japanese drinking establishments.

I’d like ~.	~o kudasai.
I’ll have ~.	~ ni shimasu.
I don’t want ~.	~ wa kekkō desu.
Do you have ~?	~ ga arimasu ka?
Cheers!	Kanpai!

ALCOHOLIC DRINKS	BEER	WINE	SWEET
sake	biiru	wain	amakuchi no
JAPANESE SAKE	WHISKY AND WATER	RED	DRY
nihonshu	mizuwari	aka	karakuchi no
RICE WINE	ON THE ROCKS	WHITE	PLUM WINE
sake	on za rokku	shiro	umeshu
SPECIAL RICE WINE	BRANDY	ROSÉ	CHAMPAGNE
seishu	burandē	roze	shanpan, shanpen

ORDERING MORE

May I have a little more, please?	Mō sukoshi itadakemasu ka?
May I have some more, please?	Mō sukoshi kudasai.
Do you have a breakfast special?	Mōningu sābisu wa arimasu ka?
I’ll have the breakfast special.	Mōningu sābisu o onegai shimasu.
A second helping.	Okawari.

BREAKFAST

A traditional Japanese breakfast of rice, cold fish, miso soup, and raw egg rarely excites Western tastes. Easy to find, however, are Western-style breakfasts, with Japanese twists such as green salads garnished with corn. Most restaurants serving breakfast have decently-priced “morning sets” that may include toast, eggs, salad, and coffee.

If you crave the breakfast at McDonald’s or Starbucks, they have become ubiquitous across the country. The drink sizes are one size smaller than the American size, though.

CORN FLAKES	BACON AND EGGS	PANCAKES	ROLL
kōn furēku	bēkon eggu	hotto kēki	rōrupan
OATMEAL	SAUSAGE AND EGGS	JAM	TOAST
ōtomiiru	sōsēji to tamago	jamu	tōsuto

HAM AND EGGS	CHEESE OMELET	BREAD	SALAD
hamu eggu	chiizu omuretsu	pan	sarada

DAIRY PRODUCTS

DAIRY PRODUCTS	MILK (cow)	BUTTER	CHEESE
nyūseihin	gyūnyū	batā	chiizu
FRESH CREAM	MILK (general)	MARGARINE	YOGURT
nama kuriimu	miruku	māgarin	yōguruto

EGGS

EGG	SOFT-BOILED EGG	FRIED EGG	OMELET
tamago	hanjukutamago	medamayaki	omuretsu
BOILED EGG	HARD-BOILED EGG	SCRAMBLED EGGS	RICE OMELET
yudetamago	katayudetamago	iritamago	omuraisu

FRUIT

FRUIT	GRAPEFRUIT	MANDARIN ORANGE	PINEAPPLE
furutsu	gurēpufurūtsu	mikan	painappuru
APPLE	GRAPES	PAPAYA	PLUM
ringo	budō	papaia	sumomo, puramu
APRICOT	KIWI	PEACH	RAISIN
anzu	kiuifurūtsu	momo	hoshi-budō
BANANA	LEMON	PEAR	RASPBERRY
banana	remon	yōnashi	ki’ichigo
CHERRY	ORANGE	JAPANESE PEAR	STRAWBERRY
sakuranbo	orenji	nashi	ichigo
CHESTNUT	MELON	PERSIMMON	WATERMELON
kuri	meron	kaki	suika

VEGETABLES

VEGETABLE	BAMBOO SHOOTS	CARROT	CORN
yasai	takenoko	ninjin	tōmorokoshi
ASPARAGUS	BEAN SPROUTS	CAULIFLOWER	CUCUMBER
asuparagasu	moyashi	karifurawā	kyūri
AVOCADO	CABBAGE	CELERY	EGGPLANT
abokado	kyabetsu	serori	nasu

VEGETABLES (CONT’D)

GREEN PEPPER	LOTUS ROOT	ONION	SPINACH
piiman	renkon	tamanegi	hōrensō
JAPANESE RADISH	MUSHROOMS	PEAS	SQUASH
daikon	kinoko	endōmame	kabocha
LETTUCE	JAPANESE MUSHROOM	POTATO	TOMATO
retasu	shiitake	jagaimo	tomato

SEAFOOD

FISH	EEL	PRAWN	SHRIMP
sakana	unagi	kuruma ebi	ama ebi
GRILLED FISH	HALIBUT	RED SNAPPER	SHRIMP, PRAWN
yakizakana	ohyō	tai	ebi
ABALONE	LOBSTER	SALMON	SQUID, CUTTLEFISH
awabi	ise ebi	sake	ika
BONITO	MACKEREL	SCALLOP	TROUT
katsuo	saba	hotate	masu
CLAMS	OCTOPUS	SEAWEED	TUNA
hamaguri	tako	wakame	maguro
CRAB	OYSTER, CLAM	SHELLFISH	SEA URCHIN
kani	kaki	kai	uni

MEAT

MEAT	STEAK	LAMB	TURKEY
niku	sutēki	kohitsuji	shichimenchō
BACON	GROUND BEEF	LIVER	SAUSAGE
bēkon	gyū no hikiniku	rebā	sōsēji
BEEF	SALISBURY STEAK	MUTTON	CHICKEN
gyūniku	hanbāgu	maton	toriniku
JAPANESE BEEF	HAM	PORK	WHALE
wagyū	hamu	butaniku	kujira
WELL-DONE	BAKED	FRIED	SMOKED
yoku yaketa	yaita	ageta	kunsei ni shita
MEDIUM	BARBECUED	GRILLED	STUFFED
midiamu	jikabi de yaita	amiyaki ni shita	tsumemono ni shita
RARE	BOILED/STEWED	SAUTÉED	RAW
rea	nikonda	itameta	nama no

EXTRAS

Is there any ~?	~ wa arimasu ka?
Please bring me ~.	~ o motte kite kudasai.

SEASONING	KETCHUP	PEPPER	SOY SAUCE
chōmiryō	kechappu	koshō	shōyu
GARLIC	MAYONNAISE	RED PEPPER	SUGAR
nin’niku	mayonēzu	tōgarashi	satō
GINGER	MUSTARD	SALT	VINEGAR
shōga	karashi	shio	su
JAPANESE HORSERADISH	OIL	SESAME SEED	WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
wasabi	abura, oiru	goma	sōsu

PROBLEMS

I’m sorry, but I really can’t eat this.	Sumimasen ga kore wa taberaremasen.
This isn’t the food that I ordered.	Chūmon shita mono to chigaimasu.
I didn’t order this.	Kore wa chūmon shite imasen.
My order hasn’t come yet.	Ryōri ga mada kite imasen.

TASTE	DELICIOUS	OILY	SOUR	STRONG (drink)
aji	oishii	aburakkoi	suppai	koi
BITTER	HOT, SPICY	SALTY	SWEET	WEAK (drink)
nigai	karai	shoppai	amai	usui

PAYING THE BILL

Credit cards have become widely accepted in Japan. Cash is always accepted and Suica/Pasmo cards are becoming more and more popular even in stores and restaurants.

Often on tables, there are easy-to-miss cylindrical holders into which restaurant bills are often rolled up and placed. There may also be a small device with a button to summon the waiter. In Japan, you pay the bill at the cash register near the entrance rather than leaving the money at the table. There is no need to leave a tip.

It was delicious.	Oishikatta desu.
It was more than I could finish.	Ōsugite nokoshimashita.
Does the bill include the service charge?	Kono kanjō ni sābisu-ryō wa fukumarete imasu ka?
Can I have the bill, please?	Okaikē, onegai shimasu.
Do you accept credit cards?	Kurejitto kādo wa tsukaemasu ka?
Excuse me, what is this number/amount for?	Sumimasen ga kore wa nan no kingaku desu ka?

TABLE THINGS

ASHTRAY	MATCHES	HAND TOWEL	NAPKIN
haizara	matchi	oshibori	napukin
JAPANESE WARE	JAPANESE TEAPOT	RICE BOWL, TEA CUP	CHOPSTICKS
washokki	kyūsu	chawan	hashi
JAPANESE TEA CUP	LACQUER SOUP BOWL	TRAY	WOODEN CHOPSTICKS
yunomi	(o-)wan	bon	waribashi
WESTERN WARE	DRINKING GLASS	DISH, PLATE	KNIFE
yōshokki	koppu	sara	naifu
COFFEE CUP	GLASS FOR WINE	FORK	SPOON
kōhii kappu	(wain) gurasu	fōku	supūn

MISCELANEOUS VOCABULARY

RESTAURANT, RESTAURANT BILL	APPETIZER	CAFETERIA	DRINK AFTER MEAL
resutoran, kanjō	zensai, ōdoburu	shokudō	shokugo no nomimono
MORNING SERVICE	MIDNIGHT SNACK	COFFEE SHOP	DRINK BEFORE MEAL
mōningu sābisu	yashoku	kissaten	shokuzenshu