Eating in Japan...

[shikamarufoo]

Ohayou everyone!
I was wondering is it necessary to learn how to use the chopstick if I plan to go to Japan? Also do most dishes come with veggies as I have a very big hate for veggies (not all, but most)? One last thing, what does sushi taste like, I've never tried it.Thanks for your time!

[Harisenbon]

If you plan to go to Japan, you should probably learn to use chopsticks. Although many places will have forks, and some will be able to provide forks if you ask, eating Japanese food with forks is actually kind of difficult.

Most dishes come with vegetables, but it all depends on what you order and where you go. We don't eat sushi every day. There are italian, mexican, indian, western and chinese restaurants galore. Also, Japanese food includes a lot more than just sushi.

[shikamarufoo]

Thanks for your help harisenbon san. I know most places don't come with sushi only and that makes me happy, yet I'm very curios to try. I've heard shrimp shushi is good...I'll go try some soon.

[hamsterfreak4evr]

I'm not very big on fish- the only sushi I eat is Cucumber Rolls and Salmon Rolls- they are both very good. If you like lox (smoked salmon) i suggest maybe trying salmon rolls (asked for the salmon smoked) as they are very good!!

also terriyakki chicken is good...

[alwaysmine]

You can put anything in sushi. Trust me, i've been working long and hard to test this theory... I'm a vegetarian so i don't go for the fishies and things though.

[amego]

Sushi has this fresh, non-oily taste taste,with its midly vinegar-ed rice hmmm u gotta try it!! Well learn how to use the chopstick (hashi as they're called) for a total Jap experience!!

[richard99uk]

I'm actually dreading that aspect of going to Japan. At the moment I'm planning to go over there teaching English, and learn the language formally while I'm there. The one thing I'm worried about is meeting some friends over there, going over to their house, and being presented with a platter of fish lips, sheep's eyes, hen's feet, and asorted raw meat; then looking up at them with the sort of expression 'got a burger hidden away for me somewhere?', lol. I'm all up for eating with chopsticks, but I'm really not to fond of fish except for mackral - although I'm good with vegies. I know it's a taste I'll have to aquire, but I'm really not looking forward to the food.

[Shibakoen]

Let me assure you, you probably won't be invited to anyone's house. Well, among some people it's still very common not to invite even good friends to one's house. Instead people do things like go to izakaya and karaoke boxes, etc. And don't worry about Japanese food. I can't understand this reputation Japanese food has gotten. I mean there's a French delicacy where they drown a particular songbird in alcohol then eat it, of course starting with biting off the head. It's said Francois Miterand ate one every night the week he died. In contrast, Japan has fried just about everything, including vegetables and they put mayo on everything else like pizza and salads. You'll find plenty of foods you'll like, but of course there will be some you won't.

[richard99uk]

Fair enough. I'm still a little wary about it one way or another. I have some Greek friends, who have eating habbits I consider strange, and I've never got used to. Thanks for the reassurance though.

[Shibakoen]

I'm from the Southern US where chitlins and pig's feet and other really nasty stuff is eaten. The NC State Fair always has some new fried foods for sale. One year it was fried twinkies, they had fried oreos, and last year they went a little healthier with fried FRUIT!!! In the mid-West, I've heard that they fry Cow's brains. They eat cobra hearts in South East Asia. Anyway, all I'm saying is there's weird stuff on the menu anywhere you go.

In Japan, for every place where you can eat 馬刺し and 白子 there are a hundred yaki-niku (grilled meat), yaki-tori (grilled chicken), don-buri (stuff served on rice), ton-katsu (fried pork), tempura (more fried stuff), curry shops, and ramen shops. And that's just the Japanese food. Then of course there are the chains, KFC, Makkers, Wendy's, Lotteria, whatever. Just get used to smaller portions and expensive coke. I hope you like green tea and water! Oh, and coffee. Lots of coffee places!

So don't worry about the food in Japan. There's plenty of good stuff that would be appetizing to anyone. Although I do think you'll be missing out if you don't try new stuff like shark meat dumplings, unagi, anago, takoyaki, oyakodon, etc. My absolute favorite is Otoro. It's a fatty cut of tuna that's just unbelievably good. And Smoked Salmon? Na, you're missing out. Raw is best! As far as I'm concerned, if you cook a fish, you've ruined it. Anyway, after you've been there and you go back home, you'll miss the Japanese food. I even miss the chocolate. I couldn't stand it when I got there because it's more bitter there than here in the States, but now I think the stuff here is just way too sweet. Maybe that's because all the sugar here is from sugar beets and corn syrup instead of real cane because of the whole anti-Cuba thing, who knows?

Anyway, my point is to all of you who are queezy about sashimi because of the raw fish meat, try it! And I don't mean try the terrible stuff they serve here in the States. When you go to Japan, try real fresh sashimi. It will knock you out.

[shikamarufoo]

Shibakoen wrote:
I'm from the Southern US where chitlins and pig's feet and other really nasty stuff is eaten.One year it was fried twinkies, they had fried oreos, and last year they went a little healthier with fried FRUIT!!!

In Japan, for every place where you can eat 馬刺し and 白子 there are a hundred yaki-niku (grilled meat), yaki-tori (grilled chicken), don-buri (stuff served on rice), ton-katsu (fried pork), tempura (more fried stuff), curry shops, and ramen shops. And that's just the Japanese food. Then of course there are the chains, KFC, Makkers, Wendy's, Lotteria, whatever. Just get used to smaller portions and expensive coke. I hope you like green tea and water! Oh, and coffee. Lots of coffee places!

What are chitlins, I heard they were pretty good. I've eaten pig feet and other nasty stuff before. I've heard fried twinkies are really oishii, it's just they have a whole lotta fat! Never tried fried oreos/fruits, how do those taste and how do you fry fruit?
So yaki translates into grilled right? I like all the yaki, tonkatsu and teriyaki stuff, but never tried tempura or don-buri. How do they write kfc in katakana? I love water, juice and tea, not a much fan of soft drinks. What foods are better in Japan than in America such as cake or other foods that both countries have?
Thanks everyone for your help and I'm pretty sure I can live in Japan, just have to learn how to use chopsticks;).

[mandolin]

Maybe someone was lying to me, but I was told chitlins are fried hog's anus.

And in Czech-heavy areas (such as in a little town near where I live) it's rather common to eat beef fries, sheep fries, horse fries, and other sorts of animal fries.

I never tried any, myself, because I was told straigt up what these "fries" were.

Testicles. Fried... testicles.....

Every country has wierd crap.

[Shibakoen]

Chitlins are pig intestines. I never tried the fried oreos or fruits or twinkies. I usually get indigestion from all the grease in pizza so I wasn't about to take that gut-shot. Ugh. That reminds me, the Japanese gut shot is this stuff called menchi. It's basically deep-fried ground beef. Kinda like a deep-fried hamburger. That reminds me, the fair also had deep-fried cheeseburgers. I did hear that the fried twinkies were good, but I don't know anyone who tried any of the other stuff. I heard that teriyaki sauce is a Western invention. I heard they wanted to imitate soy sauce, but sweeter.

You'll be happy with the drinks, then. The soft drinks are really different there, so I didn't really get into them, either. Fanta's different, Lemon Pepsi is everywhere while regular Pepsi is very rare, Coke tastes different, none of the soft drinks are that great. On the other hand, you can find a crazy amount of bottled green tea. I can't get enough of the stuff.

There is a bit of a difference between Japanese cake and American cake. Japanese cake isn't as sweet so it's really good. Oh, don't forget the pumpkin and green tea ice cream! Oh man, I'm so hungry now. Did I mention I'm going back this March. Mmmm... Can't wait.

[richard99uk]

You've actually put my mind at ease a bit. Some of it sounds really nice, and I really can't wait to try their sweets. Last time I was in the states I remember thinking the chocolate was a bit dry, and I've had bitter chocolate, so I suppose everyone has their own taste on food and sweets.

Unfortunately I still can't say much about the fish; I don't care for it much as is. I've learned about most of the resteraunts you described through learning Japanese, but there's a few that's new to me. Not just fish either... unagi... *puts hand over mouth*. My mum's tried to get me into seafood ever since I was a kid, but is yet to find much I like. *scuttles off to go look up things you mentioned*

So yaki translates into grilled right?

Yaki means roast food; from yaku (yakimasu) to roast. Like you get yakitoriya and takoyaki over there.

[AJBryant]

Yaki means roast food; from yaku (yakimasu) to roast. Like you get yakitoriya and takoyaki over there

That's not roasting. That's grilling.

(You can always tell who cooks...)

Tony