Favorite Japanese Foods? I want to find new ones to try!

[MegletOnRye]

Osu minna-san! :D

I am a Japanese food-a-holic! I want to share a few of my favorite Japanese foods but would you all mind sharing yours too? I always want to find new foods to experience!

Here are some of my favorites:

- Sushi (of course! I am a true American though, I like california rolls!)
- Okonomiyaki (I can't wait to visit an Okinomiyaki restaurant in Japan, the kind where you can make your own)
- Onigiri (so simple yet so delicious! I can't make them, mine always turn out funny shaped.)
- Curry Rice/(kari raisu?) (I got to eat this a lot when I was in Okinawa as an exchange student, I can hardly find it here in the US.)
- Donburi (rice bowl dish! I love Oyakodon & Unagidon the best)
- ShabuShabu (swish swish! I only got to eat this once but I loved it)
- Sukiyaki (another hot pot type food, really really good!)
- Udon, Ramen & Soba (noodles, I can't stay away from them, Zaru Soba is great for the summer!)

Thats all I can think of right now. I love trying new things so I'm eager to get fresh recommendations. Anyone have any favorites they can share? :)

[Psy]

So as not to repeat what you wrote:

• oden -- fabulous, especially if you can get it with those little tofu pouches containing mochi.
• chawan-mushi -- I'm told it's strange for a gaijin to like this one, but it's an egg custard that for me was love-at-first-bite.
• onigiri-sembei -- not a meal but a favorite snack cracker that you can buy almost anywhere in Japan, but I've found quite hard to come by in my small corner of the US.
• chuuka-man -- Chinese style sticky buns, the Japanese equivalent to the convenience store hot dog... I really miss these things.
• matcha ice cream -- need I say more?
• tako-yaki -- at first the whole idea of eating octopus grossed me out, but to my surprise and delight I ended up enjoying them quite a bit.

There's so much out there it's hard to choose favorites. Unfortunately, it's really hard to find truly authentic Japanese food outside of Japan, so when you visit be sure to try everything! Even things you've had before in your home country will likely be different.

[MegletOnRye]

I've always wanted to try Takoyaki and the other things sound so delicious!

Oh hey, I've had semi-authentic chinese pork 'chuuka-man' when we go to dimsum but are they the same or is there something distinctly Japanese about them?

We are so very fortunate to have some really great Japanese restaurants here in Atlanta but it's never quite the same! I remember the first time I had okonomiyaki at the Orion Beer Festival in Okinawa. It was so amazing. :)

I had some really interesting soup while I was in Okinawa. It's called ikasumi jiru and it's made from the ink of cuttlefish/squid. The taste was pretty yummy and I liked it until I found the squid eye! I draw the line at eyes! My host sister ate it for me though, thank goodness. My teeth were black afterwards, it was really funny and yummy to try. :)

Is it just me or is it so enticing to see those street vendors selling food on their cart?

[Psy]

Is it just me or is it so enticing to see those street vendors selling food on their cart?

Attracted at sight, sold at smell... why must I be so weak?

[JonB]

is very different from region to region so be sure to try it in different places!

shogayaki and ton katsu are my favourites

[masshigura]

even if you are in japan, it's hard to try all the good food here there's specialty foods from region to region
hmmm see if you can find a yakiniku or yakitori restaurant out your way

[sinbadx81]

Here are some of my favs that can also be easily made at home (except for the dango perhaps):

niku-jyaga: I think they've done this in Jpod. Simple dish to make and really good if done well. Meat and potatoes with other goodies in the ubiquitous soy/mirin/sake combo sauce

suiton: They're dumplings dropped in a soup. The soup usually has carrots, potatoes, and an assortment of other veggies. Another easy one to make, but really lovely taste.

dango: Similar to mochi. It's pounded rice I think or sometimes simply made from a wheat or rice flour. They're formed into balls and put on sticks then covered in sesame, anko bean, zunda (edamame) paste, sweet soy sauce, or walnut paste. A really nice dessert.

soboro:Another simple one to make. Soy/mirn/sugar and sometimes ginger cooked with ground meat and topped on rice.

[josiah]

i went to
one of the few
good japanese
resturants around

and asked if i
could have
curry udon
(my favourite)

as it wasn't on the menu
i also had takoyaki

she assured me
it was as good as osaka takoyaki
too
both very nice
they were also surprised
to here me ask in japanese

[Jason]

Ichigo daifuku and taiyaki are like little pieces of Heaven. <3 You can actually order daifuku off Amazon. Unfortunately, the place I got the taiyaki online from is closing down soon. Yakisoba is really nice too, but I got it at the same place I got the taiyaki.

[Javizy]

They have a small selection of Japanese snacks on White Rabbit Press, including the Jagariko potato sticks that Naomi said you can make mashed potato out of by adding hot water

I haven't tried any Japanese food, but I've been meaning to pick up some sake and potato starch to try the jpod recipes. There are quite a few Japanese restaurants in London, so maybe I'll try one out sometime.

[Psy]

... but I've been meaning to pick up some sake and potato starch to try the jpod recipes.

Jpod... recipes? If you'll excuse my having dedication to only one area of the site at a time, where might I find these?

[Jason]

... but I've been meaning to pick up some sake and potato starch to try the jpod recipes.

Jpod... recipes? If you'll excuse my having dedication to only one area of the site at a time, where might I find these?

There are a couple. Do a search for "recipe" on the front page.

[edit] Or just use this link:

http://www.japanesepod101.com/index.php?s=recipe

[josiah]

They have a small selection of Japanese snacks on White Rabbit Press, including the Jagariko potato sticks that Naomi said you can make mashed potato out of by adding hot water

I haven't tried any Japanese food, but I've been meaning to pick up some sake and potato starch to try the jpod recipes. There are quite a few Japanese restaurants in London, so maybe I'll try one out sometime.

えええ？？？マジで？！うそー！！
you haven't tried any japanese food?? are you serious??

[markystar]

noriyuki and i ate whale the other night in shinbashi. mmmm mmmmmm.
one of our listeners, scott, calls it the "forbidden fish." lol. (well, i suppose it's really a mammal, but...) anyways, probably tastes more delicious because of the controversy. heheheheheh.

[josiah]

i ate whale
in osaka

tasted like...
fish