Favorite Japanese food ... The sticky

[ASSEMbler]

I know it's so common, but Tonkatsu with heaps of finely shaved cabbage.... heavenly.

[dj898]

sashimi - tuna or salmon I'll go nut :smt023

[Omar]

Cold Tenzaru Udon/Soba.

Orgasmic.

[AntiPasta]

You'll hate me for this, but I really enjoyed McDonald's Teriyaki Burger - only available in Japan AFAIK.
But I was quite low on food budget and finding a cheap restaurant isn't terribly easy without kanji knowledge (save for Isakaya but there food isnt always very traditional Japanese), so I didn't even get around to eating Tonkatsu or Sushi even though I tried. Oh and I also recommend a Yakitoriya :smt045

[Yakumo]

YAKI NIKU with BEER !!!

Yakumo

[XerdoPwerko]

Beef Gyuudon and Miso soup.

Salmon, Maguro, or Shiromi sushi

and of course... Pocky.

The green tea variety is insanely magnificent.

[Funk Buddy]

Spam musubi... err never mind I think that's more of a Hawaiian thing. :smt043

[Zilog Jones]

Never had any actual food, but I've had Fran, and it's like some sort of... thing... that tastes really really... good. I'm not good with imagery, but you get what I mean!

[yourTom]

first kitchen ...yami

[Calpis]

Unagidon or some California-only sushi ;)

[gamergary]

Vanilla Pocky, Yakitori, Beef ramen and sukiyaki are some japanese foods that I like.

[Funk Buddy]

Does anyone like mochi? I tired it once with a red bean paste inside and didn't care for it much.

[Calpis]

I like omochi, the oldfashioned type, not with icecream or anything. I don't like stuff with beanpaste either nor do I like onigiri/omusubi with pickled plum. Rice stuff is always best accompanied with noritama sprinkles :D

[Funk Buddy]

Is "noritama sprinkles" the seaweed/sesame seed stuff?

[Calpis]

It's shredded nori/sesame/egg (hence the tama part ;) Can't find a picture of it on the 'net :\

Edit: found some:

http://www.jtw.zaq.ne.jp/iichan/Dsc000361111.jpg
http://www.cm-r.com/ai/paint/marumiya/noritama_016.jpg
http://kiyoshi9.com/img_boom/noritama.jpg

[GaijinPunch]

You know... the one thing I was really bummed out about when I got news that I would have to move was not being able to drink CC Lemon after a vicious night of boozing. But, low and behold... there's like 4-5 shops on the island that sell it!

Try it. Stock up a 2-liter. Go boozing one night. First thing when you wake up w/ that cotton-mouth and headache, throw down about half the bottle. It rocks.

[Funk Buddy]

Have you been to Shirokiya in Ala Moana mall? I spent quite a bit of time trying samples they have set out upstairs. I bought some Kimchi salmon and those little crabs with a kind of sweet coating.

[dj898]

okonomiyage

this is one of my speciality too!
I make one at least once a month for missus...
and those square frying pan comes in handy as well. :p

there's Daimaru department store in Melbourne and at its basement a take way shop sells the okonomiyage and it's not bad... every time I'm in Melbourne I usually hit the store to get some...
not sure it's still there coz it's almost 12 months since I've been there.

cheers

[Calpis]

You mean okonomiyaki? I don't care for it that much :\

[dj898]

yep!
well I make seafood one with lots of gatsuobushi(?) shaving on top...

[Calpis]

Katsuobushi? (the bonito flakes?) I like that ;)

[ASSEMbler]

You mean okonomiyaki? I don't care for it that much :\

AAh!

You're voted off the island!

Next you'll admit to not liking Takoyaki!!

[Calpis]

It's OK but it's never GREAT compared to some of the orgasmic (like Omar mentioned) other dishes. IMO it's bland. I've made it before too, with better results than restaurants. (Northern) California has taken sushi to a whole new level with "Super" California rolls, unagi (or anago if you're J) rolled around Cali-maki, it's TOO good. You can get J food often better than you can in Japan for the same price in the Bay Area. I'm homesick :\ All I've got is Chinese buffets with Sushi bars (fucking redneck america XD)

[dj898]

Katsuobushi? (the bonito flakes?) I like that ;)

yep! you shave it very finely and put on anything - I even put on some pizza too!

p.s. so it's more like "k" instead of "g" then? Is it gyoza or kyoza?

[Calpis]

Gyoza (I love them! Except I like Chinese ones 100x more)

BTW, any of you J speakers hear of someone saying "gyori" instead of "ryori"? Thats how I was taught... Often I think my J teacher taught me 1960's-Tokyo-ben.

[GaijinPunch]

Have you been to Shirokiya in Ala Moana mall?

Yeah, the missus goes there more than I. There's actually a Daiei not too far from there... they have a ton of Japanese goods there, including CC Lemon and some other crap.

[Mr. Casual]

How does Oden taste? The recipe for it was the most powerful food item on "Tales of Phantasia" BTW...and I saw the recipe for cabbage rolls on "Tales of Symphonia" and wondered if it was good. EEHHh!!!
So much for a recipe off of a game! :smt043

[GaijinPunch]

Godo if you get it at the right spot. Tastes (and smells) like ass if you get the stuff that's boling in front of the cash register guy at the conbini.

[dj898]

How does Oden taste? The recipe for it was the most powerful food item on "Tales of Phantasia" BTW...and I saw the recipe for cabbage rolls on "Tales of Symphonia" and wondered if it was good. EEHHh!!!
So much for a recipe off of a game! :smt043

actually more expensive this stuff less tasty it is... :-D
mom usually gives missus full of those expensive white half moon shape on the wooden plate - very plain to say the least...

[Yakumo]

Gyoza (I love them! Except I like Chinese ones 100x more)

BTW, any of you J speakers hear of someone saying "gyori" instead of "ryori"? Thats how I was taught... Often I think my J teacher taught me 1960's-Tokyo-ben.

I've never heard people say "gyori" but then again I don't live in Tokyo. I'm pretty sure the standard word is "ryori". saying that though, I found out the other day that about 15 of the words I use in Japanese wou;dn't be understood in Tokyo because they are Shimonoki-ben :smt042 Good job I was told that. I'd feel like a right tit if I used them in Tokyo. It would be just like I was 6 years ago ! Panic time beacuse I couldn't speak the language :smt043

Yakumo

[Calpis]

I feel stupid because I'd been saying that for years to Japanese people. I'd also been saying "wo" instead of "o" which I now know is sort of common but I'm confused as to why I was taught esoteric Japanese :\

[ASSEMbler]

actually more expensive this stuff less tasty it is... :-D

Wish someone had told me that before I laid out a few hundred for fugu. It's like eating water. But the chance of dying is the fun I guess.

Sort of like eating a hot dog while being fired on by a machine gun.

[ASSEMbler]

I feel stupid because I'd been saying that for years to Japanese people. I'd also been saying "wo" instead of "o" which I now know is sort of common but I'm confused as to why I was taught esoteric Japanese :\

At least you weren't taught "chick" Japanese.

[Blur2040]

Theres a very special simpsons episode about the fun of fugu.

[ASSEMbler]

poison, poison, Ah! tastymeat!

[Blur2040]

:smt043

Ah, he knows his Simpsons well...

[Yakumo]

Wish someone had told me that before I laid out a few hundred for fugu. It's like eating water. But the chance of dying is the fun I guess.

Sort of like eating a hot dog while being fired on by a machine gun.

Fugu taste like chicken when boiled. You probably know or don't know that Shimonoseki where I live is the main place for Fugu in the world. I've eaten that shite many times. Can't see why it's so popular.

The Japanese have this odd look on things. If it's expensive then it must be good. Idiots. I look at it this way (In Japan only of course) If it's expensive then you know it's shit :smt045

Yakumo

[AntiPasta]

You know... the one thing I was really bummed out about when I got news that I would have to move was not being able to drink CC Lemon after a vicious night of boozing. But, low and behold... there's like 4-5 shops on the island that sell it!

Try it. Stock up a 2-liter. Go boozing one night. First thing when you wake up w/ that cotton-mouth and headache, throw down about half the bottle. It rocks.

Awwww man you should've told me that after my first night in ("in" also referring to my actual place of sleeping, on the street) Roppongi - I could've done with that! :drinkers:

[Survival Tobita]

Katsu pork and grilled eel. I was totally not expecting the grilled eel to be any good but it roxxored my soxxorz.

[Calpis]

Unagi err anago pwns all.

[dj898]

I look at it this way (In Japan only of course) If it's expensive then you know it's shit :smt045

Yakumo

so true... :smt042

[ASSEMbler]

Except for abalone... slobber

[Topic Archive]

...Never been able to get any Japanese food here, nearest equivilent would be sweet and sour Chicken from the local Chinese Takeaway :smt043

[Perkunas]

I like Sashime, but I've forgotten the names of all the other food I've eaten. ^^'

I will certainly try some of the dishes mentioned here.

[cahaz]

Suhis all the way!

damn, it's like a drug for me. :-D

[AntiPasta]

Suhis all the way!

damn, it's like a drug for me. :-D

Yeah, its about as costly as cocaine isn't it? ;-)

[Calpis]

At least rock cocaine ;)

[Perkunas]

Hurray, someone is going to buy me a Japanese dinner for my birthday next month. What should I pick?

[dj898]

Except for abalone... slobber

abalone sashimi... yum yum yum
:-D

[cahaz]

Suhis all the way!

damn, it's like a drug for me. :-D

Yeah, its about as costly as cocaine isn't it? ;-)

:smt043 :smt043

it's not that expensive if you do it by youself. Still, you need alot of experience and testing times. :smt045

my secret is to give my own-made sushis to my dog, if he smell them but don't eat them, then it's because it wasn't a succes. If he eat them though, it was a succes.. :smt043

oh well, guess i'll never be as good as the pusher, uh i mean... :smt043

[Calpis]

I make sushi too ;) I've mastered the California roll bwahaha.

[ShadowofBob]

I'd have to say Tonkatsu or Udon. Sushi is good too. :-)

[dj898]

I can't remember the name but there's donkatsu restaurant in Yokohama near station. it's actually missus favourite place. :) Theirs is one of the best I've had for a long time... I'm sure some of people here might've been there... it's underground near dptmntstore entrance and not far from the station... as I only been there twice with missus I'm not too good with the directions but she herself took a while to locate the shop so it wasn't easy thing to find...
After the meal you can check out China town or Minaminotori 21(?) for some fun time if you are with opposite sex... he he

and there's a rather good curry rice house not far from Harajuku station.
we found it by accident and it was real tiny one at the basement - it will fit about 6-7 people with much try but its curry rice was good. real good in fact. yum... unfortunately the owner doesn't speak a word of English so you will need to drag him upstairs to point the model in the window... unless you are in the mood for a Russian Roulette. :p

[Greatsaintlouis]

Udon is tasty, and I'm also fond of tempura - not sure how authentically Japanese it is at the restaraunts here, but it's good nonetheless.

Also, taiyaki!! :-D

[Taemos]

I love the sushi around here. It's not expensive, either (I get it for free, as my brother rarely eats all of his :) ).

[Calpis]

I haven't had great sushi outside of California (specifically bay area and parts of Los Angeles) sadly even the most prestigious New York restaurants are like Asian-fusion. It's rare to find an authentic place now adays as everyone's cashing in on the Japanese cuisine business :\

If anyone ever hits northern California, PM me, my hometown Alameda is a Japanese food goldmine, there are always between 10-15 (about half of them authentic) restaurants around on the 6x3 mile island, mind you any restuarant is going to be better than your average Nebraskan Japanese restaurant but there are a few real jewels that I used to eat at weekly+.

BTW, since this is the only food thread, does anyone here like Taiwanese Boba Tea (Pearl Milk Tea)? I wonder how far that's spread, I hear there is a nationwide chain store but I haven't seen it.

[dj898]

I saw that pearl milk tea in 1999 at our Chinatown and nowadays in every shopping mall there are one or two...

for Japanese restaurants there's a small one called "sakanaya" at North Sydney. Booking is essentional - basically without booking they won't accept you as customer really - and their food is great. There's also used to be a soba restaurant at Neutral Bay but the owner went back to Japan late last year... :( And then there used to be a small restaurant ran by a couple at Mosman that served authentic Japanese home meal... sadly they closed down three years ago...

Around here it looks like authentic Japanese restaurants are disappearing and replaced by crap sushi-on-train chains...

and don't get me started on super-crap Japanese restaurants at major hotels...

[SuperGrafx]

Mmm!! Japanese food...I absolutely love it! ^_^
Honestly, there's very little I don't like...soba/udon noodles, sushi, sashimi, rice dishes, the various odd candies and snack foods. It's all very good and usually healthy too!

[Calpis]

Do you like umeboshi? I hate it, I don't know what they were thinking. Japanese love their drugs.

[tsenzen]

Okonomiyaki~! (from all regions in japan)

Negi Okonomiyaki (made with a green onion base rather than cabbage)

Takoyaki (ofcourse, from all regions in japan)

Unagi prepared using the special marinaten coals (man im gettin hungry)

hand made inhouse UDON , especially COLD SOBA~ ooooh man.

and last but not least

Chicken Katsu Curry!!! , Curry Soba and basically anything CURRY!

coco ichibanya is a preference for sure, its the best curry in the world , based on franchises.

these are the reasons why I can live in japan forever!

[WanganRunner]

Okonomiyaki
Yakitori
Unagi Donburi
Pork Katsu Curry
Bonito Onigiri
Kobe Beef (either rare or sashimi)
Sukiyaki
Toro and Chu-toro
Kake Soba
Chirashi in general
Pocari Sweat (I have the "make at home" powder now ^_^)
Yakisoba

I'm leaving out like a million things, but I have to go home now.

[Greatsaintlouis]

Is it just me, or does anyone else get the image of some wild variety of jungle pig when they see "Pocari Sweat"? I thought there was a pocari or something like that...

[AntiPasta]

Yeah a jungle pig, exactly! How spooky! :D

[JTI2K]

Well, i dont eat either pork nor fish, so when i go japanese it has to be:

*Karaage

*Beef curry rice

*(some beef dish with vegetables, i cant remember the name, too complex)

*Yellow tea

*dessert? MOCHIGASHI!! :douga :douga :douga

[Yakumo]

Yuck, I hate Mochi. I do love karaage (Fried chicken) and Japanese curry though :)

yakumo

[JTI2K]

Yuck, I hate Mochi.

Yeepe is good too, but the ones of pure azuki had the texture of a sweet potato :smt1069