Exchange in Japan; What to eat? Part II

Last year, my friend Tim came back after two months of living in Japan. He had an awesome time there!
Today, Tim is gave me an insight as to what type of food he ate on a day-to-day basis in Japan!

Everyone say hello to my friend Tim! He is currently studying a Masters in Teaching at UNSW, but first did International Studies majoring in Japanese at Macquarie!

Tim said:

"um

there was cafeteria food

but i went to conbini a lot

onigiri i ate a lot of actually, if i had to pick something"

Thank you for that Tim! Sounds unique!

Ken from Kanto!

Hey guys!
As i have mentioned previously, Japan is a long and slim country meaning that there are different cultures varying from each region.

My good friend Ken is from the Kanto region, he is from Tokyo, and if you look closely, he is from the region with number 13 in the above map.

SAY HELLO TO MY FRIEND KEN!

Doesn't he just look too happy? HAHA.

Anyway, today Ken has given me various insights on what is good food in Japan!

Everyone, excited?
I know I am!

Ken's Top 5 Favourite Japanese food:

1. Sushi

2. Yakiniku

3. Monjayaki

4. Yakitori

5. Tempura

What Ken says Top 5 Famous Food in Tokyo is:

1. Monjayaki 

2. Natto

3. Tokyo Banana

4. Hato Sabure

5. Taiyaki

Top 5 Japanese food Ken Loves to Make:

1. Omurice

2. Udon

3. Tonkatsu

4. Hamburg

. 

5. Nikujaga

Thank You Ken for giving us a wonderful insight about Japanese food!

Source: Map
Images 

McDonalds in Japan...

I guess its nearly impossible to be in a country without at least 1 Mc Donalds fast food outlet. Behind America which has nearly 13 thousand restaurants, Japan has 3.5 thousand McDonalds restaurants. Like most multinational companies that rise in various Asian countries, McDonalds has modified their menu to cater for the Asian palate. So how has the major fastfood chain changed its menu you ask? Well here it is:

Breakfast Menu

As you can see there are various extra items on the menu in Japan. One extra special item that is missing on this menu is the megamuffin, you can say its like a Sausage and Egg McMuffin on steroids.

Mega Muffin

Lunch & Dinner Menu

Like the breakfast menu, the lunch and dinner menu also has lots of significant differences. Such as the Mac Pork, Juicy Chicken Akatougarashi, Teriyaki Mac Burger, Shrimp Fillet-o and the humongous, Mega Mac.

So different it needs to be pointed out:

Bacon & Potato Pie

Croquette Burger

Shaka Shaka Chicken

Ahh, isn't the Japanese McDonalds Menu totally interesting? I wonder if this menu would ever work in Australia? hmm

Source:Mc Donalds Japan

Fake Food

Who would of known plastic can make your mouth water?

Restaurant display case (1)

If you've ever visited a Japanese restaurant either in Japan or in Australia there is a large possibility that you've seen plates and bowls of food in glass displays near the entrance of these premises and just wanted to eat them all up. FYI they're plastic. Too real right?

They even have plastic displays of simple sandwiches (2)

These fake food displays are usually made of plastic and should depict exactly how food would look like when served to you. I've heard in some cases, if you receive food that doesn't look exactly like the display, it is taken back and you are given a new plate/bowl of food that looks exactly the same, but of course real.
As restaurants' dishes vary in size and image, plastic food displays are in most cases custom made for each restaurant. Its so crazy how they can make it look so real. Apparently some manufacturers cook the plastic pieces in the actual sauces and such to make it look even more real. More and more asian countries are now also using this technique to lure customers into their restaurants which has thus caused the increase popularity in the plastic-food making craft.
Its crazy how real these displays look. But remember they're fake. hahaha :)

(1)|(2)

Kiiko from Kansai!

Hello everyone;
I don't know if most of you guys are aware but Japan being a slim and long country separated into different islands means that a vast majority of the country have different cultures from each area.

My good friend Kiiko is from the Kansai region, she is from Osaka, and if you look closely, she is from the region with number 27 in the above map.

SAY HELLO TO MY FRIEND KIIKO!

Isn't she cute?

Anyway, today Kiiko has given me various insights on what is good food in Japan!
Everyone, excited?
I know I am!

Kiiko's Top 5 Favourite Japanese food:

1. Sushi

2. Sashimi

3. Takoyaki

4. Doria

5. Ramen

What Kiiko says Top 5 Famous Food in Osaka is:

1. Takoyaki

 

2. Okonomiyaki

3. Kushikatsu

4. Yakisoba

5. 551Butaman

Top 5 Japanese food Kiiko Loves to Make:

1. Nikujaga

2. Japanese Curry

3. Shogayaki

4. Oyakodon

5. Takoyaki

                              Thank You Kiiko for giving us a wonderful insight about Japanese food!

Source: Map
Food

January - February 2011; Japanese food trip ♥

After completing my HSC at the end of Year 12 in 2010, I together with two of my friends went to Japan for three weeks from the 13th of January until the 2nd of February just before University was about to start.

We went to Japan to explore and enrich our young minds ;)

... but in reality it became a food trip! ♥

Japan has a rich and vibrant culture,  despite the hustle and bustle of the busy city streets of Tokyo, embedded within the modernity of the city is the cultivated Japanese culture of food.

Everywhere we went, delicious food tempted our hungry stomachs.
Mum wasn't around to cook us food so it was inevitable that we would spend our money on feeding ourselves right?
In the end, it was very much worth it. From Japan's fast food chains to its' convenience store food, everything was tasty, an abundance of delicious food was everywhere.

First night in Japan, had a Hamburger steak with chips, tempura and rice. This was amazing :)

This particular type of food mixes Japan's culture with Western-type food.

       Apple and chocolate wafer ice cream parfait.

Believe it or not, Japan has a deep love and appreciation for pretty looking desserts! doesn't it look wonderful?

This is called 'Hayashi Rice' with extra egg . Hayashi rice is a very popular Japanese dish with a western twist. It is sliced pieces of beef in a special marinated sauce drizzled with some special Japanese infused mayonnaise! This stuff is divine! Can't you guys tell by the photo I took? DELICIOUS!

Japanese supermarket snacks anyone? All this, so good! satisfied our cravings! FOOD IN JAPAN IS EVERYWHERE!! Shows the prevalence of food in Japanese culture :)

Japanese Styled Parfait infused with the Japanese flavour of red bean! YUM!

HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOYED AND REALISED THE FOOD IN JAPAN IS DELICIOUS!

Til next time! xo.