typical tokyo dishes

The 24-hour stores also have various pre-cooked products and offer the possibility of cooking or heating some of the dishes they sell (noodles, rice or pasta).

Japanese gastronomy

Without being as millenary as the Chinese or as reputed as the French, Japanese cuisine is present in more and more countries and gets followers day by day.


Among the most important dishes of Japanese cuisine are:


Sushi: Marinated cooked rice with different ingredients. The most common is that it is accompanied by raw fish or seafood, although it is not the only variety.

Sashimi: It could be defined as fish carpaccio or raw seafood.

Ramen: Japanese noodle soup. You can bring soup of different types (salt, soy or miso) and different accompaniments (chicken, loin, eggs, etc.).

Okonomiyaki: Some compare it with pizza and others with the tortilla. Okonomiyaki is a dough of several grilled ingredients.

Yakitori: Although traditionally it has been a grilled chicken skewer, you can currently find yakitori beef, fish, seafood and other ingredients.

Gyoza: Steamed dumplings passed by the iron, similar to the Chinese Dim Sum.
Yakisoba: Fried noodles with a difficult taste to define.

Teriyaki: More than a dish is a cooking technique. It has a sweet taste and is served with various ingredients.

Tempura: Vegetables, seafood or fried meats with a soft batter.


Fugu: The famous puffer fish, very expensive and poisonous, can only be consumed in authorized premises.

Budget

Eating in Tokyo and, in Japan in general, can be surprisingly economical. In most of the street stores you will find dishes from 600 yen and, believe us, a dish is more than enough for almost everyone.

In addition to the low price of the dishes, all restaurants serve free water and tea. On the other hand, we must remember that you should not leave a tip.


It goes without saying that if you want to spend money, in Tokyo you will find hundreds of restaurants to satisfy your desire


Fast food


If you get tired of Japanese food and don't have too much time, fast-food venues abound in Japan too. Local restaurants that compete with McDonalds and Burger King would be: Lotteria (our favorite), First Kitchen (in addition to hamburgers they serve pasta and other quite good dishes) and Mos Burger (the weakest by far).


Bento boxes

Bento boxes are takeout boxes. It is very common that when traveling by train the Japanese bring their food.

The prices of Bento boxes are quite cheap and you can buy boxes from 500 yen. Most of the supermarkets and the vast majority of restaurants sell takeaway food.

Taste the Japanese cuisine

If you want to try the typical dishes of Tokyo cuisine and learn about their culinary traditions, it is best to book a gastronomic tour in Spanish. On our website you can book them in advance:

• Shinyuku Food Tour
• Shiyuba food tour

What to eat in Tokyo; 10 typical dishes to try

1. Dorayaki

Eating in Tokyo is an experience with countless dishes to try, so we will start with something simple, one of the classics for the Japanese. Dorayaki is a sweet sandwich cake filled with red bean paste.

Fillers can vary, from dried fruit, green tea cream, chestnuts or cream. It is perfect for travelers, since it does not take up much space and is easily transported. Ideal option while you are sightseeing and getting to know new places.

2. Mitarashi Dango

They are delicious balls of rice flour dough that are roasted on charcoal. Once made, they are placed on bamboo skewers and bathed with a sweet soy sauce glaze.


You will enjoy a sweet taste mixed with unique salty. They have a taffy texture. Another big point in favor is that they are very cheap, so without realizing it you will be buying several of these skewers of how good they are.



3. Tamagoyaki


Tamagoyaki cannot be missed as an answer when we ask ourselves what to eat in Tokyo, since it is part of the local cuisine and is something that the people of Tokyo enjoy every day: the famous Japanese sweet tortilla.

It is one of the traditional dishes of Tokyo that consists of a Japanese omelette that is served punctured on a small rod. It is a sweet, fluffy and extremely delicious tortilla that has a roasted exterior.


The literal translation of tamagoyaki is “grilled egg”, since it is made using several layers of egg in a pan.




4. Sushi


It is clear that if we talk about the typical dishes in Tokyo you can not miss the sushi, since it is the best known Japanese food in the world.
If you think that the sushi you eat near your home is good, you will discover that Tokyo sushi is simply at another level, a level of wealth that you will not get tired of enjoying.


You will discover that wasabi comes directly into sushi, between fish and rice. If the wasabi is not to your liking, you will have to specify it before ordering at a restaurant. Another very typical and sushi-related dish is sashimi.




5. Kobe meat

When you are enjoying the cuisine of Tokyo and trying everything you want, Kobe meat will become one of your favorite dishes. As soon as you try it, you will realize that you have not tried an equal meat.

Kobe veal or Kobe ox comes from specimens that are raised in relation to a strict tradition. This meat is famous for its texture and flavor.

Kobe meat is usually quite expensive and the portions are not that large, but it is a gastronomic experience that is really worth it.

6. Takoyaki

Another of the important names in the Japanese food that you must try, is the takoyaki, some crispy balls of flour that have inside pieces of octopus, ginger and onion.

it is a street food, so you will not have problems to find it in different markets or “food tracks” scattered throughout the city. They are not very expensive and it is one of the best Japanese dishes you can try. You will never forget its taste!

7. Yakitori

Among the street food stalls, we also have to highlight the yakitori or kushiyaki, chicken skewers with vegetables that look delicious.

These skewers are put on charcoal until they are ready and then they are usually bathed in tare sauce and sweet soy frosting. It is one of the typical dishes of Japan that you can not miss during your trip.

8. Ramen

Ramen is a traditional Japanese dish that is served in many restaurants in Japan. It consists of a hot noodle soup with meat broth, egg and different side dishes.

It is tradition to absorb it when you have little left, as it will mean that you liked it a lot. It is one of the most delicious dishes of Japanese cuisine!

9. Gyozas

In this list about Japanese dishes we can not mention the gyozas, delicious dumplings or dumplings stuffed with minced meat, vegetables or seafood.

They are also called jiaozi or mandu. They are accompanied with soy sauce and vinegar, and also rice. It is common to seal these dumplings with your fingers. You have to try them!

10. Tonkatsu

Arriving at the end of the list on what to eat in Tokyo, we did not find the tonkatsu, which is nothing more than meat and vegetables battered, and then be fried. It is usually accompanied with a bowl of rice.

There are some variants of this typical dish, such as oyakodon and katsudon, the first chicken and the second pork.

For the amount of food that is usually received when ordering, its price is not so expensive, since for approximately 700 yen you will be completely satisfied.