food 食べ物 tabemono

Japan’s culinary landscape is a delicate balance between “so beautiful you don’t want to eat it” and “so delicious you can’t stop eating it.” From simple street food to elaborate 懐石 kaiseki multi-course meals, Japanese cuisine celebrates seasonality, presentation, and the art of making the ordinary extraordinary.

Need to know:

• Most dishes come with ご飯 gohan (rice).
• Portions are smaller than Western servings, but you’ll order multiple dishes.
• Start the meal by saying いただきます Itadakimasu! (I humbly receive).
• Conclude the meal by saying ご馳走様でした Gochisōsama deshita (It was a feast).
• Slurping noodles is not just allowed but encouraged – it shows appreciation.
• Confused by the cutlery? See chopsticks for a primer.

Reading the menu

The weird plastic food displays (食品サンプル shokuhin sampuru) outside restaurants are your best friends when you can’t read the menu. Want to give the menu a try? Then here’s your essential Japanese food vocabulary:

• 茶碗蒸し chawanmushi: Steamed egg custard
• 丼 donburi: Rice bowl with toppings
• 枝豆 edamame: Steamed, salted young soybeans
• 餃子 gyōza: Meat or veggie dumplings
• 懐石料理 kaiseki ryōri: Japanese-style taste platter with small dishes
• 菓子パン kashipan: Sweet-filled Japanese pastry buns
• カレーライス karē raisu: Curry rice, mildly sweet curry over rice with meat and veggies
• 神戸牛 Kōbe gyū: Wagyu beef from the Tajima strain of Japanese Black cattle
• おでん oden: A Japanese hot pot dish, popular in the winter season
• 明太子 mentaiko: Savoury marinated cod roe topping
• 味噌汁 miso shiru: Savoury soup with seaweed and often tofu
• 納豆 nattō: Fermented, sticky soybeans
• 肉じゃが nikujaga: Hearty meat and potato stew
• お好み焼き okonomiyaki: Japanese savoury pancakes with mix-ins
• おにぎり onigiri: Rice balls with flavourful fillings
• ラーメン rāmen: Flavourful, hearty noodle soup
• 刺身 sashimi: Fresh, raw seafood slices (no rice included)
• しゃぶしゃぶ shabu-shabu: A type of hot pot dish similar to sukiyaki
• そば soba: Buckwheat noodles
• すき焼き sukiyaki: Rich, sweet-savoury hot pot
• 寿司 sushi: Vinegared rice with toppings, often (but not always) raw seafood
• たこ焼き takoyaki: Octopus-filled savoury balls
• 玉子焼き tamagoyaki: Sweet, fluffy layered omelette
• 天ぷら tempura: Crispy, deep-fried seafood or veggies
• 鉄板焼き teppanyaki: Food prepared on a metal plate
• 豆腐 tōfu: Coagulated soy milk, pressed into blocks
• 豚カツ tonkatsu: Crispy, deep-fried, succulent pork cutlet
• うどん udon: Thick noodles in a savoury broth
• うなぎの蒲焼き unagi no kabayaki: Sweet-glazed, grilled eel on rice
• 和菓子 wagashi: Traditional sweet treats with beans and fruits
• 和牛 wagyū: Collective name for four Japanese breeds of beef cattle
• 焼きそば yakisoba: Stir-fried noodles with savoury sauce
• 焼き鳥 yakitori: Grilled chicken skewers

Not looking for a restaurant meal? Consider a visit to a konbini.