By Cami Yee
From mouth-watering ramen to scrumptious convenience store food and delicious street vendor stalls, Japan is filled with an abundance of foods to enjoy. During Thanksgiving break, I taste-tested an assortment of various dishes from Japan and listed some of my favorites.
Convenience Store Food:
1. Twisted Donuts (7-11) – 300 Yen ($2.00)
Found at 7-11, I discovered these delectable treats on the second night of my trip and they were delicious. Although they were prepackaged, the donuts were so delicious, they were light, fluffy, and airy. From then on, these donuts became my daily breakfast.
2. Salted Chicken (7-11) – 292 Yen ($1.93)
Again, found at 7-11, I stumbled upon this tasty snack when perusing the convenience store for a quick breakfast. This salted chicken tastes like the classic rotisserie chicken but with a crispy and salty exterior. I loved eating this for breakfast every morning with twisted donuts!
3. McFlurry (McDonald’s) – 320 Yen ($2.11)
The second night of the trip, my best friend and my sister wanted to get a McFlurry, so we did. I had never tried one before and decided not to get one, but to have a taste of my sister’s. From then on, I was converted into a McFlurry monster. It was so good that I just couldn’t wait to get another McFlurry. We ended up getting one every single day after that and two on the last day of the trip.
Street Vendor:
1. Melon Pan – 500 Yen ($3.33)
When exploring a gorgeous temple my dad discovered a street filled with food stalls. I craved a small snack and ended up finding a melon pan stand. The melon pan shell was crunchy and sweet while the inside felt like a cloud.
2. 12 pc. Gyoza – 850 Yen ($5.62)
This gyoza was found at a shopping mall with an extensively beautiful food court. Drawing me in with a promise of a sample, the cashier offered me a gyoza filled with sweet chives and cabbage. Once I tasted it, I could not resist the deal and purchased a pack for my lunch. I ended up returning the next day, purchasing two packs instead, for the airplane.
3. Mickey Mouse Chicken Nuggets and Fries (DisneySea) – 400 Yen ($2.63)
After a long day of exploring the large DisneySea park, we sat down in a restaurant located in DuffyLand to eat some food. I really loved the chicken nuggets they served! You got a lot of food for only $2.63, I was extremely impressed by the price and portion size.
4. Gourmet Bagel (Mall) – 440 Yen ($2.89)
I thought that this bagel was definitely more on the expensive side, but it was worth it. With a smooth exterior and chewy interior, I was definitely surprised by the quality of this bagel. It also had a hint of a cheesy taste and I loved snacking on this bagel so much, I went back to get another!
Restaurants:
1. Ramen (Kamakura) – 970 Yen ($6.47)
After a chilly day exploring the streets of Japan, my family and I were exhausted. We stumbled upon Kamakura when venturing around a Christmas market on the Tokyo Skytree and did not regret it. Not only was the ramen $6.47, the bowls were large and filled to the brim with steaming broth, noodles, and chewy pork. The ramen was absolutely delicious and was a highlight of the trip because of the price and taste.
2. Shabu Shabu (MoMo) – 3,000 Yen ($19.73)
My best friend loves to eat shabu shabu. I, on the other hand, have never tried it before. This experience was about $20 per person for 100 minutes of unlimited food. After trying it, I can never go back. It was absolutely delicious. We had a pork broth that tastes like ramen! My favorite add-ins were napa cabbage, egg noodles (they were basically ramen noodles with a chewier consistency), and pork. It was so delicious I want to go back and try more!
