Sushi
Is there a place left in the world that’s not tried to serve us some sushi travesty (Philadelphia and rice ftw!)? Probably not. Is the Japanese version far superior and well worth stuffing your face with it? Definitely yes.
We are serious here. Not only are the ingredients better but the cosy, almost family-like atmosphere in sushi spots around Japan is not to be missed. We went to a tiny, tiny sushi place in Osaka near the Tempozan Ferris wheel and were so delighted we got to eat there. A couple of locals shuffled away quickly to one end of the 9-seater restaurant to make room for us and the owner gave us the best show – live making of a Japanese omelette (that chop sticks game was impressive), fresh grating of wasabi (shockingly, it comes from a root, not a tube), quick fish slicing with the sharpest possible knife. He even made us this masterpiece of a gift, after asking curiously about our tattoos and us firmly denying any ties to the mafia.
This is the restaurant by the way, if you're ever in Osaka give it a try:
Meat
Wagyu, the finest beef in the world, is all around and you can have it in every one of the markets around, or cook it yourself in a Korean bbq-style restaurant. It is a bit expensive (or very expensive, depending on where you eat it) but if you like beef this is a must.
Fish
You should have the fish. This should really be non-negotiable. Even if, like Kiril, you don’t normally eat anything that lives in the water. It is so fresh you can’t possibly get disappointed.
Side note: this is probably a good place to also reassure those of you who have more sensitive stomachs about food in Japan in general – all the ingredients are very good quality and everything is impeccably clean. You can still experience distress but the risks are as low as they can be. Unless you’re like our friend Steven and his McDonald’s menu and dodgy hot dogs that took him offline for a couple of days. But we can’t really put that on Japan :)
Ramen
We really experienced only a few main types of ramen - clear or milky broth, soba or udon, pork or beef, egg or… no egg and a spicy option. But every place we went to made them slightly differently and they were all worth trying. This is one of our favourite foods and we found it to be equally tasty in hot weather as it is in the cold.
One special type of ramen we tried came cold with some ice cubes in the mix. It wasn’t what we were expecting and the best way we can describe it is disappointment in a bowl. Do not recommend.
Miso soup
This is the most delicious soup made of… nothing. No really, there’s nothing in it, a few bits of chopped spring onions and a few cubes of tofu but that’s about all you will have in your bowl. The broth is really tasty though and we wholeheartedly recommend you get it. It’s offered as part of the meal in most restaurants and it’s a great starter.