Okinawa is officially a part of Japan, yet Okinawa soba both in the broth and the noodles is nothing like Japanese ramen and instead is closer to Chinese noodles. It feels slightly awkward to introduce it as a Japanese cuisine.
Many similar tourist locations such as Tsukiji end up confusing tourists with too many restaurants available, but in Otaru, you can simply head over to the Otaru Sankaku Market for a concentration of 6 small shops that serves up some of the best kaisendon in the country.
Japanese people have the longest average life expectancy in the entire world. They also hold the title of being one of the healthiest in the world. Is it all because of their genes? Hmm... not quite. Japanese are said to have a very healthy diet, which contributes a lot to how healthy they are. Here are some of them!
"Ebi" is shrimp in Japanese, and while "soba" usually refers to the buckwheat noodles, they are sometimes used to refer to ramen as well (for example, abura soba, mazesoba, and here we have ebisoba).
Fukui is one of several prefectures in Japan that are famous for delicious soba. In Fukui City, the most popular soba restaurant is probably Shakudani Soba, and I highly recommend it.
Recently we had a chance to try a popular chain near Shibuya station. Genki Sushi and their sister restaurant Uobei Sushi offer an affordable option just a few minutes walk from Shibuya Station. The average sushi at these locations costs between ¥108 and ¥194 per roll. Other chains would likely have similar pricing.
These are delicacies that are way beyond what I can afford, and even if I can, I would rather go for my favourite bowl of ramen instead for much cheaper. So when a friend told me about the Michelin 1 star ramen restaurants in Japan, specifically in Tokyo, I thought that I have no excuses not to try it the next time I was in the area. Nakiryu ramen, famous for the tantanmen was my next destination.
That also means that eating fruit as part of a daily, balanced diet is not a Japanese custom. What you may have grown up thinking of as an after school snack, in Japan is a delicacy, reserved at first only for the noble class, and later for special ceremonial meals like weddings and funerals.
Starting from April 29 is Golden Week, a week of national holidays in Japan which include Constitution Day, Greenery Day, and Children's Day; making May one of the busiest months of the year in Japan. They have a “Tango no Sekku” custom to pray for well-being and healthy growth of boys on 5 May, Children's Day. The types of food that come with the season are also exciting to look forward to. There are two kinds of wagashi (Japanese sweets) eaten during this “Tango no Sekku”.
However, most of these condiments are actually things you are likely to have sitting around at home too, which means you too can use them to up your noodles game when you are eating at home. Here are 10 great ideas to make your domestic ramen experiences even better:
Many foreign visitors might have seen it and been intrigued by it without knowing its name or the fact that it is a genre of ramen. So what is Jirokei Ramen about that makes it unique and impressive? Let’s explore it together.
Below are five snack souvenirs available in Kagoshima prefecture that are well worth picking up if you're visiting.
