Japanese Food Beyond Sushi: The Guide to Eating Well

Reducing Japanese cuisine to sushi is like reducing France to the baguette. Japan is probably the country where you eat best in the world, at every price — provided you know the map of possibilities.

The pantheon of dishes not to miss

• Ramen: every region has its style — Fukuoka’s creamy tonkotsu, Sapporo’s miso, Tokyo’s shōyu. A national religion at ¥900.
• Tempura: at a counter, piece by piece, it’s another world from the “plate of fried things” version.
• Yakitori: chicken in all its states, grilled over charcoal, one skewer at a time.
• Soba and udon: the purists’ noodles — cold in summer with dipping sauce, hot in winter.
• Unagi, tonkatsu, gyōza, Japanese curry, onigiri: the everyday heroes.
• Kaiseki: the haute cuisine of the seasons — an experience to treat yourself to once, ideally at a ryokan.

How to find the good places

Forget Google ratings (Japanese reviewers score harshly: 3.5 is often excellent). The real signs: a line of salarymen at 12:05, a short menu, a worn noren curtain, a counter rather than tables. Basements and upper floors hide countless marvels invisible from the street.

The rituals that enrich the meal

“Itadakimasu” before, “gochisōsama” after. Slurping your noodles loudly is a compliment. The oshibori (hot towel) is for your hands. And at the counter, the chef loves to be trusted: “omakase” (I leave it to you) is the magic word that unlocks the best meals.

Allergies, diets, vegetarians

Dashi (bonito stock) slips in everywhere: strict vegetarianism is a real challenge without help. Temple cuisine (shōjin ryōri) is the royal road. For allergies, a card written in Japanese avoids any misunderstanding — our guides handle this daily for their travelers, from choosing the restaurant to placing the order.