Japan – Ling’s favourite country for holiday
Food
Japan is one country where my family and friends never felt they missed Singapore food when we holiday there. There are so many types of food available in Japan and each region/area has their local specialities as well. There was once I tried to eat different thing every meal throughout my 2 weeks and I still didn’t manage to try all the specialities for that region.
I enjoyed having Kaiseki Ryori (traditional Japanese multi-course haute cuisine) whenever I stay at a Ryokan. It’s quite an enjoyment after a nice hot soak in the Onsen. Kaiseki Ryori appeals not only to the mouth; the eyes get to feast as well. Besides the fresh seafood in Japan, I also love eating Japanese beef and have tried a number of different Wagyu beef.
Even the Western cuisines in Japan were good. I once saw, on a Japanese TV program in Singapore, an Italian restaurant, helmed by a Japanese chef, getting good reviews. Happened we were going to Osaka, and I made a reservation for the family. It was a long walk and I was hoping the meal was worth the walk or I’d get an earful from my family. My Mum declared the pasta was the best she had ever tasted. This is high praise coming from my Mum as she had always thought of pasta as overpriced Bak Chor Mee. Everyone enjoyed the affordable meal, even my nephew who was feasting only on the bread.
If you’re tired of all that and just want a nice cup noodles, guess what? You’re in the land of Instant and Cup Noodles itself! Just hop into any supermarket or Konbini and grab one of the many different flavours of Cup Noodles to satisfy your cravings. We always look out for new flavours to try and would buy some to bring back too.
Japan has many great tasting cakes and desserts. The only trouble is finding tummy space to fit them in after eating all the good stuff for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At such times, I think we all wished we were like cows with 4 stomachs.
Japan isn’t only about raw seafood
Don’t worry even if you don’t eat raw seafood, as Japan has so many different cuisines, you’d be able to find things to eat. I’ve known a couple of people who declared they don’t eat raw seafood and have second thoughts about visiting Japan. I’d advise even if you don’t like it, please try it when you’re in Japan.
I’d once travelled with a friend’s friend who was told that she needed to eat whatever we ate if she went Japan with us. When we arrived at the first restaurant, she declared she didn’t eat raw fish. It was quite frustrating as we just started our trip and we were in a sushi restaurant! Luckily the sushi chef could aburi (flame grill) the fish slices. When we were having our Kaiseki dinner at a Ryokan on Sado Island, I told her I wasn’t going to make any special arrangements for her to avoid or replace the raw seafood. When the sashimi platter came, guess who ate it all without any issue? She had discovered how delicious raw seafood was.
There are other friends who don’t like raw seafood but love eating sushi and sashimi in Japan. I believe it’s the freshness of seafood in Japan that made the food taste so good. When we travel, we need to keep an open mind to experience what that country can offer. If after trying the raw seafood in Japan and you still don’t like it, there are still plenty of cooked food to fall back on.
Check my post on Japan Food Tips for information on where to find food when holidaying in Japan.
