Eating our way around Japan
We love food. We love Japan. So naturally we let our stomachs lead us around the land of the rising sun.
1. Tempura Tendon Tenya
This is the number one reason why we would drop everything in a heartbeat and move to Japan.
There's three awesome parts that make up a good Tendon, aka Tempuradon.
1. The airy-fried-crispy-but-not-oily tempura prawn
2. The-soft-but-not-squishy-sushi-rice
3. And the most awesome part - the-sweet-but-not-super-sweet-tendon-sauce-that-really-should-be-a-way-of-life.
We were missing it so much that we've basically started our own supply chain to procure it. We got a Japanese friend - who, FYI, haddn't heard about the sauce until we got her to try some, to try a sample. She agreed that it was amaze, so she was on the phone to her mum quick-smart to get some flown in. Her mum went to the restaurant, tried some for herself, and left with a few bottles in tow for us, and a few for her 😛
10 days later we had a supply! I told you - way of life.
Tendon Sauce - the ishh.
We even asked our friend to get it shipped via Amazon to her mum house, to then bring it with her when she came to Australia. That’s dedication, right? :)
Once your pass expires, get a Suica card. See next point. :)
2. Vendos.
Vending machines, or vendos are not like they are in Australia. Yes there is your standard Coke can and packet of chips - but there is so much more.
My favourite is getting a hot meal, and it’s not microwaved. It’s cooked in the machine! It’s amazing.
3. Convenience store lunches
Convenience store food in Japan is not your usual packaged-processed-fullofsalt/sugar/everything bad food. It’s the opposite! AM PM, Family Mart and Lawson are some of the choices and some regard their lunches better than restaurants!
4. Harajuku
Harajuku is known around the world for it's fashion, and it's worth going just to marvel. When you are there though, make sure you get hot Calbee chips from the Calbee store. But leave it to cool for a few mins before eating, then it becomes warm but squishy. So much more epic. You can only get these at Calbee Plus stores and there is one at Harajuku.
5. A Museum doesn't always mean Museum.
Like the below takoyaki museum didn't have any takoyaki on display. Let me explain. It wasn't a gallery or a place to show the history of takoyaki. It was a food court that just served just takoyaki. Same goes for the Ramen Museum. There are many types of these food court/museums, like the Cup Noodles Museum.
6. Catch your dinner
The Japanese love their gimmicks. For something a little different for dinner, fish for your fish! This was fun. When we finally caught fish (I'm very impatient so left it to Chef Merv and his Sous chef my little sister) they started to explain our options - we could have the flesh as sashimi, boiled into a miso broth, the rest grilled and the bones deep fried.
Be very careful to not catch their shark though, they specifically request it! It's a little one don't worry.
Bottom line, our tummies were very full.and we had to be very strategic with our stomach space.
If you want to see more photos from our trip, Hubby took a few photos (all 715) here.