Japanese Food

[Kawaikochan]

Do you have a favorite Japanese food? Where do you usually get it? How did you first try it?

I can't really pick out my favorite. I love steamed edamame, but that's kinda boring for a thread, lol. So, I'm gonna say Japanese fried foods, like anything ~katsu :-p I don't like fried foods from any other cultures, but somehow, authentic Japanese katsu is suuuuuper crispy while the inside is nice and soft. Unfortunately (or fortunately for my waistline) I've only had this a few times.

I usually get my Asian foods from the Korean or Chinese supermarket and this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant owned by a lovely Japanese man.

[kimchininja]

I like melon bread. xD
We also have Asian supermarkets that hold some Japanese products. Fortunately we have exclusive Japanese supermarkets (legit!) that actually carry melon bread.
I also like udon because I love soft and chewy xD But other noodles are okay too. Like ramen or soba noodles.
And I like crunchy sushi! Sushi with texture and flavor is the best.
My favorite sushi is Salmon. I love the flavor of fresh salmon.

[ladyfaile]

ooh i want to try melon bread.

i'm vegan so i don't eat fish but there is a surprising amount of sushi i can have. a sushi restaurant opened up in our city finally (2 locations!) and it's my favourite place to eat. i've tried elsewhere out of town also and no matter where i go my favourite is Inari (little tofu pouches stuffed with rice) mmmmmmm
when we go for sushi i always order that, and usually the sakura roll which has avocado, i think cucumber also, and panko (crispy breadcrumbs) and hot sauce. the best!! and i like the yam tempura roll too. they also do this amazing mango roll that i love love love but it's so sweet. i get it last when everyone else at the table is having ice cream. since i can't have the ice cream the mango roll is my dessert lol.

i find it funny that the staff at the sushi places here are all Chinese though, and there are soooo many spelling mistakes on their menus, it cracks me up. but the food is fantastic and it's all you can eat so no complaints

[Kawaikochan]

@kimchininja
OMG I wish we had a Japanese grocery store. The Korean and Chinese supermarkets here are legit, major supermarkets from Korean and China. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate my Japanese vegetarian restaurant, but sometimes I want to stroll through the isles and buy random things without spending a lot of money.

@ladyfaile
You can also make vegan onigiri. If you don't mind fermented foods, I like to mix a little miso paste with honey and use that as the stuffing. You can substitute crushed dates or agave nectar for the honey. Sometimes I make a bunch of tiny ones in the fridge for quick snacks.

[ladyfaile]

i've still never tried onigiri. i'll have to look up recipes and see what i can make with what's available around here (not much, no asian market)

[Aya]

i've still never tried onigiri. i'll have to look up recipes and see what i can make with what's available around here (not much, no asian market)

You'll enjoy it xD

As for me, my favorite would be Dango, Chicken Oyakodon, Ichigo Daifuku and Omurice xD

We don't have a lot of Japanese Stores/Restaurants in here though. We get our ingredients straight from Japan if we want to cook some Japanese Foods.

[Kawaikochan]

You'll enjoy it xD

As for me, my favorite would be Dango, Chicken Oyakodon, Ichigo Daifuku and Omurice xD

We don't have a lot of Japanese Stores/Restaurants in here though. We get our ingredients straight from Japan if we want to cook some Japanese Foods.

I am dying to try Japanese desserts. They all look soooo good. I've looked up recipes before, but I wish I had some frame of reference for taste and texture. for now, I just look at pictures and drool, hehe.

[ladyfaile]

i know right, especially the little bite sized pastries, like little edible works of art. i wonder if there are any vegan dessert shops in Tokyo =/

[Kawaikochan]

from what I hear, vegan in Japan is tough because they use a lot of meat/fish parts to season things, even if it's not a meat dish. But something like mochi with fruit or bean filling seems like a promising option Also, I'm sure somewhere in Japan that is a trendy vegan bakery, lol. They're always on to what's cool.

[Aya]

I am dying to try Japanese desserts. They all look soooo good. I've looked up recipes before, but I wish I had some frame of reference for taste and texture. for now, I just look at pictures and drool, hehe.

Well, there are a lot of Japanese Desserts that you can make by buying the ingredients in the local market. Like uhmm... Ichigo Daifuku for example. I'm pretty much sure that you have Red Beans over there and strawberries too. Flour, sugar etc... xD Though it might not taste exactly like the one in Japan, at least you have an idea of what it may taste like. xP

Coffee Jelly, for me, is the easiest one to make. Its ingredients are really cheap xD