A foodie's guide: Tokyo, top 15 dishes part 2 (Places 7 through 1)

Aaaaand here's part 2 of the guide!!! ;)

7. Miso soup and tsukemono (pickles)

I hate soups. I know it's bad to start a paragraph on a soup with that sentence, but yeah, I hate soups. There are only a few I enjoy, and miso is one of them. It's not a difficult soup to make, really. The best thing about it is the taste - rich, salty flavour with great mix of spices - Miso is the best way to start a meal in Japan!

6. Mochi

That is one weird, but tasty experience! Mochi is basically steamed rice pounded into a solid, sticky mass with different filling inside (most traditional ones are red bean paste, black sesame and green tea). They are extremely popular in Japan and in other Asian countries. Though none of the traditional flavours seem attractive, you must try mochi! It definitely is a different take on sweets!

5. Katsudon or Oyakodon (rice dish with pork/chicken cutlet and egg)

One hell of an awesome one-pot wonder! Oyakodon and katsudon are usually served in those little hole-in-the-wall restaurants with electronic food ordering machines. They are done within 5 minutes from you placing the order, and are served steaming hot;) a pretty tasty deal!

4. Sushi normal style

There is nothing better in the world than sushi in Japan. Nothing and nobody can beat that taste! The thing is, sushi in Japan js pretty inexpensive. And served with the freshest ingredients!

3. Tonkatsu

I come from a country where tonkatsu is an every day dish ;) But our tonkatsu is definitely different from the Japanese one. The original tonkatsu is flavourful, juicy and crispy, usually served with a salad or cabbage. It is one of the cheapest meals you can get in Japan, and one of the best!

2. Sushi conveyer belt style

There is one place in Tokyo that is a must - Sushi Zanmai in Akihabara district ( (すしざんまい), Yodobashi Akiba 1F/8F). The first floor outlet is a traditional chef and counter operation, the eighth floor is a more foreigner-friendly "conveyor belt"-style. Plates ¥98-628. 

1. Onigiri (rice balls with filling)

Onigiri are, what I like to call, surprise food. Why? Cuz my Japanese reading skills are non-existent, so I never know what I'll get in my rice ball. The inside is a big mystery and it is actually fun to eat - you can play the guessing game with your friends trying to guess what exactly is inside your onigiri :) And, to be honest, onigiri is my favourite food from Japan - fun, creative, handy... Beats sushi just because it's great to eat during travelling :)

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A foodie's guide: Tokyo, top 15 dishes part 1 (Places 15 through 8)

As I've mentioned before, Tokyo was for me a mythical experience. But besides visiting the city of my dreams, I went there to experience, in my opinion, the most amazing culinary culture in the world. 

My friends and I had a list of things we simply must eat :) And that list was looong :) I have chosen only the top 15 dishes worth mentioning. so, here it comes - a foodie's guide to Tokyo, Top 15! 

15. Matcha tea

Well, matcha is, and always will be, a big no-no for me. It tastes like fish water. I'm sorry, but I cannot understand the appeal of matcha at all. But I'm also not very fond of green tea...

14. Takoyaki (deep-fried balls with octopus inside)

Takoyaki is... Well, I still have no idea whether I like them or not. I love octopus, I love bacon, and I love deep fried stuff. But takoyaki, which basically combines all of the above, is a one weird culinary experience! It is actuall gooey on the inside, and crispy on the outside. But it is street food, so whenever you are feeling hungry, go buy some takoyaki! ;)

13.  Soba noodles

Soba (蕎麦, そば) are thin brown buckwheat noodles, also known as Nihon-soba ("Japanese soba"). The taste... well, soba is really tasty, but the flavour heavily depends on what you're having with your soba ;)

12. Udon noodles

Udon (うどん) are those thick white wheat noodles served usually in a hot broth, or  in a Japanese curry. The same as soba - the taste depends on the broth ;) I had hard time deciding, which noodles style I liked better ;)

11. Ramen noodles

Noodles in Japan, whether it's ramen, soba or udon, they are the best! I have never tasted anything that rich and flavourful as noodles in Tokyo. Well, besides Italian pasta. Because Italian pasta is awesome ;)

Ramen (ラーメン) are those thin light yellow noodles served in hot chicken or pork broth with various toppings. They are of Chinese origin, but actually are the most popular in all Japan!

10. Tempura veggies

I honestly think tempura should be an obligatory way of serving veggies! Even if you take the most boring veggies in the world (cauliflower, anyone?) and deep-fry them in tempura batter, they WILL taste  better!

9. Bentō

We have never tried an awesome looking bento set you see in photos. I guess in order to get one like that, you need to have a Japanese mother ;) we only tried the plain looking bentos from supermarket. They were inexpensive, relatively tasty and easy to carry around. But I still prefer onigiri ;)

8.  MOS Rice Burger

That was actually a surprise on our list. I was in Japan with two Americans, and when I told them there is q burger joint on my list, they basically told me I'm crazy. But we went to MOS for a rice burger and t actually was an awesome meal! Even though MOS is a fast food restaurant, it is so unlike McDonalds, it will satisfy even the most picky eaters! And they have shrimp burgers, so it is heaven on earth when it comes to fast and cheap food :)

To be continued!!! 

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Top tips on how to experience Tokyo while on a budget

This summer, after finishing my contract in China, I decided to visit the city of my childhood dreams - Tokyo. Throughout years, I've been dreaming of visiting the mythical Tokyo, a place where there are hundreds of thousands of schoolgirls walking around, where there are arcade places all over the city, and where there are weird demons and gigantic robots dropping by every now and then. Yup, as you can see, my fascination with Japan came from watching too many animes :)

  

 

But on a serious note, together with some friends, we've planned a 5 day trip to Tokyo. We wanted to do all the touristy stuff with a twist - eating as many authentic dishes as we could. And believe me, we came prepared! We had a list of all the important dishes we have to try. And that list was loooooong! But I'll serve u my foodie guide later on, first, let's stick to basics - how to visit Tokyo when you are on a budget?

A view of modern part of Tokyo

Nijubashi Bridge

Before going to Tokyo, I went throught many guide books and websites about Japan. All of them had one thing in common - they focused on the sightseeing part of the trip warning people that Tokyo is an expensive city to travel to. The thing is, Tokyo can be cheap. If you are a person who doesn't need silk sheets in a 5-star hotel and a taxi ride to everywhere, Tokyo can be as cheap as any city! 

Just follow those simple rules!

1. Find a flight in advance

This one is a no-brainer - wherever you are flying from and whatever your destination is, a flight is cheaper when you book it in advance. It's always a gamble though, as the prices can change overnight. Try avoiding the so-called 'promotions', as they are actually sales of very expensive tickets (as e.g in Europe's favourite airline RyanAir). What we usually do is to look for flight connections online (www.skyscanner.com) and check, how the price changes overtime. My flight to Tokyo was from Shanghai  with AirChina (2000 Chinese Yuan both ways), found via www.elong.net

2. Accommodation is the key

Finding a cheap place to stay in the city centre might be a pain in the ass, but it's worth it. If you live in the city centre, you can save money on transport and save time on commuting every day. The place we've found in Tokyo was in a traditional Ryokan style in Asakusa District, one of the most traditional in Tokyo. The hostel's name was Khaosan Tokyo Annex, and it was situated within 10 mins walking distance from Asakusa Metro Station. It was actually a pretty decent place to live in! As usual, it was booked through www.booking.com (which for us is by far the best accommodation website there is!).

Imperial Palace

3. Public transport is a must

Don't get me wrong, public transport in Tokyo is expensive. But not as expensive as using taxis, for example :) But you can save up on the transport buying a Tokunai Pass (都 区内パス). It is a one-day pass valid for travels on JR lines anywhere in the 23 wards of Tokyo. It costs ¥730, making it economical if you plan to make five or more train hops in one day. And trust me, you will use it - Tokyo is a veeeeery big city!

Akihabara (plus, on the 8th floor, the best sushi restaurant)

4. Fooooooood!

Tokyo is a paradise for foodies! It basically is a all-you-can-taste city. There are food joints literally everywhere! They are ranging from cheap places with special machines to make an order to expensive places with Kobe beef and Fugu fish. When you're on a budget, you can forget about Kobe or Fugu, but all the cheap places are still available! Our tip - always go where the natives are! The people from Tokyo know best, were the great food places are! So if you find yourself hungry, just look for a restaurant with the biggest number of natives! It probably won't be a tourist trap, and you can count on the food being delicious and cheap!

Asakusa

5. Look for special offers

There are at least 3 or 4 places where you can admire panoramic views of Tokyo and its skyline. The thing is, almost all of them require you to pay the entrance fee. But when you are on a budget, you cannot afford to waste money on unnecessary entrance fees. That's why you must look for special offers & cheap places to visit! Instead of going to Tokyo Skytree or Tokyo Tower to see the skyline of one of the most lively cities in the world, you can go to Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and see the same skyline for free! 

Tokyo Skytree by nite

6. And first of all, enjoy yourself!

Wherever you are, the first rule of travelling should be 'Enjoy yourself'! There is no point in stressing over places to see or things to do, because you won't be happy with any of those things while stressed. Just relax, enjoy your time in a new city, and get lost in it! It actually is a better experience, just wandering aimlessly through the streets of Tokyo, than running like crazy through the city just to see a small statue, a building or a museum! If you are a foodie, make a list of things you wanna eat and go through it! If you are an Anime fan, go to Akihabara and spend a day surrounded by all the Otakus of Japan! So, before going to Tokyo, decide what interests you the most, and stick to it!

Tokyo's randomness

 

Sensoji Temple

Shibuya crossing

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