The desire to devour the entire cuisine:)

In 1891, automobiles leisurely cruising along French village roads were just beginning to gain popularity. During that time, brothers Édouard and André Michelin founded a tire company with the aim of making car tires more durable and practical. However, they faced a problem: only a small number of drivers were embarking on long journeys with their cars. To showcase the durability of their tires and encourage people to travel more, they came up with a creative idea: the “Michelin Guide.”

The first Michelin Guide, published in 1900, had a simple purpose. It provided essential information for travelers, including suggested routes between cities, car repair shops, gas stations, and places where drivers could eat and stay. Over time, however, the brothers realized that food was not just a necessity but an art form. In the 1926 edition of the guide, they introduced the star rating system for restaurants for the first time:

• 1 Star: A very good restaurant in its category.

• 2 Stars: Excellent cooking, worth a detour.

• 3 Stars: Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.

Today, Tokyo is the city with the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants in the world. While France as a country holds the most Michelin stars overall, Tokyo stands alone, carrying the crown of culinary excellence. And in my opinion, it’s not just Tokyo—Japan as a whole is absolutely worth a special journey (***)!

The quality of ingredients, harmony of flavors, and the use of various cooking techniques within the same meal in Japan truly make dining an unforgettable experience. Just thinking about it makes my appetite rise again! 😊

In this country, where people don’t worry about doing things on their own and don’t wait for someone to accompany them, single-person restaurants are naturally quite common. In fact, some restaurants and shops are so small that they can only accommodate 3 to 5 people at most. I even came across a restaurant designed for just one person—imagine that!

Finding restaurants can be quite challenging at first. There was even a time when we had marked a restaurant on the map, reached its doorstep, and still couldn’t find it! This is because the signs are in Japanese, and the restaurants might be located on the 5th, 7th, or 8th floors—or even underground. Since the city beneath the ground is as extensive as the city above, locating these restaurants can sometimes be quite a puzzle.

When choosing restaurants, a friend of ours who lives in Tokyo gave us some useful tricks. He suggested we opt for restaurants rated between 3.5 and 4.0 on Google Maps, explaining that a perfect 5.0 rating is usually given only by tourists. Locals are tough to impress and rarely give high scores. He added, “To someone without a refined palate, everything tastes good” (I wasn’t offended at all! 😊). We tried this approach, and indeed, restaurants with very high ratings were often more tourist-oriented and less meticulous. From what we gathered, if you can’t offer great food, it’s tough to survive in this country.

As you can see in the photo above, the flavors here are incredible enough to leave you in disbelief!

Unforgettable Day!

Ramen/ Udon

Tokyo, the world’s largest metropolis, is practically a jungle of hidden ramen shops. There are just so many of them…

When we went to eat ramen for breakfast—yes, that’s what you see in the photo—the man next to me was slurping his soup so loudly that at some point, I got used to it and even started to think it was normal (like everything you eventually adapt to over time). In this country, where silence is a sign of respect, slurping while eating noodle soups like ramen or udon is perfectly acceptable. It’s actually a way to express how delicious the food is and praise the chef! Judging by the sounds that man was making, I can swear it was one incredibly delicious bowl of soup! 😊

In this light soy-based soup, the noodles are thin and curly, making it ramen. However, if the noodles were thick and flat, we would call it udon instead. Ramen noodles are made from wheat flour and eggs, while udon noodles are made from wheat flour alone. Ramen is so common in Japan that you can even buy it from vending machines. It’s usually served hot, topped with sliced meats, nori (seaweed), boiled eggs, and green onions.

• Sushi

When we visited the Imperial Palace, our incredibly charming guide told us that the Emperor cultivates silkworms and grows rice in his private garden. On special occasions, he drinks sake made from his homegrown rice.

In Japan, rice symbolizes family bonds and community solidarity. It is also a staple of Japanese cuisine and holds a sacred place in Buddhism and Shintoism. The Japanese have truly mastered all things rice! Here's how rice is incorporated into their daily lives:

• Steamed Rice (Gohan): A staple served at everyday meals.

• Sushi: Made with vinegared rice, it’s the foundation of sushi-making.

• Mochi: A sweet rice-based dough used for desserts.

• Sake: A traditional Japanese alcoholic drink made from fermented rice.

• Senbei: Japanese rice crackers.

The importance of rice in their culture and cuisine is undeniable!

Fresh and quickly consumed, sushi was Japan’s version of fast food during the Edo period. With the advancement of refrigeration technology, the use of raw fish became safer, transitioning sushi into restaurant culture and eventually spreading it worldwide. In the homeland of sushi, you can find countless varieties in markets, vending machines, and restaurants.

Sushi is devoured everywhere—from long train journeys to restaurants and hotel rooms. The Japanese have even made it into a fun experience. One example is the Kura Sushi chain, a popular kaiten (conveyor belt) sushi restaurant.

Here’s how it works: sushi plates travel around the restaurant on a conveyor belt. You can pick up any plate directly from the belt. If you’d like something specific, you can order through the tablet at your table. Your special order arrives on a fast-track lane directly to your seat. I loved the experience, even though I accidentally sent a few plates back while figuring it out!

Another fun feature at Kura Sushi is the plate disposal slot at your table. When you drop in more than five plates, a small game appears on your screen, and you can win prizes. Of course, we played and won a little Japanese figurine inside a ping-pong ball—it was adorable!

• Wagyu / Kobe Beef

If someone had told me I’d eat the best meat of my life in Japan, I probably would’ve said, “Yeah, right!” After all, I’ve tasted plenty of delicious meats before. But Japan truly sets itself apart.

Wagyu beef comes from specially selected and meticulously raised cattle. The result? The world’s most expensive and high-quality meat. What makes Wagyu so extraordinary is the even distribution of fat within the muscle (known as marbling). This marbling gives the beef an incredible tenderness, rich flavor, and juiciness.

When I ate Kobe beef, I liked it so much that I thought it came from a different animal, maybe even one from outer space! But it turns out that it’s a subcategory of Wagyu and is specifically obtained from Tajima-gyu (Japanese Black) cattle, which are raised only in the Hyogo region of Japan, especially in Kobe city. It has managed to become a brand in its own right. As the regions of the animal change, so does the flavor and price. It can be cooked in many different ways, but I think the best way is to grill it. If you cut the meat with scissors and chew it slowly, the flavor reaches its peak. I think even vegans should try it once for the experience!

• Tempura Rice Bowl

Tempura is a dish made by coating seafood (especially shrimp and fish) and vegetables in a light batter and deep-frying them. It’s definitely worth loving. The batter is made from a mixture of flour, ice-cold water, and sometimes eggs. The flavor combination is absolutely amazing.

I want to go back!

I especially loved the vegetables and probably took the most photos of these sets because I definitely didn’t want to forget them!

The set in the photo features a carefully crafted combination from Japanese cuisine:

• On Top: Crispy coated, fried oyster slices (alternatively, shrimp, chicken, or meat can also be used).

• Underneath: Rice and thinly sliced Japanese-style omelet strips or egg pieces.

• On the Side: The traditional Japanese soup, Miso, which includes seaweed, tofu pieces, and fish cakes shaped like flowers for decoration. It seems like they don’t let you leave the country without trying this soup! 😊

• Takoyaki

My introduction to octopus balls was quite amusing. Serdar Ortaç’s song lyrics, “Dışı buz, içi balım nerdesin?” ("Cold on the outside, sweet on the inside, where are you?"), were suddenly triggered in my mind. While eating, I found myself humming, “Crispy on the outside, sweet on the inside, where are you?” I guess these little mental associations became a part of my Japan experience.

Takoyaki, with its crispy exterior and soft, flavorful interior filled with pieces of octopus, is an absolute flavor bomb. Topped with special sauces and bonito flakes, it’s almost like a piece of art. Even if the first bite might burn your tongue a little, the lingering taste is absolutely worth it.

Takoyaki is the ultimate street food!

It’s made into small round balls and typically contains chopped octopus pieces (tako), green onions, pickled ginger, and tempura crumbs. After cooking, it’s topped with a sweet-savory takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, dried fish flakes, or dried seaweed powder. It’s truly “as you wish.” As an oceanic country, I think eating octopus this way is a fantastic idea!

• Okonomiyaki

And here it is, Okonomiyaki! Initially, I was a bit puzzled by it, but later, I found myself craving more. Okonomiyaki, a savory pancake-like dish, quickly became something I wanted to try again and again.

Okonomiyaki

Known as Japanese crepes, Okonomiyaki is a dish made with cabbage, flour, water, eggs, and various optional ingredients, cooked on a hot pan or grill. Its content is quite flexible, allowing for preparations with meat, seafood, cheese, or even vegetables. There was even a vegan option! I can’t forget Okonomiyaki because, for this popular dish we ate in just 5 minutes, we waited for at least an hour standing in line. In a country where waiting in line is a norm, they even hire people to stand in line for them, so they don’t waste their time. I think it’s a very smart solution! :)

• Yakitori

Skewered pieces of chicken on bamboo sticks, just like our chicken skewers, asaagfasg :) Usually grilled over charcoal, this method crisps up the outside while keeping the inside juicy. You can find these as quick snacks at street stalls or in izakayas (Japanese bars), and they are consumed like crazy. They use every part of the chicken, and the name changes depending on the area where it’s prepared.

Note: Izakaya bars, along with their vegetable accompaniments, were amazing!

• Fruits and Desserts

I should write a separate post for this section, but I can almost hear your inner voice saying, "Please, no!" :) I think I’ll leave it here, under fair play conditions. But I couldn’t resist mentioning these as well. Finally:

B: What makes a dessert great?

B: Quality ingredients, meticulous craftsmanship, and the chef’s signature. Guess who has these?

Mochi (rice cake)

It’s not my kind of flavor, but many people love it. It has sweet red bean paste inside. There are lines in front of stores (were we surprised?), and it’s eaten hot. Can you guess what it’s made of? It’s made by pounding special sticky rice into a dough. There are also popular versions of mochi filled with ice cream and salty ones added to soups. I think the best one is the ice cream-filled one.

In Spain’s Basque region, in the city of San Sebastian, a special cheesecake is made — which is also very popular in Turkey. You wouldn't believe the taste of the one we had in Tokyo! I returned from my trip with all eight fingers still buzzing. I didn’t feel like posting the photo. And when describing Japanese cuisine, I thought the photo of mochi was a more appropriate choice. Those who love it have delicate hearts :)

In Japan, you can find: 10 cm high pancakes, specially grown fruits, melons, matcha ice creams, fried dough balls with sauce, sugar-coated strawberry skewers, and more! No, no! In Japan, where there are 5,000,000 vending machines, the only thing you won't be able to find is, I believe, a hungry stomach!

I hope you're not hungry now :) Here’s to many more travels together!

Cheers,

Betty.