I know what you're thinking: it's been 3 months since you were in Japan! Why are you only sharing your pearls of wisdom with me now? I do apologize for running behind with updates, but do not fear I am back to share with you everything you need to know about eating in Japan!
Let us begin at the beginning, the first meal of the day: breakfast. The Japanese do not eat a breakfast like you or I (unless you are Korean or Chinese and then I am told it is quite similar), though they do begin with an egg. Not scrambled, or poached, or sunny side up but served to you as it came out of the womb. You also get a bowl of steamed rice (as with most meals in Japan), a miso soup, some seaweed and a delicious little bowl of some mysterious sticky beans (azuki).
Japanese breakfast First things first, don't panic! When in doubt slyly look to those next to you and mirror as best you can. My strategy was to mix the egg and seaweed in with the rice and dig in. I really can't help you with the beans, it gets everywhere and is impossible to separate. I later asked a local how to eat it and they just chuckled at my question, still giving no real answer. I think the best system is to pretend like the gooey bits are not getting all over your chopstix and face and eat it as casually as possible. You can find this traditional breakfast (as well as other varieties with meats) for under 400 yen, mostly from fast food restaurants where you order by vending machine, so if your Japanese is not up to snuff look for a place with pictures. To us western folk this can be a strange breakfast combination, and it is more of an acquired taste than most Japanese food, but I have grown to find it refreshing and fueling and it is certainly worth a try!
On to the later meals! The obvious choice for us gluten freebies in Japan is sushi. You need to skip the soy sauce or bring your own, but it is still hard to comprehend how such a simple combination can be so delicious. Sushi can get a bit pricey for the budget traveler, but even the to go packs you will find in any 7/11 or grocery store is on par with what you would get in a restaurant in the western world and considerably cheaper. You will find good sushi scattered all over the country but the best place to eat it is the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. The market opens and closes sporadically, and the website is not english friendly so you must find a local or tourist info office to find the right day to attend!
If you are an early bird you can visit the 'inner' or wholesale market where you can watch the fish auction and see many real live fishermen and fish guts from up close.
Once the excitement is over and you venture to the outer market, you can sample a variety of the fresh fish in raw or cooked form. You will also find a variety of other goods like plenty of great fish cutting knives.
There are an overwhelming amount of options and many English menus which is a pleasant change, but it seems hard to go wrong at this place. I first sampled a roll of minced tuna, from one of the first stalls you will see if you are walking from the subway station, right on the corner of the market. Minced tuna is not a thing I knew existed until I arrived in Japan, and I highly recommend you to try it (unless you are noble enough to cut out tuna from your diet). After walking around for an hour or so and trying to decide where to get my sashimi from, I decided on the cheapest place I could find and walked in. I was the only one there and it was a standing sushi bar. For 650 yen I got ten pieces of sushi. As I ordered another man, who was a local, walked in making me feel a little better about my choice. I stood awkwardly, trying to make small talk with the chef in very limited english until my fish had been prepared. Luckily it took only a few minutes and from the first bite I knew my choice had been true. I did not know the names of all the fish that I bit into, but the assortment of colours, textures and flavours was enough to make even the least observant sushi eater swoon. I generally don't like to think of any sort of meat melting in my mouth because it seems unnatural, but this fish was so fresh and tender that only the faintest chews and a sip of green tea could give it a pleasant ride through my digestive system.
Sadly I didn't take a picture of my meal at the market but sushi train is good too
Sadly, many Japanese noodles are made from wheat, making trying one of the many cheap noodle eateries rather difficult. If you are keen to try noodles your best bet is soba (buckwheat) noodles, but many of these can also contain wheat. If you have a gluten free translated card, or are feeling daring, I would recommend trying these. Many varieties exist including those in a warm broth, a cold broth (my favourite), or a broth served on the side that you dip the noodles into. They are served with a variety of toppings and rank only second to ramen in the hearts of the Japanese.
Okonamayaki made with Soba and egg
The Japanese are often portrayed as reserved, but a venture to one of the many Izakaya around the country will show you a different side of their culture. Part tapas bar, part pub, part restaurant and part unique Japanese eatery, the Izakaya is a great place to sample local cuisines and sake amongst friends. Most menus have pictures but no English explanations, so it is best to befriend a local and get them to order you their favourites. Sake or beer is the drink of choice, but you can also order an assortment of wine and cocktails. Menu items are often grouped by price, sometimes entire Izakaya have a one price menu. The menus usually have budget prices, and while the food is better than western 'pub grub' people are mostly there to drink and socialize, so don't expect many fine dining options.
My Japanese hosts cooking the meat
The best part of any gal's day is usually desert, and we are spoiled with gluten free choices in Japan. There are a range of options of deserts that include a chewy rice pastry stuffed with red bean paste or other flavoured jam like fillings. I know it doesn't sound the most appetizing but it is probably the food I miss most from Japan. For those not eating with diet allergies, there are also great looking cakes and cookies and French inspired deserts for you to choose from.
In Japan it is pretty hard to go wrong when it comes to food. However, English is very limited and many people will not understand what gluten intolerance is (luckily there is not much dairy or nuts in Japanese cooking) so be sure to get a gluten free card translated into Japanese that you can carry around with you. There are so many options when it comes to Japanese food, and all are good, so if you have limited time in the country choose the safest option, as having an upset stomach when surrounded by so much deliciousness will be like torture to a foodie!
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