There are far too many street foods from Japan to mention in one blog post, but I will start with 3 choices that I think I’d enjoy. The first one on the list is something most of us have tried in some form or another. Tempura is simply a choice of vegetables, meat, or seafood, deep fried in a light airy batter. I think my favorite will be shrimp and pork but I must branch out so I will try some vegetables as well.
Next is another familiar street food I can identify with called yakitori. This is different types of meat or organs that have been marinated and skewered, then grilled over charcoal.
This snack is very popular in Japan and many yakitori food stands are famous and considered mandatory destinations when going out with friends, like this place, Iseya Koen-ten.
Lastly and most adventurous for me will be takoyaki. This street food is cooked on a special grill made of consecutive half cylinders in a row. The cook pours a batter into the grill and starts to add ingredients like onions and garlic but the main attraction is a chunk of octopus. After a minute or two, the cook skillfully uses chopsticks to turn the ball over to cook evenly. Then they present a portion of about 8 takoyaki topped with a mayonnaise sauce, bonito flakes, and seaweed powder. The outside is crispy leaving the inside batter uncooked but hot and gooey. With the chewy octopus in the middle, this treat will take a lot of courage for me to try.
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