When people think of Japanese restaurants, they think of sushi restaurants. The fact is that there are thousands of types of Japanese restaurants — all specialized in a different type of Japanese cuisine. Today we will see 15 of them.
Each of these specialties mentioned below has its own extensive history, culture, and variety that deserves its own article detailing all the aspects. Who knows, maybe in the future.
We are making it clear that there are restaurants specialized in each type, just as there are restaurants with various types of dishes on their menu. The focus of this article is to show that Japan is full of choices, with a rich cuisine, and numerous types of restaurants and options on their menus.
We also recommend reading:- Sushi restaurants in Japan – How to eat?
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Contents 14
1. Ramen Restaurants [ラーメン]
There are thousands of ramen restaurants, types, and flavors of ramen, the most common being Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat or fish broth. It usually has soy sauce or miso flavorings in the soup. Ramen is often topped with chashu (shredded pork), Negi, and nori. Practically every region of Japan has its own unique variety of ramen.
To learn more about ramen, read: Ramen Guide – Types, Curiosities, and Recipes
2. Yakitori Restaurants [やきとり/焼き鳥]
These are restaurants specializing in grilled chicken skewers — a very popular food, especially when accompanied by drinks. This is a very common food, also found at festivals, and there are many variations and recipes based on Yakitori.
A simple recipe that anyone can make. But don't be fooled, there are professionals. Watch the recipe in the video below, and understand that it can be easy and difficult at the same time.
To learn more about Yakitori, read: Japanese Skewers – Discover Yakitori3. Soba Restaurants [そば]
This is a type of Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour, served hot or cold with a variety of toppings.
Hot soba dishes are served with the noodles in a hot soup, usually made from fish stock, soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. There are thousands of dishes derived from soba, just as there are thousands of specialized restaurants.
Also read: 15 Types of Japanese Noodles
4. Izakaya [居酒屋]
Izakaya are Japanese bars. They are popular and casual places for gatherings after work. They serve a variety of popular foods, such as fried chicken, Edamame, yakitori, and sashimi. Watch a video showing in detail how an Izakaya works.
We recommend reading:5. Tonkatsu Restaurants [とんかつ]
Breaded fried pork served with shredded cabbage, rice, miso soup, and Japanese pickles. It is served with tonkatsu sauce (a sweet sauce with a thickness similar to Worcestershire sauce).
To learn more about Tonkatsu, read: Tonkatsu – Breaded Pork Cutlet
6. Sushi Restaurants [すし]
For those who think that in Japan there is only sushi, know that sushi is more popular in Western countries, such as the USA and Canada than in Japan. Japanese sushi differs greatly from Western varieties and has its own reputation, flavors, and styles.
Also read: 130 Types of Sushi – Urumaki, Hossomaki, Nigiri
7. Tempura Restaurants [天ぷら]
Tempura is a classic dish of Japanese cuisine. It consists of fried pieces of vegetables or seafood coated in a light batter. Like a breading, but better.
In Japan, there is a wide variety of restaurants that sell tempura. From street vendors to 5-star restaurants. Tempura is also often a side dish for other dishes.
We recommend reading: Tempura | History, Curiosities, and Recipe
8. Shabu-shabu Restaurants [しゃぶしゃぶ]
These are restaurants that serve a hot pot where the customer cooks a variety of fresh ingredients and meats to be eaten together with friends, accompanied by sauce and other sides.
Shabu-shabu is a dish made up of a stew of meats (beef, pork, chicken, shrimp), vegetables (watercress, shinkiku, bok choy, leeks, green onions, moyashi, etc.), mushrooms (shiitake and shimeji), and others (udon, konnyaku, kamaboku, etc.).
Also read: Shabu Shabu – Curiosities and Recipes9. Takoyaki Restaurants [たこ焼き]
Takoyaki [たこ焼き or 蛸焼] (literally fried or grilled octopus) is a popular round Japanese dumpling that resembles a seasoned pancake made with a very soft, almost liquid batter, and fried on a special Takoyaki grill.
It is usually filled with chopped pieces or a small whole octopus, tempura scraps (tenkasu), chopped ginger, and green onions. Present at festivals, street vendors, and even specialized restaurants.
Read more: Takoyaki – Curiosities and Recipes of the Octopus Dumpling
10. Kare Restaurants [カレー]
Kare or Curry is one of the most popular foreign ingredients in Japanese cuisine. This spice brings life to karē raisu dishes (curry with rice), karē udon (with noodles), and karē-pan (bread).
This type of sauce in Japan is usually thicker, sweeter, and milder than its Indian counterpart. Curry is a spice originating from India, but Japanese curry has its huge differences.
We recommend reading: Curiosities and recipe of Japanese Kare (curry)
11. Udon Restaurants [うどん]
A thick noodle made from Japanese wheat flour. Udon is usually served as a soup, in a hot broth based on dashi, soy sauce, and mirin.
On basic udon, one or more ingredients are added, and these ingredients give rise to various types of udon. Most of them include chopped negi (green onions).
See also: Udon – The Thick Japanese Noodle
12. Okonomiyaki Restaurants [お好み焼き]
Okonomiyaki evolved from the practice of cooking leftovers in a Japanese pancake batter. In many okonomiyaki restaurants, you can choose the ingredients to put in your pancake.
Common ingredients include cheese, mochi, vegetables, noodles, pork, and seafood. Often customers make their own okonomiyaki. Watch a video from our friend Santana.
Also read: Okonomiyaki – Japanese Pancake – Curiosities and Recipe
14. Gyudon Restaurants [牛丼]
Gyudon consists of thinly sliced fried beef with onions and a special sauce over a bowl of rice, sometimes accompanied by miso soup and other special and delicious ingredients.
Although it may seem like a simple dish, it is very popular and tasty with different variations. In these restaurants, you can also find similar dishes with pork or unagi. Gyudon restaurants are generally quick and cheap, like fast food restaurants.
We also recommend reading:- Gyudon – Japanese Beef Bowl + Recipe
- Fast Food in Japan – What is it like? Which are the most popular?
- Yoshinoya: The Japanese Fast Food Chain
15. Kushiage or Kushikatsu Restaurants
This is a Japanese dish of seasoned and grilled meat on a skewer. In Japanese, kushi [串] refers to the skewer used, while katsu means the meat cutlet.
Kushikatsu can be made with chicken, pork, seafood, and seasonal vegetables. They are skewered on a bamboo kushi, dipped in eggs, flour, and panko, and fried in vegetable oil. They can be served plain or with tonkatsu sauce.
We also recommend reading: Kushikatsu – Meat on a Skewer
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