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Agoda® Hotels in Japan
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Agoda® Hotels in Japan
Unique deals at +140,000 hotels. Book now and save up to 75%!
www.agoda.co.uk/Japan_Hotels
Food Guide - Dining Out in Japan
Traditional Japanese cuisine can be found in kaiseki restaurants. These high quality establishments offer the best culinary experience in Japan. Several courses of elegantly prepared food is served, the visual appeal of the food is of major importance, not only is the way in which the food is laid out taken into consideration but also the setting and atmosphere in which the food is eating is also of great importance. Don't be surprised to find these restaurants set on snow-capped mountains, within beautiful gardens or on the beach. Each area of Japan has it's own specialities and the Japanese will travel great distances to sample the regional dishes. However, the epitome of kaiseki restaurants is in Kyoto. Kyoto flavours and standards are often copied elsewhere in Japan.
The Kyoto style has light and delicate flavours using typical ingredients of soya-milk skin, fu, wheat gluten and yoba, and other local vegetables. No trip to Japan should be without at least one visit to a kaiseki restaurant, however, bear in mind that many of the best restaurants get booked up early, some even months in advance. Prices in kaiseki restaurants vary greatly between lunch and evening menus. Lunch may come in at a modest ¥3,000, while dinner may start at ¥10,000 or 20,000.
More affordable establishments in Japan are the Izakaya and Shokudo restaurants. Lunch here costs around ¥1,000 while dinner should come in at around ¥3,000. Izakaya are Japanese style pubs offering good home-style food. Raw fish, barbecued chicken as well as western dishes with a Japanese twist are usually found on the menu's here. Shokudo, usually located around train stations and busy streets, can be identified by the plastic models of food in their windows. Here you can order from a set menu consisting of meat, fish, rice, noodles, soup, and pickles. There are also many western fast food chains operating in Japan. Service charge of 5% is usually included in the bill in all Japanese restaurants. In some cafés and lunch places the bill will be written out and placed on the table. Customers are then required to go the cashier to pay, money is not left on the table. Other bars and restaurants require you to ask for the bill. Tipping is not required and often refused.
