Turning Japanese? My Diet Is
By spartancus • Jul 20th, 2008 • Category: Featured Story, The Latest
Recently, I was reminiscing about all the food I long to eat in the United States. Pizza with layers of real mozzarella cheese and pepperoni, a fat breakfast of steak and eggs, doused in Frank’s Red Hot, a Mexican Pizza and a few MexiMelts from Taco Bell after drinking all night, a REAL hot dog, etc. That got me thinking: Had my diet changed much since I moved to Japan two years ago. The answer, like most of us that have come from another country, is an unequivocal “yes.” But how much has it changed? Is it healthier? Better tasting? Let’s do the math …
FOOD
It took me some time to warm up to Japanese food. The sight of a roll stuffed with soba noodles left me a little ill, listening to people slurp away at a bowl of noodles didn’t help, and the smell of fried octopus or natto is enough to put me off my lunch. I admit: I am one picky bastard. Don’t gasp too much, but I hate the following: mushrooms (a staple of Japanese food, unfortunately), cucumbers, celery, tomatoes, bananas, etc. This makes for some tough choices in Tokyo, especially considering I eat the school lunch at elementary and junior high schools five days a week. I worked around the issue by telling the kids I have allergies, but really, I’m starting to just shovel stuff in my mouth and trying not to think about what’s in it. On the plus side, I love ramen, udon, okonomiyaki, yakitori, yakiniku, miso soup and sushi/sashimi. Also, I can hit up my beloved Sukiya (or Matsuya/Yoshinoya) for a cheap meal. It’s healthier than McDonald’s or Wendy’s, which is also available here, and it’s cheaper. But the U.S. is home to a better brand of beef, not to mention the usual carb-loaded dishes I love: mashed potatoes, sub sandwiches and the like. And my favorite food of all-time is a simple hot dog with mustard cooked on the grill. My kingdom for a decent hot dog in Tokyo … and how about some decent cheese?
Taste: U.S.
Variety: U.S.
Health: Japan
Overall: U.S.
BEVERAGES
I’m not even going to go into beer or alcoholic beverages. That’s another story. For basic refreshment, Tokyo is hard to beat because of the slew of vending machines and the miracle of tea. It took me a while to understand that cold green tea or wheat tea (mugi-cha) slays my thirst in the summer and keeps me hydrated. Ditto for Aquarius and Pocari Sweat. I rank C.C. Lemon near the top as my favorite drink in Japan, and the country also has Red Bull, decent cans of coffee (Fire Special being my top choice), Coca-Cola, Sprite, Mountain Dew and the usual array of sugary drinks from the West. The U.S. is home to all things carbonated, and while I prefer being on native soil for a lot of comforts, there isn’t much overseas that Japan hasn’t imported. However, the chocolate milk problem here is disgraceful. That Van Houten crap just doesn’t cut it; the only positive is that it reminds me of “The Simpsons.”
Taste: U.S.
Variety: Japan
Health: Japan
Overall: Japan
So where does Japan rank for you in terms of food and drink? Is takoyaki up your alley, or do you think it tastes like wads of seasoned rubber? Does green tea soothe your parched throat in summer? Can you hype me to some decent chocolate milk, or better yet, a simple hot dog?
Let’s hear it, all you connoisseurs.
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spartancus is a resident of West Tokyo and lives off the Seibu Ikebukuro line.
He is a native of Detroit, Michigan and has previously worked as a writer, editor, page designer, bartender, musician, waiter, roofer, landscaper, short-order cook, hardware store clerk, bookstore clerk, night security guard and dishwasher. He teaches English in public schools.
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Diet Turning Japanese…
The incorrigible Spartancus is at it again. Read the exciting story of how an American junk-food junkie became…well…a Japanese junk-food junkie….
Japanese food is great, but I miss Tex-Mex food way too much. I don’t imagine I’d miss Japanese food with the same intensity if I moved back home.
Btw, if you are looking for some decent cheese in Japan, check out my article about finding cheese in Japan: http://nihonhacks.com/japanese-services/how-to-find-cheese-in-japan/
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Yes! Being from SoCal, I was raised on Mexican food. That’s one of the few big regrets about living in Japan for me, the lack of decent Mexican food.
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The only food I missed in Japan was good chinese food. And decent bread/bagels. Everything else is gladly sacrificed for some good old Osakan street vended takoyaki… yum.
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You know I actually really have to say Japan on this one. I just feel better after eating meals in Japan. Even the Japanese food on the junkier end of the spectrum feels better for you. As far as the taste goes, I can understand why, being an American myself, many Americans would think Japanese food tastes bland. We are after all the land of too much salt, readily available condiments, and “rich” tastes.
In a way you have to adapt to Japanese food. I used to talk to my Japanese host-father who swore that the rice his family ate was the tastiest out of all the rice available in Japan and he prided himself on knowing what the best tasting rice is and where to find it for the lowest price. That sounds a bit crazy doesn’t it? After all, isn’t rice just rice? Not really I guess. Once my palette started to adjust to living in Japan, I started to realize what my host father was talking about. It was an odd thing to have happen to me, but I started to get hooked on Japanese food. I had a burger at McDonalds there and while I was eating it I was kind of disgusted. Japan will do strange things to you.
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There’s a good Mexican restaurant in Roppongi called Havana Cafe (and I know Cuban food is different from Mexican). But it’s not very expensive and the fajita portions are kind of big.
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Thanks for the tip! I love fajitas.
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It’s on the west side behind Komen. 光麺 — At least it was last year.
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