You’ve had the experience of watching the bonito flakes dancing along the wafts of steam rising from simmering balls of gooey batter cooking on the grill, right? That means winter is upon us and winter is truly the season for takoyaki. So together with family and friends, sit back as …

What is Takoyaki? Dotted throughout Japan are stalls and shops dedicated to a little ball-shaped snack made of wheat flour batter known as takoyaki. Filled with diced octopus (tako), tempura pieces (tenkasu), pickled red ginger (beni shoga) and green onion, takoyaki are the perfect street food. They are cooked in …

Soba What is Soba? Made from buckwheat flour, soba is a traditional Japanese noodle dish and is considered to represent Japanese cuisine in the same way that sushi and tempura do. Easily underestimated because of the simpleness of its appearance, freshly made and eaten soba is truly one of the …

Ramen What is Ramen? One of the most popular dishes in Japan, ramen is serving of Chinese wheat noodles in what is usually a pork or chicken-based broth and served with toppings such as sliced pork, seaweed and green onions. Now, that might not sound like much but from the …

What is Japan’s national dish? I am sure that many foreign people would answer sukiyaki – it has certainly been perceived as such for as long as I can remember. Then again, if a national dish was determined by its global popularity, sushi would top many people’s lists. The same …

Known as dansu in the Tohoku region of northern Japan, anbu by the people of Niigata Prefecture and omaru in Shiga Prefecture and the Shikoku region, dango is perhaps Japan’s quintessential sweet.

When we think about ‘fast-food’ it’s likely that burgers, hot dogs, fish & chips, kebabs, or other processed, take away foods will spring to mind – and we all know how unhealthy it is to consume such foods on a regular basis! Of course, Western style fast-foods are just as …

Kyoto is a reminisce of Japan’s long history since Edo period, with a plenty of well-preserved remnants everywhere. But why so many visitors flock to the city? It is not only due to those sightseeing sites, but numerous signature delicacies in Kyoto, namely Matcha sweets. Have no idea where to …

Are any of you out there are of a mind to eat taiyaki from the tail first. Or perhaps you are one of those who eat it from the head instead? Well, the season for that kind of chat has arrived you see, it’s winter! And here you are, on …

What is Taiyaki? The first Japanese sweet I had ever tried was during winter in Setagaya, a suburb in south-western Tokyo. A local confectioner was making these little fish-shaped pieces of waffle, grilling them to shape on a specially designed mold. They weren’t expensive at all, around 100 yen or …