Cooking classes have been taking off recently as a must-do while traveling.  It makes sense.  You go to a foreign country, love the food, and want to take it home with you.  However, let’s be honest. Our foreign food back home is completely adopted by our pallets! What better way to get the real deal than to learn it in-country and recreate it yourself!? BentoYa Cooking took it one step farther with their Japanese cooking class in Tokyo on vegan sweets made with Mikawa mirin (三河みりん).  It included a special presentation that taught the specifics behind a very unique ingredient!

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in December of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission from you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

Sumiya Bunjiro Brewery Presentation

The future owner of the Sumiya Bunjiro Brewery Co., Ltd. was present to give us the history and process of making their Sanshu Mikawa Mirin (三州三河みりん).  She also gave us background on the many various uses.

While the company was started in 1910, according to ancient Japanese text, mirin has been around for five hundred years. During the Edo period (same time as all of the castles), it was an expensive beverage.

What is Mirin?

Mirin, a sweet rice wine, is a versatile seasoning that can add sweetness and texture to Japanese dishes. Similar to sake but with slightly lower alcohol content and higher sweetness. That sweet flavor comes from how it’s made, not because there is sugar added to it.

Though originally it was used as a beverage, eventually it began being used as a seasoning in Japanese cooking. It can be cooked down to make a lovely sweetener (think honey but not as thick).  We sampled two types of mirin that the company produces and I must say, I’d drink them!

The real deal: Mikawa Mirin (三河みりん)

Mikawa is located in the eastern part of Aichi Prefecture. It has suitable conditions for brewing Mirin and has the largest number of brewers in Japan. Mikawa Mirin (三河みりん) is made from glutinous rice, rice malt, shochu and goes through a single distillation process. The Sumiya Bunjiro Brewery Co., Ltd. makes it with the traditional manufacturing method. This takes nearly two years to complete for the high-quality glutinous rice to be brewed and matured.

Sanshu Mikawa Mirin (三州三河みりん) has about 14% alcohol and is a deep amber color. The generic name for this “top-level” product is Hon-Mirin (本みりん). Hon means “true” or “origin”.

The impostors: Mirin and Mirin-like seasonings

The main difference between hon-mirin (which is what we used for this Japanese cooking class with the Sanshu Mikawa Mirin 三州三河みりん) and mirin, is that straight mirin uses sake instead of shochu in their ingredients. Because of this and other process differences (only a few months of processing), they tend to have a lighter coloring.

There are industrially made mirin on the market that has more additives and is not as “pure” as traditional methods. Industrial made is not as painstakingly made and is quickly brewed in a few months’ time. They still have similar alcohol levels but aren’t as high quality.

To make it even more complicated, during and after the war, liquor laws made it difficult for grocery stores to sell true mirin. Additionally, due to the high cost since rice was scarce. As such, “煮切り” (nikiri) came into existence, which is boiled down to reduce the alcohol content. There is also “塩みりん” or “salt mirin” that adds salt to bring down the alcohol content. These are referred to as “mirin like” products or みりん風調味料 (mirin fuchoumiryou) and are highly chemical seasonings with little (1%) or no alcohol.

If you are in the market for mirin, watch out to get the real deal! Check your ingredients -if there is added sugar, it’s not real mirin. If there isn’t alcohol, it isn’t real mirin.

How to use Mirin

There are many uses for mirin and it is a great condiment to have in any kitchen. Especially if you like to make japanese food.

1. Gives a gloss and luster to coatings better than that of sugar — think teriyaki sauces!
2. Draws out flavors of a dish
3. Can be used to tenderize meats (again, with your teriyaki)
4. Eliminates odors on smeller food items
5. Adds a mild sweetness
6. Is another way to add umami (miso can be used as a “secret” ingredient for that too.)

The company has a few different authentic mirin and the class used Sanshu Mikawa Mirin (三河みりん) as the sweetener in a few dessert items.

In dishes that call for honey, you can use mirin as sweetener instead, the class suggested.

BentoYa Online Japanese Cooking Classes

Since attending this Japanese cooking class, a lot has happened in the world. Including the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, like many others, BentoYa had to reevaluate its business model. Which included moving to online courses. And while it’s more fun to have the hands-on experience, now more people (i.e. those of you not in Tokyo!) can enjoy these vegan sweets (and their other vegan recipes) from the comfort of your home.

Their Japanese cooking class cost about 3300 yen. If you are looking for some quick and simple recipes, they also have a YouTube channel to check out.

BentoYa Japanese Cooking Class in Tokyo: Vegan Sweets made with Mirin

One nice thing about this Japanese cooking class in Tokyo? No prep work! I really love how there are community kitchens to use.  There are three cooking stations in this room similar to this one as well as the front display where the instructor normally is.

Making Mirin Pudding

This is a vegan class so we didn’t use any animal products.  It was interesting to learn about the different things you can use instead.  And the end product is so tasty.  This style of pudding is quite common as a dessert in Japan.  Simple and not too sweet.

Kanten (寒天) is a natural gelatinous product that comes from algae.  It is a great substitute for gelatin in the pudding.

Kudzuko (葛粉, sometimes Kuzu in English) starch comes from a root plant called Kuzu.  It’s an exceptional thickener.  I was surprised how fast it could take effect!  Sometimes brewed as a tea as it is actually very good for upset stomachs!

The sweetness comes from boiling down the Mirin.  You cook for a few minutes to evaporate the alcohol and turn it into more of a syrup consistency.  We also add it to the top to give it that sheen.  Presentation taught so much!

You cook the ingredients all together for a few minutes to thicken it up and you’re done! Chill it for a bit in the freezer if you want it right away, else in the fridge works too.

Don’t forget to add the bit of sweetness on top!

A quick and easy Japanese lunch

As every class with Bentoya Cooking ends with trying out your creations, we also made some onigiri with soy meat.  Can’t just eat sweets for lunch! Well, you could, but your waistline might not like it.  However, cooking with mirin, there is no added sugar for all the sweetness so it’s actually healthier!

This soy product starts out dried, you cook it in water to reconstitute it and then ring out the excess water before cooking up and adding flavoring.

Hint for making onigiri.  Use saran wrap. Keeps your hands less sticky with the rice.  I’m starting to get better at them if I do say so myself! Another pro tip: don’t put too much filling or rice, a smaller portion is much easier to deal with!

I love how easy a good miso soup is.  Some homemade dashi made with seaweed for umami instead of fish flakes, add some leak and onion to it, drop in some miso and you are good to go!

The finished product! いただきます! Itadakimasu!  Thank you for the food, let’s eat!

Looking for another Japanese cooking class in Tokyo?  Check out my other experience with BentoYa Cooking.

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For a long time, I avoided going to Denny’s Japan.  I make it a rule when I’m on travel for work to never go to chain restaurants.  The only time I’ll falter is when that particular restaurant isn’t available to me (hello, Mellow Mushroom).  The more and more I saw “limited time” crazy offers at McDonald’s and Burger King (I really should have a whole series on just the limited time offers), the more I considered trying Denny’s out.

I remember fondly (ha!) growing up and walking out of Denny’s while on vacation. Late–night trips with friends for pancakes and coffee as well.  The service was always horrible. So it was with glee that I forced my family to go with me for breakfast while they were visiting.  They didn’t believe me.  Perfect opportunity for early in their trip that, no really, Japan’s customer service is impeccable.

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November of 2016 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission by you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

What are the differences and similarities of Denny’s in Japan?

Denny’s Japan are what you would consider “family restaurants”. There are many different chains that fall under this category that I will delve into in a future article. They are obviously a different atmosphere than an izakaya (Japanese bar) but most still have happy hour deals which are very reasonable!

One of the differences about Denny’s Japan versus the original in America, is that they have … Japanese food (和食, washoku)! But they also have a bunch of western style dishes (洋食, Youshoku).

The dessert menu is similar but different. Parfait is my favorite at family restaurants, but this is much different than sundaes in America. Lots of them have corn flakes in them – do not knock it till you try it! I have friends that won’t even give it a chance but the crunchy and creamy at the same time is amazing!

The prices are all quite reasonable and you can go in just for a coffee – one of the few places you’ll see refills in Japan – and relax. Some locations have “drink bars” where you can choose all different types of drinks. There is free Wi-Fi as well if you are looking for a Wi-Fi connection.

While many restaurants and stores in Japan don’t take credit cards, Denny’s is one place that does take credit cards.

Fun fact: Denny’s Japan (デニーズ レストラン) is actually owned by Seven and I holdings, yes, the same that own the convenience stores.

Many of the 500+ Denny’s Japan locations are open 24 hours a day, I may or may not have seen people passed out in their booths waiting for the first train…

Like most places in Japan, the employees wear matching uniforms, and because it’s Japan, you can buy cosplay versions of them! Not the same as I’ve seen them wearing, but I thought it was funny.

Denny’s Japan: The Service

First, service in Japan is wonderful.  A twist to American service in many family restaurants (like Denny’s Japan) and izakaya (Japanese bar) is that they have a doorbell (there’s no other way to describe it) at every table that lights up your table number for the staff to see and they come running right away.  If for whatever reason that doesn’t work, there’s always the “sumimasen!” option.

There you go, Dad, service in Denny’s! There is always someone from the wait staff wandering the floor with a carafe of coffee.  You never have to ask for the check because as soon as they bring your food, they put your bill in a small plastic container at the end of your table.  

Want to order more? No problem! They’ll just bring you another receipt.

What’s that next to the creamer and sugar?  Door Bell!! Or as we call it in Japan, “the ping pong button” based on the noise it makes. Instant service.

Dennys Japan Menu

Fear not, Traveller! Dennys Japan has translated menu’s into English but they are full of pictures if they don’t bring you one.  Since much of the food is American inspired, if you know some basic katakana (one of Japan’s syllabaries for foreign words), you’ll do just fine!

While the portion size is smaller in Japan, there is also calorie information if you are concerned about that. Have allergies? Denny’s Japan also has this information available to you.

The breakfast menu at Denny’s Japan is used from 6 am until 11 am, the lunch menu is from 11 am to 3 pm, and the dessert menu and “Grand Menu” are always available. Watch out for special seasonal menus as well.

There are always special menus for either seasonal items (yup, there are “limited items” everywhere) as well as yummy dessert parfait menus.

The menu is giant so you will have no shortage of different foods to try.

Denny’s Japan Food

OK, I’ll be honest, I’ve only gone for breakfast – though I’ve been to many of the other family restaurants for dinners and happy hours.  Japan’s breakfasts are very different from America’s and sometimes you just really want some eggs and bacon.  Much harder to find in your local cafes (though visiting a 喫茶店 Kissaten is a MUST for your experience in Japan).  While there are no “grand slams” available, there are still “American Breakfasts” with just a few changes.  

They just about always come with salad for one. The pancakes tend to be a lot sweeter than American style (which cracks me up because most Japanese sweets aren’t nearly as sweet).  The meals are customization options: pancakes/toast, coffee or lattes.  

Coffee is actually refillable (unless there is a “drink bar”, usually you don’t get free refills in Japan).  

Bacon here is more like Canadian Bacon then the crispy bacon you can get in America but you get used to it.  

They also have a typical Japanese breakfast as an option (fish, miso soup, pickles, and rice normally) if you want to check out the local fair which is also very tasty.

How about you? Would you try Denny’s Japan?

You might be surprised to learn that Japanese curry is one of the most popular dishes in Japan, on par with considering it a “national dish”.  Originally introduced by the British during the Meiji period, it is still considered to be 洋食 (yoshoku, western food) but definitely it’s own creation now. Thicker than Indian or Thai curry, it is made with a roux and often seen as a beef stew.  There are so many different variations though. Regional local specialties at mom and pop shops.  “House” curry you’ll find in retort packets at the grocery stores. Navy curry on the JMSDF ships and then there is CoCoICHIBANYA.  A quick and delicious chain restaurant.

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in August of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Curry House CoCoICHIBANYAor “CoCoICHI” History

The Curry House at the beginning of the name is normally dropped off in conversation to leave you CoCo壱番屋 (CoCo ICHIBANYA, romanized with all capitalized letters at the end) or mostly abbreviated as CoCo壱 (CoCoICHI) was first established in 1978 in Nagoya. Specializing in Japanese-style curry, it is now a chain restaurant that has expanded greatly over the years.

First went overseas to Hawaii in 1994 and now it can also be found in 12 overseas countries. 185 of 1482 (as of April 2020) CoCoICHIBANYA locations are overseas!

Sadly, the ones in my home country of America are all in California and Hawaii but I’m still holding out that the east coast will eventually get one!

If that seems like a lot of stores, it is! In January of 2013, CoCoICHIBANYA received the title of “the largest chain of curry restaurants in the world”.

What makes Japanese Curry, Japanese?

It’s actually very hard to peg down as it has so many different variations.  And it’s quite common for families to have their own curry recipe. You’ll also see some hotel restaurants with “hotel” curry.  It just means it’s their recipe. 

Roux is definitely the binding factor (see what I did there?). As such, Japanese curry is thicker than most other Asian curry varieties.

I liken it to a savory gravy served over rice, in the case of curry rice (カレーライス, that’s a “rey” sound, not a “ri” in ka-rey rai-su, katakana can be strange).  But you will also see it over noodles, like with curry udon, and in bread (Japanese bakeries have the craziest, delicious varieties of bread products!) as well. 

In general, it’s much sweeter and less spicy than other curries you may be familiar with. While most mom-and-pop curry restaurants might have a “normal” and one or two levels of “spicy” curry, CoCo Ichibanya takes the spice game to a whole other level.

How to order at CoCo Ichibanya

The best part about CoCoICHIBANYA (or CoCo’s as most American’s call it), is how customizable it is.  Sure, they have a massive menu full of all different combinations already laid out for you, it’s just as easy to order it specifically.  There’s usually an English menu to help out. If not, the pictures are always a good backup.

First, select your curry sauce

The important thing that makes it curry is the curry sauce, so you pick that first! The meat options have small chunks of the meat in them but really it is to inundate the flavors.

If you don’t make a different specification, the pork curry sauce is the 普通 (futsuu, normal – not to be confused with the same word being used for local trains) and what will be served.

• Pork Curry
• Sweet Pork Curry (this is also used in the Children’s option)
• Beef Curry
• Vegetarian Curry
• Hashed Beef

Second, Choose how much rice you want

The “base” option will give you 300 grams of rice, that’s a lot for me personally. You can dip down to 200 grams which will also give you a small cost savings (and there is an option for a bit smaller we’ll get to in a minute). But you can also get massive portions of rice. Just go in 100-gram increments, and while the menu shows something like 900 grams (yikes) as maxing out, you could get more if you wanted.

Third, Choose your spice level

Whereas most food in Japan is relatively mild, CoCo Ichibanya definitely knows how to kick it up a notch.  Above “normal” which CoCo Ichibanya considers “medium” spice level, there are ten levels of spice you can go through.

Don’t think for a second that is a linear scale though!

• Level 1 Spicy = Baseline that the following levels are based off.
• Level 2 Spicy = Twice as spicy as level 1
• Level 3 Spicy = Four times as spicy as level 1
• Level 4 Spicy = Six times as spicy as level 1
• Level 5 Spicy = 12 times as spicy as level 1
• Level 6 Spicy = 13 times as spicy as level 1
• Level 7 Spicy = 14 times as spicy as level 1
• Level 8 Spicy = 16 times as spicy as level 1
• Level 9 Spicy = 18 times as spicy as level 1
• Level 10 Spicy = 24 times as spicy as level 1

And per their menu, they won’t let you go above 5 without proving you don’t die with level 5 first! I have seen a few exceptions to that rule but they do actually get spicy fast.

While I now default to a level 6 or 7, it took me many meals to rise to that level. So if you like spicy food as I do, this is definitely a place for you.

However, if spice is NOT your thing, you can also add sweetness levels to your curry, from 1 to 5. The sweet sauce has honey in it though, so they warn against giving it to babies under 1. You can thank them for adding the sweetness levels in 2015.

Fourth: Toppings!

There are plenty of combinations in the menu already picked out for you, and you can choose one of those and go for it. Or you can create your own from the 40 or so toppings. OR you can use something on the menu and still add something else to it. Skies the limit on options here at CoCoICHIBANYA. While not all-inclusive, here’s some of the toppings that I pulled from the menu:

• Eggplant
• Spinach
• Cheese
• Scrambled Eggs
• Cream Croquette with Crab
• Natto
• Mushrooms
• Garlic
• Pork Cutlet
• Sausage
• Lightly Crisped Chicken
• Stewed Chicken
• Thinly Slicked Pork
• Hamburger
• Chicken Cutlet
• Fried Fish
• Squid
• Shrimp Cutlet
• Mixed Seafood
• Mixed Vegetable

Watching Calories or Special Dietary Restrictions with CoCoICHIBANYA

For calorie watching, you can go with the “スモールサイズカレー” (Small size curry) or “Mini Curry” as it’s translated into English. Instead of the normal 300 g of rice, it comes with 150 grams of rice and the portions of the other ingredients are also smaller. For instance, I love getting the croquette added to my curry. They normally would be to give you TWO. That’s a lot. With the mini option, you get one! And if you want to add extra toppings, you can still do that.

If you just want slightly less rice, but still the same size toppings, go with the 200 grams I mentioned before.

There is also a low carb version which uses 180 grams of cauliflower (カリフラワー) instead of rice! Before you ask, yes, when they give the grams, they mean it! They’ve got weighing machines in the kitchen.

For vegetarians, there is the vegetarian curry option and there is usually a menu just for vegetarians. Still craving a cutlet? They have a soy meat version, look for “大豆ミート”.

If you have allergies to certain food items, CoCoICHIBANYA has a convenient allergy information sheet in English and Japanese to help.

Limited Edition Menus

My suggestion?  Go with the seasonal, regional or store specific menus for a real treat.  Some examples of the seasonal menu are vegetable or chicken soup curry or Pumpkin and winter vegetable curry. The summer “spicy” (as in spice flavor, not spice hot) chicken and vegetable is AMAZING. 

And if you go with a regional/store, you’ll always have something new if you need a quick bite.  Like in Kansai where they had a special 牛すじ煮込みカレー (Gyu-suji nikomi, stewed beef tendon curry).

For local options, in my area, we have よこすか海軍カレー (Yokosuka Kaigun or Navy Curry). The two “downtown” Yokosuka stores, plus the Oppama store and a little farther away to Kanazawa Hakkei (easily accessible on the Keikyu Line), have something called マスクドCOCO壱監修ホットエナジーカレー, which translates roughly to “the masked CoCoICHI supervised this hot energy curry”. More on the masked guy in a bit.

If I have my story straight, it was part in thanks to the Yokosuka stores (the two downtown and one in Oppama are owned by the same person) pressing for some “local specialties” as to why these became a thing. More on how Yokosuka and Curry go together another time.

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission by you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

Making CoCo Ichibanya at home

If you are in Japan, you can find CoCo Ichibanya retort packets online which make for great snacks when you just need a quick meal. Especially when you can get pre-made rice at the convenience store. I know, I know, the sacrilege. I do have a super awesome rice cooker too.

If you want some of the local flavor options, you can order the Yokosuka CoCo Ichibanya retort packets online, or at the shops themselves.

Masked CoCoICHI (マスクドCOCO壱)

I’ve been lucky to see the masked CoCoICHI several times. He’s the official mascot of CoCoICHI and wears a Mexican wrestling mask. Similar to the luchador masks defining a wrestler’s identity and keeping a persona, this works the same for the masked CoCo ICHI.

And persona does he have. The mask is bright gold with “CoCo Ichibanya” all over it, so he’s hard to miss if you happen to run into him. He’s got a great social media account with all his silly antics, and he’s also been blogging about Masked CoCo Ichi since August of 2011 (!!).

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You don’t travel around Japan just for the attractions, you do it for the food.  It’s Japan, the regional fare is king and Aomori Prefecture had to be known for some local dishes that didn’t have apples involved! Personally, I love finding hole-in-the-wall places, but when you want to ensure you find some local cuisine it helps to do a little research. What were the local cuisines in Hirosaki?

Queue in the local tourist maps – remember, always check in with the local tourism office, nearly every city in Japan has one (at least it feels that way). It’s one of my best tips for traveling around Japan.

[Editors Note: This post originally published in August of 2018 and had been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Where to find Local Cuisines in Hirosaki

One of the options is けん太旬彩館 Kenta Shunsaikan Izakaya. While it is on the touristy side (it was advertised in the tourism information after all), it definitely fits the bill. 

One plus? Have you been to a Japanese restaurant or izakaya where everyone eats in their own private room? Here you can check that one off the experience list! You thought booth seating was intimate? Try tatami mats and shoji doors. 

Kenta Shunsaikan Izakaya didn’t disappoint at the local foods either.  Here are 7 must–try local cuisines in Hirosaki, I’m sure you can find them throughout Aomori though!

7 Must-Try Local Cuisines in Hirosaki

1) Hotate Kaiyaki

It’s official, there’s nowhere in Japan you can’t get good seafood (surprise, surprise for an island nation).  Though this one doesn’t look entirely appetizing in this picture, it was amazing.  Being such a large shell, shellfish like this very often in Japan cooked straight on the grill, great for not dirtying up dishes!

The shells aren’t just one time use though. They say that the longer they are used the better the flavors are imparted on the dish. My shell above looks a little worst for wear so I guess that means it’s super yummy!

Cooked in a scallop shell, yes, it includes scallop! Hotate (Japanese for scallops) does have kanji (帆立) but you will normally see it written in katakana as ホタテ. The scallop, eggs, and onion get simmered in the shell in a miso broth.

2) Kenoshiru (けの汁)

Kenoshiro is a much thicker miso soup than I’ve ever had before. More like porridge, it is full of a variety of root vegetables such as carrot, daikon radish, and burdock. I love burdock! A vegetable I never knew existed until coming to Japan.

Of course, since it’s miso, there are chunks of tofu in it as well (very common but not necessary) and some seasoning that I couldn’t place.  Delicious and hearty.  Probably much better suited to winter eating but amazing none the less.

It is also eaten as part of New Year’s to wish for good luck.

3) Tsugaru Soba

You’ll find consistencies throughout all of Japan on certain dish types but the different regions will have a slightly different take on the preparation. Soba is normally buckwheat noodles, made long and commonly eaten at New Year’s eve to pray for long life. 

However not the case with Tsugaru Soba. As far as these local cuisines in Hirosaki go, the soba here is shorter and tastes much softer than normal soba. Why? They don’t use buckwheat but soy flour! It’s apparently also a very labor-intensive process. Cooked with seaweed, soy and usually a fish broth, it’s delicious

Another difference of soba that it’s other noodle friends like ramen and udon, it is normally served cold, so don’t be surprised by that.

By the way, in case you are wondering what Tsugaru means it refers to the western half of Aomori prefecture in the area where the Tsugaru clan ruled over. They are the ones that had Hirosaki Castle.

4) Tempura Corn

Why isn’t tempura corn a thing everywhere?! After you’ve had this, you’ll never want to have normal corn every again.  And that includes the delicious street fair version which is doused in soy sauce and butter.

5) Miso yakisoba

Another “tsugara-region” take on a classic, yakisoba. Slight flavoring differences that what you’ll have further south.  Oh, and don’t jab your food with chopsticks like it appears mine was doing in this picture, eek! Good thing for the closed-off rooms?

Of note, how do you get the staff’s attention if you are in your own room? Check your table for a doorbell! The closed-off rooms I believe are where the doorbells came from you’ll see in some restaurants, out of necessity obviously. Another option is to just more loudly say “sumimasen“, which may turn into your favorite Japanese word.

6) Local Garlic

Aomori is the biggest producer of garlic in Japan with Aomori black garlic being something that even Trader Joe’s imports in the states.  When in Rome! I kid, I eat enough garlic to keep away vampires for the rest of my life. 

If you love (or hate) garlic, look for ニンニク (nin-niku) on the menu which is the word for garlic in Japanese. The miso was also fantastic. My grocery store literally has 40 different types of miso in it and one of my goals is to become a connoisseur of miso!

7) Aomori Wagyu

Lastly, if the local beef is offered, I have to try it.  Due to the price and size, this was probably A5 Wagyu but I’m honestly not sure, it was still very marbled and delicious regardless.

Other food to try in Hirosaki

Not a food but Hirosaki has a big coffee history. Manchan (万茶ン) opened in 昭和4年 (Showa 4 or 1929 to the rest of us) and is thought to be the fourth oldest coffee shop in Japan and the oldest in Tohoku, Plus any time you get to try a traditional 喫茶 (kissaten, coffee shop) you should take it.

If you are craving some comfort food, Curry and Coffee Kawashima is a fantastic Japanese curry place and you can’t forget all of the apple options around the city. Hirosaki is the apple capital of Japan after all and there is no shortage of apple pie.

You may have noticed all of the western style buildings in town. These Meiji era constructions also are a marker that it had a large foreign population. As such, you will find many French restaurants in town!

Lastly, there was one of the local cuisines of Hirosaki I didn’t get to try it myself but the area is also known for a dish called “igamenchi” or fried minced squid with some vegetables.

If you make it to Aomori prefecture, I hope you can try some of this delicious local cuisine.  As always when traveling in Japan, be on the lookout.  You’ll usually find that the local tourist centers will give you a hint about what is famous in the region.  Give it a try, sometimes you won’t know what it is but don’t let that stop you.  You just might be surprised.

Can’t make it up to Aomori to try the local cuisines in Hirosaki? There is an izakaya in Tokyo’s Shimbashi area that is all things Aomori (including nebuta!). It’s called Aomori Nebuta World and serves dishes you would find up North!

For what may be the best I’ve ever had, you must try this Japanese curry in Hirosaki! カレーとコーヒーかわしま (Curry and Coffee Kawashima) has been in business in Hirosaki since 1973 (!). You can’t get more mom and pop than 45+ years of Japanese curry perfection.

You also can’t talk about the curry shop without the street it is apart of, Dotemachi has been around since castle times!

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in August of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Dotemachi (土手町) History

As you’ll see in a second, Japan’s names stick around for a long time. They also to someone that doesn’t speak the language sound very eloquent when really they are very straight forward names. But much as we English speakers tend to forget when some of our road names make sense, I’ve pointed out how names translate to English to my Japanese friends and they laugh and say they’ve never thought about it that way.

To this day, addresses in Japan utilize the “town” as a pinpoint, including how to locate Curry and Coffee Kawashima (カレーとコーヒーかわしま) on a map. You don’t label the street, you label the blocks within a 町 or “machi” which means town. However, not as in a town as we think of it. Imagine if you will the “downtown” area of a small town. It’s on Main Street but not all of Main Street.

Towns, in this case, are more areas. Over here were the butchers, over there were the blacksmiths, etc.

So what’s Dotemachi mean (besides the “town” part at the end)? 土手 or “dote”, means bank as in the bank of a river (it can also be a type of stew but I digress). When Hirosaki Castle was being built, gee, 400+ years ago, this was the only way into the castle from the east. The embankment part comes from the thought that there was one such feature installed along the Tobuchi River that it crosses.

It’s been a merchant area since 1685 (!!!).

Dotemachi Shopping Street (土手町商店街)

This shopping arcade has been around since the early 1960s and is so large that each region has it’s own promotion association and is split up into its own information, even though they are all kind of the same.

• Kamidotemachi shotengai (上土手町商店街)
• Nakadotemachi shotengai (中土手町商店街）
• Shitadotemachi shotengai (下土手町商店街）

Notice the similarities? The first words are kami, naka, and shita. Which translates to upper, middle, and lower and 商店街 is “Shotengai” and means shopping street.

Curry and Coffee Kawashima (カレーとコーヒーかわしま) is located within Kamidotemachi shotengai. So it’s in the “upper” embankment town shopping street.

Shopping streets are great little windows into history and where you’ll find the lively areas of town much of the time. Something to check out!

It’s common to have street art in areas of shopping districts (and towns in general, think of all the apples!) but this one is what I was jokingly called “little kid feet” street.

Why are there tiles with children’s footprints on the street in Hirosaki?

This is the question that I kept repeating as I was walking through the shopping arcade. It seemed like an interesting choice of art work. Was it a memorial? Something else?

As part of the Nakadote Town Street Improvement Project back in 2010, along with replacing the arcade (the “umbrella” to the walkway), they installed a snow melting system into the sidewalk. With such, they wanted to have not only somewhere that was safe but something that represented the area. They ran a lottery in which almost 600 children from ages 0 to 6 entered. The qualification is that your family came from the region.

As such, 100 of them were chosen and now you have “little kid feet” (子供の足型, kodomo no ashigata, children’s footprint) street on your way to have some great Japanese curry in Hirosaki. It’s a cute meaning of “let’s walk into the future together with our new sidewalk!”.

Wooden signs along Shopping Street

Make sure you also look up at all of the wooden signs along the street. They represent the businesses and are a nice touch of different art in the land of apple artwork (and children’s footprints).

Curry and Coffee Kawashima (カレーとコーヒーかわしま)

I bet you never thought I would get to talking about the curry! It’s well worth the wait and I think the little bits of history are fascinating. Keep your eyes open while you’re out around, even in your own town! You never know what you’ll newly discover.

Takeshi Takahashi opened Curry and Coffee Kawashima (カレーとコーヒーかわしま) when he was 25 back in 1973. Now a family affair with his wife and son, they cook the curry 15 hours each and every day, heating up the order when placed.  And though some of the suppliers have changed over the years, they’ve kept to the original recipe as much as possible (source). 

All are served with pickled condiments (漬物, tsukemono in Japanese) that are usual to have with Japanese curry.  Ginger, pearl onions, and radish which they also make themselves. Pickling is a big thing in Japan – I’ve love to learn how to make some homemade!

Curry and Coffee Kawashima: The menu

The quintessential Japanese curry is slightly on the sweeter side (unless you go to Coco Ichibanya where you can up the anty spice wise).

At Curry and Coffee Kawashima (カレーとコーヒーかわしま) you have a choice of three levels for the Japanese curry which comes with a piece of pork.

• カレーライス, curry rice, this is the normal level
• ホットカレー（辛い), Hot curry (yes, ホット, hotto is “hot”) and 辛い is pronounced “karai” for spicy, just in case you missed the intent of the “hot” I suppose
• Ｗホットカレー（超辛). Japan uses several singular letter abbreviations and “w” is one of them. As we pronounce it “double u”… yes, it means “double”. So this is double hot curry or 超辛 (cho-kara, super spicy) as they also state on the menu.

It doesn’t stop there though for toppings. You can also have cheese, katsu (fried pork), ebi-fry (think one giant shrimp) or just normal small shrimp, fried scallops, potato, egg (fried egg on top or they also have omelet style), hamburger and others. Get the set meal for a side salad and coffee or juice to be included.

The name is Curry and Coffee Kawashima so you can bet there is also coffee! The blend coffee has been the same since the day they opened. More on Japan’s cafe’s later! Get the coffee if for no other reason to see them make it from a very cool siphon apparatus.

Curry and Coffee Kawashima (カレーとコーヒーかわしま): The price

The set which comes with a basic salad and coffee or juice was 1100 yen at the time of my partaking. For lunches and even dinner, look for the word “定食” or “teishoku” (set meal) and you normally can’t go wrong! 

Figuring as the price started nearly 50 years ago at 100 yen, that hasn’t changed much over the years either! The other menu options range in price from about 700 to 1200 yen so this isn’t going to break the bank and the portions are HUGE. 

I felt like I didn’t need to eat for two days afterward.  If for some reason, the normal size isn’t large enough, you can have them add extra rice.

How to find カレーとコーヒーかわしま

A mere 10 minutes on foot from JR Hirosaki Station, but don’t forget to check out the rest of the shopping street. You can also find some of the apple pie stores around here. Curry and Coffee Kawashima is on the second floor and the sign is in Japanese so look out for “カレーとコーヒーかわしま”. 

Other Japanese Curry in Hirosaki

There are plenty of local Hirosaki specialties to try while you are visiting Hirosaki Castle or any of the number of other local area attractions like the apple park or Neputa village, among others. However, this is apple country after all and if you haven’t yet gotten your fill with apple pie, and cider, there’s another type of Japanese curry in Hirosaki you should try – the apple curry!

There are several locations in town that have it, just look for “りんご” (Japanese for apple) and “カレー” (curry) on the menu together.

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission by you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

Apple Curry (りんごカレー) to-go

If you didn’t get to try apple curry while in town, they come in packets from a local store called Iwakiya! Hirosaki puts apples in everything, not just apple pie and your delicious hard ciders but also in Japanese curry in Hirosaki!

Retort packets (I just learned they were called that recently) are available in all different styles of curry across Japan. And very much like ramen, you can find local varieties or special edition “just like the store” versions.

For Iwakiya apple curry, you get the roux in which you can use to cook with. There are instructions on the packet for what ingredients to add.

What’s your best mom & pop find?

Let me know in the comments :).

Are you an apple pie lover? Have you experienced a Japanese bakery yet? Japan’s Apple Country of Hirosaki has over 40 Japanese bakeries selling different versions of Hirosaki apple pie.

Japan’s apple country definitely hits all the apple wickets.  If you’re in Hirosaki in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, you can see small details of apple everywhere! From the apple-shaped traffic mirrors to different style manhole cover with apples on them, there’s apple art everywhere you turn. 

What of the essence of the agriculture itself?  Take advantage of apple farms, apple farmer’s market, and cidery’s but definitely save some room for Hirosaki apple pie!

[Editors Note: This post was originally published in August of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy and comprehensiveness.]

Hirosaki Apple Pie Guide Map

One of your top goals for stopping in the tourist information center, besides the fact that they are great for last-minute research on your visit around Japan, is to get the Hirosaki Apple Pie Guide Map. 

Currently, in its 12 edition, it will guide you around town while you are exploring Hirosaki Castle or other fun stops like the Nebuta Village (different than the Nebuta museum!). It also tells you were all the Hirosaki apple pie is!

The 12th Edition has 43 locations (and different pies!) to try out around town. While it’s in Japanese, there is enough information on the map to get you there. What are the scales though? I’ve got you covered.  

Reading the scale

Each pie has been judged on sweetness, sourness, and cinnamon flavor. They are then shown on a scale of 1 to 5 from the weakest to strongest.

• 甘味 can be read “anami” or “kanmi” and means “sweet flavor”
• 酸味 is read “sanmi” and literally means “sour flavor”　　　　
• シナモン is the katakana spelling of “cinnamon”

Other Details of the Hirosaki Apple Pie Guide

The upper right hand corner is generally broken down for each Japanese bakery as follows:

1. Shop Name
2. Address
3. Phone Number
4. Hours
5. 販売時期 is “sales period”. “通年” is all year, “不定期” is irregular,
6. Price before tax (税別 is before tax for when you are trying out new Japanese foods)
7. The last is a description of the texture and flavor.

Some will change the apples depending on the season but still have their Hirosaki Apple Pie available. It’s Japan, got to catch them all, right? If your tummy is like mine and can’t handle that many sweets, there are a few shops that have tasting plates (食べ比べ, tabe–kurabe, which is one of my favorite Japanese phrases because it literally means eating comparison, game on). 

You have options for both cafes or Japanese bakery from this list. The stores with a small coffee and fork icon next to them are eat in options.

Hirosaki Tarte Tatin Guide Map

If you prefer tart’s over pie’s, as of 2017 they also have the Hirosaki Tarte Tatin Guide Map which has fewer options (11 as of the 2019 version) but will have you wanting to visit all of the Japanese bakery options!

Quantities of either tart or pie are limited so make sure you get to the shop early in most cases! Theses Japanese bakery selling Hirosaki Apple Pie clear out FAST.

How to Shop at a Japanese Bakery

In general, portions in Japan are smaller so you can definitely snack on a few of these tasty pies. In America, usually, bakery’s are set up with everything behind the counter/display.  Although some bakeries are that style in Japan, many are set up so you pick yourself. 

You’ll see something like this with a tray and tongs when you first walk in the store.

Place your items on the tray (with the tongs of course) and then bring them all to the cashier and they will package and ring you up.  It’s actually kind of nice when you don’t speak the language, so you can just take your time and pick things out. 

For apple, you are looking for the word “りんご” or “ringo” if there isn’t an English translation available.

巨大アップルパイ世界に挑戦する会 (Kyodai Apple Pie Challenge to the World)

While we’re at it, let’s talk about this attempt at a Guinness World Record for the largest apple pie with our contender – Hirosaki Apple Pie! (They haven’t met it yet, or at least I can’t find it in Guinness’ site). The Kyodai Apple Pie Challenge to the World was founded in 2002 and is used as a promotion event for Hirosaki apple production.

What started off as a 1-meter wide pie, slowly morphed into a 2-meter pie, and as of September of 2014, they have the capability of a THREE METER apple pie with a very specialized oven. Over the course of 28 events in 2019, they made a total of six 3-meter pies, 19 of the 2-meter pies, and 18 of the 1-meter pies.

All for the love of apple pie! If you’re looking to try some of the colossal pie, check out the Hirosaki Apple Harvest Festival (弘前りんご収穫祭) in the fall. Especially if the 40+ Japanese bakery worth of Hirosaki Apple Pie weren’t enough for you – you can have more!

Best way to get around Hirosaki

If it’s a pretty day, the city really isn’t that big. A walk is nice and you can work on finding the fun manhole covers and other apple art around town. Another way that the city makes it easy to get around is the 100-yen土手町循環 (100-yen Dotemachi Loop Bus). It covers most all of the tourist destinations.

There are maps at the bus ticket office and you can also get a day pass for 500 yen. Be careful of the color of the route because the other buses in town are all 100 yen stops!

What’s your favorite apple product? 

Let me know in the comments!  I make a mean apple pie and have really grown to love cider.

Rice is so integral to Japanese cooking that the words for “cooked rice”, gohan (ご飯) or meshi (飯), can mean simply, “meal”. Onigiri, or rice ball as is the more common English, makes a great snack or even lunch. Want to learn how to make onigiri? You’ll be surprised how simple it is!

Think of them like Japanese sandwiches, ready to pick up and eat on the go. Onigiri along with nikuman are popular snack or lunch options for when you are out hiking!

Normally, onigiri is slightly triangular in shape, wrapped in nori (海苔, seaweed) with a yummy filling tucked inside.  No, though its main ingredient is rice, onigiri is not sushi. Best yet? This delectable meal is super easy to make.

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in July of 2016 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission by you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

The Rice

There are two types of japonica rice used in Japan. In Japanese, the rice used for onigiri is called 粳米 (うるちまい, uruchimai) or “normal rice”. What makes it normal? It’s NOT used for mochi. Mochi (餅 or 糯) is glutinous rice and has even greater stickiness when cooked. They are both short grain but uruchimai is translucent whereas mochigome (もち米, mochi rice) is more opaque.

There are many, many different types of rice in Japan, the supermarket can be overwhelming. Some popular varieties are 越光 (koshihikari) and ササニシキ (sasanishiki). The later is known for good use in sushi and is sometimes advertised at restaurants. They tend to be quite expensive but will be some of the best rice you’ve ever tried.

Outside Japan? Look for sushi rice, the usual marketing name of uruchimai. (Do NOT get “sticky rice”, completely different!!!). Remember, this isn’t sushi! Vinegar is what makes sushi rice, among other things, like dashi. The only seasoning you will need for rice used for onigiri is salt.

Proper Rice Making technique

First things first – you want to rinse Japanese rice really well until the water runs clean and then soak. I highly suggest a rice cooker or 炊飯器 (すいはんき, suihanki).

Japanese rice cookers are some of the best in the world. Two of the most popular brands are Zojirushi (my favorite) and Tiger. They do amazing things with their fuzzy logic controls. Fuzzy logic allows the machine to “think” and adjust time and temperature settings so that the rice turns out perfect – every time. I suggest getting one around 5 cups, which is more than enough for a family. My first was 10 cups and WAY to big. Don’t worry, they make models ready for overseas!

Rice cookers are great to set up the night before. Not only does that give the rice a good soak, but you can also put them on a timer! Set it to go off before you wake so you can make fresh onigiri or a nice bento before work.

Alton Brown would hate me for saying to buy a “uni-tasker” appliance but you can also use them for other things, like bread, believe it or not.

Rice cookers will keep rice warm and moist so it will keep that way for several hours. Or if you want to be fancy you can use a お櫃 (おひつ, ohitsu), which is a wooden container to hold rice (that one literally only serves that purpose, you will see this done often at a ryokan).

Rice cooker or ohitsu – mix in some good sea salt to the cooked rice! A rice paddle is great for this.

How to make onigiri by hand – and not get all messy!

After you have your yummy salted rice all ready to go, the easiest way is to start with some saran wrap and a bowl. Place the saran wrap over the bowl and spoon the rice mixture in. You can then use the paddle to give yourself a bit of room for the filling. However, if you want just rice – go ahead! Filling not required! What else is not required? Triangular shaped onigiri. They can be square, balls, cute little characters, anything your heart dreams up.

Next, pick up the mixture and with your hands on the outside, move the rice around any filling you may have and then cover fully with saran wrap and form into a shape. Remove saran wrap and voila! You’ve got some onigiri. You can cover with some nori if you’d like but also, not required!

What to use for fillings?

The sky is really the limit when it comes to onigiri fillings. Some of the more typically seen at the supermarket or convenience store are:

• 梅干し, umeboshi, pickled plums
• サーモン, salmon
• えび or 海老, ebi, shrimp
• 納豆, natto, fermented soybeans
• 唐揚げ, からあげ, karaage, fried chicken

Salmon and tuna you can sometimes find by themselves but normally they have mayonnaise mixed in. Ever heard of “sea chicken”? Nope, not just an American joke! You will see “Tuna Mayo” is often called “Sea Chicken Mayo”. Look for: シー チケン (sea chicken) マヨネーズ (mayonnaise) sometimes you’ll see just マヨ (mayo). I even like to add some miso to mine which works super yummy when you grill them a little bit. This is called “焼きおにぎり” or “yaki onigiri”.

How to make onigiri with a mold

Another option for making onigiri is to use a cute mold. I personally like all of the fun animal shaped ones, like this kitten onigiri mold. They normally come with stencil cutters to make the nori add to the cuteness.

How to eat store bought Onigiri

If you are lucky enough to be in Japan (or I have seen them elsewhere in Asia), I highly suggest you try some store-bought onigiri for the experience. One, they are tasty, and two, you save time! Find them in the refrigerator section. Yes, serve them cold, no matter the filling.

With homemade onigiri, the nori will generally be more soft by the time you eat it because of it soaking in some of the moisture from the rice.  At convenience stores (or konbini, コンビニ) intricately folded plastic will separate the nori from the rice. Each package will have 1, 2, 3 labelled on it so you know how to disassemble your yummy snack. Split the packaging in half and carefully pull out the sides without damaging the nori.  Grab the pieces and dig in!

Not up to speed on your Japanese yet? Look for the English when you buy your onigiri at the store. The packaging isn’t always Japanese.

In case you need a visual, there’s one on the bottom! Why’s this next image right-to-left? Welcome to the Japanese language. So sometimes you see pictographs follow suit.

What’s your favorite onigiri?

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One Drop Cafe prides itself on having fresh locally sourced vegetables. One of my favorite downtown restaurants, it is a great option if you are looking for vegetarian in Yokosuka. 

One Drop Cafe itself is super cute with light and dark accents, small tables and some bar seats by the open kitchen. Recent top hits play in the background but the real reason I love it though?  The vegetables. They source everything from local farms and have a cornucopia of beautiful eats fresh every day. To top it off, they are all pesticide and chemical fertilizer free! 

Before you ask, I was very briefly a vegetarian and then a pescatarian for a few years but now don’t have any restrictions on my pallet. I’m a huge fan of vegetables though and sometimes it’s definitely hard to find good dishes available, yes, even here in Japan. When I do, I take note!

Looking to make your own Japanese vegetarian meal? Bentoya Cooking has classes in Tokyo and Yokohama to teach you some great Japanese recipes using all vegetarian ingredients and even some vegan sweets options as well!

What’s for lunch?

I will speak of lunch because that is when I like to go. The crème de la crème is the One Drop Veggie Plate. Perhaps my absolute favorite lunch in the world, and if you’ve been around Kristen Abroad for long, you know I love Mexican food. So this is a big deal!

Lunch will run you about 1,200 to 1,700 円 (about $12 to 17 USD) and includes a drink.  Their ice tea is delicious.  If you would like a non-vegetarian option, there’s plenty of those as well.  Taco rice, vegetable or meat Japanese curry, beef bowl, and both a chicken and pork option. Feeling particularly hungry? They have a larger bowl of curry available.

All of the dishes take advantage of the veggies but the ワンドロップベジプレート (one drop veggie plate) gives you the gambit.  It’s always revolving on what they have available on the day but the basic set up for this set meal is brown rice, miso soup with various vegetables, salad with homemade dressing, a few fried options, and then the 9 compartment plate full of bit-size morsels.  If you are vegetarian, this is your plate.  If you aren’t, get it anyway because it is amazing.

For this meal, you also start with a small shot of homemade smoothie which they normally will tell you what it consists of. Again it will be highlighting the seasonal fruit and vegetables available to them!

Lunch, Tea, or Dinner at One Drop Cafe?

One Drop is open for lunch (ランチ), an afternoon café (カフェ) menu (think tea time, cakes and parfait パフェ) and dinner (ダイナー) in the evenings. There’s a brief pause in between each that they are closed that are listed on their Facebook page.

Like everyone else, they are impacted by COVID-19, and is a perfect time to get some takeout! Honestly, for the novelty of takeout being an option, I always feel it is a bit rare in Japan.

One Drop Cafe : How to get here

One Drop Cafe is just around the corner from the Mercure Hotel on Dobuita Shopping Street (どぶ板通り or “the Honch” if you know it as an American), the closest train station is Shioiri on the Keikyu Line.

After lunch (or whenever you choose to go), take a stroll down Dobuita Street for some fun cultural aspects. It has a completely different feel between day and night. You can even use American dollars in many of the shops!

Where’s your favorite vegetable eateries?  Leave me a note in the comments!

BBQ! In Tokyo! If you are looking for an option of good food in Tokyo, you might be surprised by the first authentic American BBQ in Tokyo. Not only that, Urban BBQ Smokehouse by T.Y.Harbor Brewery has a terrace. Swoon. If you know me, you know I LOVE alfresco dining. Any excuse to sit outside while I eat, I will take.

After a long day of shopping for unique clothes in Harajuku or the upscale stores of Omotesando, head over to Cat Street for this gem.

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in July of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

American BBQ in Tokyo at Urban BBQ Smokehouse

There are four types of house made BBQ sauces to choose from: House Pit, Carolina Vinegar, Voodoo Hot and Porter Pepper.  All of the meats went very well with them.  Ah yes, the meat. Your options include:

• Beef brisket burnt ends (バーンエンドブリスケット) — yes, it really says burned ends
• Black Angus beef sausage (ブラックアンガスビーフソーセージ)
• the very specific, espresso rubbed USDA Prime beef brisket (エスプレッソを使ったプライムビーフブリスケット)
• Homemade smoked bacon (自家製スモークベーコン)
• Kansas city style spare ribs (ポークスペアリブ、カンザスシティースタイル)
• Pulled BBQ pork (プルドBBQポーク)
• Smoked chicken thigh (スモークチキン)

The brisket I think was the best I’ve every had in my life.  Not gristly at all and melted in your mouth.  The ribs were falling off the bones and amazing. Pulled pork was delicious too. If I had to choose a favorite, brisket, hands down. But why choose? You can get a 3, 4, or 5 BBQ combo platter.

Don’t forget the sides! Buttered and garlicked to perfection, definitely try the eggplant dip and veggies.  The platters come with cornbread and coleslaw as well.  The coleslaw had a kick of dill to it which I enjoyed.

T.Y. Harbor Brewery Craft Beer

Now on to what to drink! While the microbrewery scene swept the states and Europe in the 1980s, Japan was a little later to the party starting in the mid-90s thanks to a change in brewery license regulations. 

T.Y. Harbor Brewery has been brewing beer within the 27 wards of Tokyo since 1997 in Tennoz. Why am I mentioning this in a post about Urban BBQ Smokehouse? T.Y. Harbor Brewery owns the place. Meaning? They have a lovely selection of craft beer.

Year round there are options of pale ale, amber ale, wheat ale, IPA and Imperial Stout. They usually have a few seasonal beers that are also available at all of their restaurants (they have 14 businesses) and some limited offerings until they run out.

Beer not your thing? The bar also has an assortment of craft spirits to wet your whistle.

Best American BBQ in Tokyo, maybe Japan?

There are not a lot of places in Japan that are what Americans would call “BBQ”. I will report, that this is the best I’ve been to yet! If you are looking for some more authentic BBQ options in Japan, Yokosuka’s Nawlins (sadly now closed) and Yokohama’s Bashamichi Taproom both are delicious.

Pro-tip: Since there are so few American BBQ restaurants, if that’s what you are hankering for, make sure you specify it! If you aren’t careful in Japan, throwing out a “wanna go get BBQ tonight?” can lead you to Korean BBQ, which is a completely different experience that you should also have!

The Roastery

If you need a pick me up after dinner or while you’re here exploring Cat Street, check out The Roastery downstairs from Urban BBQ Smokehouse. The coffee shop sells only single origin coffee that they roast onsite. It smells amazing and was even wafting over to the Coco Agepan when it was there.

Tips for Deciding on Food in Tokyo

Let’s face it, Tokyo is a big place. If you notice though, the neighborhoods are all very unique. When I’m out exploring, I like to feel out the vibe of the area I’m in and actually try a spot or two. Japan is more known for smaller dishes that you order a lot of. Look at a typical meal like Kaiseki, lots of small plates with a wide variety of food!

A rule of thumb is that portions are a lot smaller, unless you’re getting something like ramen, or Japanese curry. So why not scope out a few options while you’re looking for food in Tokyo? And don’t think American BBQ in Tokyo is your only option! You could make a game out of it and try Korean BBQ, Yakiniku AND American and see which you like the best.

Bottom line, you can’t really go wrong when you are search out food in Tokyo, or really, anywhere in Japan.

Hungry? Pin this for later

You may recall, that I love Mexican Food. So much so, that if my last meal could only be one cuisine, it would be Mexican. When I was turning 5, I told my whole class I was born in Mexico (I’m most certainly not), don’t know if that has anything to do with it (past life? who knows, kids are weird) but there’s definitely a passion for the culinary style.  Hell, I make guacamole for dinner more times than I can count! When I discovered Aztecas Yokosuka, it brought the local Mexican restaurant count to three (yay! less 30+ minute trips!). 

There are others, but they aren’t straight Mexican food. Mike’s Tex-Mex still has a place in my heart but I’m sorry, besides the fruit margaritas, Aztecas Yokosuka blows the local competition out of the water.

[Editors Note: This post was originally published in July of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy and comprehensiveness.]

The intel: Aztecas Yokosuka

Prior to Aztecas Yokosuka existence, the location housed a Peruvian restaurant.  So if you search for them on hotpepper.jp, tabelog.com, or one of the other Japanese Yelp-like restaurant searches, it’s hit or miss that you may see data from the other restaurant. If you like food pictures, they have a Facebook page to whet your appetite.

They are open every day of the week from 3 until 1130 pm, so you’ll have plenty of time to catch the last train if need be.

Oh, and they are not the original. There is also a location in Bashamichi in Yokohama. Definitely somewhere I’ve hit up after beer at Yokohama Brewery, Bashamichi Taproom, or American Antenna!

Looking for somewhere to have a party? The Gran Aztecas Yokosuka location has room for 50 people and 4000 yen 飲み放題 nomihoudai course – all-you-can-drink!

Bring on the food porn

The menu is a few pages long but still definitely concise in its options. Between a couple of visits, my friends and I have gone through the entire thing. You can NOT go wrong with any of the options. To start with, the guacamole is your best option. The salsa and nachos are also very delicious but the guacamole is some of the best I’ve had in Japan (and I eat guacamole any chance I get).

I wasn’t introduced to chilaquiles until later in life. In my opinion, they are the precursor to nachos but the tortillas get to simmer in all that yummy goodness on top to saturate the flavor more.  If you’ve never had them, here’s a good place to try it!

The enchiladas can come with either red or green sauce, they are both tasty just depends on what mood you are in for.

The tacos come with toppings to add if you feel so obliged.  They are great as served as well.

Chili con carne was an afterthought the day we got them, but delicious and come with tortillas.

Don’t forget your margaritas! The blue margarita is my favorite but they also have regular and a Cadillac version.

Enough! Where is Aztecas Yokosuka located?

The two locations are both located in Downtown Yokosuka. If you are coming by train, the Yokosuka-Chuo Station 横須賀中央駅on the Keikyu line is closest but Shioiri Station isn’t that much farther.

Enjoy! And let me know what you think!