Culinary
Rules of Engagement
7 Eating tips when in Japan
Sometimes travelers get caught up in fascinating
rumours about a destination, so much so that they
hesitate to even travel for fear that they’ll offend others,
feel embarrassed or question their ability to learn and
laugh off any ‘mistakes’.
Before I list some of the key tips to finding comfort in a
Japanese restaurant, travelers can be assured of two
things.
1) Chopsticks. All restaurants in Japan use chopsticks.
Some will have forks for those who are chopstickchallenged. There is a tourist rumour that you need to
Contemplating culinary perfection in Kotohira, Shikoku
bring your own chopsticks from home in case you end up
in a restaurant that uses washable chopsticks that could
result in health concerns. This is a myth! First of all, many restaurants use single-use (disposable) chopsticks.
Those that don’t are usually clean and sanitary. I know of one chopstick-challenged traveler who brings a
compact fork/spoon contraption that she bought at an outdoor store just in case she finds herself in a situation
where only chopsticks are available. Her attitude is no fuss—no bother--she just uses her own utensil, folds it up
in a plastic bag and washes it for later use.
2) Visual Dishes. Many restaurants feature plastic displays
of the main dishes. Therefore when you see something you
like, you can point to the dish. But even when there is no
display, many menus include pictures of the dishes, so you
can see what best whets your appetite. And remember that
many guide books (and websites) have the names of dishes
in both English and Japanese. All in all, I have found that
dining in Japan—whether upscale or more popular, is a very
pleasant and friendly experience. Many Japanese know
some English (although they may be reluctant to use it) but
this means that there is a fair chance your requests will be
understood. And one more note… I have been to many
restaurants where a friendly Japanese patron who
understood and spoke English, offered to assist in ordering
food. This in turn led to many pleasant –and educational—
conversations about Japanese cuisine. So you win either way!
A tempting display: plastic Ikura-don:
Salmon Eggs on rice
3) Eat the Leaf! In North America we are used to using leaves in our cooking to add flavour (the Bay leaf is the
most popular). You set it aside and eat the food on which it lies. Not so in Japan. The tasty leaf you will find on
your chirashi or in other dishes is the perillo leaf (Shiso, in Japanese). Curl it around the rice in your dish, pop it
in your mouth and savour the flavour.