I may have to go to a Japanese restaurant soon. What's good to order that isn't too weird? Thanks for your help, all.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
What do you consider weird?
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
Also, define "Japanese Restaurant." Are you going to a Sushi Bar, a Hibachi... what?
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Look for things with the word "Katsu." It's basically breaded fried meat with sweet barbecue sauce.
Katsu pork is my standby when we go to sushi restaurants.
(Edit: If you are going to a Hibachi, just get the standard Hibachi meal - grilled meat and vegetables, none of which are weird.)
Posted by Omega M. (Member # 7924) on :
I don't know; sorry.
Posted by Libbie (Member # 9529) on :
Personally, I like yakisoba. It's kind of like spaghetti noodles (but made with buckwheat...mmmm!), usually topped with stir-fried veggies and meat.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Other items that are going to be cooked and of a more familiar texture to the Western tongue:
Teriaki (beef or chicken, grilled and served in teriyaki sauce) -- picture Gyoza (an appetizer like "potstickers" -- little won-ton-like dumplings (usually with pork and veggies) lightly fried with a dipping sauce) -- picture Tempura (lightly breaded and deep-fried, usually vegetables and/or shrimp or chicken) -- picture
----
Edited to add: Every Japanese restaurant I've been two has had all three. Plenty for a full meal.
[ December 11, 2006, 11:00 AM: Message edited by: ClaudiaTherese ]
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
ebi, unagi, california rolls
All are cooked and delicious.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Lucky I want to go to a Japanese resturant where I will order sushi but not octopus or squid The suction cups scare me. I also detest ikura You can't go wrong with something teriakied.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Ask for o-toro sashimi
Well, don't, unless you like fatty tuna slices (its actually incredibly delicious and melts on your tongue, but definitely not for everyone. It can be hard to find real o-toro in sushi restaurants in japan, too).
For some slightly more adventurous yet not too adventurous sushi, you might try a spider roll. Plain old carrot rolls are startlingly good, too. I strongly suggest you try out some 'weird' sushi, too. One of the white fish should be relatively low on the weirdness scale while still being a chance to try something unusual.
And definitely have unagi, in any form, its the second-best sushi out there IMO and not weird at all. O-toro being the first best .
Btw, you'll want to use the soy sauce and wasabi with any sushi you get. Take a small amount of the wasabi and place it in the little dish they give you. Pour some soy sauce over it, then mix until the wasabi is pretty much dissolved. Since you're a beginner, put in enough soy sauce such that they soy sauce is about the same color as normal.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
Yes, what sort of Japanese restaurant?
If you're talking about an Americanized Japanese restaurant--anything along the lines of a sushi place, teriyaki place, grill, bar, etc.--you should be able to get an English description of anything on their menu.
If you're going to a traditional Japanese restaurant (highly, highly unlikely), well...find an excuse to leave. Even Nikkeijin can't stand traditional Japanese cuisine.
If it's a "fusion bistro," flee in terror.
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
You can't go wrong with California rolls. It looks like Sushi, but it's cooked, and you mostly taste the avacado and the soy sauce anyway.
Like others have said, the Teriyaki chicken is a safe bet.
If you like shrimp, the Shrimp Tempura isn't very different from fried shrimp you'd find anywhere else.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
quote:Originally posted by ClaudiaTherese: Teriaki (beef or chicken, grilled and served in teriyaki sauce) -- picture
If at all possible, do NOT get teriyaki prepared this way. It's like ordering filet mignon and slathering it with A-1; a viable option, but what a waste. Good teriyaki is not served with sauce; it is marinated, and served without sauce of any kind.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
quote:If it's a "fusion bistro," flee in terror.
Pauli Moto's Bistro in Tyson's Corner (by Masaharu Morimoto of Iron Chef fame) was awesome.
Apparently, though, I'm the only one who thought so. Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
quote:Originally posted by fugu13: And definitely have unagi, in any form, its the second-best sushi out there IMO and not weird at all. O-toro being the first best .
Blasphemy!
Unagi is so the best.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
quote:Originally posted by Megan:
quote:Originally posted by fugu13: And definitely have unagi, in any form, its the second-best sushi out there IMO and not weird at all. O-toro being the first best .
Blasphemy!
Unagi is so the best.
I'm actually amazed - almost everyone I know puts ikura at number one.
Posted by Libbie (Member # 9529) on :
quote:Originally posted by Synesthesia: but not octopus or squid The suction cups scare me.
I just can't eat anything that may be as smart as I am. Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
ew Ikura I like tobiko I wish i had some right now. And some nigiri sake sushi But I cannot have any as I will spend 20 dollars on it!!! Posted by Libbie (Member # 9529) on :
Unagi is eel, right? I went out to a very nice, authentic sushi restaurant recently with my husband and my sort-of-step-dad, who was hyping up unagi so much that I just had to taste it. I was saddened to realize that it tastes exactly like baked beef liver (the taste of which I am quite familiar with, having handled show dogs for several years. Yes, we really do hold the bait in our mouths). While that would probably taste really rich and delicious to anybody else, to a show handler it's never a pleasant thing. Holding a big, fat piece of slimy liver in your mouth at 8:00 am, before you've had any breakfast because you've been grooming and walking dogs since 6:00 is just about the most drudging chore you can imagine. Even other types of bait will do it to you. I couldn't eat string cheese for three years because of Early Morning Bait Phenomenon.
There isn't any kind of sushi that tastes like string cheese, is there?
Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
If you're eating sushi and want to avoid raw fish, you can usually get tamago (sweetened cooked egg), kappa maki (cucumber roll), or california roll. Many places make something which is variously called Alaska roll, philadelphia roll, and other things which is smoked salmon, cream cheese, and either avocado or cucumber. It's one of my personal favorites. If you're hoping to avoid seaweed altogether, the tamago is probably your best bet.
Many japanese restaurants also serve things like teriyaki, udon (noodle soup) and tempura (battered and fried vegetables or seafood, usually shrimp.)
None of it is particularly weird by most standards.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
I love BC roll for cooked food in sushi, but I've only seen it in Canada. (smoked salmon skin -- very crunchy, excellent with wasabi and soy)
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by Dagonee: Look for things with the word "Katsu." It's basically breaded fried meat with sweet barbecue sauce.
Katsu pork is my standby when we go to sushi restaurants.
(Edit: If you are going to a Hibachi, just get the standard Hibachi meal - grilled meat and vegetables, none of which are weird.)
AGAIN! True Story.
Actually "katsu" I believe is "pork" and "yakitori" is BBQ chicken.
If you see "Katsu Curry" GO FOR IT! Just think of "Asian stew with delicious meat on rice."
Its delicious!
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
quote:AGAIN! True Story.
Actually "katsu" I believe is "pork" and "yakitori" is BBQ chicken.
No, Dagonee is right about katsu. You're thinking of ton katsu, which is pork katsu.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by erosomniac:
quote:AGAIN! True Story.
Actually "katsu" I believe is "pork" and "yakitori" is BBQ chicken.
No, Dagonee is right about katsu. You're thinking of ton katsu, which is pork katsu.
THATS right. Thank you for correcting me. That's why I speak Chinese not Japanese You crazy folks using our characters but calling them all the wrong things!
Posted by Will B (Member # 7931) on :
Tempura, and California roll.
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
quote:Originally posted by erosomniac:
quote:Originally posted by Megan:
quote:Originally posted by fugu13: And definitely have unagi, in any form, its the second-best sushi out there IMO and not weird at all. O-toro being the first best .
Blasphemy!
Unagi is so the best.
I'm actually amazed - almost everyone I know puts ikura at number one.
Eh...I don't care for roe. Eel, however, gets my undying love, now and forever, amen.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Everything in teppanyaki dining is wonderful and nothing is weird.
Assumingyou mean sushi instead, I started with very easy stuff: New York roll and Philly roll. The New York roll has salmon that is (I believe) smoked, while it may be raw in the Philly roll. I no longer remember. After I had found something I liked, everytime I went for sushi with someone (usually my wife) I "expanded my repertoire": we would share two rolls, or three if there were three of us, and I'd make sure one was something I knew I liked, and at least one was an experiment. Since I've slowly worked my way into eating sushi, I have yet to have anything I really didn't like. My favorite is still the Philly roll, though, followed closely by the New York roll. But I like the feeling of experimenting each time, and watching sushi novices stare at me as I eat, say, eel.
Octopus is yummy, btw.
Posted by Shigosei (Member # 3831) on :
Miso soup is always good if they offer you that. It's a salty/savory sort of soup. I also think that you'll like teriyaki, gyoza, yakisoba, etc. Donburi is also good--meat and vegetables, often with a scrambled egg or two thrown in, on top of rice. Also, if you've never had tofu, consider giving it a try. When cooked right, it is delicious.
As for sushi, I'm actually not a big seafood fan, so I usually get the vegetarian stuff. Tamago rolls are usually just the rice with some egg on top (tamago = egg). I also had some really good avocado sushi once. You can always ask for vegetarian options if you want to avoid too much of the weird stuff.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Blearg. Miso soup is disgusting.
>_<
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I looooooove Miso soup I wish I had some right now, but i have no clue how long miso lasts. And I have no green onions Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
If you're going for vegetarian sushi options, oshinko (pickled...um...plum?) is also quite good. And cucumber rolls.
Posted by JonHecht (Member # 9712) on :
Aside from Miso Soup, which I love, I don't really like Japanese food... but I love Chinese food.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
This thread is making me want Japanese food, but all the places near here are closed by now.
*shakes fist*
-pH
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I always got tempura veggies when I went as a child. Not too weird and good if you like fried food.
Soup with noodles is also usually good. I don't like miso and I avoid seafood, so I'm not much help when it comes to Japanese food...
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
Sushi, sushi, and..um..yeah! More sushi!
Posted by Tarrsk (Member # 332) on :
There's a Sushi House in Alameda where you can literally stuff yourself to the point of immobility with some of the best sushi in the Bay Area, and all for less than ten bucks a person, including tax and tip. It's as close to heaven as you can get on Earth.
My faves: unagi for sure, followed by most raw fish, avocado-based rolls, and salmon roe. For entrees, you can't go wrong with oyako donburi, which is egg, chicken, and onions cooked together and then served over rice. Tempura is also great, and I have a soft spot for teriyaki chicken, even though it's probably the most Americanized thing on most Japanese menus, after those nasty "Philadelphia rolls."
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
Also, I think it needs to be said that once you do go, you must come back and tell us what you ate!
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Katsudon. You can probably get it with either pork, beef, or shrimp; and possibly vegetarian. Katsu is a method of battering and deepfrying not tied to a specific meat.
Posted by Squish (Member # 9191) on :
quote:Originally posted by fugu13: And definitely have unagi, in any form, its the second-best sushi out there IMO and not weird at all. O-toro being the first best .
You may just be the love of my life... (in terms of sushi, of course.)
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