TOP RESTAURANT CHAINS IN JAPAN OFFERING JAPANESE FOOD
Planning to visit Japan in the future when travel restrictions ease up? Definitely, you’ll never get hungry visiting this country known for great food and hospitality. While traveling, you may have a hard time deciding which food to eat and which restaurants to visit. No worries because below are restaurant chains that offer quick and delicious authentic Japanese food that are convenient and budget-friendly making it an unforgettable food travel experience.
CONVEYOR BELT SUSHI
Pepper at the entrance door. Photo by Owen Beard on Unsplash
HAMASUSHI
With about 486 locations, Hamazushi has the top number of restaurants in the country. There are several types of sushi on the menu and many variations come with the addition of mayonnaise, sauces, and wasabi. Most of the dishes are priced at 100 yen, and on weekdays, they go down to 90 yen. One interesting thing when you enter the entrance is the talking robot Pepper who assists customers in choosing their seats.
Salmon sushi with onions and avocado. Hamasushi.
You’ll be able to order standard sushi, as well as interesting dishes which you think, are not Japanese foods, such as burger sushi, fresh fruits in season, cakes, pudding, and ice cream running through the conveyor belt. The menu touch screen has foreign languages that help solve your language barrier problems.
NOODLES
Udon with tempura. Marugame Seimen.
MARUGAME UDON AND TEMPURA
If you are a first-time visitor to Japan, I would recommend this restaurant to get a taste of authentic Japanese udon and tempura. The flavors are great, there’s a large selection of udon and tempura and the dining area gives you that traditional Japanese atmosphere.
Another great feature at Marugame Seimen is that is self-serviced and you can customize your order. Just inform the staff which type of udon you want (kamatama, kake, bukkake, etc.) then they’ll hand you a bowl immediately with your noodles. After that, you fall in line with your tray, pick up any tempura of your choice, and pay.
JAPANESE CURRY
CURRY HOUSE COCO ICHIBANYA
CoCo Ichibanya is one of the most popular curry restaurants in Japan, and they are expanding globally as well. The menu of this restaurant is amazing as they have over 40 varieties of toppings. One of the great things in this restaurant is the flexible ordering process where you can adjust the rice portion, spice level, and of course the toppings of your choice. Some of these toppings include meat, seafood, vegetables, scrambled eggs, cheese, and natto (fermented soybeans) to enhance your bowl of curry.
JAPANESE RICE BOWL
Gyudon set meal at Sukiya.
SUKIYA
Another popular chain restaurant in the gyudon category is Sukiya. This restaurant has been serving gyudon dishes across Japan since 1982. A standard bowl of this mouth-watering meal is pocket-friendly and won’t even cost you 500 yen. Toppings include your choice of pickled ginger, cheese, and raw egg, giving you a bowl of exotic flavors.
You can either order a single bowl or set meals that include salads, miso soup, and pickles at a very affordable price. The restaurant is solo friendly as well as family-friendly where they have okosama set meals for children and a free toy gift. They mostly serve curry rice, salad, soup, and jelly desserts.
BENTO LUNCH BOX
HOTTO MOTTO
When in Japan maybe you come across this shop several times. Hotto Motto makes freshly-cooked bentos conveniently. They can be found in almost all prefectures across the country, so it’s very easy to drop by when you’re feeling a bit hungry. There are so many options to choose from, with classic Japanese meals like beef or pork cutlet, grilled fish, Japanese curry, and the all-time favorite karaage (deep-fried) chicken.
TAKOYAKI
Takoyaki. For illustration purposes only. Photo by Amy Suraya on Unsplash
GINDACO
Takoyaki is a famous specialty in Osaka. They are small balls of batter with bits of octopus and vegetables inside, which are then topped with sauce (sweet or spicy), bonito flakes, and ao nori (powdered seaweed). Gindaco is the biggest takoyaki chain, and you’re likely to spot it mostly in department store’s food court. The standard takoyaki (with 6 balls) is only 580 yen, which makes them a very affordable snack.
RAMEN
Ramen. Image by Johnnys_pic from Pixabay
KORAKUEN
Korakuen is a ramen chain store with stores all over Japan. Korakuen’s ramen has a flavor and variations that are reminiscent of a particular time and region. They have ramen with tonkotsu, miso, and shoyu broth, with large volumes and variations. The flavorful soup is made with pork bones, where the pork umami is boiled giving a fresh aroma. They have a special menu for vegetable lovers called “Miso Vegetable Ramen”, which was launched mainly in eastern Japan, and uses 300g of assorted fresh vegetables.
They also serve side dishes like chahan (fried rice) and gyoza with assorted kinds of filling. The ramen chain is child-friendly as well as they have children’s set meals with jelly dessert and a free toy gift.
Whether you are traveling solo or with a family, you have a wide selection of Japanese food choices when you visit Japan.
coco ichibanya conveyor belt sushi gindaco gyudon hamasushi Japanese chain restaurants japanese curry korakuen marugame seimen noodles ramen sukiya takoyaki
