The Flavors of Japan

Japan is, quite rightly, famous for its food. Japanese food and flavors have made it across the world with dishes like sushi becoming a staple of both grocery stores and fine dining, and ramen having a cult like following to find the best bowl. Going into the trip, I had no doubt I would be eating well. In fact, my excitement about what I might eat over the trip ranked almost equally with the scenery in terms of what I was looking forward to. I had plans to have some famous local specialties along my route and was looking forward to discovering dishes that I didn’t know about.

Like nearly every geographically large and diverse country, to call something Japanese does a disservice to the regional differences in dishes and preparation. Fish features heavily in dishes across the country, but so does pork, chicken and beef. Vegetables are a staple no matter where you are in the country, but the relatively limited arable land makes them treated with a reverence and respect that is less common in the U.S.. True to stereotype, rice is a huge part of every meal. As I moved through the country's rice fields, it was great to see hotels and restaurants highlighting the rice they served, often locally produced and always delicious.

The relative purchasing power of the dollar in Japan made meals feel especially reasonable on the trip, especially outside of the cities that are tourist magnets. It is possible to eat very well in Japan without spending too much, though I had a few splurge meals that were fantastic. I also had lunch nearly every day at convenience stores, which were super cheap, made for quick fuel and given that I was usually soaked in either sweat or rain, or both, a reasonable place to grab a meal and get back on the road. The biggest challenge I had eating in Japan was the size of portions. Given that I was trying to refuel, I often had pretty large orders at night to fill my stomach and prepare for the next day’s ride.

Best Three Meals

1. Kobe Beef Menu

This may have been the only meal of the entire trip that I knew I was going to have, and somehow it still lived up to the hype. In fact, this meal was the reason that Kobe was on the route as an overnight stop.  

Every course featured beef in some form, culminating in a perfectly cooked Kobe Beef steak with incredible marbling. Each bite was tender and melted in my mouth. Each course was delicious, but if I had to choose one single standout dish, it would be the salad. The price tag was high, but worth it as the food was high quality and the experience was equally unique. Eating a little early, I was alone in the restaurant and had a personal chef to walk me through each course. The small size of the restaurant, Japanese hospitality and high-quality food made this the number one meal of the trip. 

2. Izakaya in Imabari

Towards the end of the first week of riding, on a day that was longer than planned, starting out soaking wet but ending dry, I found myself in Imabari, the end of the Shimonami Kaido for most, but the gateway for me. After nearly falling asleep in my hotel, I made it out for dinner, knowing I wanted to eat in an Izakaya (Japanese pub), I found 太郎食堂 just down the road from the train station and my hotel. 

The menu was fantastic, with each dish offering a modern take on izakaya classics. The flavors were fresh and crisp, matched by a modern design aesthetic throughout the restaurant. Like so many of the places I ate, the staff spoke limited English, but were happy to help me out through Google Translate. The dishes I ended up with were great, filling after a long day on the road, but also exciting. Clams, mushrooms, green pepper and beef and a plate of sashimi. Not having a plan is sometimes the best plan. When you set off, you occasionally stumble on a gem like this one.

3. Miso Ramen in Hokkaido

It took me a long time on the trip to have my first ramen, but once I started, I looked for every chance I could. Each bowl offered the luxury of a warming, filling broth and noodles. It was a great way to wrap up days of riding, filling the calorie deficit and looking for differences from bowl to bowl.

The best bowl I had was Miso Ramen in an alley in Sapporo. Featuring pork, perfectly cooked noodles and a supremely flavorful broth, this is everything you want in a bowl of noodles. Miso Ramen became a go-to when ordering at other places, but the quality never matched this first bowl in Sapporo.

These three meals stood out among the many meals I ate in Japan. Looking back over the dishes of the trip, there were so many delicious options. When I was planning the trip, I looked forward to the opportunity to eat my way across Japan. The food delivered throughout helped add another layer of memories to an already memorable trip.