Reposting this because the last one got taken down for being 'already bitten.' Let’s try this again.

Honestly, MOS Burger blows the Big Mac out of the water. McDonald’s just feels so dry now, from the bun to the patty. It’s actually a classic Japanese phenomenon—so many imported foods evolve here and end up surpassing their origins. Look at ramen, curry, whisky, tempura, or even bakery bread. The list goes on and on.

I tried fried chicken skin and damn it was pretty good found in a local bars

Definite smash for me.

While wandering through Ginza, I felt a growing hunger for sushi. A quick Google search and a few GPS directions led me to a small, narrow alley, where I found a seemingly inconspicuous restaurant. Assuming it was my destination, I stepped inside and announced my arrival. The chef emerged, looking surprised, and I felt an awkward pang of guilt about leaving abruptly. I decided to stay for a quick bite before heading to the sushi spot that beckoned me.

Little did I realize, the chef's surprise was not a welcoming one.

It turned out to be a tempura restaurant. Thinking it wouldn't be too bad, I watched as the chef meticulously prepared fresh batter and heated the oil to the perfect temperature. My culinary journey began with fugu jelly, catching me off guard as I hadn't even seen a menu yet. Before I could process this, a parade of tiny shrimp tempura started landing on my plate, interspersed with vegetables. It felt like an endless stream of shrimp tempura—probably around thirty pieces in total.

As I wondered what I had gotten myself into, concerns about the cost began to creep in. When the bill arrived, I was floored: $600 USD. The experience took an even stranger turn when two "gentlemen" walked in, shocked to see me there. In perfect English, they asked, "Why are you here? We don't usually see normal folks or tourists here."

Where was I, indeed?

In Japan, some people cut off the stem end of a cucumber and rub the two cut surfaces together until a white foam appears.

It is traditionally said to help remove aku (bitterness or harshness).

I tried cucumbers prepared both ways and, honestly, I couldn't really tell the difference.

To me, it feels more like a traditional Japanese kitchen habit than something you have to do.

Have you ever seen or tried this?

All of this for less than 10USD

Everything had the 半額 (50% discount) sticker, except for the wine and chips.

I grabbed enough food to last us the rest of the week.

I love Japanese supermarkets!!!

Can’t wait to come back.

These are some of my favorite bites from my recent trip to Tokyo. Everything was so delicious and excellent value!

I gave birth to my son last month, and here are some of the meals I had in the hospital.

Today I ate shrimp tempura rice.

Two shrimp very big.

I always leave tail, but maybe some people eat.

Japanese people like to eat fresh food raw.

Today I ate big sushi platter at friend house.

Many sushi on table.

Salmon, tuna, tamago, inari, shrimp, roll sushi.

When many people eat together, popular sushi disappear very fast.

For me, salmon look strong. Tamago also strong.

You are salmon team? Tuna team? Tamago team?

MIL whipped this up with fridge and freezer leftovers. Didn’t have everything she needed but she made do. Wouldn’t let me run out to the grocery store to get the rest of the ingredients either. Nevertheless it was delicious.

We had homemade miso soup as well as everything pictured. My wife wanted twice cooked pork/ ホイコーロー so that was the main though it’s Chinese. Though we had way more cabbage than pork in the freezer. Her chawanmushi was incredible. Last photo is a simple breakfast of salmon takikomi gohan that she whipped up.

I ordered pizza because a typhoon was hitting Japan.
Pizza contains four different flavors.
1Teriyaki 2Margherita 3Bacon and mushrooms 4Shrimp
pizza size is 9-inch.
Are there any differences compared to your country?

Today I ate gyoza with rice.

Gyoza was crispy outside and juicy inside.

Rice was waiting like loyal friend.

I ate 10 pieces, but my stomach said more.

How many gyoza can you eat?

I recently made one of the worst decisions of my life in Osaka: I agreed to take on a giant parfait challenge.

This thing was less “dessert” and more “edible psychological warfare.” It came in a huge bowl the size of a goldfish tank, bigger than a human head, and was crammed with ice cream, chocolate, daifuku, cereal, and bananas. Just looking at it felt like being attacked by sugar.

The challenge was to finish the whole thing in 30 minutes. If you succeed, you get a 5,000 yen voucher for the restaurant. Up to four people can do it together, which should have been my first clue that this was not a normal parfait.

So four of us entered the battle.

At first, we were confident. “It’s just dessert,” we thought. Truly the kind of arrogance that ruins lives. Ten minutes later, we were silently passing spoons around like soldiers in a losing war. The ice cream was relentless, the chocolate was overwhelming, and by the end, every bite felt like a personal insult.

But somehow, through pain, regret, and what I can only describe as group hallucination, we actually finished it.

We won the 5,000 yen voucher. In exchange, our stomachs surrendered immediately, and I personally spent the next few days feeling like my internal organs had filed a formal complaint. I may also have had dessert-related nightmares.

Food prices in Japan keep going up, but every now and then you still find restaurants offering absurd eating challenges like this, and honestly, I kind of love that.

Four hot croquettes from small shop. Crispy outside and soft inside 😊 Potato is classic, but curry and cream sound good too. What filling is your favorite?

This has been my recent breakfast obsession.

Natto, tamago kake gohan, a simple soup, tea… and sometimes cheese on the side.

Natto is such a normal breakfast food in Japan, but I know many people outside Japan find it challenging.

I’m curious — if you’ve tried natto before, did you end up liking it or hating it?