Food Detective / JAPAN
No dish names needed. Tap what you want and what you cannot eat, and dishes you can find in Tokyo appear below.
Find by ingredient or type — no names needed
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Taste & occasion
Spice
| Dish | Budget | Typical | Premium | Chains / maker | Photo · more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gyūdon (beef bowl) · 牛丼 Thin beef and onion simmered in a sweet soy sauce over rice — Japan’s fast, cheap everyday meal. | — | — | — | Yoshinoya, Sukiya, Matsuya | Google Images ↗ |
| Butadon (pork bowl) · 豚丼 Like gyudon, but with pork instead of beef. | — | — | — | Yoshinoya | Google Images ↗ |
| Japanese curry rice · カレーライス A thick, mildly sweet brown curry poured over rice — milder and stickier than Indian curries. | — | — | — | Sukiya, Matsuya, CoCo Ichibanya, Yoshinoya | Google Images ↗ |
| Karaage (Japanese fried chicken) · 唐揚げ Chicken marinated in soy, ginger and garlic, dusted in starch and deep-fried; also served on rice or as a set meal. | — | — | — | Yoshinoya | Google Images ↗ |
| Takoyaki (octopus balls) · たこ焼き Round wheat-batter balls with a piece of octopus, topped with sauce, mayonnaise and bonito flakes. | — | — | — | Gindaco | Google Images ↗ |
| Ramen · ラーメン Wheat noodles in a rich broth with toppings like chashu pork, egg and scallions; types are named by the broth. | — | — | — | Google Images ↗ | |
| Tsukemen (dipping ramen) · つけ麺 Ramen noodles served separately and dipped into a concentrated broth. | — | — | — | Google Images ↗ | |
| Udon · うどん Thick, chewy wheat noodles in a light broth or with a dipping sauce. | — | — | — | Google Images ↗ | |
| Soba (buckwheat noodles) · そば Thin buckwheat noodles, cold with a dipping sauce or in hot broth. | — | — | — | Google Images ↗ | |
| Oyakodon (chicken and egg bowl) · 親子丼 Chicken and onion softly set with egg over rice. | — | — | — | Google Images ↗ | |
| Katsudon (pork cutlet bowl) · カツ丼 A breaded pork cutlet simmered with egg and sauce over rice. | — | — | — | Google Images ↗ | |
| Okonomiyaki (savoury pancake) · お好み焼き A cabbage-and-flour pancake with meat or seafood, griddled and topped with sauce and mayonnaise. | — | — | — | Google Images ↗ | |
| Onigiri (rice ball) · おにぎり A triangle of rice with a filling, wrapped in seaweed — easy to buy at convenience stores. | — | — | — | Google Images ↗ | |
| Taiyaki (fish-shaped cake) · たい焼き A sea-bream-shaped cake filled with sweet red bean paste. No fish inside. | — | — | — | Google Images ↗ | |
| Yakisoba (fried noodles) · 焼きそば Wheat noodles stir-fried with pork, cabbage and a sweet sauce — not buckwheat soba. | — | — | — | Google Images ↗ |
Easy to mix up
| Difference | Gyūdon (牛丼) | Butadon (豚丼) |
|---|---|---|
| Meat | Beef | Pork |
| Where | Almost every gyudon chain | Only some chains (confirmed: Yoshinoya) |
| Taste | Sweet soy sauce | Sweet-savoury, sometimes grilled |
| Difference | Rāmen (ラーメン) | Tsukemen (つけ麺) |
|---|---|---|
| How you eat it | Noodles in the broth | Dip noodles into a thick broth |
| Broth | Drinkable | Much thicker and saltier |
| Noodles | Varies | Usually thick |
| Difference | Udon (うどん) | Soba (そば) |
|---|---|---|
| Made from | Wheat flour | Buckwheat (often mixed with wheat) |
| Thickness | Thick and chewy | Thin and nutty |
| Allergy note | Wheat | Buckwheat (can be severe), wheat |
BRAND DIRECTORY
Gyudon & rice-bowl chains
Curry chains
Snack chains
DATA