This is Japan's junk food! 7 junk foods you can eat in Tokyo
Junk food is perfect for when you're feeling peckish but want to keep walking around the neighborhood. Here are some restaurants that you should check out for the perfect snack. They may offer junk food, but these restaurants are picky about their taste!
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1. Teriyaki Burger [MOS Burger]
Nixie Rhie/Flickr
Everyone loves teriyaki. In Japan, you can enjoy teriyaki even in fast food chains. One particular recommendation is the teriyaki burger at MOS Burger. The sweet-spicy sauce made of miso and soy sauce goes well with the mayonnaise. It's a deliciousness you can't eat in any other country.
HP: mos.jp/menu/detail/010330/1/ (Japanese Only)
Address: 7-1-8 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo (but there are many branches nationwide) (Google Map)
2. French fries [Pommes Frites]
Don't you want to eat French fries when you're peckish? Lately French fry specialty shops have been opening up, but Pommes Frites in Daikanyama is popular thanks to its range of toppings. If you want to eat Japanese-style fries, we recommend the wasabi mayo or the mentaiko mayo for a taste that you can only have here.
HP: www.pommes-prost.com/ (Japanese Only)
Address: Mansado Daikanyama, 10-1 Sarugakucho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)
3. Fried chicken [Yukari]
Karaage is Japanese fried chicken and you can find it everywhere from regular izakaya to convenience stores, but of course karaage specialty restaurants are a cut above. Yukari is a karaage specialty restaurant that often has long lines thanks to its delicious seasoning using garlic and ginger. It's fried when you order, so you can always enjoy it freshly made and steaming hot.
HP: karaageyukari.jp/index.html (Japanese Only)
Address: 1-27-7 Asakusa 1F, Taito-ku, Tokyo (among other branches) (Google Map)
4. Monjayaki [Okonomiyaki Monja Taikan]
Monjayaki is a regional snack originating in Tokyo that is made of a very thin batter that's made of wheat, and then seasoned with toppings and sauce, and cooked on a flat grill. It may be best to think of it as "fried soup," as it is rather hard to visualize if you haven't had it before. The toppings can be anything you'd like, including seafood and meat. Okonomiyaki Monja Taikan is a minute walk from Nihonbashi Station, and it's perfect to try this local dish in a restaurant that has an old-timey atmosphere.
HP: tabelog.com/tokyo/A1302/A130202/13115130/ (Japanese Only)
Address: Miwa Building 2F, 2-2-15 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)
5. Abura Soba [Chinchintei]
There are many travelers who comes to Japan wanting to eat ramen, but have you ever had abura soba? Abura soba is ramen that isn't in soup, but is flavored with condiments such as ra-yu chili sauce or soy sauce and eaten as-is. This restaurant is where abura soba originated, and it's about a 10 minute walk from the station, but that doesn't stop it from having a line. The fat, springy noodles and the strong sauce covered in lots of scallions is always delicious.
HP: tabelog.com/tokyo/A1320/A132003/13005922/ (Japanese Only)
Address: 5-17-21 Sakai, Musashino-shi, Tokyo (Google Map)
6. Menchi Katsu [Kichijoji Satou]
Menchi katsu, a snack made of ground meat that's breaded and fried, is a standard snack that you can eat while walking. Of course, it's also eaten as part of meals. They're popular to buy in convenience stores as well, but this restaurant uses domestic Kuro Wagyu Japanese beef to make a juicy menchi katsu that you can enjoy for a reasonable price - and that's why there often is a line. The onions are chopped roughly, working as a perfect accent to the meat.
HP: www.shop-satou.com/shop/kichijouji1/index.html (Japanese Only)
Address: 1-1-8 Kichijoji Honcho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo (Google Map)
7. Nikuman [Lu-Gang]
Steaming hot nikuman (meat buns) make people fall in love with them in the winter. They're originally ground meat that's wrapped in dough and then steamed, and even though they're a Chinese dish, they're often seen in Japan. Lu-Gang's owner learned how to make them at a famous restaurant in Taiwan before opening this restaurant in Tokyo, so they're very particular about their ingredients so you can eat a gentle yet delicious nikuman on your visit.
HP: www.lu-gang.com/index.html (Japanese Only)
Address: 3-1-12 Setagaya, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo (Google Map)
The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.