Every social media post during my time abroad almost always included some sort of Japanese dish that I had eaten and enjoyed. I made it a point to try as much food as I possibly could from squid to pickled plums and everything in between. So here are my top 5 best things that I ever ate while abroad, try not to lick the screen!
#5 Gyoza
Gyoza are dumplings filled with meat and vegetables, wrapped in a thin dough. Usually they are filled with pork, chives, green onion, cabbage, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. During the semester, we would often have dinner parties on the residence floors and make them together. Also, they were sold in the store pre-made and frozen and always in my mini-fridge!
#4 Tomato Ramen
This bowl of heaven was found on a Friday night in an alley across from the city hall. The difference in this ramen bowl was that the broth was thick and garlicky and extremely delicious. It was a unique blend of flavors, enough for the tomato to be present but not create an Italian-styled ramen bowl.
#3 Korean Fried Chicken
I actually had this while on Spring Break in Seoul, South Korea. And as a southerner, I was very very skeptical of trying the fried chicken in Korea. However, I was pleasantly surprised from the very first bite. It had a taste that reminded me of home, but also something different. And incredibly juicy. My friend and I finished a whole chicken together that night.
#2 Karage Bowl
Simply fried chicken over rice topped with a sauce and mayonnaise. I have no idea why but I enjoyed this so much. I ordered this everyday in the lunchroom that the cooks knew my order and stopped asking me at some point during the semester.
#1 Okonomiyaki (Hiroshima style)
According to Google, it is a Japanese savory pancake filled with a variety of ingredients. According to me, it is the best thing I ever ate. I annihilated it all by myself, with no shame.