The whole world tuned in to watch the recent Tokyo Olympics, with the colourful opening and closing ceremonies and media coverage of the game offering various glimpses into the scenery and culture of Japan. And whether or not you’ve already been to Japan, seeing such vivid images of people from all over the world assembling in Tokyo definitely tickled our travel bone!

From modern technology to cultural practices, there are many aspects to Japanese culture that embody the country’s dedication to quality. And that dedication is certainly present in Japanese food; famous worldwide and for offering high-quality, fresh ingredients and rich flavours, while also being balanced and one of the healthier exotic cuisines.

With so many things to love about it, there’s every reason to order Japanese food more often! And guess what, from raw to cooked and cold to hot, whatever Japanese meal you’re craving, GemSpot has got it! We’ll save you from having to scroll through our app too much, check out these delicious dishes we’ve picked out for you.

Sushi

Perfect portions of vinegared rice with raw fish (cuts of sashimi such as salmon and tuna), seafood (prawns, unagi and more) as well as other toppings like egg (tamago) and fish roe (ebiko), even just the sight of a sushi spread is enough to get your mouth watering!

These set platters from Fujiyama Restaurant make for the perfect meal with family; the generous portions are made for sharing, and the colour variety of sushi is in itself enough to attract the members of your family to the dining table.

Teppan

Referring to the iron griddle or metal plate on which the foods are cooked, Teppan or Teppanyaki meals are served as standard set meals with varying side dishes, with ‘yaki’ referring to the cooking process of grilling, broiling or frying. A typical Teppanyaki meal would always include a teppan-cooked meat of choice, a bowl of rice, vegetables and/or a side salad, and other varied accompaniments such as miso soup, fruit and more.

Whether salmon, beef or chicken, these tasty Teppan Sets from Yakitori Haki are copious enough that they’ll leave you filled, but with the healthy balance of side dishes such as fruit and salad, you’ll also be providing yourself with a nutritious and balanced meal.

Japanese noodles

Whether ramen, soba or udon, you can get your noodle fix on GemSpot.

The Japanese version of instant noodles, ramen is a must-have in the pantry of comfort food. Wheat noodles that are typically served in a soup, a bowl of ramen is like an artist’s blank canvas, in that you can add almost any topping to it and it has the potential to be a masterpiece.

Udon on the other hand are noodles that are typically thick and straight (not curly like ramen), as well as softer and subtler in flavour. However, research suggests that udon noodles are likely the healthier choice, and also absorb the flavour of the broth or soup better.

Made of buckwheat, soba noodles are brown, flat and thin, and have more chew to them than udon. Authentic soba is probably the healthiest option for Japanese noodles, and like udon can be served hot or cold.

Rice dishes

If cold noodles or raw foods like sashimi are not your thing, then you’re probably the kind of foodie who would appreciate a warm dish.  

Donburi is the generic name for a Japanese ‘rice bowl dish’, with ‘don’ referring to the large bowl in which the dish is served. Whether or not a Japanese cuisine enthusiast per se, among the easy-to-appreciate rice meals you can get on our app include katsu don whether tonkatsu (pork) or torikatsu (chicken), that is a rice meal with a meat schnitzel or breaded cutlet (‘katsu’), placed onto a bed of rice and brought together with egg, onion and seasoning. And for the days you’re feeling a little saucy, order yourself a curry katsu don.

Itching to get tapping on the app so you can get your Japanese food fix?
Enjoy RM6 off orders of RM30 or more! Dōitashimashite (you’re welcome)!