Overwhelming amounts of food

Wow, where to begin?

Japan definitely knows its food, and in the past week, I've eaten quite a lot of different things, and even some I don't think I would have been adventurous enough to try if not for being here.

Mochi!

The biggest problem I've had with the cuisine here is how inexpensive it is by comparison to Canada.  Why is that a problem?  Well, it's sort of causing me to over-consume and spend more money.  Or maybe that's just due to the novelty of it all.  Or maybe both, who knows.

Of all the food I've tried thus far, I've only had one case where I did not enjoy something, and that was at a sushi restaurant in Shibuya.  Now, I've had sushi that comes topped with salmon roe (fish eggs) before, but this was way more than I'd ever consumed in one piece of sushi, and it was not a very enjoyable experience for myself, taste or texture.  Aside from that though, everything I've eaten has been phenomenal.  From local favorites at Izakayas (pubs), the simple and convenient choices at 7-11, and the overwhelming amount of street foods present in Asakusa, everything has been excellent.

Also mochi!

Mochi is by far one of the weirdest things to get used to, but I actually found I enjoyed it more each time I tried one.  It's hard to keep track of though, as there seems to be many types of mochi, with many types of sauces or fillings.  Japan also has the best fried chicken I've ever had.  Like they are really kicking our asses in the friend chicken game, nothing I've had in all of North America even comes close.

Too many choices!

Perhaps the most fascinating thing I've found is the sheer enormity of drink selections in Japan.  From the street-side vending machines, to the availability and assortment in supermarkets.  Everything has some sort of flavour added to it.  Even things as simple as water often come flavoured (I'm a big fan of this).  But the reason all of this is so fascinating to me is how accurate these products actually manage to emulate the flavours they are targeting.  A great example is the water I had just this morning.  It was supposed to be flavoured like French Vanilla Yogurt.  And you know what?  It tasted exactly like French Vanilla Yogurt, and not even the Japanese version of it (if that exists), but the same Yogurt I would eat back home in Calgary!

Onigiri (/w Smoked Salmon)

We still have a week to go and I'm excited to keep adventuring through the many foods and styles Japan has to offer (even though I've found some favorites I could eat on a daily basis).  While I've tried some of the bakery goods available at 7-11, I definitely want to take a trip to a bakery and spend way too much money on sweets before I leave.  The few displays for bakeries I've walked past have always looked so amazing!

- Alex