( Sweet honey fried chicken, Soy sauce fried chicken, and regular deep fried chicken )
Dear Travelers,
On your next trip to Japan I want to recommend trying ethnic food. I know what it feels like to eat Japanese food every single day - I get it. And as much as I love Japanese food, sometimes I want to change things up a little. Spice things up a bit, if you know what I mean. So, in this post I am going to introduce top spots to eat and Little Korea in downtown Shinjuku.
Just a backstory about me a little:
I have been to Korea 6 times on personal travel and have enjoyed myself immensely. I love the Korean Kimchi, Korean BBQ, pork belly, and most of all the fried chicken! Hands down some of the tastiest chicken in all of Asia. In Tokyo you can enjoy the same great taste of Korea.
To start with , here is my LIST of Korean restaurants in Tokyo:
Kimchi is salted and fermented vegetables like Napa cabbage and radishes and other vegetables, like you see in the picture. You usually receive a complementary serving in some restaurants to help stimulate your taste buds. Some restaurant serve really good kimchi, others are not so tasty.
Side note:
Japanese kimchi and Korean Kimchi are slightly different. Korean kimchi being more spicy whereas Japanese kimchi is sweeter… This opinion will vary from person to person and to each his/her own.
The original Kimchi in Korea before colonial times was not spicy, but was just a fermented brined cabbage served up as a stable of Korea diet. It was the Japanese under former statesmen Ito Hirobumi who introduced the spice called Togarashi to Korea during annexation. This was done because Togarashi was incompatible with Japanese washoko or Japanese food, and it was a way to maintain good relations with Christopher Columbus and the Spanish spice merchants of that time period. Most spices could not be grown in climates in Korea and Japan, so vital trade ports were set up in places like Nagasaki to facilitate the trade of spices with China and Japan. Later, Korea started to grow the spice and use it in their kimchi.
Next up is this huge serving of cheese in a hot pot mixed in with vegetables, chicken, and pasta! It is called
cheese Dak-galbi and it is a cheese lovers dream come true! Heaven on a plate.
Order about 3 ice cold beers with this and your whole evening is set, you will become a Korean cuisine fan forever.
Lastly, is the Korean pancake. This are lovely to eat and are the perfect snack before or after dinner.
Important information:
Most Korean restaurant have English speaking staff and menus. Most restaurants cater to large groups, not single diners. And be aware of the price and what you are ordering. Enjoy!
I like Korean food as well. I like grilled pork and also Bibimbap. Have you tried Bibimbap?
