Last year, a good friend of mine brought me to his favorite restaurant in Kobe: Miki.

It’s a Michelin-starred Kaiseki (traditional multi-course dinner) restaurant.

But I was a bit startled at the dessert, here’s what it was.

Yes, pudding!

For a Michelin-starred restaurant.

I knew the love story Japanese people have with pudding, but in the West you only have cheap puddings in the supermarket when you’re a kid, so it feels a bit weird to have high-end pudding in Japan.

I’m fascinated by these kinds of foods: Western foods Japanese made them their own and developed a culture around it.

That’s the topic of this post, let’s go through 12 Japanese dishes I love (or hate).

Japanese Curry: The star of Western imports

Curry was one of the first dishes I had in a real Japanese restaurant.

And it was love at first bite.

Japanese curry is milder and thicker than its Indian counterparts, with a unique sweetness that sets it apart.

Introduced to Japan by the British during the Meiji era (1868-1912), it first appeared on naval menus as a clever solution to prevent beriberi, a disease caused by vitamin B1 deficiency.

Curry grew in popularity but it’s really when the first commercial curry powder hit the shelves in 1923 that it exploded in popularity.

Nowadays, curry is deeply rooted in Japanese culture:

• There is an annual “Curry Day” on January 22nd.

• Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force still has curry every Friday.

• A curry festival is held every year in Yokosuka (a city south of Tokyo with a naval base) to celebrate its naval history and love for curry.

Tempura: High-end fry food?!

Tempura was introduced to Japan by Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century.

Originally more akin to fritters, the dish evolved over centuries into the delicate, airy tempura we know today.

The word “tempura” itself comes from the Latin “tempora,” referring to Lenten fasting periods when Catholics would abstain from meat.

Tempura stalls popped up along the rivers of Edo (modern-day Tokyo), serving hot, crispy tempura to hungry passers-by.

Today, tempura is celebrated as a fine art in Japan. High-end tempura restaurants employ skilled chefs who have spent years perfecting the craft of creating the perfect, ultra-thin batter and achieving the ideal frying temperature.

The secret to tempura's signature lightness? Ice-cold water in the batter, which slows down the development of gluten and results in that coveted crispy texture.

Hambāgu: Nothing like American hamburgers

Hambāgu is typically served without a bun and is often smothered in a rich demi-glace sauce.

The patty itself is a blend of ground beef and pork, mixed with panko breadcrumbs and milk for a uniquely tender texture.

The hambāgu might actually be closer to the root of the American hamburger than the American hamburger itself.

Before germans took the boat to the USA in Hamburg, they had the pleasure of eating Frikadelle, a kind of German meatball. Sometimes, but not always, between slices of bread.

The dish gained popularity in Japan after World War II as part of a push to incorporate more protein into the Japanese diet.

I’m not a fan of it personally, but there are variations I appreciate:

• It’s sometimes stuffed with cheese or other fillings for an extra flavor surprise.

• High-end restaurants sometimes serve hambāgu made with premium wagyu beef.

• I tried a version that used tofu as part of the patty mixture. I liked it because the taste and texture was lighter.

Omurice: The epitome of egg dishes

Omurice, a portmanteau of "omelette" and "rice," was born in the early 20th century during Japan's rapid modernization.

It's believed to have been created at a Western-style restaurant in Tokyo's fashionable Ginza district, though its exact origins remain shrouded in culinary mystery.

A classic omurice consists of chicken fried rice seasoned with ketchup, wrapped in a thin omelette, and topped with an additional squiggle of ketchup.

However, variations abound — from demi-glace sauce for a more sophisticated touch to omusoba, which replaces the fried rice with yakisoba noodles.

In recent years, omurice has become something of a culinary performance art.

Motokichi Yukimura being a famous example of someone who become famous for this.

Fun fact: Omurice has become a staple attraction at maid cafes in Japan. Using ketchup as their medium, they create cute drawings or write personalized messages on top of the omelette, often while chanting a playful "spell" to infuse the dish with "moe" (charm).

Napolitan: Pasta dish Italians want nothing to do with.

Despite its Italian-sounding name, Napolitan is a uniquely Japanese creation that perfectly encapsulates the country's knack for culinary adaptation.

This dish is made of spaghetti stir-fried with ketchup, onions, green peppers, and sliced sausage or ham.

Yes, ketchup. Yes, again.

It was created after World War II.

The story has general MacArthur dissatisfied by the food in the hotel he was staying.

The head chef was struggling to make something that would suit his American taste buds with the limited ingredients he had on hand due to rationing and that’s how he came up with using ketchup instead of tomato sauce with spaghetti.

No high-end version or anything like that for this dish, fortunately.😅

Purin: Japan’s favorite dessert

Despite its French origins, purin has been thoroughly embraced by Japanese culture since its introduction in the late 19th century.

The word "purin" is derived from the English "pudding," but in Japan, it specifically refers to caramel custard.

What sets Japanese purin apart is its perfectly balanced texture - firmer than a French crème caramel but softer than a British custard.

You can find purin-flavored Kit Kat, candies, ice creams, and even purin-scented products like hand creams and air fresheners.

I’ve even seen a purin topped with a soufflé. Doubly French!

From convenience store staple to gourmet dessert, purin has firmly established itself as a beloved part of Japan's sweet landscape.

More dishes: Tonkatsu, Doria, Melon Pan, etc…

There are many other Western style dishes in Japan and we can’t go over each of them individually, so let’s go quickly through a few more of them.

• Tonkatsu: A breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet served with shredded cabbage and tonkatsu sauce. It’s derived from a French dish known as côtelette de veau, a veal cutlet coated in breadcrumbs and fried in a pan with butter

• Doria: A gratin-like dish of rice topped with white sauce, cheese, and various ingredients, then baked until golden. Created in the 1930s by a Swiss chef at the Hotel New Grand in Yokohama.

• Melon Pan: A sweet bun with a cookie-like crust, despite its name, it doesn't typically contain melon. Invented in the early 20th century, possibly inspired by the Armenian bread gata.

• Hayashi Rice: A dish of beef, onions, and mushrooms in a demi-glace sauce served over rice. Created in the early 20th century, possibly named after its inventor, a chef named Hayashi.

• Nikujaga: A homestyle dish of meat (usually beef) and potatoes stewed in a sweet soy sauce. Believed to have been created in the late 19th century by chefs of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

• Taco Rice: A fusion dish combining taco fillings along with local ingredients served over rice instead of in a taco shell. Originated in Okinawa in the 1960s, influenced by the American military presence.

Going further

• If you want to try one of these dishes, my favorite Japanese recipe site is Just One Cookbook.

• I really recommend you the story about how white rice was the cause of beriberi in the Japanese Navy and how doctors figured out the cure.

Weekly Digest