Eating out in Japan: 8 things to know before you place your order at a Japanese restaurant

Specialty restaurants are the norm in Japan and these focus on a single type of food. You do not ask for sushi at a ramen place or vice versa. (Photo: Ivan Samkov via Pexel)

For any self-respecting gourmand, Japan is a mecca. But even if wasabi and wakame trip off your tongue, the actual act of eating out in a restaurant can be intimidating. In Japan, food – the preparing of it, but also its eating- is serious business, akin almost to an art form. But armed with these handy tips, anyone can make a night of it in the archipelago.

There are two very different types of dining experiences in Japan: the izakaya and the formal restaurant. An izakaya is akin to a pub: informal and boisterous. Conversation here is lubricated with copious amounts of alcohol, the most common being: (excellent) Japanese whisky, umeshu-a liqueur made from apricots and beer. Sake ordered in izakayas is of unknown quality. Food tends to be snacky - think karage or fried chicken and bowls of edamame. The volume of conversation is loud.

Izakayas are far freer in their protocol than finer restaurants, where both the food and the chef are to be overtly shown respect. Specialty restaurants are the norm in Japan and these focus on a single type of food. Sushi-ya, for example, only serve sushi, while soba restaurants focus on buckwheat noodles, and ramen places serve up what their name says. You do not ask for sushi at a ramen place or vice versa.

Eat what is put in front of you

Sophisticated diners, particularly in sushi-ya, rarely order off the menu. Instead, they inform the chef “omakase” as they settle down. Directly translated, it means, "I leave it up to you." And etiquette demands that you eat whatever is put in front of you. Pickiness is disrespectful.

How to eat sushi

Different kinds of food need to be eaten in specific ways. Here is the lowdown on sushi: Never bite into a piece of sushi. It must be eaten in one go without breaking the rice. Dipping the rice part in soya sauce is also taboo. You need to use chopsticks to pick up the accompanying pickled ginger and use it as a brush with which to glaze the fish (never the rice) with a hint of soya sauce.

How to use chopsticks in Japan

Brushing up on your chopstick manners is essential. A quick primer: Eat all the food at the end of your chopsticks in one bite. Never raise your food above your mouth. When not eating, put down your chopsticks on the supplied rest, or on the side of the plate. Never leave your chopsticks sticking out of your rice, as this resembles a Japanese funeral offering. Finally, don’t lick the ends of your chopsticks or swirl them in soup.

When not eating, put down your chopsticks on the supplied rest, or on the side of the plate. (Photo: Rajesh TP via Pexels)

No phone rule

In Japan, talking on mobile phones in public spaces is frowned upon in general, as it encroaches on the aural space of others – a notion entirely unknown in some parts of the world. Talking loudly on your mobile phone at a restaurant in Tokyo can cause the kind of consternation amongst staff and fellow diners that nothing short of dancing naked would elicit in India.

How to order ramen

Ramen shops in Japan, which are the equivalent of dhabas in India- cheap, cheerful and bursting with flavour, tend to have a unique ordering system, via vending machine. The machines display photographs of the various options available, and you must press the button next to the picture of your preferred dish. Next, put in money in the appropriate slot. The machine will then spit out a ticket and your change. Take the ticket and hand it over to the staff or directly to the chef. To earn a brownie (gyoza?) point, bow and say, onegai-shimasu, or thank you for making the dish. Then, the ticket will be ripped in half and one part handed over to you. This should be placed on your table, so that the server knows which dish belongs to which table.

Take off your shoes if you see tatami mats at the restaurant

In very traditional restaurants – the giveaway is the presence of tatami mats - it is standard to take off your shoes before entering and instead switch to the indoor slippers that will be proffered up by the staff. In this type of establishment there is usually also a separate pair of slippers that you must change into when you visit the WC.

The menu in English

Amongst the most useful Japanese phrases you can learn ahead of your trip is, “Eigo no menu wa arimasu ka?” or “Do you have an English menu?” Many restaurants do, but some do not. Fortunately, photographs and even plastic models of dishes are common features in Japanese eateries, so if all else fails, just point and hope for the best.

Settling the bill, and what to tip

In most restaurants, your order is scribbled on a piece of paper and left on your table. Then, once you have eaten your belly-fill, you simply take that slip to the cashier at the front of the restaurant and pay just before exiting. Personally, I found this method preferable to being at the mercy of busy waiters, having to bring you a bill, charge your card, return your change, etc. In Japan, the customer decides when to leave and pay, without dependence on the waiter. Tips are not expected and attempting to palm money off to a server can result in awkwardness.

Now, all that’s left for you to do, dear reader, is to eat and enjoy.  There are more Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo than any other city in the world, including Paris. In 2022, Tokyo boasted 203 restaurants with star ratings, while the French capital had only 118.

You are welcome!