Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
food (Page 265)
There are a lot of things that can ruin a good vacation and lord knows one of them is the whole airport/airplane experience in general. Lost luggage, security checks, kids kicking your seat.
But this bizarre news story from China will make you grateful those security checks are there after all. Read More
Have you ever heard the phrase “you are what you eat”? Perhaps this is why every region has its own brand of “soul food,” embodying the heart and history of its people. For Japan, the most basic and invigorating dishes you can find would probably be natto and miso soup. But how about the powerhouse city of Hong Kong? Apparently, and much to our surprise, Hong Kong’s home-grown food for the soul is snake soup! Before hearing of this, the thought of eating a snake had never really crossed our minds, but we couldn’t help but be curious about the taste. And so, we took to the streets of Hong Kong in search of a restaurant that would sell us some freshly prepared snake. Read More
Nara Kenko Land is a well-known spa here in Japan which offers pools, baths, massages, and exercise equipment.
However, for a limited time they are holding the “Big Amazon Mysterious Fish Exhibit” giving us a rare chance to eat the South American river’s fish, including the deadly piranha.
Suspicious that a health spa would offer edible piranhas, our lovely reporter Usagi went down to check it out and perhaps eat a fish that eats people.
Inspired by a recent re-watching of the classic Studio Ghibli film Kiki’s Delivery Service, we decided to try our hand at making grandma’s signature dish, herring and pumpkin pot pie. Why? Because the movie made it look so tasty!
We don’t care what that the old woman’s granddaughter had to say, Kiki worked hard to help make that pie and deliver it in pouring rain, and… all right, so perhaps some of our desire to cook actually came from a need to understand how the young lady in the movie could possibly hate her sweet, sweet grandmother’s homemade birthday present. It took a bit of research, but we think we may have found the perfect recipe!
April in Japan is a month of changes. As well as the beginning of the new tax year, the new school year begins, staff are rotated between departments, and new employees enter companies wearing plain black suits and fixed smiles that are betrayed only by the thin layer of sweat on their foreheads and nervous, darting eyes. It’s also the time of year that millions of university students experience life away from home for the first time, installing themselves in halls of residence or nearby apartments with no one to check up on them.
In an effort to help their students settle in and start their studies off on the right foot, a university in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, is operating a free breakfast initiative, inviting all new students to stop by the cafeteria from eight o’clock each morning to eat a nutritious, home-cooked meal, thus ensuring that they consume at least one meal during the day that hasn’t come out of a plastic cup or a convenience store microwave.
What comes to mind at the mention of stew? Maybe a hearty beef stew or some creamy chicken soup? Well, it seems that many fast food restaurants in the Philippines will sell you stew that’s made from the blood of domesticated animals! Holy cow! Or maybe it’s horse. Sheep? Exactly what kind of blood are we talking here?! To find out more, we flew our top investigative reporter to the Philippines to fill us in on the heart of the matter. Read More
Kaitenzushi, or conveyor belt sushi restaurants, are one of Japan’s most famous contributions to the dining world. The concept is simple: customers sit around a revolving conveyor belt packed with different sushi dishes, and take the plates they like as they roll by. But now in Japan there’s a new trend that’s threatening to put the brakes on the traditional conveyor belt system. It seems that Japanese customers no longer want to take any dishes off the conveyor belt, instead opting to use it as a giant, revolving display case. Customers are now pointing at the perfectly edible sushi as if they are plastic sushi replicas and ordering them with the wait staff.
The choices we make in life define who we are. Your friends may not admit it, but when you choose mint chocolate chip ice-cream (and bravo by the way), they’re scribbling a couple of lines about you in their mental scrapbook. When you leave your iPod on your workmate’s car, they’re either nodding along or guffawing as they cycle through your albums before bothering to call and tell you they’ve found it. As a wise man once said, “books, records, films; these things matter.” And noodles, my Asia-loving friends, are no exception. Do you like ramen or udon? Udon or soba? When you take a trip to soba town, to you eat them steaming hot or cold and dunked in mentsuyu dipping oil? If you could only eat one kind of noodle for the rest of your life, which would it be?
Super-sized menus have been steadily on the rise in Japan, and one place in Akihabara, Tokyo has upped the ante further. On top of their original 1kg dish, Mammoth Curry has released a 2kg monstrosity of chicken, rice and sauce.
Fresh from the beauty salon, RocketNews 24 Curry Eating Classic runner-up Mr. Sato looks for redemption and has some advice for other 2 kilo curry challengers.
Opened on 3 April, Shuminova is a new kind of drinking and eating establishment. It’s named is derived from the Japanese word shumi which means hobby, and the nova refers to the explosion of nostalgia for middle-aged men contained within.
Among the guitars, laptops and game consoles are the main attraction of Shuminova: Tamiya Mini 4WD’s. You can enjoy some tasty food and drink while tinkering with your own customizable car utilizing advice from the owner, a Mini 4WD expert.
This week, a major food and drink expo was held in Tokyo’s Odaiba area called The World Food and Beverage Great Expo 2013. It’s actually a combination of six different events, including a dessert and wine fair. With hundreds of exhibitors from Japan and abroad showing off their latest and tastiest concoctions, we decided to check it out and see how many free samples we could gobble up. Here’s what we learned. Read More
Ah, garlic. It’s so fragrant and delicious. These days, cooks are using fresh garlic even for everyday dishes because it’s just so tasty and relatively easy to use. There’s just one small problem: getting that papery skin off the clove without ending up with bits of it all over the kitchen! More people would probably use that delicious, delicious garlic if it didn’t make such a mess.
No need to worry about that any more, though, because we’ve discovered a simple tip that will remove those pesky skins cleanly and easily. Read on to discover how. Read More
Love lollipops? Love ice-cream? You can now make your own Chupa Chups flavored ice candy! Japanese toy maker Takara Tomy A.R.T.S will be releasing an ice candy making kit this coming 18 April.With the candy kit, making the lollipop flavored ice candy is simple and fun.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Tokyo Station as well as Grand Central Station, New York: two titans of transportation who have served their respective metropolises proud.
To honor this centennial, Grand Central hosted “Japan Week” which drew crowds to the already crowded terminal. Hearing of this, RocketNews24 sent a reporter to investigate the centerpiece of Japan Week; the ekiben counter!
Following the enormous success of our cup noodle gourmet experiment, we decided that it was time to give a couple of other cheap and cheerful snacks an image overhaul by turning them into something a little more glamorous. This time around, we opted for Japanese kids’ favourite Umaibō (lit. “delicious stick”), a 10-yen (10 cents) puffed corn snack that’s available in all manner of flavours. With its dry, powdery exterior and rich taste, we couldn’t help thinking that it might go well with chicken or pork, so we decided to use a few in place of the breadcrumb coating for tonkatsu fried pork fillet.
As it turns out, the result was even more umai than we could have possibly imagined.
Japan’s version of the Moon Pie, the Choco Pie, is almost identical to the American classic – sweet filling nestled between two pieces of white cake covered in chocolate. They are made by Lotte and have been delighting Japanese sweet lovers for 30 years.
Much like the Japanese versions of Pepsi, Kit Kats and Pringles, Choco Pies are getting a new limited edition makeover. Marketed under the name “Wa Choco Pie” (Wa meaning both “peace” and, in this case, “Japanese-style”), these special Choco Pies have been supersized to 12 cm (4.7in) and filled with matcha creme. However, unlike most limited edition foods in Japan, these special Choco Pies can only be purchased by entering into a lottery draw. They will also be sold for a ridiculous price.
Catering for men who require a little more titillation than maid cafes can provide but not wanting to step into full-blown fuuzoku establishments, “girls bars” in Japan provide customers with a place to eat and drink while giving them something to look at and plenty of stilted conversation. A cheaper alternative to “hostess clubs”, girls bars are usually staffed by regular college-aged girls who don’t mind showing a little flesh and interacting with customers in an energetic, cutesy manner.
In a slightly different take on the genre, Yokohama’s Sexy Izakaya Natsuko focuses on the theme of summer all year round, dressing its staff in bikinis and sarongs while arming them with tambarines to bash while another member of staff juices grapefruits and serves food and drinks at your table.
Cup Ramen, known to Westerners as “Grade A college student feed,” is perfectly formulated with enough sodium and other preservatives to both fuel late-night study sessions and cure massive hangovers, but nobody’s ever accused it of being a gourmet food.
The long standing collaboration between Japan’s premier virtual pop star and ubiquitous convenience store continues this spring with the Hatsune Miku de Sakura no Uta campaign.
Unfortunately, the campaign has been having a bit of a rocky start with the sexually suggestive Sakura Style Strawberry Cream Bread. So now it’s time to bring out the heavy artillery: Family Mart’s second version of a Hatsune Miku-themed nikuman (steamed meat bun), Sakura Mikuman.
As anyone who has ever entered a Japanese-style pub, or izakaya, will tell you, whether you want it or not, as soon as you’ve ordered some form of alcohol, a small plate or bowl will be placed in front of you alongside your chopsticks and hot towel. The contents of said vessel are almost always a mystery to the customer prior to its arrival; it could be noodles, vegetables, fish or even meat. Sometimes it’s piping hot, sometimes it’s as cold as the ice in your Bill Murray-inspired Suntory whiskey.
Known as お通し (otōshi) or sometimes 突き出し (tsukidashi), this appetizer is given to each and every alcohol-imbibing customer, and sometimes even to those only sipping on soft drinks, regardless of whether you’re drinking at a chain pub or a family owned watering hole. The customer has no say whatsoever in what the snack will be, and even if it remains completely untouched it is added to the bill, costing on average 200-500 yen (US$2-5) per head.
Sanrio’s adorable Embroidered Badge Biscuits solve the too-cute-to-eat snack dilemma【Photo】
My Neighbour Totoro rice cookers and pots bring Studio Ghibli anime flair to your kitchen
Latest Japan cherry blossom forecast pushes Tokyo date back, sakura now expected first elsewhere
Starbucks Japan adds cult drink to its permanent coffee menu due to popular demand
Studio Ghibli unveils new Mother’s Day gift collection, with flower sets and a special acorn tea
Fried sandwiches arrive in Tokyo, become hot topic on social media
A diner’s guide to oden: Japan’s weird-looking, super-popular winter dish
Anime Industry Report shows overseas anime market is bigger than Japanese one, but is this a cultural tipping point?
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Does Japan’s “body fat-burning” bottled tea really work? Our 30-day investigation 【RocketScience】Latest Japan cherry blossom forecast pushes Tokyo date back, sakura now expected first elsewhere
Traditional Japanese mochi dessert inspires McDonald’s newest pie flavorStarbucks Japan adds cult drink to its permanent coffee menu due to popular demandMy Neighbour Totoro rice cookers and pots bring Studio Ghibli anime flair to your kitchen
Woman stabbed to death on Tokyo street while live streaming
Starbucks Japan unveils new limited-edition drinkware and goods for spring
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku’s new stage costume inspires gorgeous shoes in the real world【Photos】
Princess Mononoke gets first-ever IMAX screenings to show off gorgeous new remaster【Video】
Final Fantasy Fat Chocobo and Moogle chairs — perfect for when you need to recover real-world HP
Tokyo’s Chidorigafuchi announces sakura festival light-up dates, new boat reservation system
Updated cherry blossom forecast shows extra-long sakura season for Japan this year
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossomsLatest Japan cherry blossom forecast pushes Tokyo date back, sakura now expected first elsewhere
Japan’s ultra-convenient unregistered prepaid train cards return after nearly two-year absence
It’s time to say goodbye to one of Tokyo’s most famous landmark meeting spots
Sanrio Pompompurin purin custard pudding sweets sound doubly delicious, look like pooch bottoms
Newest Japan full-bloom cherry blossom forecast shows mankai sakura coming earlier, especially in Tokyo
Everyday Japanese cafe chain’s seasonal sakura sweets look amazing from every angle…except one
Studio Ghibli gives anime lovers a happy ending with new Whisper of the Heart music boxTraditional Japanese mochi dessert inspires McDonald’s newest pie flavor
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers
Possessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Japanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
Life-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Fried sandwiches arrive in Tokyo, become hot topic on social media
A diner’s guide to oden: Japan’s weird-looking, super-popular winter dish
Anime Industry Report shows overseas anime market is bigger than Japanese one, but is this a cultural tipping point?
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Does Japan’s “body fat-burning” bottled tea really work? Our 30-day investigation 【RocketScience】
Final Fantasy Fat Chocobo and Moogle chairs — perfect for when you need to recover real-world HP
Taiwan’s most beautiful politician kicks groper in balls during visit to Japan
Is the all-you-can-eat KFC buffet in Tokyo really as good as they say it is?
Initial D wet wipe cases and bento boxes drift into Japan, available at Narita Airport too
Potato ice cream from Family Mart takes ice cream to a whole other level【Taste Test】
Does this egg timer from Japanese 100-yen store Daiso really work?
Princess Mononoke gets first-ever IMAX screenings to show off gorgeous new remaster【Video】
Shakey’s is back! All-you-can-eat pizza chain returns to downtown Tokyo’s Shinjuku
Live streamer killed on Tokyo street had her location tracked by attacker through stream
