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1. Tonkatsu
What is it? Deep-fried, breaded pork cutlet.
Serve it solo or pair it with rice and other condiments for a complete meal. Recipe here.
2. Okonomiyaki
What is it? A savory pancake made with cabbage, protein, and other toppings like sesame seeds and green onion.
There are two distinct variations on this dish: the Osaka version (pictured above) whose mix is scrambled together, and the Hiroshima version, whose mix contains whole noodles and is prepared by layering ingredients. Recipe here.
3. Dorayaki
What is it? A sweet, red bean–filled pancake.
This pastry is both sold as a popular street food and as a packaged supermarket snack. It's made of soft, castella sponge cake, making it dangerously easy to inhale multiple servings in one go. Recipe here.
4. Onigiri
What is it? White rice usually shaped into a triangular shape and wrapped in nori (seaweed).
I SWEAR something about this triangular shape makes plain rice taste like a gourmet meal. Recipe here.
5. Vegetable and Seafood Tempura
What is it? Battered and deep-fried vegetables and seafood like whole shrimp, oysters, or squid tentacles.
Usually served with tentsuyu, a sweet and savory dipping sauce that brings out the savoriness of the fried ingredients. Recipe here.
6. Omurice
What is it? An egg omelette filled with fried rice and usually topped with ketchup.
For a perfectly shaped omelette, cook the rice in the egg, and fold the egg over the rice. Recipe here.
7. Oyakodon
What is it? A bowl of rice topped with a layer of chicken and eggs cooked in a seasoned broth.
Juicy chicken + fluffy eggs = 😍. Recipe here.
8. Gyudon
9. Sukiyaki
What is it? A beef and vegetable dish served in a slightly sweet broth.
In restaurants, diners usually share a single hot pot with the whole group, and raw eggs are used as a dipping sauce. Recipe here.
10. Tamago gohan
What is it? A raw egg cracked over warm rice, usually topped with a splash of soy sauce to taste.
You can get fancy with it and season your rice with nori, furikake, and other condiments, or simply prepare it the traditional way — by cracking an egg over a bowl of rice. Recipe here.
11. Udon
What is it? Thick, wheat flour noodles.
Think of these as the rigatoni of the Japanese noodle world — they're heartier and chewier than Chinese-style ramen noodles, and surprisingly easy to make on your own. Recipe here.
12. Tamagoyaki
What is it? A log of rolled, cooked egg.
This side dish elevates the humble egg into a layered, savory creation slightly sweetened with mirin (sweet rice wine) and sugar. Though most traditional recipes use a rectangular tamagoyaki pan to achieve the classic log shape, you can use a 9- to 10-inch pan for a similar result. Recipe here.
13. Ramen
14. Yakisoba
What is it? Noodles stir-fried with vegetables and pork.
Curly ramen-style noodles and semi-sweet yakisoba sauce are basically the only prerequisites for this dish — feel free to vary the recipe with your own choice of beef, seafood, or tofu, and vegetables like snow peas and broccoli. Recipe here.
15. Korokke
What is it? Japanese-style deep-fried croquettes.
What's there not to love about deep-fried mashed potatoes? Recipe here.
16. Shogayaki
What is it? Pork covered in ginger soy sauce.
Make a batch of this marinade and use it next time you cook chicken thighs, lamb chops, or vegetables. Recipe here.
17. Miso soup
18. Strawberry daif*cku (mochi)
What is it? Sweet, chewy rice cake filled with strawberry and red bean paste.
While traditional mochi contains just the red bean paste, this version adds a tart, sweet strawberry kick. They're a little more time- and labor-intensive than your typical dessert recipe, but there's also nothing funner to eat than a tender, chewy mochi. Recipe here.
