๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต Crow Japan 2026

Steven's Japan
Food Cheat Sheet

Meat, fried things, and rice โ€” the friendly side of Japanese food. Point at the big text to order. Everything here is cooked and Steven-approved. October 2026.

How to use this

Hand the server your phone and point at the big dark-blue box for whatever you want. These two phrases cover almost everything else:

"This one, please."
kore o kudasai
"I can't eat raw fish."
nama no sakana wa taberaremasen
01

The Safe Bets

grilled & fried ยท all cooked ยท order a few to share
Tonkatsu, breaded fried pork cutlet
โ˜… start here
Tonkatsu
A thick breaded, deep-fried pork chop with a sweet-savory brown sauce. Basically a really good fried pork cutlet.
point here
ton-katsu
Karaage, Japanese fried chicken
โ˜… start here
Karaage
Japanese fried chicken โ€” boneless chunks marinated in soy & ginger. If he likes fried chicken, slam dunk.
point here
ka-ra-a-ge
Yakitori, grilled chicken skewers
grilled
Yakitori (thigh)
Chicken skewers over charcoal. Ask for momo (thigh) and tsukune (meatball). Get them tare = sweet glaze.
point here
yakitori (momo)
Gyoza, pan-fried pork dumplings
grilled
Gyoza
Pork dumplings, crispy on the bottom. Nothing weird โ€” everyone likes these.
point here
gyoza
Ebi fry, breaded fried shrimp
โ˜… shrimp!
Ebi Fry
Big breaded, deep-fried shrimp. Ebi = shrimp. Right in his wheelhouse.
point here
ebi furai
Katsu curry, fried cutlet over rice with curry sauce
comfort meal
Katsu Curry
Fried pork cutlet on rice, smothered in mild, thick brown curry gravy. Not spicy. Pure comfort.
point here
katsu karฤ“
Gyudon, beef and onion over rice
comfort meal
Gyudon
Sweet-soy simmered beef over rice. Fast, cheap, everywhere (Yoshinoya, Sukiya). Hard not to like.
point here
gyลซ-don
Chahan, Japanese fried rice
โ˜… his usual
Chahan (fried rice)
Japanese fried rice, often with shrimp or pork โ€” the closest thing to his Chinese-takeout shrimp fried rice.
point here
chฤ-han
Tonkotsu ramen with pork
noodles
Tonkotsu Ramen
Rich pork-broth noodle soup. Ask for extra chashu (braised pork). Very meat-forward and hearty.
point here ยท + extra pork
tonkotsu rฤmen + chฤshลซ
Sliced marbled wagyu beef
โ˜… Oct 14
Teppanyaki / Wagyu
Beef grilled on a flat iron (Benihana-style) โ€” often with shrimp too. The luxury beef night he'll love.
point here
teppanyaki
02

Sushi Night Survival

Oct 16 lunch ยท so he never touches raw fish

Sushi places serve plenty of cooked stuff. He can build a full meal from these and skip the raw fish entirely:

  • Tamago โ€” sweet cooked egg, like a little omelet ยท ยท tamago
  • Ebi โ€” shrimp, served steamed (not raw) ยท ยท ebi
  • Unagi โ€” grilled eel in sweet glaze; tastes like savory BBQ, no fishiness ยท ยท unagi
  • Karaage โ€” fried chicken, usually on the side menu ยท ยท karaage
  • Miso soup ยท rice ยท edamame ยท

If unsure whether something's cooked, point at this: (kore wa hi ga tootte imasu ka โ€” "is this cooked?")

03

The Wagyu Night

Oct 14 ยท Wagyu Kingdom, Osaka ยท the "WOW" dinner

Don't overthink it โ€” this is his meal.

It's the best beef in the world, and it's grill-your-own, so Steven controls exactly how his is cooked. No raw anything required.

  • Order the "Wagyu Treasure Box" โ€” it arrives with dry-ice smoke, pure theater.
  • Cook pieces to his liking on the tabletop grill; eat with rice and the dipping sauces.
  • Backups nearby if needed: MAIDO and Rokunomiya (A5 all-you-can-eat).
04

The Anytime Fallback

7-Eleven ยท Lawson ยท FamilyMart ยท open everywhere

Japanese convenience stores are genuinely excellent. If he ever wants something totally safe, these are zero-risk:

  • Hot fried chicken at the counter (look for / Famichiki)
  • Nikuman โ€” steamed pork bun ยท
  • Onigiri (rice balls) labeled (tuna-mayo), (cooked salmon), or (kelp)
  • Sandwiches, hot dogs, fries, and a wall of recognizable snacks
04ยฝ

Reliable spots near our plans

Researched (Grok), filtered for mild / foreigner-friendly and low-walking near each city's plans. Reserve dinners via hotel concierge or TableCheck; Tabelog + Google Translate cover the rest.

Tokyo

Tsukiji Sushiko (Tokyo Station / Yaechika)
Fresh Edomae nigiri sets; ask for milder, fresh cuts. ยฅ1,500โ€“4,000 (โ‰ˆ $10โ€“$26). Walk-in.
Elevator-access underground mall โ€” scooter-OK
Sushiro (conveyor-belt)
Affordable kaiten sushi, ยฅ100โ€“400 (โ‰ˆ $1โ€“$3)/plate โ€” fun and low-pressure ordering.
Modern near-station branches, flat/elevator
Torikizoku / yakitori
Easy picture-menu yakitori, mild options โ€” a relaxed arrival dinner near the station.
Foreigner-welcoming; confirm step-free entry
DisneySea / Disneyland in-park
Casbah mild curry, New York Deli sandwiches, popcorn, ukiwa buns โ€” thematic & not spicy.
ECV-friendly paths & seating throughout

Kyoto

Nishiki Market stalls
Tsukemono pickles, dashimaki tamago (mild omelet), sweet grilled unagi, mochi. ยฅ300โ€“1,500 (โ‰ˆ $2โ€“$10).
Covered flat arcade โ€” low walking, crowded
Yudofu Sagano (Arashiyama)
Gentle simmered-tofu set by the river โ€” mild, seated, scenic for the Arashiyama lunch.
Riverside; check step-free seating
Katsukura (downtown / dept store)
Tonkatsu with grind-your-own sesame sauce โ€” safe, hearty, not spicy.
Dept-store branches = elevators, seated

Osaka

Takoyaki Wanaka (Dotonbori)
Classic takoyaki, mild sauce, ยฅ600โ€“850 (โ‰ˆ $4โ€“$5) โ€” quick neon street-food fun.
Street level near arcade, seating nearby
Chibo (Dotonbori)
Iconic okonomiyaki, customizable/less-adventurous friendly, ยฅ1,500โ€“3,000, (โ‰ˆ $10โ€“$19) 11:00โ€“23:00.
Central; some entry step โ€” check ECV fit
Kuromon Ichiba stalls
Grilled scallops, mild sushi/sashimi, wagyu skewers โ€” pick milder seafood.
Covered flat market; stall seating; crowded
Wagyu Kingdom (your WOW dinner)
Staff-grilled wagyu yakiniku, English menus, mild cuts. Reserve via concierge/TableCheck.
Seated tables, elevator likely, scooter-OK

Anywhere

Department-store depachika (e.g. Takashimaya)
Premium bento, mild kaiseki-style sets and wagashi sweets โ€” a cooler, calmer, seated alternative to crowded street level.
Full elevators, spacious โ€” very scooter-friendly
05

Pocket Phrases

point and the server will get it
"This one, please."
kore o kudasai
"I can't eat raw fish."
nama no sakana wa taberaremasen
"Is this cooked?"
kore wa hi ga tootte imasu ka
"Check, please."
o-kaikei o onegai shimasu
"It was delicious!"
oishikatta desu
"Thank you!"
arigatล gozaimasu