Try These Local Favorites When You Visit Japan
If you’ve ever sat in a casual izakaya (Japanese pub) after a long day, you know it’s not just about drinking — it’s about sharing good food, laughter, and small moments that make everyday life in Japan feel special.
In this series, I share personal favorites I order again and again at izakayas across Japan. These are dishes loved by locals — not tourist-only picks — and they pair beautifully with drinks or stand alone as satisfying bites.
Whether you’re planning a trip to Japan or simply curious about Japanese food culture, these dishes will help you order with confidence when you’re inside a local izakaya.
🍢 Kushikatsu (串揚げ)
Deep-fried skewers
My favorites:
- Beef skewer (牛串)
- Onion (玉ねぎ)
- Asparagus (アスパラ)
Kushikatsu are battered, deep-fried skewers — crunchy on the outside, hot and juicy inside.
They’re one of the most classic izakaya snacks.
The onion skewer is my personal highlight.
Fresh from the fryer, dipped into Worcestershire-style sauce, the sharp acidity of the sauce blends perfectly with the onion’s natural sweetness.
It’s the kind of bite that instantly makes your beer taste better.
Asparagus is excellent too, especially with just mayonnaise.
The crisp texture and gentle sweetness shine without overpowering anything.
Interestingly, when it comes to kushikatsu, vegetables are often better than meat or fish.
Some izakaya even serve pickled red ginger (紅生姜) as kushikatsu.
It’s intense at first, but incredibly refreshing — I often order it to reset my palate.
👉 Kushikatsu is dangerous food. It makes you feel like you can drink forever.
🐟 Namerō (なめろう)
Seasoned chopped raw fish
Namerō is made by finely chopping raw fish and mixing it with miso, ginger, and green onions.
It comes fully seasoned, which makes it perfect as a drinking snack.
Although oily fish like horse mackerel are often used, it doesn’t smell fishy at all.
The seasoning balances everything beautifully.
This is where Japanese sake truly shines.
I personally love namerō with warm sake (atsukan).
The gentle aroma of heated sake and the rich, savory flavor of namerō create a harmony that makes you take sip after sip without noticing.
Dry sake at room temperature also works wonderfully.
If you ever see namerō on the menu, don’t hesitate — order it.
🐠 Grilled Hokke (ホッケの開き)
Dried and grilled Atka mackerel
Hokke is one of the most loved fish dishes in Japanese izakaya.
Honestly, I don’t think I’ve met a Japanese person who dislikes it.
The flesh is rich with fat, but never heavy.
It’s satisfying, clean, and easy to keep eating.
Hokke is usually served with grated daikon radish.
Add a little soy sauce to the daikon and place it on top of the fish — the flavor becomes explosively good.
This dish pairs with almost anything:
beer, whisky, sake, shochu, or highballs.
One quiet rule among locals:
👉 If an izakaya serves great hokke, it’s usually a good izakaya overall.
Quality matters a lot here.
🍢 Oden (おでん)
Simmered comfort food
My usual picks:
- Egg (卵)
- Konjac (こんにゃく)
- Daikon radish (大根)
- Kelp (昆布)
- Beef tendon (牛すじ)
Oden is slowly simmered in a light, delicate broth.
The flavors are simple, but deeply comforting.
Sometimes it’s so satisfying that I forget to drink and just keep eating.
A small tip from experience:
Order two or three items at a time, slowly.
If you order too much at once, you’ll suddenly realize you’re full.
For drinks, oden pairs especially well with shochu — either mixed with hot water or soda.
The aroma of shochu and the gentle broth of oden balance each other perfectly.
🐟 Simmered Fish (魚の煮付け)
Kasago (カサゴ) / Mebaru (メバル)
Simmered fish changes with the season, but kasago and mebaru are my favorites.
The flesh becomes soft and flaky, soaking up the sweet-savory sauce.
Enjoy it slowly, mixing the sauce with aromatic garnishes.
This dish pairs beautifully with Japanese sake or authentic shochu.
ご飯と一緒に食べてもいいですよ
but since this is an izakaya, I always choose a drink instead.
📌 Why These Dishes Matter
Izakaya food isn’t about presentation — it’s about comfort, shared moments, and flavors you remember.
These dishes pop up all over Japan, from tiny neighborhood pubs to casual spots near train stations.
They:
✔ Are inexpensive relative to formal restaurants
✔ Pair beautifully with drinks
✔ Highlight local taste preferences
✔ Help you experience authentic Japanese dining culture
🍶 Final Thoughts
Izakayas are informal, welcoming places where people come together after work or on weekends. They aren’t tourist attractions — they’re part of everyday life. When you order the dishes above, you’re eating just like locals do.
In the next article of this series, I’ll introduce more of my go-to izakaya dishes — ones that are beloved but surprising to many visitors.
Enjoy Japan — one meal at a time.