03:00 LETS GO! 03:01 Endamame / Magic Beans when you have too much to drink 04:26 Fugu / Mrs. Puff 06:15 Gyudon / Beef Bowl 07:28 Gyutan / Ox Tongue 08:41 Karage / DFC Finger licking good 09:12 Katsudon / Pork Bowl 09:46 Kushikatsu / Deep Fry Skewer 10:50 Nabe / Hot Pot 11:33 Nato / YUP, THIS IS THE Fermented Soy Beans 12:58 Okonimiyaki / BIG Pancake with Toppings 14:13 Omurice / Rice inside scrambled egg with ketchup simple called "Over Engineered Omelette" 15:08 Onigiri / Rice Balls, yes rice has balls very convinient 16:53 Ramen / Japan's Common Noods 18:48 Shogayaki / Ginger Pork 19:25 Soba / Buckwheat Noodle 20:09 Tempura / Deep Fry Vegies and Meat (here I taught Tempura is only SHRIMP) 21:27 Udon / THICK NOODs 22:18 Yakiniku / Grilled/Cooked Meat Japanese Version 23:35 Yakisoba / Fried Soy Noodle The festival go-to food 24:13 Yakitori / Skewered Meat, not the kushikatsu kind
Definitely need a second video because there are a lot more foods you need to rate: Takoyaki, gyoza, unagi, miso soup, curry, korokke, and what about desserts? Awesome video 👍
He is not wrong, it just puts into persective how good Japanese food actually is. :) Even something simple like 卵かけご飯 (raw egg yolk in rice) is super delicious.
Tier list for common Japanese snacks/desserts next please (although some with western influence, but still popular in Japan or Japan made it its own version): ex. castella, baumkuchen, mochi, daifuku, dango, sakura-mochi, warabimochi, taiyaki, dorayaki, piyoko, TokyoBanana, Kitkats, etc)
In English we still call it edamame, it's written on store packaging and everything (at least in the US). But they are soy beans, so you could say that as well.
It can be pretty expensive, but a good unagi-don is godlike Also, Okonomiyaki is amazing and I'm so sad it's not more available in the states. It and yakisoba are some of my favorite summer time street foods
See if there's a Lotte market in your area. There are two brands of frozen okonokiyaki that I find at Lotte, one that comes with toppings and one without. They cook up really well in an air fryer, especially.
I'm glad Okonomiyaki ended up in your S tier. I was never a fan of cabbage but ever since i made okonomiyaki at home, i've been in love with it. Obviously the sauces on top help with the taste a lot but even on it's own it's great in flavour and texture.
i tried natto for the first time 2 years ago. and i have to say, that's one of the most misunderstood food in the world. the testure is no more "disgusting" than hot cheese on a pizza slice. the taste when nothing's added is kinda bland with a hint of bitterness. but usually they come with special soy souce and other stuff that makes them taste awesome. i now get cravings from time to time and have to make a 2.5 hour round trip to a japanese grocer to get pre-packaged ones.
？ Ramen and bee larva the same? 100 Likes? Are there this many people who generalize and make fun of a fairly localized culture in another country as a joke?
@@kiy2347 You are a shallow-brained nihonjin who are not versed in the channel lore and are incapable of sarcasm. OP is clearly making sarcastic remarks about people like you who disapprove of any negative opinions about Japan, and making a reference to a previous video series with Chris Broad.
Went to Japan with my family on a packaged tour, but we did tons of stuff, and my mom (who usually dislikes food outside of Vietnam) cleans her plate every meal and want to make some of the dishes back home. Hopefully we can visit Japan again some time in the future and hit up other places.
A someone who lived in Japan for a total of 2 years over 3 stays in 5 years, I actually agree with most of this. Natto I had to warm up to, but it grew on me, and now I would put it in C. If we include all the varieties of ramen you can often get at ramen shops like tantanmen, I'd put it in A tier. I completely agree tsukemen is better, absolute S tier, but ramen is still f-ing delicious, and I love how many varieties there are. You could eat ramen everyday for a year in Tokyo, without having to eat the exact same type of ramen twice. Nabe is an easy S tier for me, as are yakitori, and one food that wasn't on here, Oden. Katsudon and Yakisoba would be A tier for me, just like gyutan and yakiniku. I also would put both tempura and soba in C. I agree that tempura can be very basic in flavor, but I still like it and I had some pretty amazing tempura as well. Soba for me is always solid, never bad, but also never great. Idk if I just never had realy amazing soba, or if it's just not my taste, but I always feel like it's a bit boring. Sushi/Sashimi would "only" be an A, considering the diferance in quality between expensive and cheap ones. Lastly, another food you didn't mention that is one of my absolute favorite comfort foods is Oyakodon, another A tier.
I personally love Japanese curry, it like the best part of stew and curry came together and made magic ✨️... im surprised it never on lists like this, it totally worth a try of anyone hasn't try it
Man I dunno about that hot take on ramen! My last visit to Tokyo, I went to 3 tsukemen and 3 ramen places all very highly ranked by Japanese (Tabelog & ramendb), and my take away was that at the highest levels, ramen had much more variety, creativity, and depth to their broths. The tsukemen were good, but they were all quite similar to each other. I feel like it's still a relatively new dish that's still learning to develop its own personality.
Ramen is one of my favourite dishes, but I agree with Joey here, sometimes it's just not good. I find it lives and dies by the quality of broth. Nothing beats a Tonkotsu Ramen where they've cooked the pork bone broth for over a day so it's super rich, with lots of garlic, good nori, a seasoned egg, and perfectly cooked fatty pork chashu for toppings, it's like heaven in a bowl, just an enlightenment of umami. But if you go to a chain or mall kiosk and get the same thing with broth they made that morning or bought pre-made... you might as well save your money and get cup noodle.
-Additions: dango, takoyaki, curry, yakiika, horumon -Sweets: mochi, kakigoori, taiyaki, anpan -And the average onigiri is so much better quality than the average hot dog. It's fresher ingredients, and whereas you're pretty much guaranteed to feel at least a little bit sluggish after a hot dog, after onigiri you'll usually feel recharged. Maybe a better comparison in everyday American cuisine would be a salad wrap. Cheap, widely available, decent for health and energy. - the point about ramen shops applies to any traditional food. The traditional looking stores are typically the best at actually making great food. Tbh the same generally goes for many foods in most countries.
I'm American, and after trying nattou twice I had acquired a taste for it. Tried it first on toast, then on rice. The sauce and karashi mustard that most of them come with really makes a huge impact on the flavor. My only problem is eating it without getting thin strand of it everywhere.
That Ramen advice on finding that one local Ramen shop that’s falling apart everywhere else is so true! Gotta really dig the corners of the streets to find those sometimes.
I tried natto for the first time last year, and I actually really like it. The first time I tried it, I didn't like it as much as I do now, but it wasn't bad the first time. It's definitely grown on me a lot since then.
I love gyudon type dishes, and it's so hard to find in Brazil outside of capitals. Here we also eat rice almost every meal, and the Don dishes are just the perfect gateway to japanese food.
I'm very glad yakisoba is super common in Brazil, I eat it all the time, and it's probably my favorite food in the world alongside lasagna and (good) pizza.
I missed Takoyaki from this list. Even if your face melts like in Indiana Jones it is still worth it 😋 btw, any good Tsukemen places in Tokyo you would recommend?
Didn't see this here, but my favorite from what I've tried so far, which admittedly is a limited selection- takoyaki. Not on its own, I think its great for chilling with friends for drinks. I live in the South US though, it's very difficult to find authentic Japanese food here, and the places I do know are either very expensive or have a limited selection. Thankfully, takoyaki is not something that's missing from those menus.
I wish the Izakaya style bars/restaurants were more common outside of Japan. It's one of my favorite things about Japan. A good wagyu steak get's to chill completely solo at the S tier, Ramen, most fried things and most other meat dishes are basically A. Sushi get's a C and Okonomiyaki is F tier.
You missed out on: Kaisendon, Sushi, Takoyaki, Curry Rice, Korokke, Oden, Tonkatsu, Tsukemen, Unajū, Chāhan, Oyakodon, Mozuku, Tofu with soy sauce and Ginger, any kinds of grilled fish, Miso Soup, Monja, Harumaki, Nikujaga, Shabu Shabu, Hiyashi Chūka, Ochazuke, Chawanmushi, Gyōza, Any kinds food with uni and takosan wiener bento for the kids haha
I agree 100% on the ramen. The best ramen I ever had in Japan was in a ramshackle joint in some side street in Kyoto with four seats, where the walls were dyed from generations of oily water vapour and the chef gave me an extra slice of chashu when I managed a tongue twister. Best ramen ever, 10/10, nothing else ever came close.
When we went to Japan, we had the fortune to spend time in an Air BnB that was owned by a guy who lived right next to one of his friends ramen place. We only ended up going there once, but it was more or less as you described - relatively run down, small as hell.. and it was delicious. I'd love to have the "average" ramen and go back there again (if it's somehow still around) just to know what level of appreciation I really missed.
Agree with Ichiran. Everyone around me were hyping it and telling I have to try when I go to Japan, so I went to one while in Osaka and boy it was so mid (I came out disappointed and doubting my friends' taste lol). I had better ramen at other ramen shops, and as you said the small, run-down shops' ramen tasted much better in my opinion yoo.
Please make a part 2! There's such a large variety of Japanese food out there that I think would be worth covering. Or maybe do a snack/dessert/drink version? Mochi, dango, manju, daifuku, etc. are all great
The ramen shop description sounds like taco shops near me. The smaller shops that look like they could fall over at any minute or street vendors are the absolute best.
My favorite japanese food is takoyaki! Love the octo and fried bater combo! But hey Joey now that you have done savory japanese food why not a sweet japanese teir list with classical pasteries!
I had takoyaki from a local Japanese restaurant, and my heart was broken, lol. For years, I'd been wanting to try it and once I did...I'm not sure if they didn't cook it all the way, but the batter inside was still a little runny. The octopus just tasted like flavorless, boiled chicken. I liked it more, though, than the runny batter. I had thought it would be like a fried cornmeal ball, akin to a hush puppy, but not as dense and with a piece of octopus inside. It was nothing like that. I hope that's not really how takoyaki is meant to be prepared.
@@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley sorry you had a bad experience with it and no it is not supposed to be runny inside it should be soft kinda like a muffin but a bit juicy. The octopus should have flavour and have a nice chewy kind of texture! Hope you can try takoyaki from a good food stall next time! And you can always ask for a replacement if it is runny from the ones who made it! They will often oblige!
Tips for people who can't eat natto because of its texture! I am also not good with the texture, I tried mixing it with kimchi or cook it lightly with other firmer vegetables (carrot, long bean, etc) AND THEY TASTED BETTER Try it out if you wanna give natto another chance 👌
Katsudon definitely belongs in the S-tier. Even the cheap version you find at the takeaway counter at the grocery store is incredible (that was my go-to lunch when I was studying in Fukuoka, since there was a supermarket downstairs in the same building as the school).
Never tried a good tsukemen, the think that tsukemen misses is the absence of a hearty broth. (the watering down of the sauce does not accomplish that enough imo)
Natto is so good!! I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it when I decided to try it, just because I thought I'd be put off by the slimy texture. Luckily it wasn't nearly as slimy as I thought it would be. Delicious, deserving that A Tier for sure
I love your S tier because there are also my favourite types of Japanese food. I would like to try natto but I do not have the opportunity yet... Also, in my family we love beef tongue, my mother does it stewed with carrot and garlic and it is delicious! I am from Spain, btw =P
Your picks for S tier are pretty dope. I remember having okonomiyaki almost every week when I did my study abroad years ago in Japan, and never got tired of it. I get it less now that I'm back to the States and know only a few places that serve it, but every time I get it, it's as divine as you make it to be
I'm sure onigiri isn't something people obsess over, but yeah as a self-proclaimed rice fiend I loved stuffing my face with them every couple days when I was in Japan, lol. While I mostly got them out of convenient stores, I got some at the Tsukiji outer market that were really good.
You really nailed it on the head with your hot dog in america statement. I dont seek it out myself but I’ll eat it if its available. Also because I am a Jojo fan as well.
This tier list was actually respectable and I actually agreed with most of it. And for a lot of Asian places, if it looks run down or old, the food is usually terrific
Personal S and A tiers for Japanese food S: Sushi, Gyutan, Tsukemen, Doria, Omurice, Yakisoba, Okonomiyaki, Yakiniki, yakitori, ochazuke, mazesoba A: Hayashi rice, zarusoba, hiyashi chuuka, monjayaki, gyudon, katsudon, udon, chawanmushi Bonus F tier: Nabe, Oden, shabu shabu My family would not stop feeding me these for my entire childhood, and still do, every time there's a holiday. It was okay, and enjoyable as a kid, but now, when I hear we're having nabe or oden for a party, it actively makes me not want to go, or eat up before the party and just say I'm full. Low key though, my favourite places to eat in Japan are Saizeriya and Mos Burger. It was always a treat when I was younger, and brings back so many memories.
Hey Joey, in addition to a more expanded upon and in depth list covering more japanese foods I would love to see a follow up video showing where the best places to get some of these foods are. Can be specific locations or like what you did with Ramen, just stating what to look for. Planning a trip to Japan next year and would love a guide like this
I currently live in Curitiba, Brazil. There is an izakaya here, Oide. No reservations so usually wait an hour to get a table - there serve beer and let you drink outside in line, so hey. The Karage alone are worth the wait. Factor in the chef or owner's rec and some Suntory the Chita... I'd wait another hour. Can't wait to visit Japan next year and try some of these dishes.
Is it racist to go to social media and ask for recommendations for Japanese owned Japanese restaurants? I grew up in an area that had a large Japanese population and we even had a Japan Town. Many of my family are Japanese through marriage and I have several half-Japanese cousins and other relatives. Authentic Japanese food was just as common as authentic Mexican food in my life. Christmas was filled with Mexican and Japanese dishes. Santa (played by my uncle) being Japanese went completely unnoticed. All this to say that Japanese culture was a huge part of my life and I really miss it. Where I live now, the Japanese restaurants are not Japanese owned and I do notice a difference, especially with the sushi. I’m used to small jewel like pieces of fish and now I get huge slabs of fish over the rice. I find them difficult to eat and very unappetizing. Also, their offering of other Japanese dishes is very slim and just not as good. I’ve wanted to ask for recommendations but being Hispanic and not familiar with other Asian cultures I didn’t know if it would be offensive to ask. I don’t think it is at all but it wouldn’t be the first time that a well-intentioned question missed its mark. Thank you for the video. I’ll be making some of these soon. I had good luck with okonomiyaki recently and have made a great sukiyaki since I was a teen.
I mean asking someone who you know frequents japanese restaurants is different from assuming any japanese person will know the answer to that question so it just depends who you’re asking and your reason behind thinking they’ll know the answer
@@mius.cereal I was going to ask openly on social media (stated in the beginning of my little novel). Maybe a local Facebook group. So, I don’t know who would be seeing the question or answering.
@@60Airflyte what would be racist about that😭 but yeah idk if America has apps like this but in the UK there's a neighbourhood app and you put in your home address and it connects you to people in your area and people post about job vacancies suspicious people local stores etc so maybe see if you can post about it on a similar app and good luck!
There was a video where a sushi chef answered most asked questions and he said that raised Fugu (Dunno if the word farm raised is appropriate for fish) aren't actually poisonous because they don't eat what makes them poisonous, and he said that those fugu are actually very tasty. Probably vastly more expensive but the alternative of a risk at death just doesn't sound worth it.
I'm an european who's never visited Japan, but i've cooked a lot of these dishes, and my absolute favourites are the Katsudon, then Tonkotsu Ramen, then Gyoza. I am so happy i tried japanese cuisine
9:12 Katsudon is so S-tier that it’s one of the few Japanese foods I try making at home, with pretty decent success. I go out of my way to get good ingredients to make this.
Suggestions for another video, if you make one, curry, takoyaki, oyakodon, Tori katsu, gyoza, gyukatsu, miso soup, oden, somen, tsukemen, sushi and sashimi, teppanyaki, yakizakana
Joey opinion on going to "hole in the wall" ramen places is my exact opinion on going to get food in other countries or even states, don't go for the big fancy restaurant with the flashing lights, go for the small one, food is probably better and cheaper
Me, who studied in Sendai Japan for one year :D Man, love this list! And gyutan & zunda. Thanks for making me nostalgic for Sendai again. I miss walking down Aoba-dori at night after classes. Those were the days... Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki, and Natto are my S-tiers. Especially Okonomiyaki. I could eat that 7x a week no problem. And, technically more Chinese cooking, I love nabe ryori. Not shabu-shabu, which is good in it's own way. But where you have the boiling nabe and you add veggies and meats to it. Bonus if it's the Chinese style where you get one side that's super spicy and other is more natural flavor. Love those during the winter.
I lived for many months off combini onigiri and their salted, boiled eggs. The Japanese combini food industry is impressive. In any case, notable omissions from Joey's list were pan-fried gyoza, takoyaki, curry rice, unagidon, oden.
Gotta agree with the placement of okonomiyaki, katsu-don, ramen, and tempura. Both okonomiyaki and katsu-don was some of the peak Japanese food I've had the pleasure of trying when I visited.
Disclaimer, I have not been to Japan yet. That being said, I agree with most of the items of the list. Natto is an unknown but I do want to try it. The only one I don't agree it but I'm thinking that it's because they found a way to cook it that is way better is the katsu-don. I've never had fried pork that was S tier. I've tried in Japanese restaurants were I live and even in other cuisine I've never liked it. It's always too dry and often hard because it's overcooked. As for your tempura comment, compare it to american fried food... Tempura is A or B tier when compared
My favorite, and I haven’t been to Japan and only had what I could find living in Vegas and Colorado, would be Takoyaki. Love those thermal bombs! Other fun foods, difuku, Uni, horse meat/basashi, gyoza, Curry rice, Oden, Tamagoyaki, tonkatsu, various kashi pan, Chawanmushi, and coffee pudding. Oh and something I am curious about that I can’t get myself would be shirasu. Sounds really fun
03:00 LETS GO!
03:01 Endamame / Magic Beans when you have too much to drink
04:26 Fugu / Mrs. Puff
06:15 Gyudon / Beef Bowl
07:28 Gyutan / Ox Tongue
08:41 Karage / DFC Finger licking good
09:12 Katsudon / Pork Bowl
09:46 Kushikatsu / Deep Fry Skewer
10:50 Nabe / Hot Pot
11:33 Nato / YUP, THIS IS THE Fermented Soy Beans
12:58 Okonimiyaki / BIG Pancake with Toppings
14:13 Omurice / Rice inside scrambled egg with ketchup simple called "Over Engineered Omelette"
15:08 Onigiri / Rice Balls, yes rice has balls very convinient
16:53 Ramen / Japan's Common Noods
18:48 Shogayaki / Ginger Pork
19:25 Soba / Buckwheat Noodle
20:09 Tempura / Deep Fry Vegies and Meat (here I taught Tempura is only SHRIMP)
21:27 Udon / THICK NOODs
22:18 Yakiniku / Grilled/Cooked Meat Japanese Version
23:35 Yakisoba / Fried Soy Noodle The festival go-to food
24:13 Yakitori / Skewered Meat, not the kushikatsu kind
W
w, tysm
Thick noods lol
Ms Puff😭😭
Ohhh so he went in alphabetical order
You gotta do an Australian food tier list now
Vegemite: S TIER.
*Timtams r their own tier.*
VB - s tier
meat pie - f tier
@@dnsoulx get outta here m8 meat pois bloody s tier mate
@@samnsamole9448 mate my gi track can’t fokin take it
Just noticing you're really leaning into the Karen thing with that hair cut.
Holy shit you’re right. Joey is fusing with the Karen within
Uff... man... 🙈
lol
Great now it can't be unseen
Hahaha yea just noticed
Definitely need a second video because there are a lot more foods you need to rate: Takoyaki, gyoza, unagi, miso soup, curry, korokke, and what about desserts? Awesome video 👍
Plus sukiyaki & shabu shabu etc...
YES. Takoyaki and unagi need to be flexed
ODEN
Takoyaki looks so good... but doesn't taste like anything. Its disappointing to me.
Yea! Unagi is the bomb
Joey: "GODLIKE"
*proceeds to put said item to B-tier*
He's atheist probably 👀
Yeahh, gyutan deserves to be S tier.
He is not wrong, it just puts into persective how good Japanese food actually is. :) Even something simple like 卵かけご飯 (raw egg yolk in rice) is super delicious.
Godlike not him
Tier list for common Japanese snacks/desserts next please (although some with western influence, but still popular in Japan or Japan made it its own version):
ex. castella, baumkuchen, mochi, daifuku, dango, sakura-mochi, warabimochi, taiyaki, dorayaki, piyoko, TokyoBanana, Kitkats, etc)
japanese food does indeed go exquisitely hard
It does indeed, hit different
My fellow TT boys hit me up with the synonyms
@@nanashi7779 Some would say it punches distinctively, bats disparately, or shoots unconventionally.
@@nanashi7779 smashes ingeniously, strikes uniquely
@@nanashi7779 it might attack unusually, pounce peculiarly even
I believe it clobbers contradictorily as well
In English we still call it edamame, it's written on store packaging and everything (at least in the US). But they are soy beans, so you could say that as well.
I've been eating edamame my whole life (I'm chinese) without knowing that they're just baby soybeans.. wtf
It can be pretty expensive, but a good unagi-don is godlike
Also, Okonomiyaki is amazing and I'm so sad it's not more available in the states. It and yakisoba are some of my favorite summer time street foods
See if there's a Lotte market in your area. There are two brands of frozen okonokiyaki that I find at Lotte, one that comes with toppings and one without. They cook up really well in an air fryer, especially.
Sadly there isn't one in my area. I'll have to hit up one of my local Asian groceries and check for em
I ate unagi in Kawagoe which is a specialty there and it was nutty, wish they have it in the States.
@@MidnightExodus Nutty? Interesting, not how I'd describe the flavour
Okonomnomnomiyaki is easily prepared by yourself, get some ingredients and try (might even stock up on some with long shelf life or frozen cabbage)
I'm glad Okonomiyaki ended up in your S tier. I was never a fan of cabbage but ever since i made okonomiyaki at home, i've been in love with it. Obviously the sauces on top help with the taste a lot but even on it's own it's great in flavour and texture.
aww hell yeah, food tier lists always make my day
i tried natto for the first time 2 years ago. and i have to say, that's one of the most misunderstood food in the world. the testure is no more "disgusting" than hot cheese on a pizza slice. the taste when nothing's added is kinda bland with a hint of bitterness. but usually they come with special soy souce and other stuff that makes them taste awesome. i now get cravings from time to time and have to make a 2.5 hour round trip to a japanese grocer to get pre-packaged ones.
I am shocked and appalled that you forgot about the best edible thing Japan has to offer, Bee Larvae.
🤮
@@paulovinasrocha6166 🤮🤮
？
Ramen and bee larva the same?
100 Likes?
Are there this many people who generalize and make fun of a fairly localized culture in another country as a joke?
This kind of comments that make fun of other cultures are disgusting.
@@kiy2347 You are a shallow-brained nihonjin who are not versed in the channel lore and are incapable of sarcasm. OP is clearly making sarcastic remarks about people like you who disapprove of any negative opinions about Japan, and making a reference to a previous video series with Chris Broad.
Went to Japan with my family on a packaged tour, but we did tons of stuff, and my mom (who usually dislikes food outside of Vietnam) cleans her plate every meal and want to make some of the dishes back home. Hopefully we can visit Japan again some time in the future and hit up other places.
A someone who lived in Japan for a total of 2 years over 3 stays in 5 years, I actually agree with most of this. Natto I had to warm up to, but it grew on me, and now I would put it in C. If we include all the varieties of ramen you can often get at ramen shops like tantanmen, I'd put it in A tier. I completely agree tsukemen is better, absolute S tier, but ramen is still f-ing delicious, and I love how many varieties there are. You could eat ramen everyday for a year in Tokyo, without having to eat the exact same type of ramen twice. Nabe is an easy S tier for me, as are yakitori, and one food that wasn't on here, Oden. Katsudon and Yakisoba would be A tier for me, just like gyutan and yakiniku. I also would put both tempura and soba in C. I agree that tempura can be very basic in flavor, but I still like it and I had some pretty amazing tempura as well. Soba for me is always solid, never bad, but also never great. Idk if I just never had realy amazing soba, or if it's just not my taste, but I always feel like it's a bit boring. Sushi/Sashimi would "only" be an A, considering the diferance in quality between expensive and cheap ones. Lastly, another food you didn't mention that is one of my absolute favorite comfort foods is Oyakodon, another A tier.
Tantanmen fty
Imo Ramen is a lot like pizza. Infinite combinations.
Yea, no Oden. He needs a part 2 lol.
Soba is nice with tempura.
isn't tantanmen chinese
I personally love Japanese curry, it like the best part of stew and curry came together and made magic ✨️... im surprised it never on lists like this, it totally worth a try of anyone hasn't try it
I'm eating some rn as I read this.
they really slap hard
A bit too sweet for me.
Most underrated food ever for people who visit japan ...they never say curry is the Nr.1 reason
I had a bowl of grilled Eel in the fish market in Ohsaka. Sometimes I'll stare into the distance thinking back "god that sh*t slapped".
I had an unagi-don in Nebraska and always wondered how much better it would be closer to an ocean. Even so, it was damn tasty.
Man I dunno about that hot take on ramen! My last visit to Tokyo, I went to 3 tsukemen and 3 ramen places all very highly ranked by Japanese (Tabelog & ramendb), and my take away was that at the highest levels, ramen had much more variety, creativity, and depth to their broths. The tsukemen were good, but they were all quite similar to each other. I feel like it's still a relatively new dish that's still learning to develop its own personality.
natto is definitely not for everybody but if you manage to acquire the taste, it is indeed god-tier
I'm Aussie, wife's Chinese, we regularly cook yakisoba, okonomiyaki, katsudon, tonkatsu, gyudon, edamame, karaage, omurice, brown stew, cream stew, curry, sushi rolls, kids love it all, can't wait to visit too!
Watching food tier list at 2AM. Now I'm hungry. 🤤🤤🤤
I would love to know the demographics of Joey’s viewers with how often he calls us all ‘my boys’ 😂
Legit was just thinking about this 🤣
Probably 98% male, cidney's roomate grant's friend conrad is probably where women are going, lots of thirsty older women into his VA.
He once jokingly named his audience 'bo1z' in a livestream before
ikr
I just ate. Joey is gonna make me hungry again
Ramen is one of my favourite dishes, but I agree with Joey here, sometimes it's just not good. I find it lives and dies by the quality of broth. Nothing beats a Tonkotsu Ramen where they've cooked the pork bone broth for over a day so it's super rich, with lots of garlic, good nori, a seasoned egg, and perfectly cooked fatty pork chashu for toppings, it's like heaven in a bowl, just an enlightenment of umami. But if you go to a chain or mall kiosk and get the same thing with broth they made that morning or bought pre-made... you might as well save your money and get cup noodle.
You should do a Japanese Dessert tier list!
-Additions: dango, takoyaki, curry, yakiika, horumon
-Sweets: mochi, kakigoori, taiyaki, anpan
-And the average onigiri is so much better quality than the average hot dog. It's fresher ingredients, and whereas you're pretty much guaranteed to feel at least a little bit sluggish after a hot dog, after onigiri you'll usually feel recharged. Maybe a better comparison in everyday American cuisine would be a salad wrap. Cheap, widely available, decent for health and energy.
- the point about ramen shops applies to any traditional food. The traditional looking stores are typically the best at actually making great food. Tbh the same generally goes for many foods in most countries.
I'm American, and after trying nattou twice I had acquired a taste for it. Tried it first on toast, then on rice. The sauce and karashi mustard that most of them come with really makes a huge impact on the flavor. My only problem is eating it without getting thin strand of it everywhere.
That Ramen advice on finding that one local Ramen shop that’s falling apart everywhere else is so true! Gotta really dig the corners of the streets to find those sometimes.
I'm actually going to Japan in a couple of weeks, so this video is perfect for me to know what foods to look for, so thank you!
Gotta try the triple Y’s, Yakiniku, Yakisoba, and Yakitori are the best Japanese foods
Not 'Japanese food' per se but their bread is amazing.
this is an After Dark concept that I'd LOVE to watch (if done right)
There needs to be an episode where they try all kinds of fruit in Japan...plus it's extra torture for Connor!
I tried natto for the first time last year, and I actually really like it. The first time I tried it, I didn't like it as much as I do now, but it wasn't bad the first time. It's definitely grown on me a lot since then.
Ironically, what made natto more palatable for me was mixing it with kimchi.
I love gyudon type dishes, and it's so hard to find in Brazil outside of capitals. Here we also eat rice almost every meal, and the Don dishes are just the perfect gateway to japanese food.
I absolutely love yakisoba... its probably my favorite food in the world(and sadly most people don't even know it)
So glad it got that S tier
I'm very glad yakisoba is super common in Brazil, I eat it all the time, and it's probably my favorite food in the world alongside lasagna and (good) pizza.
Totally agree with you about ramen. Crappy looking small ramen restaurants are always the best
I missed Takoyaki from this list. Even if your face melts like in Indiana Jones it is still worth it 😋 btw, any good Tsukemen places in Tokyo you would recommend?
I still can't believe he forgot about takoyaki when he had okonomiyaki in the s-tier
Late reply, but Fuunji is absolutely god-tier
Tamago Kake Gohan + Karage was god send i love this two dish so much i was like ordered almost everyday on japan trip
Dude abura soba goes so hard, it should be on this list
A good follow up to this would be famous Japanese snacks on a tier list
Didn't see this here, but my favorite from what I've tried so far, which admittedly is a limited selection- takoyaki. Not on its own, I think its great for chilling with friends for drinks. I live in the South US though, it's very difficult to find authentic Japanese food here, and the places I do know are either very expensive or have a limited selection. Thankfully, takoyaki is not something that's missing from those menus.
Was waiting for takoyaki myself, was surprised Joey didn't include it.
I wish the Izakaya style bars/restaurants were more common outside of Japan. It's one of my favorite things about Japan.
A good wagyu steak get's to chill completely solo at the S tier, Ramen, most fried things and most other meat dishes are basically A. Sushi get's a C and Okonomiyaki is F tier.
You missed out on: Kaisendon, Sushi, Takoyaki, Curry Rice, Korokke, Oden, Tonkatsu, Tsukemen, Unajū, Chāhan, Oyakodon, Mozuku, Tofu with soy sauce and Ginger, any kinds of grilled fish, Miso Soup, Monja, Harumaki, Nikujaga, Shabu Shabu, Hiyashi Chūka, Ochazuke, Chawanmushi, Gyōza, Any kinds food with uni and takosan wiener bento for the kids haha
I agree 100% on the ramen. The best ramen I ever had in Japan was in a ramshackle joint in some side street in Kyoto with four seats, where the walls were dyed from generations of oily water vapour and the chef gave me an extra slice of chashu when I managed a tongue twister. Best ramen ever, 10/10, nothing else ever came close.
When we went to Japan, we had the fortune to spend time in an Air BnB that was owned by a guy who lived right next to one of his friends ramen place. We only ended up going there once, but it was more or less as you described - relatively run down, small as hell.. and it was delicious. I'd love to have the "average" ramen and go back there again (if it's somehow still around) just to know what level of appreciation I really missed.
Agree with Ichiran. Everyone around me were hyping it and telling I have to try when I go to Japan, so I went to one while in Osaka and boy it was so mid (I came out disappointed and doubting my friends' taste lol). I had better ramen at other ramen shops, and as you said the small, run-down shops' ramen tasted much better in my opinion yoo.
その通り！
不味くはないけど過大評価されてる！一蘭よりも美味しいラーメン屋は無限にあるからね！
Joey has the best takes, he took the words straight outta my mouth about ramen I’ve been saying for years 😂
Please make a part 2! There's such a large variety of Japanese food out there that I think would be worth covering. Or maybe do a snack/dessert/drink version? Mochi, dango, manju, daifuku, etc. are all great
If you make a second video make it about desserts / sweets
The ramen shop description sounds like taco shops near me. The smaller shops that look like they could fall over at any minute or street vendors are the absolute best.
My favorite japanese food is takoyaki! Love the octo and fried bater combo! But hey Joey now that you have done savory japanese food why not a sweet japanese teir list with classical pasteries!
I had takoyaki from a local Japanese restaurant, and my heart was broken, lol. For years, I'd been wanting to try it and once I did...I'm not sure if they didn't cook it all the way, but the batter inside was still a little runny. The octopus just tasted like flavorless, boiled chicken. I liked it more, though, than the runny batter. I had thought it would be like a fried cornmeal ball, akin to a hush puppy, but not as dense and with a piece of octopus inside. It was nothing like that. I hope that's not really how takoyaki is meant to be prepared.
@@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley sorry you had a bad experience with it and no it is not supposed to be runny inside it should be soft kinda like a muffin but a bit juicy. The octopus should have flavour and have a nice chewy kind of texture! Hope you can try takoyaki from a good food stall next time! And you can always ask for a replacement if it is runny from the ones who made it! They will often oblige!
Tips for people who can't eat natto because of its texture! I am also not good with the texture, I tried mixing it with kimchi or cook it lightly with other firmer vegetables (carrot, long bean, etc) AND THEY TASTED BETTER
Try it out if you wanna give natto another chance 👌
One of my favorites is Gyoza, but i kinda like the ones from ファイト餃子 way more than regular ones
Oh yes, they are top tier for me! But only the pan-fried type, not the steamed type.
Katsudon definitely belongs in the S-tier. Even the cheap version you find at the takeaway counter at the grocery store is incredible (that was my go-to lunch when I was studying in Fukuoka, since there was a supermarket downstairs in the same building as the school).
Joey, how could you not include the Japanese beef curry? It is quite emblematic.
Never tried a good tsukemen, the think that tsukemen misses is the absence of a hearty broth. (the watering down of the sauce does not accomplish that enough imo)
Natto is so good!! I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it when I decided to try it, just because I thought I'd be put off by the slimy texture. Luckily it wasn't nearly as slimy as I thought it would be. Delicious, deserving that A Tier for sure
based on this list, an edamame chain of restaurants is viable
You should do japanese desserts next!
Best ramen places I've been in Japan only have two things listed on their menu: ramen and ramen with more meat.
Interesting video Joey! I’ve always wanted to try some Japanese food/cuisine.
Would love another tier list video! How about gyouza, shumai, and mochi? Speaking of which how are the desserts there? Anything that stands out?
I love your S tier because there are also my favourite types of Japanese food. I would like to try natto but I do not have the opportunity yet...
Also, in my family we love beef tongue, my mother does it stewed with carrot and garlic and it is delicious! I am from Spain, btw =P
Your picks for S tier are pretty dope. I remember having okonomiyaki almost every week when I did my study abroad years ago in Japan, and never got tired of it. I get it less now that I'm back to the States and know only a few places that serve it, but every time I get it, it's as divine as you make it to be
Let me guess, sponsored by Bokksu
I'm sure onigiri isn't something people obsess over, but yeah as a self-proclaimed rice fiend I loved stuffing my face with them every couple days when I was in Japan, lol. While I mostly got them out of convenient stores, I got some at the Tsukiji outer market that were really good.
unpopular opinion, natto really deserves to be put into S tier. Taste reminds me of the blue cheese, which I absolutely love :D
24:02 that ambulance sound in the background made it funnier.
You really nailed it on the head with your hot dog in america statement. I dont seek it out myself but I’ll eat it if its available. Also because I am a Jojo fan as well.
This tier list was actually respectable and I actually agreed with most of it. And for a lot of Asian places, if it looks run down or old, the food is usually terrific
Hey guys what would be your Pizza Tier List?
S tier = quattro formaggi
Personal S and A tiers for Japanese food
S: Sushi, Gyutan, Tsukemen, Doria, Omurice, Yakisoba, Okonomiyaki, Yakiniki, yakitori, ochazuke, mazesoba
A: Hayashi rice, zarusoba, hiyashi chuuka, monjayaki, gyudon, katsudon, udon, chawanmushi
Bonus F tier: Nabe, Oden, shabu shabu
My family would not stop feeding me these for my entire childhood, and still do, every time there's a holiday. It was okay, and enjoyable as a kid, but now, when I hear we're having nabe or oden for a party, it actively makes me not want to go, or eat up before the party and just say I'm full.
Low key though, my favourite places to eat in Japan are Saizeriya and Mos Burger. It was always a treat when I was younger, and brings back so many memories.
A real RUclips move to make so important a tier list, and from my limited experience eating Japanese cuisine, you're pretty spot-on.
Love the video and keep up the great work joey
Joey’s transforming into a Karen right before our eyes
Hey Joey, in addition to a more expanded upon and in depth list covering more japanese foods I would love to see a follow up video showing where the best places to get some of these foods are. Can be specific locations or like what you did with Ramen, just stating what to look for. Planning a trip to Japan next year and would love a guide like this
Joey is one of the only people who actually knows about japanese that’s not just ramen and sushi
I mean he is part japanese.
I currently live in Curitiba, Brazil. There is an izakaya here, Oide. No reservations so usually wait an hour to get a table - there serve beer and let you drink outside in line, so hey. The Karage alone are worth the wait. Factor in the chef or owner's rec and some Suntory the Chita... I'd wait another hour.
Can't wait to visit Japan next year and try some of these dishes.
Is it racist to go to social media and ask for recommendations for Japanese owned Japanese restaurants? I grew up in an area that had a large Japanese population and we even had a Japan Town. Many of my family are Japanese through marriage and I have several half-Japanese cousins and other relatives. Authentic Japanese food was just as common as authentic Mexican food in my life. Christmas was filled with Mexican and Japanese dishes. Santa (played by my uncle) being Japanese went completely unnoticed. All this to say that Japanese culture was a huge part of my life and I really miss it.
Where I live now, the Japanese restaurants are not Japanese owned and I do notice a difference, especially with the sushi. I’m used to small jewel like pieces of fish and now I get huge slabs of fish over the rice. I find them difficult to eat and very unappetizing. Also, their offering of other Japanese dishes is very slim and just not as good.
I’ve wanted to ask for recommendations but being Hispanic and not familiar with other Asian cultures I didn’t know if it would be offensive to ask. I don’t think it is at all but it wouldn’t be the first time that a well-intentioned question missed its mark.
Thank you for the video. I’ll be making some of these soon. I had good luck with okonomiyaki recently and have made a great sukiyaki since I was a teen.
I mean asking someone who you know frequents japanese restaurants is different from assuming any japanese person will know the answer to that question so it just depends who you’re asking and your reason behind thinking they’ll know the answer
@@mius.cereal I was going to ask openly on social media (stated in the beginning of my little novel). Maybe a local Facebook group. So, I don’t know who would be seeing the question or answering.
@@60Airflyte what would be racist about that😭 but yeah idk if America has apps like this but in the UK there's a neighbourhood app and you put in your home address and it connects you to people in your area and people post about job vacancies suspicious people local stores etc so maybe see if you can post about it on a similar app and good luck!
There was a video where a sushi chef answered most asked questions and he said that raised Fugu (Dunno if the word farm raised is appropriate for fish) aren't actually poisonous because they don't eat what makes them poisonous, and he said that those fugu are actually very tasty. Probably vastly more expensive but the alternative of a risk at death just doesn't sound worth it.
What happened to your pfp Joey💀💀💀
I'm an european who's never visited Japan, but i've cooked a lot of these dishes, and my absolute favourites are the Katsudon, then Tonkotsu Ramen, then Gyoza. I am so happy i tried japanese cuisine
9:12 Katsudon is so S-tier that it’s one of the few Japanese foods I try making at home, with pretty decent success.
I go out of my way to get good ingredients to make this.
Please review the veg Japanese food next time joey
3:57
Mushy peas - England: "Bri'ish food is disgusting"
Mushy peas - Japan: "OMG so cool!"
Suggestions for another video, if you make one, curry, takoyaki, oyakodon, Tori katsu, gyoza, gyukatsu, miso soup, oden, somen, tsukemen, sushi and sashimi, teppanyaki, yakizakana
Joey opinion on going to "hole in the wall" ramen places is my exact opinion on going to get food in other countries or even states, don't go for the big fancy restaurant with the flashing lights, go for the small one, food is probably better and cheaper
Me, who studied in Sendai Japan for one year :D Man, love this list! And gyutan & zunda. Thanks for making me nostalgic for Sendai again. I miss walking down Aoba-dori at night after classes. Those were the days...
Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki, and Natto are my S-tiers. Especially Okonomiyaki. I could eat that 7x a week no problem.
And, technically more Chinese cooking, I love nabe ryori. Not shabu-shabu, which is good in it's own way. But where you have the boiling nabe and you add veggies and meats to it. Bonus if it's the Chinese style where you get one side that's super spicy and other is more natural flavor. Love those during the winter.
I lived for many months off combini onigiri and their salted, boiled eggs. The Japanese combini food industry is impressive.
In any case, notable omissions from Joey's list were pan-fried gyoza, takoyaki, curry rice, unagidon, oden.
When I go back to Japan I want to go to that one ramen shop run but thay ex Yakiza guy. Always good to support someone turning their life around
more food content please this was really enjoyable man
Gotta agree with the placement of okonomiyaki, katsu-don, ramen, and tempura. Both okonomiyaki and katsu-don was some of the peak Japanese food I've had the pleasure of trying when I visited.
keeping this as a guide for visiting Japan
That cold soba dish Joey mentioned is super easy to make at home even in the USA. In Texas, the cold version is great for the hotter months.
we need a part 2 with more foods like oden, sushi, and sweets
S: Tonkatsu, Gyutan, yakitori, yakisoba, nabe
A: Okonomiyaki, somen, gyudon, katsudon, yakiniku
B: Takoyaki, curry, soba, edamame, gyoza, tamago kake, karaage
C: Tempura, onigiri, ramen
D: Natto
F: KFC, family mart fried chiki
wish i had seen this list of foods before going to japan. Thanks for the food for thought.
Disclaimer, I have not been to Japan yet. That being said, I agree with most of the items of the list. Natto is an unknown but I do want to try it. The only one I don't agree it but I'm thinking that it's because they found a way to cook it that is way better is the katsu-don. I've never had fried pork that was S tier. I've tried in Japanese restaurants were I live and even in other cuisine I've never liked it. It's always too dry and often hard because it's overcooked.
As for your tempura comment, compare it to american fried food... Tempura is A or B tier when compared
I'm really honored to be one of Joey's boys c:
17:11 "Tsukemen is better"
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My favorite, and I haven’t been to Japan and only had what I could find living in Vegas and Colorado, would be Takoyaki. Love those thermal bombs! Other fun foods, difuku, Uni, horse meat/basashi, gyoza, Curry rice, Oden, Tamagoyaki, tonkatsu, various kashi pan, Chawanmushi, and coffee pudding. Oh and something I am curious about that I can’t get myself would be shirasu. Sounds really fun
i'm happy joeyy finally made this list so anytime i go japan i would know what's good to eat