food

This Is The Best Food We've Seen From The Tokyo Olympics

The ramen looks incredible (just stay away from the hottest one) and ice cream Kit Kats certainly sound like a perfect flavor combination

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There has been plenty of incredible action from the Tokyo Olympics so far — but we're not here to talk about that.

We're here to talk about all the amazing food items that have been on display and talked about during the Games, and there's enough to inspire a trip to Japan some time in the future.

From the secret to perfect sushi to fast food to the unbelievable assortment of culinary creations the Olympic athletes get to dine on, here are the best food items we've seen.

The Secret to Perfect Sushi

It's no secret that sushi is one of the most popular dishes in the world. But did you know fish isn't supposed to be the focus? Natalie Morales learns how to prepare and present the perfect dish in sushi school.


Spicy Ramen

Olympians Gus Kenworthy, Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir explored Japanese cuisine by trying three types of ramen — and found out which one is too hot to handle. While it might not be for everybody, everything still looked delicious, but maybe sticking with the basic one is perfect for starters.


Fast Food

There’s a shrimp filet sandwich, the Ebi Filet-O, only available at Japanese McDonald’s restaurants that got a very high review. Another chain, KFC, has a big presence in the country too — and for good reason.

There’s a shrimp filet sandwich, the Ebi Filet-O, only available at Japanese McDonald’s restaurants. Another chain, KFC, has a big presence in the country too…but Japanese dishes like ramen and sushi have been a big draw for journalists covering the Tokyo Olympics. NBCLX Storyteller Fernando Hurtado shows you the food of Japan that was available in quarantine, and his first meal after his quarantine was up.

Plastic Food?

OK, so this one isn't edible, but it's still incredible to see. The food in Kappabashi Street’s window displays looks real, but it’s not. It’s all plastic replicas of food, ready to be displayed in restaurant windows across Tokyo.

They have all the local Japanese favorites — nigiri, sashimi, etc. — but also feature dishes like cakes, Italian pastas, American burgers, even ice-chilled beers, and it all looks so real!

The food in Kappabashi Street’s window displays looks real, but it’s not. It’s all plastic replicas of food, ready to be displayed in restaurant windows across Tokyo

Pizza

Forget the classic margarita or pepperoni, Japan has some interesting and wild pizza flavors that are more than tempting. You would never think that flavors like char-grilled beef, fish & chips and butter chicken curry would belong on a pizza, but don't knock it until you try it.

Amanda Plasencia tried some of Japan’s unique pizza flavors like char-grilled beef, fish & chips and butter chicken curry.

Olympic Village Dining Areas

"Not to be dramatic, but these are the best gyoza dumpling things I've ever had in my life," Ilona Maher, an American rugby player, declared on TikTok, adding that she eats them for every meal.

In another video, Maher raved about the deep-fried Camembert, ramen and spring rolls. The food at the Olympic Village looks like it can't be missed.

Daria Gavrilova, an Australian tennis player, shared a tour of the main dining hall of the Olympic Village on TikTok that highlighted the many options available, from pizza to Asian cuisines to a gluten-free section. Gavrilova, who also competed in the 2016 Olympics, said the selection and quality "looks so much better than Rio!"


Kit Kats — All 200 Varieties

The popular chocolate brand didn’t get started in Japan, but it has a large following in the country. That’s in part because it’s common for parents to gift their kids Kit Kat chocolates as good luck charms before a big test or school project.

To this day, the company has developed more than 400 flavors in Japan, like whole wheat flour biscuit (which got high marks), summer ice cream, salt caramel, mint, cookies and cream, and a salty-sweet collaboration (which wasn't well received).

The popular chocolate brand didn’t get started in Japan, but it has a large following in the country. That's in part because it's common for parents to gift their kids Kit Kat chocolates as good luck charms before a big test or school project. To this day, the company has developed more than 400 flavors in Japan. Here are some of them.

Pig Cafes

This one isn't so much about the food, but rather the environment.

Cat cafes have become slightly more common throughout the U.S., which allow people to have a cup of coffee and a snack while meeting some new feline friends. But Japan took that approach to another level with their pig cafes.

At Mipig in Tokyo, guests can enjoy their coffee while little piglets roam around freely. Adorably, the piglets enjoy running around, licking customers' shoes and falling asleep on patrons' legs. The goal of the cafes is to raise awareness about having pigs as domestic pets in Japan.

In Tokyo, you can enjoy your coffee while piglets roam around you, lick your shoes or sleep on your lap.

Cool Vending Machines

Aside from amazing foods, Japan also has reimagined many things that are part of American life — but not nearly in the same manner.

For example, vending machines in Japan of course serve food, but contain some items no one would expect (vending machine milk, anyone?). The country’s five million vending machines also offer anything from bugs (the toy version) to tiny chairs.

From bugs to tiny chairs, you can find virtually anything in a vending machine in Japan. Here are some of the items you can purchase from the country's five million vending machines, according to InsideJapan Tours.

And Convenience Stores

Then there are the country's impressive and wide-ranging convenience stores, which rival some of the best delis and bodegas in NYC, or matchup with Wawa any day (gasp!).

Aside from food staples like egg sandwiches, which are slightly different that the ones found in the U.S., and hot meals, the Japanese "konbinis" will offer items like clothes, make-up, and thermometers, and even offer phone charging stations and wifi.

Japan is known for its “konbinis,” or convenience stores. Sometimes referred to as the heartbeat of a city, they’re usually open 24 hours a day, 365 days a week. Step inside one of them, and you’ll find they carry a plethora of items you wouldn’t usually find in an American convenience store. Here are some of those things.
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