'Never Seen That Back Home!' 5 Weird Japanese Takes on Foreign Dishes that Surprised Tourists!

Last updated: 8 December 2020

From curry-filled donuts to curious cream-filled desserts, walk around Japan and you'll encounter a variety of peculiar fusion foods. And many of these unique arrangements often catch foreign visitors off guard, reacting in surprise: "I've never seen such a thing back home!"

Today, we will interview several foreign visitors, who will share their own most surprising food arrangements of various local dishes found in Japan. (The following statements are the personal opinions of the interviewed respondents.)

America: "I wish we had 'Teriyaki Burgers' back home!"

Our first respondent is a guest from America, whose surprise came from discovering a style of hamburger that even he had never seen before in his own home country, the 'land of hamburgers.'

"The 'Teriyaki Burger' is what really surprised me. It is made with a delicious and very sweet sauce. The sweetness actually overpowers the barbecue sauce taste, and I'm sure would be enjoyed by many other Americans, too. I wish they were as easy to find back home!" (America/30s/Male)

Teriyaki burgers, as produced by many of Japan's major chain eateries, are not sold in similar shops the United States. But it seems the sweet deliciousness of the teriyaki sauce used is a flavor even Americans can recognize and enjoy.

Italy: "What is a 'Napolitan?' Is it even related to Naples?"

Next we spoke to a man from Italy now residing in Japan. His experience? "While I recognize Japan's high level of Italian cooking... this is just unacceptable!"

"The Napolitan. As an Italian, I would never think to combine the flavor of ketchup with pasta! Sure, there are plenty of tomato-based pasta dishes, such as pomodoro and arrabbiata, but ketchup is a completely different thing. I've tried eating it, but honestly... not a huge fan. Also, the dish is called 'Napolitan,' but it doesn't have anything to do with Naples, does it? (Laughs)" (Italy/30s/Male)

The Napolitan is a Japanese-born Western-style dish that came about shortly after the war. Unfortunately, it really does have nothing to do with Naples, either. However, the Napolitan is a popular dish with many Japanese fans, often found in school lunches and coffee shops.

France: "Cream Breads, Jam Breads... Japanese breads are way too sweet!"

Just as we mentioned in the beginning, Japan is known for its variety of breads. However, there also seem to be a number of bread treats that seem unacceptable to bread-lovers of France.

"The cream breads and jam breads are just too sweet. The bread dough used to make Japanese breads is also very soft, fluffy, and sweet. Japanese bakery croissants are not as crunchy as the ones in France. They are too moist, and I don't really like the sweetness. In fact, I think breads in Japan are more like desserts." (France/30s/Male)

It seems that for people from France, bread is just one of those untouchable arrangements that many wouldn't think to tamper with. Though there are many who enjoy these fluffy, sweet breads, it doesn't seem to sit well with the French palate.

India: "'Miso Curry Milk Ramen' was surprisingly...delicious!"

Next, a man from India tells us his experience with the B-class gourmet 'Miso Curry Milk Ramen' dish he tried in Aomori.

"I already knew that Japanese curry is completely different from Indian curry, and that they even have dishes such as 'Curry Udon.' However, I was still taken aback when I first heard about Miso Curry Milk Ramen! It was surprisingly much more delicious than I anticipated. Of course, it was nothing at all like Indian curry! (Laughs)" (India/20s/Male)

Miso Curry Milk Ramen is a creative ramen dish that was developed by a shop called Sapporo Ramen Yokocho in Aomori City about 40 years ago. Rich and mellow, it is also quite different from the average Sapporo ramen. However, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that it was also enjoyable to the Indian palate!

Vietnam: "I would never think of eating 'Cold Pho!'"

Pho is a popular Vietnamese dish made from rice noodles. And while pho is becoming a more popular dish found in more and more shops in Japan, there is one particular arrangement that just doesn't seem to make the cut.

"Since about sometime last year, I started to notice something called 'Chilled Pho' making an appearance at convenience stores and supermarkets. But I didn't think it looked appetizing at all (laughs). Vietnam is much hotter and more humid than Japan, but nonetheless, pho is supposed to be a hot soup dish. We would never think to eat it cold. However, we do have a noodle dish called 'Bun' that some people eat cold, so I guess some Vietnamese people might approve." (Vietnam/20s/Female)

This chilled pho dish is a limited-edition item sold by major convenience stores in the summer. It is common to eat cold noodles in Japan, including Chinese noodles and chilled soba, so though it may not seem so strange to Japanese people, it seems to be quite the opposite in Vietnam. To the point that some may worry that it wouldn't taste good at all...

During our interviews with overseas visitors, we learned that there were both pros and cons about these unique takes on local dishes that they would never see in their own countries. And as huge fans of gourmet, Japan is sure to continue adding to its long list of uniquely arranged creations based on foreign dishes. I hope that we can make more dishes that our foreign guest can enjoy, too!

Written by: Ran Tanaka