Search locations or food
OR
Sign up

What to eat in the Kanto Region? Top 16 Kanto Foods

Last update: Fri Jan 31 2025
Top 16 Kanto Foods
VIEW MORE
01
Yokohama-Style Ramen
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Yokohama-style ramen or iekei ramen is a Japanese type of ramen originating from the Yokohama area and dating back to 1974. The dish consists of thick noodles and a stock that's a mix of creamy tonkotsu (pork broth) and soy sauce. The toppings include chashu pork, chopped seaweed, leeks, and spinach.


There are also optional toppings and condiments such as minced garlic, sesame, preserved vegetables, and black pepper. The name of the dish means home-style ramen, and it was created by a former truck driver called Mr. Yoshimura, who'd opened his own ramen shop in 1974.

MOST ICONIC Yokohama-Style Ramen

1
2
3
4
02

Rice Dish

TOKYO, Japan
4.5
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Nigiri or nigirizushi is a special kind of hand-pressed sushi where the meat is sliced and pressed on top of sushi rice. It was developed in Tokyo (then called Edo) during the 1800s. Sometimes, nori seaweed is used to wrap the whole concoction and keep it together.


The topping is usually seafood such as shrimp, tuna, haddock, or eel, and it should always be fresh and of the highest quality. Traditionally, nigirizushi is paired with shiso leaves, wasabi, soy sauce, or pickled ginger. It is sometimes garnished with daikon and salted seaweed. 

MOST ICONIC Nigiri

View more
1
2
3
5
03

Beef Dish

KANTO REGION, Japan
4.4
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Gyūdon is one of the most popular and inexpensive fast food dishes in Japan. Its name can be literally translated to beef bowl. The dish consists of beef and onions served over a bowl of rice. Beef and onions are cooked in a combination of mirin, sugar, sake, and soy sauce, imparting a salty-sweet flavor to the dish.


In the restaurants, known as gyūdon-ya, there is often pickled red ginger and red chili at the table, so anyone can season their dish according to personal preferences. The restaurants are often frequented by numerous hungry students who eat on a budget, and some of those restaurants are open 24 hours a day. 

MOST ICONIC Gyūdon

1
2
3
4
04

Pancake

KANTO REGION, Japan
4.2
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

A specialty of the Japanese Kantō region known as monjayaki is pan-fried batter, a type of pancake consisting of wheat flour (komugiko) and fish broth (dashi). The pancake is mixed with cabbage, seasonings, and other ingredients, cooked until it is crispy on the bottom and partially cooked on the surface.


The dish first became popular after World War II, when food was scarce, and the combination of dashi and komugiko provided an inexpensive way for numerous families to eat. Originally, monjayaki is derived from funoyaki, a batter-only snack that was often served during Buddhist ceremonies. 

MOST ICONIC Monjayaki

View more
1
2
3
4
5
05

Dessert

TOKYO, Japan
4.1
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Taiyaki is a Japanese fish-shaped cake that is often consumed as a snack, made from flour and filled with azuki sweet bean paste. It is usually served warm and is often found at most taiyaki stands at any winter festival in Japan. Most people believe that this sweet treat originated in Tokyo during the Meiji era, but taiyaki became extremely popular in 1976 with the emergence of a beloved children's song called Oyoge!


Taiyaki-kun (Swim! Taiyaki)
. It is said that the best taiyaki is characterized by a crisp shell that has been baked to a golden brown color, and although there are many different flavors and varieties of taiyaki today, the basic taiyaki still remains a favorite.

MOST ICONIC Taiyaki

View more
1
2
3
4
5
06

Stew

YOKOSUKA, Japan
3.8
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Yokosuka navy curry is a variety of Japanese curry prepared with a combination of beef, chicken, potatoes, onions, and carrots. The ingredients are cooked in a pan and thickened with a roux consisting of curry powder and flour. The dish is always accompanied by rice, while traditional sides include a salad and a glass of milk.


This curry type is so popular that upon arrival at Yokosuka navy base, visitors are greeted by a statue of a seagull holding a big plate of this delicious curry.

MOST ICONIC Yokosuka Navy Curry

3
07

Sweet Pastry

TOKYO, Japan
3.7
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

The round, golden brown anpan is a popular Japanese pastry which consists of a wheat bun that is usually filled with sweetened red bean paste. Traditionally garnished with poppy or black sesame seeds, anpan is a delightful combination of the sweet filling, soft interior, and a crispy crust.


This incredibly popular snack was invented in 1875 by a former samurai, Mr. Kimura, who turned to baking and established the legendary Kimuraya bakery. His invention was an instant hit, and to this day anpan buns remain as one of the most famous Japanese pastries.

VARIATIONS OF Anpan

MOST ICONIC Anpan

1
08

Stew

TOKYO, Japan
3.5
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

A highly caloric staple of the sumo wrestlers' diet, chankonabe is a rich stew consisting of dashi, sake, chicken or fish, and vegetables such as daikon and bok choy, although the dish has no fixed recipe and usually contains readily available ingredients that are full of protein.


The dish is often served with rice, beer, and side dishes such as fried chicken and shrimp dumplings. Chankonabe dates back to the late 19th century, when cooks from Niigata started to make meals for sumo wrestlers. It is the main course of a sumo meal, and all the wrestlers have to eat it as a part of their weight-gain diet, whether they like the dish or not. 

MOST ICONIC Chankonabe

View more
1
2
3
4
5
09
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Menchi katsu is a traditional dish and a type of katsu. This ground meat cutlet is made with a combination of ground beef, ground pork, onions, panko breadcrumbs, oil, eggs, milk, black pepper, and nutmeg. Once shaped, the patties are dredged in flour, beaten eggs, and panko breadcrumbs, then fried in hot oil until golden and crispy.


The dish is usually served with white rice, miso soup, and the thick and tangy katsu sauce on the side. Menchi katsu originated in Tokyo and it dates back to the Meiji Era. Nowadays, some of the best menchi katsus can be found at butcher shops, where they use the freshest meat to form the cutlets.

MOST ICONIC Menchi katsu

1
2
3
10

Dessert

TOKYO, Japan
3.1
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Kaminari-okoshi, often called merely okoshi, is a popular Japanese confectionery, similar to rice crispy treats. The main ingredient in okoshi is expanded rice, created by roasting rice grains until they pop. A mix of sugar and butter or corn syrup is used to hold the rice together, and after the additional ingredients have been added, the mixture is formed or pressed in trays, left to dry, then cut into square shapes.


This crispy Japanese treat first appeared during the mid-Edo period in Japan and was primarily sold by street vendors in the vicinity of Buddhist temples in Asakusa, one of the districts in Tokyo. Originally, peanuts were added to enrich okoshi, but modern versions also include other nuts, dried fruit, chocolate, or sesame seeds, along with other exotic and interesting flavors such as matcha green tea or caramel. 

MOST ICONIC Okoshi

11
Pasta
YOKOHAMA, Japan
2.8
12
Side Dish
ODAWARA, Japan
n/a
13
14
Casserole
YOKOHAMA, Japan
n/a
15
Noodle Dish
KANTO REGION, Japan
3.5
16
Noodle Dish
TOCHIGI PREFECTURE, Japan
n/a

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 16 Kanto Foods” list until January 31, 2025, 1,973 ratings were recorded, of which 1,714 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

Show Map
Kanto Food