Anyways...here are my thoughts on the restaurants we've tried so far in Oyama.
Mos Burger
Type: Fast food burger
Price: $
This is our source for hamburgers. I personally like the Teriyaki burger (without the mayo) and fries. Due to the small burger size, Drew usually gets two and is still hungry. Having wax paper napkins is most annoying here because the burgers are a bit messy. They are served wrapped in paper so that you never have to touch your food (a Japanese thing). I can't help it, I always feel like I'm about to eat the paper so I ditch it. It's good to have this as an option when we are craving more American style food.
Tantanmen Restaurant
Type: Chinese Ramen
Price: $$
Here is where I first discovered Tantanmen. I've since made it myself, which you can see on my Food page. It is a bowl of spicy noodles with ground pork and seems to be the only item on their menu. It looked like you could get different sizes and spice levels. We've only been once but I'm dying to go back to compare it to my homemade version. Definitely in my top 3 picks.
Okonomiyaki Restaurant
Type: Okonomiyaki
Price: $$
I posted about this place previously. Here you sit in front of a large grill and make your own savory pancake. This is a restaurant genre that you can find throughout Japan. It makes for a fun experience and is also included in my top 3.
Natty Pub
Type: Bar
Price: $$$
We found tacos and buffalo wings on the menu here. It is a reggae bar with an English menu and more familiar food options. The inside is very dark, the bartender/waiter has dreads, and the music is exactly what you would expect. Maybe we didn't really fit in, but our dinner was fantastic. However, it is a bit pricey for our taste. At least I've been able to make my own tacos at home.
Michinoku Izakaya
Type: Izakaya (similar to a pub)
Price: $$$
Drew became a regular here before I even arrived. It is a small place with only 3 tables and bar seating. The owners are incredibly nice and will chat with you all evening. Here you can get fried chicken, french fries, and pizza, or Japanese dishes such as yakitori and yakisoba. It can be expensive to eat a full meal here but it's a great place to come and have appetizers.
La Frontera
Type: Peruvian
Price: $$$
I posted pictures of the Peruvian food we ordered earlier in the week. La Frontera is definitely a hole-in-the-wall place that looks like it would be horrible from the outside but is actually a fantastic restaurant. The decor and Spanish music created a great atmosphere. Plus, the menu was in Spanish which was much easier for me to comprehend than Japanese. I wish it wasn't expensive because there are so many items on the menu that I would love to try.
Sushi Restaurant
Type: Conveyor belt sushi
Price: $
We love our 100 yen sushi shop and have been frequenting it often. How can you beat 100 yen? That's all that needs to be said.
Tonkatsu Restaurant
Type: Japanese style tonkatsu
Price: $$$$
The Japanese on the sign translates literally to "Tasty Thing House" but I doubt it sounds that funny in Japanese. Drew's boss and his family brought us here to try the tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet). This was the first traditional Japanese style restaurant that we've been to in Oyama. You sit in a tatami mat room and your meal comes with a bunch of little dishes (salad, rice, pickled this, pickled that, etc). The food was delicious, of course, but these style restaurants are too expensive to visit often.
Udon Restaurant
Type: Noodles
Price: $
Drew brought me here the first day I arrived, meaning I barely remember it. It was set up a little like a buffet where you grab a tray and pick from a variety of tempura (fried) items. Then you get to the window and order your udon (noodle soup). You can eat your fried item separately or put it into your soup. This is a very quick and easy meal. I can't imagine anyone not liking udon.
Halal Food
Type: Indian
Price: $$
Hooray! A wonderful Indian place that serves naan as big as the one we found in Tokyo. I should mention that the owner is actually from Pakistan, not India, and his butter chicken is amazing. He has been very friendly and has given us free sodas both times we've been. The naan alone makes this the last of my top 3 picks.
Joyful
Type: Family style
Price: $$
Joyful was one of our favorite chains from the last time we were in Japan. It has a fifties dinner feel to it. Normally I get the pizza and corn soup, while Drew gets the cut steak. Maybe it's a regional thing, but the the pizza and steak is not the same as it was when we lived in southern Japan. Unfortunately, this has moved Joyful out of my top picks.
Saizeriya
Type: Italian
Price: $
The reason I don't have a nice picture for Saizeriya is because my bike is out of commission with a big flat tire! This restaurant is a little too far for me to walk. Actually, I could walk there just fine but it was on the other side of town from Mos Burger and I just wasn't feeling it. So here is a link instead. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Saizeriya_%EF%BC%8801%EF%BC%89.jpg
Drew's boss and his family also took us out to eat here one night. I had a super tasty shrimp risotto and a slice of someone's pizza. The pizza was great! Definitely a good place to go for cheap Italian food.
Mister Donut
Type: Bakery
Price: $
Also a little far away for me to get a picture without my bike. Mister Donut is the closest thing we have to American sweets. I've attached a link to my favorite doughnut. For some reason the Mister Donut nearby does not have this variety. Why?!
I have to admit that these doughnuts are nothing like the ones back home. You can tell that they are much healthier, therefore not as delectable.
Well, that's it. I'm surprised we haven't been more places after being here for over a month. I hope that means my cooking is keeping us satisfied. There are a several other places in town that I am looking forward to trying in the future.
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