- All right, check it out, guys.
This is Trevor James.
We are in Kyoto, Japan, and I am so pumped
'cause today we're gonna have a ton
of delicious Japanese street food.
Let's check it out.
(vibrant music)
This is it, Kyoto.
We came here to eat.
And today we're bringing you
to come with us to try tons of local delicacies
at the Nishiki Seafood and Snack Market.
And then we're going for even more,
like incredibly delicious tempura, sushi, and ramen.
Let's eat.
All right, guys, we are in the Nishiki Market
and this is one of the most famous markets
for street food and snacks in Kyoto.
And we're just gonna explore
and try a bunch of different stuff.
Oh, I got to look at this.
Lots of different fresh seafood, grilled fish.
Oh, salmon eggs.
Look at these, massive mussel shells.
(speaking in foreign language)
Wow, look at these massive mussel shells.
Whoa.
Sashimi, okay.
- [Vendor] Sashimi.
- Okay, let's try it out.
Wow, look at this.
So we're just gonna crack open a mussel.
Massive mussel shell.
Wow.
Wow, it's big.
It's huge.
Look at that.
Oh, that is huge.
That is insane.
What a find.
Oh, look at that.
Look at the size of that.
That is huge.
It's just like a big scallop.
Oh, wow.
That is beautiful.
(speaking in foreign language)
It's just a joy coming to Japan to see this.
Oh, that is a massive piece of flesh.
Wow, look at that, just slicing it up.
That is beautiful.
Just look at this giant mussel.
It really looks like a scallop.
Unbelievable.
And there's so many sections to it.
Looks like this is a bit more firm and springy.
And then we've got this soft flesh right here.
And we're just gonna dip it, get a triple combo.
This is unbelievably fresh.
And there's so much sushi
and there's so many things to try here in this market.
Mmm.
Oh, it's a little more springy than a regular scallop,
but has quite a similar flavor.
Oh, yeah.
Which is kind of just a seafood heaven.
Wow, that was incredibly delicious.
Then we're gonna keep exploring.
Oh, look at these.
Oh, look at this, guys.
Japanese pancake.
Oh, that looks amazing.
(speaking in foreign language)
We just found okonomiyaki.
- Okonomiyaki.
- So it's like a Japanese pancake
and you can see there's egg.
There's a bit of, looks like there's
a bit of, is that pork or bacon?
Unbelievable.
Looks like some radish, some greens.
Oh, and then this sauce.
Oh, wow, that's beautiful.
You can see there's a bit of cabbage in there.
Ginger, egg, tempura bits, shredded green onion.
Oh, we are definitely gonna get one of those.
Oh, and here comes the okonomiyaki sauce.
More of that okonomiyaki sauce.
Wow.
And then for the final step, he's just putting,
I believe that is a little bit of ginger on top.
Wow.
Wow, look at those.
Beautiful Japanese pancake.
Super fresh.
(speaking in foreign language)
Look at this, guys.
We just got the beautiful Japanese pancake.
Oh, look at that.
Okonomiyaki sauce right on top,
a little bit of ginger,
and then on the inside there's a bit of,
looks like a bit of greens, maybe some cabbage,
an egg, some pork, looks almost like bacon.
Oh, ginger on top.
That just looks so plump and satisfying.
I've never had this before.
This is right from the biggest market in Kyoto.
Let's try out a nice big bite.
Mmm.
Oh.
Oh, that is incredible.
That is just, what a flavor combo.
It's super sweet and savory.
The egg and the pancake make it super fluffy.
And then, of course, there's a bit of cabbage in there,
which gives it volume.
And it is super fun watching him make that.
Mmm, it's definitely sweet and also very fatty.
(speaking in foreign language)
Bye bye.
Wow.
Oh, look at this.
Look at this, guys.
Look at all this seafood.
Oh, and look at this right here.
Uni, sea urchin.
Oh, we are definitely gonna have to get some of that.
Wow.
You can see there's abalone.
Monster oysters.
Huge scallops.
It's all here.
This is just one of many fresh seafood stalls
in the Nishiki Market.
And you could just keep coming back
for tons of different raw seafood,
but for my first time, I went for some abalone,
some salmon, and some delicious uni sea urchin.
(speaking in foreign language)
Wow, look at this, guys.
So we've got abalone.
Look at that.
Look at the beautiful shell it's in.
That is one of the most iconic shells
you'll ever see on the beach.
Abalone, so shiny.
And then we've got a monster oyster.
Look at the size of that.
Incredible.
And then we've got a couple uni.
You can see the flesh.
Oh, it's right in the shell, beautiful.
Some fatty salmon and tuna.
And it's all served with soy and wasabi.
Just look at that abalone.
Beautiful.
And look at the shell that's under.
Look at the color.
Just look at the color of that shell, the shininess.
That is incredible.
Let's try it out.
Oh.
Mmm.
Oh, it's buttery.
And a little salty from the ocean.
And very, very springy.
It almost has a crunch to it.
And then look at this here, guys.
We've got beautiful uni sea urchin.
They just give you a few pieces per urchin.
That's why it's so expensive.
Mmm, oh.
Oh, that one is a bit stronger.
It has a bit of a metallic, buttery flavor.
And oceany.
I see why the fancy sushi restaurants
are more expensive 'cause this one
definitely has a bit of an oceany-ness
and a metallic hit to it,
but it's still buttery and enjoyable.
After slurping down an oyster
and some nice soft tuna and salmon,
and before going for a beautiful tempura lunch,
we kept exploring the market
and found even more street food,
like takoyaki octopus balls.
This is the batter here and we're just flipping it.
And you can see it's turning into balls.
And you can actually see the octopus on the inside.
Looks like there's a bit of ginger
and you can really smell the tempura, the tempura batter.
And they're gonna turn into nice little balls.
Oh, that's beautiful.
Oh yeah, look at this.
These are takoyaki.
Wow, and that's that takoyaki sauce.
Oh, (speaking in foreign language)
And a sweet sauce on top.
Mmm.
(speaking in foreign language)
Mmm, good.
Oh, it's good.
(speaking in foreign language)
Oh, it's mmm.
That is an amazing snack.
It's sweet, definitely sweet.
And I put a little mayo on there.
And then he said this is actually
a bit of seaweed on top.
But the inside, it's all about the inside.
It's definitely gooey, it's oozy.
It's like a gooey octopus on the inside.
And the outside is super sweet.
And the best part about it
is how it just pops in your mouth with that gooeyness.
It's like a sweet octopus ball.
Next up, we found one of the most
iconic Japanese foods, fried tempura.
And here I was so shocked
at the incredible quality and flavor
that a single fried piece of fish could have.
It was a thousand times better than any tempura
I've ever tasted, so delicate and soft,
and was definitely worth flying
into Japan solely to eat for.
Next up, we are gonna try legit, authentic tempura.
I've been looking forward to trying,
oh, I think this is it here.
Oh, yeah, look at this.
A local tempura.
The real deal.
Let's go in and try it out.
Wow.
- I save a table (speaking in foreign language)
- Okay.
Oh, look at this.
So we're getting legit tempura.
I think that's the eel.
So they put it in a bit of flour and batter
and right into the big...
Oh, and look at these, these are the shrimp.
Wow.
This is legit tempura, the real deal.
And then right into the batter, these shrimp.
And then right into the big pot.
Wow.
(speaking in foreign language)
This is just truly amazing coming to Japan,
eating legit tempura.
You can only get this right here,
and they make it fresh for you
right in this massive pot.
Beautiful scene.
Oh, look at the tempura, they're ready.
Wow.
That is beautiful.
(speaking in foreign language)
Wow, it's big.
Just look at the size of this tempura bowl.
That is so beautiful.
It's got big conger eel.
It's got two shrimps, squid, scallops,
egg, seaweed, and green pepper.
And also some sand borer fish.
Wow, look at that scallop.
Oh, it's massive.
Mmm.
Oh.
Oh, wow.
That is unlike any scallop or tempura you'll ever eat.
It's crispy, but definitely not oily.
It has a real pleasing mouth feel to it.
And it is so satisfying to watch them being made.
And it's so plump and soft.
That scallop, that scallop is just so soft.
Mmm.
That is insane.
It's all about that batter.
Mmm, mmm.
And then we've also got this clam soup,
but honestly, that tempura is worth flying here for.
Mmm.
Mmm, oh nice, nice.
Mmm, just a fresh clam flavor.
Wow, that was life-changing tempura
and we're going for more food.
Beautiful.
Next up, before going for some late night ramen,
I wanted to try a sushi train restaurant in Japan,
so we went to a famous one
in the Kyoto Train Station to try it out.
There were so many varieties of nigiri sushi to try
and although I found it not quite as enjoyable
as a regular sushi restaurant,
it was still a super fun experience.
Next up, we are going for sushi,
not just any sushi though.
When you think of conveyor belt sushi,
back home in North America usually it's average,
but up ahead in Kyoto Station
there's supposed to be a really good place
and we're gonna go try it out.
Oh, here we go.
I think this is it right here.
Conveyor belt sushi joint.
Look at this, guys.
We are at conveyor belt sushi here in Kyoto.
Oh, there is just a huge selection
of different sushi to try.
Awesome, let's get some of this salmon.
Oh, and this is squid.
Nice.
Oh, and then this here, uni.
Look at this, uni.
Beautiful.
Oh, oh, and then look here, fatty tuna.
This must be the otoro.
Beautiful.
This must be the maguro.
Awesome.
We are gonna have a feast.
Oh, amberjack, you just can't stop.
Awesome.
Oh, and then look at this, there's scallop as well.
It's just unlimited.
Fatty salmon.
Look at that.
And then right here, look at this, unagi.
Awesome.
What a scene this is, guys, look at this.
All of this insane, beautiful sushi.
We've got salmon and scallops, different cuts of tuna.
And look at this.
Oh, isn't that beautiful?
Look at that uni.
Uni sea urchin.
Sea urchin gonads.
And then we've got a few more different cuts of tuna.
We've got squid, look at that.
Squid over rice.
All of this nigiri.
More salmon.
And then also unagi here.
This is such a beautiful scene.
And the sushi is non-stop.
So some of this looks fresh
and some of this looks like,
kind of been sitting on the train for a little while.
So this is just average-looking sushi, to be honest,
but we are in Japan and it's hard to have a bad meal.
Look at this uni.
Just a little, a little soy on there.
Let's try it out.
Mmm, mmm.
Oh, there's squid legs.
Oh, uni is one of my favorite things in Japan
because it has such a creamy, buttery smoothness to it.
And then look here, squid legs.
You can just take anything from the train that you want.
Isn't that beautiful?
Wow.
All of this is raw and beautiful.
Awesome.
Mmm.
Definitely very springy.
Oh, the wasabi and soy sauce give it a kick.
This must be the otoro fatty tuna.
Really nice to be here eating sashimi, nigiri in Kyoto.
And we're just gonna dip that in a little bit.
Oh, it's beautiful.
Oh, it's all about the rice, the vinegar rice.
It just has a bit of a crunch to it,
a bit of a sour end, sweet kick to it.
And that fatty otoro
is just unbelievably soft.
For our final meal, we went to taste
a famous bowl of ramen in Kyoto,
the shoyu ramen with the most heartwarming pork broth
and nice, soft fatty slices of pork.
All right, guys, for our last meal of the day,
we are going to ramen heaven, right up here.
It's 11:30 at night right now,
and this place still has a line-up, shoyu ramen.
Let's go try it out.
So there's a huge line-up even at 11:30 at night.
This is gonna be good.
Ramen is one of must-try things in Japan
and I can't wait to try this out.
We just waited for about half an hour in the line
and then we're gonna get to try
a beautiful bowl of ramen.
We're going into ramen heaven.
Awesome.
(speaking in foreign language)
Oh.
Oh, they're massive bowls of ramen.
Wow.
Look at this monster bowl of shoyu ramen.
Oh, and all those nice lean slices of pork.
And this is a shoyu ramen,
which is a pork bone-based broth with soy sauce.
Oh, and look at those green onions.
And then also we have gyoza,
the potstickers, Japanese potstickers.
And you can also add chili paste
to your noodles or chili flake,
but I am just gonna go in for the pure flavor.
Get a nice, big bite.
Oh.
Oh, you can really smell all of those onions and the broth.
Oh, and there is mung bean sprouts in there as well.
Mmm.
What a combo.
You can taste that amazing deep, dense pork broth.
The pork bone broth is so rich.
It's a little salty, but so enjoyable.
And we're just gonna add a little chili paste
in there with fresh chopsticks.
Oh, yeah.
And that should be so flavorful.
It's seasoned very well, so it is a little salty,
but that makes it good.
It brings out that dense pork flavor.
With the bean sprouts and the onions,
you've got a fresh kick to it.
And the pork is also quite lean,
which gives it a real nice meatiness, chewy meatiness.
It's fantastic and then we got the gyozas too.
Awesome.
Oh, it so good to be in Japan.
Local noodles, local gyoza.
A little hole in the wall, this is a famous joint.
And nothing better, nothing better.
Mmm.
The soy sauce is really salty.
I feel like you don't really need it.
Oniony and crispy.
And actually, these are quite small,
but the filling on the inside.
Oh, there's actually quite a bit there.
But these noodles, honestly,
are worth flying to Kyoto for.
What an amazing day it has been in Kyoto.
We barely scratched the surface.
There is so much food here.
You could eat delicious food here for a lifetime.
I would love to know what you thought
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