I just feel very weird also going
through a purchase or I just opening
random bag I was thinking but they said
it was okay okay it's actually really
fun to be able to do that
[Applause]
[Music]
eating in Japan isn't all about the
bustling ramen shop or the tranquil
sushi counter in cities like Tokyo and
Osaka street food is king yakisoba is
one of the greatest creations on this
planet yes it is today I'm heading to
Japan village a 20,000 square foot food
hall in Brooklyn's industry city to tour
some of Japanese cuisines most iconic
comfort foods
joining me is YouTube's food crawl
legend Mike Chen and New York
restaurateur Sakura yogi together we're
going to find out how many food stalls
we can hit in a single afternoon I have
heard so much about this place but I've
never been and I feel like it's super
special for people like us that maybe
grew up away from Japan but want like
Japanese food have you ever been here
before I've never been here I want
Japanese food all the time having me so
Mike you've traveled all over the world
and have tasted pretty much every level
of cuisine in so many different
countries but what is it that attracts
you to food stalls a lot of times
through stalls it's not a fancy
businesses it's a it's a very
traditional family business and it's a
lot of times it's been passed down from
father's son for 50 60 70 maybe even
longer years and whenever I go somewhere
like I want to support the local culture
what I always say is the best way to do
that is take a bite out of it and
there's nothing better than Street food
so soccer I know you've been here many
many a time what would you say is your
favorite aspect of Japan village the
reason why I've been here many times is
because I want to support my friend who
I'm sure we're gonna meet arena her
family runs the show here and has made
such a great destination place to have
okonomiyaki takoyaki patsak cotton
you know so it's just such a fun place
to be
and I'm so excited to just have you guys
here and hopefully meet up with arena
yeah founder show us around so shall we
make our way inside
[Music]
the first stop on our tour is Hachi for
some Japanese Street food classics on
the menu is seafood yakisoba stir-fried
noodles with shrimp scallops and octopus
and okonomiyaki a cabbage pancake topped
with pork
Kewpie mayonnaise and a savory Oklahoma
yaki sauce all right so this is our
first stop called hot G that specializes
in Japanese Street food so I feel like
what makes Japanese Street food Street
food is the fact that the word yaki is
in their food names like okonomiyaki
taiyaki yakisoba and Halloween screw ya
and it's very cool but she's so cool but
she is really like common term used with
street food it means that it smells
roasted savory and delicious with all
those words combined together there it
is you know I feel like every culture
has something like this like Chinese
chow mein there's so many different
cultures have that sorry a noodle dish
[Music]
all right so our first dish it's like
theming all right everything is so
glistening Jessa is show baby cut up I'm
gonna go shrimp and cabbage first yeah
I'm more in for the needle look at that
I just love the crunch of the cabbage oh
my gosh my mouth is watering
the first time I had this dish really
really good first time I was in Kyoto
you are angels in Kyoto in the sky
what's cooking in front of me and I was
like I already had like four meals
before that I want to yaki so about
whatever first I'm having argue soba I
tasted it and it was like eating for the
first time I'm like and from that moment
I anywhere I see the words yaki soba I
wanna go okay looks like me okonomiyaki
is ready shall we switch gears yes
right
[Music]
thank you oh oh nice oh man it's so
pretty so how would you describe
okonomiyaki to somebody who's never had
it like what is it I would say cabbage
pancake I say cabbage pancake - yeah but
people think about it sneeze which is
weird cuz yeah cabbage goes sweet ha hey
you never know you never know who got
savory cabbage pinky yeah you know the
first time I ever had this was on an
airplane they call it a Japanese piece I
was so confused
Japanese pizza is really delicious and
it's pizza they have their own pizza in
its pizza yeah this is cabbage cabbage
pancake let's go stuff it's so good
mayonnaise and a soft combination with
the crunch of the cabbage totally make
that it work so well together I'm in for
the charkh i love the charm yes that is
the coolest aspects
[Music]
next we're heading to ovando Hassan to
meet Sakura sprint arena Yoshida whose
family operates Japan village Levant
iesson specializes in handmade Japanese
rice balls called onigiri wrapped in
seaweed or Nikita are stuffed with
fillings like salmon tuna shrimp tempura
and meant ICO or spicy cod roe
[Music]
[Applause]
nice to meet you yeah thanks for having
us yeah welcome this is my really good
friend Erina I've known her my entire
life I got her back with this amazing
Japan village where we're at
well thank you so much traffic engineer
I loved onei GD it's a huge staple and
like Japanese everyday living so can't
get away from it people really
understand how important what we need ei
is right why is this so significant I
think it's like perfect for like grab
and go pick me up like a lot of people
in Japan also eat it and bring it to
parks it's equivalent of like a sandwich
I do miss the convenience the ease
everything all about it is just so
natural that we just have when you get
here with us I love this because I love
rice and I love surprises and also I see
in every single anime ever you know if
the girl likes you guys gonna make one
for them
[Music]
oh you me I was like I was
expecting something oh my god it's so
good stuff so delicious like I love the
onigiri from company because the seaweed
is crispy and fresh but this is so much
more closer to home like oh my mom just
made one for me because she wants me to
be you know comforted study well study
yeah like how her up late at night
studying om brings you or Nui it's so
come buddy do I could do more
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
so I gotta say I'm in love with Japan
village this is my first time here and
it's like blowing my mind i was already
telling everybody I would have killed to
have this growing up so what would you
say was the motivation behind this place
I would say the motivation was very
community-based we really want to spread
food and drink culture of Japan so
that's why we have a supermarket sunrise
smart and we also have the food hall
highlighting various types of Japanese
foods
one really want to be a destination for
everyone yeah ages really to be able to
explore and have fun thank you so much
lunch may be over but I can't leave
Japan village without having some
dessert I'm eating bone Appetit sclera
staff it's at sunrise mark to shop for
some of my favorite sweets claire is
famous for her wildly popular youtube
series gourmet makes where she attempts
to recreate some of the world's most
iconic snacks I thought I'd introduce
Claire to the magical world of Japanese
candies and maybe help her find some
inspiration for her next project
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
so Claire you are known for recreating
the world's most beloved snacks and
candies so I thought it'd be great to do
a little Japanese candy shopping here
with you today at sunrise Mart so
excited yay do you eat a lot of Japanese
candies are you familiar with some of
them despite what you see on Norman
makes like you like candy in my like
persevere time yeah that's what all
happens pretty much on the show and
we've had like some Japanese candies
here in there but it's generally like an
unexplored territory right
I'm so excited there's so many things
here that I haven't tried yeah I think
we're gonna help like round out my
knowledge of certain international
candies and snacks so Kit Kats are
ridiculously popular in Japan and they
have over 200 flavors they have over 50
that are rotating annually and
seasonally they have different flavors
as well are there any that you'd like to
try what is so what is this one okay
this is Japanese Stockholm ice but it's
hakuna sake oh wow and cherry blossoms
are very bizarre um in Japan they
oftentimes flavor to be closer to like
strawberry and cherry a real real Sakura
flavour is actually kind of insulting oh
wow it's very shocking
what kind of permeates everything we'll
see as in yeah mm-hmm and then you were
saying that there's multiple matcha in
the mystical West yeah and this is a
more sweeper yes
so this kanji means deep flavored the
matcha itself is very purely matcha so
it's a very bitter so richness not
necessarily as an indication of like the
fat content but like intensity exactly
yes so the first time I have this one I
was quite surprised it's actually really
good I like this one a lot cats aren't
necessarily marketed towards children
it's marketed towards everyone so this
one specifically says altona no Amasa
although that means adult and amazon
means sweetness so it's like a dog
sweetness which sounds like kind of sexy
but it's not sexy it's more that it's
not indicating audience exactly
it's not overtly sweet it's made for a
more mature palate about targeting so
just as there are a lot of varieties of
Kit Kats there are also so many
different types of Pocky but I want to
show you so let's go over to the Pocky
side I hope this is impressive as the
KitKat display
[Music]
I need blinders on qussuk what's that
thing over there oh wow so we're in the
Pocky aisle AHA I like to think of Pocky
as like the thoughtful snack because
there's even a little portion where you
can hold it where the chocolate doesn't
get on your fingers right I feel like
that's so brilliant so I read in the
Wikipedia like about the ubiquity of
Pocky in Japan and also said something
about like it's served in bars with tea
or glass of milk
oh it was like the image of like order
you got the milk in a bar which is kind
of funny yeah I don't like I love the
idea of this like a stir for average
that happens often yeah really fun it's
really clever feels natural I'm super
interested in the giant yeah I'm curious
do like giant or is it just that there's
a lot in there can we open it let's do
it if it's not a giant Pocky I'm so
disappointed they're so big I've never
had a giant Pocky before ever
no but but certainly large so large yeah
cheers Cheers
hmm what chocolatey than I expect yeah
so good but doesn't it like with snap
right like I really like the snap of the
biscuit I think I need more biscuit the
auklets kind of yeah over taking a
little bit I still like it we say this
too later
Aelita later now that we're done
stuffing our faces with Pocky there is
one last thing I want to show you okay
all right do it let me know if I pocket
my team okay
all right so last but not least I know
you're always looking for inspiration
and I wanted to suggest a Japanese candy
snack to you
it is this so these two the ingredients
are pretty much exactly the same I would
say that in Japan these are just as
popular as Kit Kats and Pocky but all
children have come across these and you
can either choose between heck in
Oakland oh stop those so bamboo shoots
or Kinoko no Yama
so mushroom okay yeah but they both
taste exactly the same aha you open it
by pulling this tab it's made so that
it's a share box truly like brilliant
packaging takenoko as in the bamboo
shoot' ones are a little bit more
biscuity and I feel like that one's a
little bit closer to pop yeah this sort
of looks like a pop right right it was
like a gonna drink shape obviously yeah
all right I'm gonna try it mmm here you
went trade yes please try these so this
is the shape of a bamboo stick admission
you got the fresh obviously yeah yeah
right on the ground
very cool well they're like very
snackable yeah these are really I can
eat like a thousand days between either
of these the Pocky and the KitKat switch
to hug most unkind to be yeah yeah like
the probably like how bite size they are
oh yeah I do love the pot usually I
would sit there and eat like a whole
sleeve appache but you know this is the
first one I tried them yeah I love the
little shape fairy entities oh Claire
thank you so much for joining me today I
had such a great time and I'm so happy
that I got to kind of introduce you to a
classic Japanese an act thank you for
like this really insider window into of
it's like vast world that I have only
really begun to explore so it's really
fun and even though they don't need to
shoot us anymore I do kind of want to
there's like so much more research it's
really I know but maybe losing salty
next so super fun thank you
so much
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
thank you so much for watching go Chi
Cheng I so appreciate it Shan should
think it well I can subscribe like and
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