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Desserts are a huge popular food culture in Japan and the Japanese definitely have a sweet tooth. Here are some of the more popular Japanese desserts that you have to try if you are in Japan.

1) Parfait


A delightful rendition of an icecream sundae that boasts layers of icecream, fruit, cream, cereal, chocolate and biscuits. The Japanese often have eating competitions of who can finish the biggest bowl of parfait. A very popular dessert for all seasons, parfait also comes in a variety of flavours. Although some may claim that eating too much parfait, particularly because of the large servings of cream, will eventually make you sick.

2) Crepes


Probably originating from Europe, Crepes have quickly made its mark in Japan and burst into popularity with two types, the savoury and sweet type. A thin pancake that is filled with ingredients of your choice be it bananas and fresh cream or even teriyaki chicken and lettuce, it is then rolled into a handroll that you can eat on the go.

3) Mochi/Daifuku


A sticky rice cake that usually has red bean or strawberry filling. Traditional shops have seasonal ingredients like chestnut, sakura or even yam and it usually eaten after a meal served with tea. It also can come in an array of shapes and colours, sometimes packed into a bento-like box to be enjoyed on picnics or events. There is also an ice cream version now which is also very common in Japan.

These are only but a small percentage of the wide variety of desserts that Japan has to offer. If you walk into any supermarket or cafe, there is sure to be a maze of desserts for you to choose from. They also make their own renditions of european desserts like gelato and macarons that are highly favourable among the masses.

Food can be extremely expensive in Japan and the number of chain eateries and budget restaurants have risen. These days, even eating at fast food chains can get quite pricey. Plus, Japan aren't exactly known for their hefty meal portions. So here are a few cheap eateries that are recommended if you are on a budget, though most seem to be popular for their beef and rice bowls:

Matsuya

Matsuya is an extremely well known chain budget restaurant that usually serves beef and rice at 250YEN which is a good find. They also have curry, kimichi and pork with rice and several set meals that are less than 1000YEN. Matsuya is 24 hours and also serves breakfast.

Yoshinoya

While Yoshinoya are much more popular for the tastier beef and rice bowls, they also serve a variety of other types of meals that come in different sizes- Small, medium and large. Yoshinoya also has deep fried foods like tonkatsu and fried ebi among others like teriyaki chicken and curry rice.

Yayoi-Ken

Yayoi Ken serves mostly set meals under 1200YEN and are very popular for their rice-refills. This means, you can refill your rice as many times as you want and get your worth for your money. Most set meals are under 1000YEN and are quite huge in portion. They have a huge variety in their menu that comes with fish, chicken, beef and pork. It is certainly a good find for a hungry man. Please also do note that refilling of rice is self-service.

Suki-Ya

Suki-Ya is another popular eatery for Gyu-don (beef and rice bowl) and also offers different sizes for their meals. Albeit the same as Yoshinoya, they are known to be give their value for your money and usually have sit-in booth areas instead of the usual table at the counter type. They also tend to come up with seasonal promotions and menus which are worth checking out.