The Asia Trip: First Meal... Chicken Katsu!

My first meal in Japan was a takeout bento. I thought I'd start the new year with the long-awaited posts of my trip to Asia (AKA The Asia Trip).

This takeout bento was purchased after arriving late one night in Yokohama (a big port city about 40 minutes from Tokyo by train). It included fresh-made chicken katsu with a sweetened scrambled egg rectangle, katsu sauce, and pickled bamboo strips (they're under the sauce packet). It's not too different from a to-go bento you might get out here in southern California but is none too expensive at a little less than 400 yen (about 4 bucks).

It was enjoyable and well made (the chicken was evenly breaded and crisp) but a little too familiar for a first meal in a foreign country. Takeout bentos are very common here. You can pretty much get them anywhere and, at the supermarket, they get marked down at the close of the day when people are on the way home from work.

Honestly, when I think about it, prices in the Tokyo aren't any more expensive (food wise) than another big city in the US, such as New York or San Francisco. Don't get me wrong, there are very nice restaurants that can be very pricey but the bargains are there as well.