Glossary
The Japanese menu, decoded
Omakase, otoshi, dashi, tare… the words you meet on a Japanese menu and at the counter, explained in plain English — so you can read the room and order with quiet confidence.
Ordering & menus
- Omakaseおまかせ
- “I'll leave it to you” — a chef's-choice course, common at sushi and kaiseki counters.
- Teishoku定食
- A set meal: a main dish with rice, miso soup and small sides. The everyday lunch.
- Okonomiお好み
- “As you like it” — ordering à la carte, piece by piece (vs. a set course).
- Otoshi / Tsukidashiお通し／突き出し
- A small starter served automatically at izakaya, carrying a modest seat/cover charge.
- Tabehoudai食べ放題
- All-you-can-eat for a fixed price and time limit.
- Nomihoudai飲み放題
- All-you-can-drink for a fixed price and time limit, common with course menus.
- Okawariおかわり
- A refill or second helping (often free for rice, cabbage or soup).
- Okaikei / Oaisoお会計／お愛想
- “The bill, please.” Many counters total up at the end; some shops pay up front.
- Ryouri料理
- Cooking / cuisine. You'll see it in names like washoku-ryori (Japanese cuisine).
Types of restaurant
- Izakaya居酒屋
- A casual pub serving small shared plates with drinks — Japan's after-work hub.
- Shokudo食堂
- A simple, affordable diner serving home-style set meals.
- Kappo / Ryotei割烹／料亭
- Refined Japanese restaurants; kappo is counter-style, ryotei is a formal private-room establishment.
- Kissaten喫茶店
- A traditional coffee house — hand-drip coffee, toast and a retro calm.
- Tachigui立ち食い
- Stand-and-eat shops (soba, sushi) — quick, cheap, no seats.
- Yatai屋台
- A street food stall, common at festivals and night-time food alleys.
- Depachikaデパ地下
- A department-store basement food hall — a dazzling world of prepared foods and sweets.
- Konbiniコンビニ
- A convenience store — surprisingly good onigiri, bento, oden and snacks, 24/7.
Cooking methods
- Yaki焼き
- Grilled or pan-fried (yakitori, yakiniku, teriyaki, okonomiyaki).
- Age揚げ
- Deep-fried (tempura, karaage, agedashi, tonkatsu).
- Ni煮
- Simmered in seasoned broth (nimono, nikomi).
- Mushi蒸し
- Steamed (chawanmushi, the savory egg custard).
- Nabe鍋
- A communal hot pot cooked at the table (sukiyaki, shabu-shabu, motsunabe).
- Teppan鉄板
- An iron griddle; teppanyaki is food grilled on it before you.
- Sumibi / Robata炭火／炉端
- Charcoal grilling; robatayaki is a country-style charcoal hearth.
- Karaage唐揚げ
- Japanese-style fried chicken, marinated and lightly coated.
At the table
- Hashi箸
- Chopsticks. Never stand them upright in rice or pass food chopstick-to-chopstick.
- Oshiboriおしぼり
- The hot/cold hand towel given before a meal — for your hands only.
- Yakumi薬味
- Aromatic condiments (grated ginger, scallion, wasabi, shichimi) to add as you like.
- Otsumamiおつまみ
- Small snacks to go with drinks.
- Itadakimasuいただきます
- Said before eating — “I gratefully receive.”
- Gochisousamaごちそうさま
- Said after eating — “thank you for the meal.”
Rice & noodles
- Gohanご飯
- Cooked rice — also the general word for “a meal.”
- Donburi (-don)丼
- A rice bowl topped with something: gyudon (beef), katsudon (cutlet), unadon (eel), kaisendon (seafood).
- Teuchi手打ち
- Hand-made (noodles) — a mark of quality at soba and udon shops.
- Kake / Mori / Zaruかけ／もり／ざる
- Noodle styles: kake = hot in broth; mori/zaru = cold with a dipping sauce.
- Kaedama替え玉
- An extra portion of noodles for your remaining ramen broth (order before it runs low).
- Juwari十割
- 100% buckwheat soba (no wheat) — sought by gluten-avoiding diners (confirm cross-contamination).
Sushi & fish words
- Neta / Shariネタ／シャリ
- Neta is the topping (fish); shari is the vinegared rice.
- Nigiri握り
- Hand-pressed sushi: a slice of fish over a small mound of rice.
- Gunkan軍艦
- “Battleship” sushi: rice wrapped in nori to hold loose toppings like roe.
- Maki / Temaki巻き／手巻き
- Rolled sushi; temaki is a hand-rolled cone.
- Toroとろ
- Fatty tuna belly; otoro is the richest, chutoro medium.
- Hikarimono光物
- “Shiny” silver-skinned fish like mackerel and gizzard shad.
- Nikiri / Gari煮切り／ガリ
- Nikiri is the brushed-on seasoned soy; gari is pickled ginger eaten between pieces.
Seasoning & taste
- Dashi出汁
- The foundational stock (often bonito + kelp) behind most savory dishes — the key thing vegetarians/vegans must ask about.
- Umamiうま味
- The “fifth taste” — savory depth from kombu, bonito, miso, mushrooms and tomatoes.
- Shoyu醤油
- Soy sauce — usually brewed with wheat (a gluten note); tamari is a wheat-free type.
- Miso味噌
- Fermented soybean paste, the base of miso soup; some types contain barley.
- Mirin / Ryorishuみりん／料理酒
- Sweet rice wine and cooking sake — they add gloss and depth, but contain alcohol (a halal note).
- Tareタレ
- A sweet-savory glaze/sauce (for yakitori, eel, gyudon) — often soy + mirin + sugar.
- Ponzuポン酢
- A bright citrus-soy dipping sauce, classic with hot pots and grilled fish.
- Shio vs. Tare塩／タレ
- At yakitori, choose shio (just salt) or tare (sweet glaze). Shio is often the gluten/alcohol-safer pick.
Drinks
- Nihonshu / Sake日本酒
- Rice wine. Grades: junmai, ginjo, daiginjo. Served chilled, warm or room temp.
- Shochu焼酎
- A distilled spirit (from barley, sweet potato or rice), drunk straight, on the rocks or with water.
- Chuhai / Highball酎ハイ／ハイボール
- Chuhai is shochu + soda + flavor; highball is whisky + soda — light, popular izakaya drinks.
- Nama biiru生ビール
- Draft beer — the classic first order, “toriaezu nama.”
- Ocha / Matchaお茶／抹茶
- Green tea; matcha is the whisked, stone-ground powder of the tea ceremony. Often free with a meal.
- Mugicha / Hojicha麦茶／ほうじ茶
- Caffeine-light roasted teas: mugicha (barley, chilled in summer), hojicha (roasted green tea).