The cities and towns of Japan abound with delightful relatively inexpensive restaurants. Most of them specialize, choosing to focus on one type of food and do it well. They explore variations of flavor and ingredients and frequently offer seasonal dishes. But how do you know what to order? How can you make sense of the jumbled menu in your hands? What if you miss out on a true delicacy?

What's What in Japanese Restaurants supplies the answers to these questions and many more, while at the same time providing a fascinating look at Japanese culture through a gustatory lens. Longtime food writer and enthusiast Robb Satterwhite delves into the intricacies of Japanese victuals, restaurant etiquette, and regional food variations. He explores culinary history and furnishes precise sample menus in Japanese and English that allow anyone to decipher, order, and fully enjoy a wholesome Japanese meal.

There are over two dozen types of Japanese cuisine from sushi and yakitori to traditiona1 temple fare and tofu cookery. The nuances and pleasures of Japanese food can be endlessly fascinating-if you know how and what to order. For food lovers and diners alike, What's What in Japanese Restaurants is the perfect introduction to authentic Japanese cooking.