Eating Paleo in Japan

About 5 years ago, over New Year’s, I came on a week long trip to Japan with my Japanese college roomie, whose family showed me a really great time around Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo. It was one of the most memorable experiences as I got to meet a Maiko and pose as one, too. :)

AND most importantly, I got to try for the first time real authentic Japanese food (Osechi dishes), although at the time, I wasn’t yet a Paleo foodie.

For my birthday this year, my boyfriend gifted me a short and sweet trip to Japan since he was going to be there for work anyway. Boy, was I elated at the chance to see my college roomie again, and this time visit Japan with a much deeper appreciation for nutrient dense and traditional cuisine.

Guess the first place my friend and I ate at? Yep, you guessed it: sushi restaurant! The smell of the ocean strongly permeated the air of the restaurant, which to me was a sign that the fish must be fresh, and it REALLY was! YUM!

Fresh sashimi platter

Eel bowl and salmon sashimi, fish roe, and crab bowl

I loved how almost every meal I had in Japan was accompanied by some kind of nutritious broth. 

fish miso broth

crab miso broth

On one of the nights, we were recommended a hole in the wall type restaurant that served all sorts of unique fish dishes. No menu in English at this one, so I couldn't tell exactly the name of all fish we tasted, except that they were all equally delicious!!

Octopus and squid with some kind of sea veggies

possibly mackerel?

Lots of different seaweed to be had. Nori is delicious; plain as a snack, or wrapped with fish and veggies.

When the weekend came around and my boyfriend was free from work to explore Tokyo with me, we made it a goal to see as much of the city as possible. This meant we had less time for sit-down meals, and that’s when we were so grateful to have Grass Fed Jerky Chews on hand to help us survive at least part of a day.