Originally Posted by
Pickles
Let me give you the counter-argument. I don't (willingly) eat sushi outside of Japan. Can you find good sushi outside of Japan? Yes, but (a) it's hard to find, (b) inconsistent, and (c) much more expensive than the equivalent quality in Japan. So why bother setting myself up for disappointment at some highly-rated place in, say, New York, paying through the nose, for something that, at best, equals what you can find in Japan?
The same goes for Chinese food in Japan. I happen to love Chef Ken Kenichi's mabodofu, as a number of contributors to this forum can attest. Is it tasty? Absolutely. Is it "Chinese" food? I guess you could say. Is it something you'd find in China? Yes, but not in the same way. And lastly, can you find better in China? Yes, there is no question. And, would I go out of my way to seek it as a visitor to Japan? Absolutely not.
Let me counter your counter-argument. Is the best steakhouse in the U.S.? Probably? Is the best Italian restaurant in Italy? Yes. Can you get some incredible steak outside of the U.S.? Can you get some incredible Italian outside of Italy? Yes. Yes. Do you only eat American food when you're in America? Would eat the same cuisine 3 meals a day for a week no matter where you were? No. No. I wouldn't eat Japanese at every meal when I'm in Japan anymore than I would eat only American food if I'm in the U.S.
Bottom line for me, there are a lot of really outstanding restaurants for all kinds of cuisines in Japan. I would never consider ruling them out just because I'm in Japan. Number one in the world maybe not, but world class...definitely. Maybe no place else in the world is there such a smorgasbord of really great choices. On top of that the creativity, ambiance, variety of decor and the incredible service is fantastic. For me the thing I love about eating in Japan is the choice and the variety.
As for sushi outside of Japan, I tend to agree. Before sushi (and Japanese food in general) became so trendy, the situation was much better. There were a few places like Takezushi in NY and Kamehachi in Chicago that were really good (better than Japan for some varieties of fish and shellfish) and the price was about a quarter of what you would pay in Tokyo. Now with Korean chefs and California rolls, there's a lot more chaff and it's a lot harder to get a decent meal.