What’s more exciting than delicious food?
Plastic replicas of delicious food!
Almost outside every restaurant in Japan, there are helpful replicas of the grub on offer. This proved absolutely critical to the happiness of my tummy given the lack of English menus. Many an occasion I would smile politely and beckon the waiter to the front of the restaurant to indicate my dish(es) of choice. So efficient.
I think this place sells.. Japanese-style curry dishes!
Noodle soups with a Chinese twist…
This is a clever exercise in expectation-management. Portion size, colours, the crockery used…are mirrored exactly in the food served. Who needs wordy menus when you have these?
Look at the incredible detail.
These were no toys. This was art.
I wonder how Japanese kids’ toy food compares…!
This place sells soup noodles methinks.
A giant robotic noodle bowl – the chopsticks with noodles entangled, bob up and down all day long luring in customers.
Noodles with a LOT of topping options…
And how could you possibly choose what flavour ice cream you want without checking its corresponding colour first?!
In keeping with the dedicated, specialist nature of Japanese culture, I discovered a whole STREET dedicated to selling plastic foods. Kappabashi Street is aimed at the restaurant trade – What a business! This is an awesome place to buy souvenirs and bric-a-brac you never thought you needed!
The reason why these look so beautiful is because Japanese food itself is beautiful. Try and imagine replicas of fish and chips or shepherds pie, roast chicken and potatoes…beige beige beige. Not Japanese food – here as well as considering the seasonal nature of the food, its texture and flavour balance, they take the colour and the aesthetic of the food they serve very seriously. They wouldn’t dare think of serving up food on any old plate or with any old garnish that comes to hand. Every part of the dish is considered and brought together with reason.
Beauty is in every bite – Even for its body double.
Related articles
- Japanese Food Courts (sugueh.wordpress.com)
- Shocking noodles: One company turns udon into electricity (worldduh.com)
- Fake Plastic Food In Japan Evolved From Less Than Appetizing Origins (gadling.com)
Bonnie Bites 
How cool is this!? I have a strong desire to buy some plastic Nigiri and I have no idea why!
But did the real thing look as good as the plastic? Just askin’ 🙂
Oh yes Mouse! Portion size, colours…it was all bang-on! Even the crockery was the same! – Expectation management was tip-top!
Great post – maybe I should start a side line in selling replica food to UK restaurants 🙂
Absolutely! Now all those long wordy menus in the UK seem so necessary! – A replica says a thousand words! Thanks Nettski!
When we went to Japan, we learned to tell the quality of a restaurant by the quality of the plastic food outside. Those with just photos were the cheapest and not necessarily nicest, but those with the expensive, more elaborate fake plates you’d get better service and better food! We became quite good as picking good restaurants once we’d figured this out!
Thanks Gavin! Great tip!
seriously, how they can make it? 🙂 same in HK, China or Singapore – I thought it is some preserved food… but it looks too good 🙂
Nice really nice……. impressive ……
This has been very helpful in getting us around here especially for those of us who are non-Nihonggo speakers 🙂
Thanks for stopping by apple.e.e-s!