At Denny's in Japan, They're Serving Up Foie Gras

6-08-2010 @3:36PM CT40 said... I think the Denny's restaurants in Japan are much nicer than the ones here in the states. When I was living in Japan, it seemed to me that people didn't associate it with the lower end of quick family-dining restaurants that I think Denny's is here.
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6-09-2010 @7:17AM T said... Be careful at Denny's in Japan, waiters are known to throw icecream at you there! (true and hilarious story!)
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6-09-2010 @9:19AM tal said... No, Denny's in Japan IS NOT HEALTHIER. It might actually be worse for you. the food isn't very good either. And no, Japanese don't see it as "lower end family restaurant" because it's an "American" place so anything "American" is cool and better in their opinion.
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6-09-2010 @8:23AM Babaryutaikai said... I've been eating at the Denny's in Japan for about 15 years now - mostly breakfasts. You can't beat the price or the quality of the meal. For about $6, you can get a set consisting of coffee or tea, perfectly cooked eggs (to your order), with sausage, bacon and/or ham, a small salad and toast, a muffin or danish or grilled cheese sandwich. OJ is a mere $1 extra.

On the other end, they have a typical Japanese breakfast, as well, with soup, small salad, fish, rice and pickles (tea or coffee included).

Unfortunately, the Denny's in the neighborhood where I stay closed about two years ago, replaced by a terrible 24 hour place where you have to basically serve yourself and wait until your number is called. Higher proces, no table service. I long for the Denny's that used to be in Ryogoku :-(
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6-09-2010 @8:25AM MisoSoup said... I'm taken aback by comments in these online stories, of which AOL is the primary one. Looking at another culture and calling things 'bizarre' just becuz they don't eat the same ole steak and eggs as we do. Helloooo, the world is a lot smaller right now and it's insulting to call another's culture's practice 'strange' or bizarre. It's just different. Asian countries eat noodles, and so they "could" see us eating potatoes and think that is strange. Some of their food is based on their temperature or lack of land or religious beliefs. That which is different is considered by others to be strange, weird or bizarre. Small minded IMO.

As for the Japanese Denny's, yes it is nothing like the Denny's here. They actually serve Japanese versions of American food suited for the Japanese palate. And it's not considered so low brow as it is here. My family really enjoyed their food and menu when they were there and since it was open 24/7 it was an easy access. They are right in the neighborhood with easy access. Very very different from U.S. Denny's.

As for weight, only recently with the introduction of American food has the average Japanese started gaining weight. Normally, it was rare to see overweight young people, the only overweight people were the elderly who like in the U.S. are more inactive. In Japan, it's easier to walk, bus and train to places. Housewives generally go shopping daily for their meal menus. Unlike the U.S. where one loads up once or twice a week. The food they 'use to' eat were mostly fish and seafood, with little oil and fat. They also eat a lot of root vegetables usually boiled or steamed. Meat was too expensive (even now) and was considered a treat. Though good grades of sashimi are more expensive than meat depending on the season and the grade.

Also Japanese restaurant portions are small, unlike our portions. Their portions are more like what we would consider a mini portion. So even if it's a calorie rich dish, the amount is small and not eaten on a daily basis. Actually having an American appetite in Japan is not cheap. I could eat double what is served there unfortunately. I never left feeling full and would buy something to snack on later. Which is so easy and plentiful. Unlike the U.S. Japanese supermarkets offer a huge selection of pre-cooked food that can be purchased by the each. All kinds of good home made tasting food can be purchased if one doesn't want to cook. If one has enough money, supermarket shopping can be a mecca of delicious food items and hard to pick what really one wants to eat for dinner. Unlike here with limited hot and cold choices, Japan's markets offer such a variety and selection. If a tourist goes to Japan knowing that the food types will be different and eating at the many many small restaurants, they will not be disappointed. Some restaurants and specialty food stores there have been in business for hundreds of years. Not decades, but hundreds. I always told people I went to Japan to eat!

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6-09-2010 @9:06AM Angiebaby said... Most of the other developed countries have much higher food standards than we do. I'm not talking FDA standards, but personal standards. Seriously, what WOULd you pay $15 bucks for at Denny's? Maybe a steak, a lb. of bacon, a half-dozen eggs and a late night lap dance from Bertha, your server, but not a lovely plate of foie gras and truffles. You can put any crappy food on a plate and we'll pay for it and eat it. But in Japan or Saudi Arabia or Italy, if you put crappy food on a plate, they sure as hell won't pay to eat it.
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6-09-2010 @10:40AM sunny said... Foie Gras is DISGUSTING not matter where you get it.
If you ever saw the videos of how they force feed those geese, you would never want to eat it.
It is horribly cruel
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6-09-2010 @11:46AM Rich said... I've actually dined in a Dennys in Japan, and the U.S.-based restaurants could take some pointers from the Japanese-owned stores. The Dennys in Tokyo provided fast service (seated in less than two minutes if a table was available, served with drinks and an appetizer in less than 10 minutes), bilingual menus (English and Kanji), and the food was very good. Too bad the Japanese consider tipping an insult, me and my partners were ready to tip our hostess 10,000 yen just for smiling and being professional!
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6-09-2010 @4:58PM Tina said... The writer has obviously never been to Japan. If she had, she would know that Denny's over there has an entirely different atmosphere and level of cuisine than over here. It's more comparable to what you might expect of Red Lobster or other high-end restaurants in the States.
If I can find the original page that was translated VERY BADLY and undo all the garbling that translation software does, I'll post what it actually said here.
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