Yoshoku Cuisine: Japanese "Hamburg Steak" in Osaka, Japan

Here is my lunch: a nice, juicy Japanese "hamburg steak" in Osaka. It's topped off with melted cheese and avocado, and comes with a soft-boiled egg, pasta, and salad on the side. Believe it or not, this is actually a unique type of Japanese food called Yoshoku.

Have you heard of Yoshoku cuisine?

Yoshoku are Western foods adapted to Japanese tastes. This culinary style originated during the Meiji period toward the late 1800s, when Japan started to modernize.

Foreign foods slowly became popular at that time, and Japanese chefs began making common Western foods (such as omelettes, sandwiches, hamburgers, and croquettes in their own style).

Today, you can easily buy these foods throughout Japan in restaurants and convenience stores. They might not fit your idea of typical "Japanese food" (sushi, ramen, sashimi), but they are excellent dishes, sometimes even better than their Western counterpart.

So if you ever have a chance, give them a try!