Family Friendly Japanese Restaurants

Japanese

Once upon a time, eating Japanese food was a scary prospect for Cairns diners. The food looked weird, had unusual ingredients, and hard-to-pronounce names. But over time, Japanese food has infiltrated our dining circles and it has become one of the most popular choices when choosing a restaurant.

Japanese food is hard to beat for its health benefits. It is low in cholesterol, far, and calories, and is high in fibre. The emphasis on noodles, fresh seafood, and vegetables makes Japanese food light and healthy.

Here is a short list of common Japanese dishes:

Sushi - Small pieces of raw seafood typically prawn, tuna, squid, sardine or salmon placed on top of a ball of rice. Wasabi, an extremely hot horseradish sauce, is usually added.

Sashimi - Raw seafood such as salmon, tuna, shrimps, scallops and octopus eaten with soy sauce and wasabi.

Shabu-Shabu - Thin slices of beef, chicken, prawns and squid are simmered with bean curd, vermicelli and vegetables. The slices are dipped in sesame or soy sauce.

Ramen Noodles - Chinese-type noodles cooked in a meat broth with thinly sliced meat, spinach and leeks.

Tempura - Battered vegetables and prawns fried in vegetable oil. The batter is made of eggs, water and wheat flour. Tempura is eaten hot and is dipped in specially prepared soy sauce and grated radish.

Sake - Fermented liquor made from rice. This is a highly alcoholic drink and you need to be careful not to drink too much or you may rapidly find yourself unconscious.