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My USA Dining and Shopping Lists Revealed

I'm not sure how interesting this post will be, but I thought I'd just share a list of everything that I wanted to eat and buy when I was in San Francisco. Perhaps it'll give someone traveling to America an idea of foods to try or gifts to bring for Americans living in Japan.

The lists are not really in any order, other than perhaps how quickly I was able to consume or put them in the shopping cart. Bold items are ones I really miss!

And before you judge me too harshly, know that there isn't much healthy stuff here because I get plenty of healthy food here. My favorite vegetables are relatively easy to come by, though bell peppers are a bit pricey.

First, the dining list. This will have a bit of commentary.

  • In-n-Out: cheeseburgers, french fries, and milkshakes all in one delicious shop
  • bacon: it's different in Japan
  • tacos and nachos: good Mexican food isn't cheap in Tokyo
  • Chicago-style pizza: Tokyo's Devil Craft is pretty good but SF's is better
  • sausages: good spicy Italian sausages!
  • Jack in the Box: jalapeno poppers are the major draw for me
  • bacon, egg and cheese biscuit from McDonald's - you can't get that in Japan
  • New York-style pizza: Pizza Hut is okay, but I miss Taraval Pizza
  • Buffalo wings: there's nothing like a good Buffalo wing sauce. I brought back nine bottles of sauce (thanks Mom!) for chicken nuggets and such here.
  • popcorn shrimp: why can't I find this in Japan, with all the fried shrimp here?
  • chili: my mom makes great chili
  • kung pao chicken: my favorite Chinese food, and I absolutely missed this. Seriously, I could probably do without almost everything else on the dining list, but this was a must-have. I really need to learn how to make it myself.
  • sub sandwich: Subway is okay here, but I think the better sub sandwich shops in SF have much tastier toppings
  • pot pie: something I don't ever see in Japan
  • cheesesteak: meat, cheese, bread.
  • fish and chips: not a necessity, because I can find it easily here
  • biscuits and sausage gravy: a southern breakfast specialty
  • clam chowder in a bread bowl: a San Francisco staple
  • Taco Bell: there is one location now in Tokyo, but the menu is unique. American Taco Bell may be really unhealthy, but it's great fast food.
  • lasagna: something else I don't usually find in Japan, despite its love of pasta
  • waffles and pancakes: American versions are a part of a balanced breakfast, where Japanese people eat them as deserts (I didn't get waffles but I had some good pancakes - I can make them here in Japan by myself now too).
  • country-fried chicken: southern comfort food, but I didn't get to have any
  • Chicago dog: I did get a chili cheese dog, but Chicago dogs are my favorite, with all the tasty veggies and hot peppers
Next, let's look at the snacks and desserts:
  • banana and chocolate cream pie
  • Fritos pie: Fritos with chili and cheese. If only they had Fritos in Japan. They have Funyuns.
  • ice cream: I wanted mint chocolate chip and Oreo. Both have recently became available in Japan, though they might not last that long.
  • donuts: American donuts are different from those provided by Mister Donut and others.
  • ice cream sundae: originally I wanted a banana split, but I can't eat bananas anymore apparently.
  • croissants: after eating them on this trip, they are about the same in both countries
  • biscuits: I went to KFC for these. I bet I could find them here if I looked.
  • pumpkin pie: one of the important desserts!
  • chocolate cake: another important dessert - American cakes are much richer, especially the chocolate
  • cornbread: after being in Japan for 3 years, this was a craving. I do enjoy cornbread from time to time, though.
  • cinnamon rolls
  • smoothie: I can get these here, but American ones are thicker
  • chips and cheese: corn chips and cheese with flavor are both tough to find in Japan. Well, I can find them, they're just expensive. At 7-11, I could get a tray of corn chips with as much cheese (and chili, jalapenos, and other toppings) as I'd like. Really, if I just had a lot of that cheese sauce, I could probably work with that.
  • frozen lemonade: something I've found is fairly easy to get in Japan if you look in the right places
  • cookies: peanut butter sweets aren't common in Japan, and most Japanese cookies aren't soft and chewy
  • Slurpee/Icee: I don't see these too often here. Theme parks have them occasionally, and there are a couple convenience stores that have the machines. But Japanese people tend to enjoy kakigori, which is shaved ice topped with flavored syrup.
  • cheese: again, Japanese cheese doesn't usually have a lot of flavor. I have found some okay options.
  • milkshake: McDonald's just isn't enough
And finally, my shopping list. These are mostly candies and snacks that are overpriced or impossible to get here:
  • Sunkist Fruit Gems: didn't even find these in San Francisco
  • Orange Chocolate: something else I didn't find - either orange jelly sticks covered in chocolate or the large ball of chocolate shaped like an orange with orange flavor
  • pretzel and chip dips: again, shut out on these - I wanted dry powders that I could add ingredients to to make a dip
  • fudge: we discussed making some at home but there wasn't enough time
  • See's Candies: best chocolate in the US
  • salt water taffy
  • Fig Newtons: a small craving
  • unique Oreo flavors: I can get regular, chocolate, and green tea here
  • chili mix
  • mint chocolates: I went with York Peppermint Patties
  • Twinkies: mmmm
  • applesauce: how come I can't find this in Japan?
  • ginger snap cookies: another small craving
  • Hostess cupcakes: like Twinkies, a guilty pleasure
  • Hohos: They taste like Hostess cupcakes, but are ever so slightly different
  • Milano cookies: I see regular Milanos in Kaldi, but orange and mint Milanos never make it to Japan
  • candy corn
  • Peanut Butter Twix
  • Peanut Butter MnMs
  • Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (see a trend here?)
  • Skittles (usually cost $2 per small bag when you can find them here)
  • pudding and Jello: am I missing something? Why can't I find this here?
  • Stove Top stuffing: I found a box of this at the import store, but it's highly seasonal here
  • mac and cheese: a single box runs about $2.50-$3.00 at import stores
  • Hamburger Helper: I never see this in Japan, but I think I recently found a similar product
  • pork and beans: not something I ate often, but sometimes you just need pork and beans.
  • instant oatmeal: amazingly expensive here
  • Buffalo wing sauce: As I mentioned, I brought 9 bottles back with me. The import store sells a single bottle of wing sauce for about $9.
  • Spaghettios: like pork and beans, sometimes you just want round noodles in sauce.
  • pretzels: thin pretzels are pretty expensive here
  • Fritos: impossible to get in Japan
  • cookie, cake, and brownie mix: You can get some in Japan, but I wanted peanut butter-flavored
  • Rice Krispies treats: I don't think they even sell Rice Krispies here.
  • brownies
  • drink mix: I've seen a few instant drink mixes, but nothing inexpensive like Kool-Aid. I brought back a bunch of instant mix pouches of Crystal Light and Safeway's brand.
  • Runts candy
  • Ravioli
  • Cheetos: different in Japan
  • CornNuts
  • Whoppers
  • Swedish Fish
  • Junior Mints (chocolate mint candy is just starting to catch on in Japan, and it's pretty mild, not the strong peppermint flavor of Junior Mints and York)
  • Mike 'n' Ike
  • Good 'n' Plenty: licorice candy is rare in Asia
  • Twizzlers
  • Pop Tarts: delicious and easy breakfast or snack - I brought six boxes back and could have had more. Individual packs of two pastries often sell here for about $4-5 online, not available in stores! I didn't eat Pop Tarts very often in the US, but I sort of "rediscovered" them as an inexpensive breakfast option (as far as US prices go - as cheap as 33 cents per package).
  • Red Hots candies
  • Neccos
And some staples that are really expensive here:
  • talcum powder: it's not the same and much more expensive. The small bottle I bought will probably last me five or more years, but for someone with a baby, the cost will add up
  • paper bags: lunch bags tend to run about 10 cents each or more, and are usually used in crafting. I get the feeling there is a business supply store somewhere selling them much cheaper, because I get them with purchases from time to time. But you won't find them in supermarkets like you do in America
  • deodorant: it is really different and usually ineffective, but there are import laws so be careful (I think you can bring in 12 packages without a problem, but check to be sure)
  • sunscreen: I brought a few tubes back with me. I am told there are differences between Japanese and American sunscreen, 

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