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,
