Whether it be moldy salt, lunch in a cup or frozen soup on a stick, the thriving Japanese food scene spawned a diverse array of surprising culinary wonders this year. Behind the fads, a pragmatic consciousness about healthy eating and a desire to economize were major factors affecting food and drink trends during 2012.
Eating out
According to , the poor economy and the?aging?population have dealt blows to the high end of the restaurant trade. Enter the low-cost posh restaurant. Massively successful in 2012, a chain of restaurants run by Value Create is serving up top-end French and Italian food designed by ¡°super chefs¡± in a bistro environment. There are now five ¡±Ore no Itarian¡± (My Italian) and four ¡±Ore no Furenchi¡± (My French) restaurants in the Ginza area. Meals cost around ??3,000 to ??4,000 per head, a huge saving compared to the ?30,000 per head charged at the poshest restaurants. Nikkei Trendy says that other high-end restaurants are cutting costs and following suit.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.