Yakisoba Sandwich

Here it is: The big yakisoba sandwich. One of my coworkers says this is a good snack if you are looking to "carbo-load". Think of it as spaghetti on a roll.

If all you ever hear is Japanese people eat sushi and live forever, you might be inclined to believe junk food is virtually banned. Not so. Pimply faced schoolchildren flock to these snacks, as in any country. (India has a mess of fried snacks that I will conquer on a holiday one day soon.)

Not only is the sandwich a mere 126 yen, but it comes with this unappealing saran wrap, clearly showing the grossness of the whole affair. The day old mayonnaise (マヨネーズ) is pressed against the wrapping, eagerly awaiting a hungry schoolboy with poor complexion. Snacks like this keep dermatologists in business in Japan.

Yakisoba is a snack food sold at festivals and beaches; both specialise in carnival-like street food. It consists of thin noodles fried with soy sauce. To be honest, the taste was okay, and the bun wasn't too soggy -- no small miracle of Japanese food science.