Foodie Friday: Anime Meals
Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2025 with our calendar of live events, recommendations, and on-demand content!
Dive into cuisines and culinary traditions across Houston's Asian and Asian American communities! In our Foodie Fridays, Asia Society Texas' team shares favorite foods, traditions from diverse backgrounds, and more — stay hungry!
Meet Rebecca Becerra
Rebecca Becerra is the Exhibitions Manager and Registrar at Asia Society Texas. In addition to working with artists and putting up shows through the Exhibitions team, Rebecca enjoys reading heart-wrenching romances, playing video games, watching anime, cosplaying, and finding new places to drink bubble tea with friends.
Why I'm focusing on anime meals
Whenever I watch anime and food appears, I always wish I could magically transport myself into the show and try the meal myself. More than once, I've gone out of my way to find the dish or make it myself at home, or else I find myself craving the food for days afterwards.
I wanted to focus on anime meals because I know I'm not alone in having this incredible desire to enjoy some of these delicious meals. Luckily, Houston has many restaurants that can cater to those cravings! I hope this will satisfy some of those anime food desires or introduce you to a fun new recipe.
What I'm currently enjoying
The desserts featured in Cardcaptor Sakura are just as sweet as the show itself. The characters in this series are always enjoying a sweet treat with a smile. You'll see everything from a delicious caramel pudding to refreshing-looking parfaits and cherry blossom sweets. The animation manages to capture these desserts perfectly, and you'll want to enjoy them just as much as Kero-chan does in the show.
Try in Houston:
- Japanese crepes at T-Swirl Crepe
- Mille crêpe cakes at Lady M Cake Boutique
Try at home: The recipe website Just One Cookbook has amazing recipes for Japanese desserts, including one for purin (Japanese custard pudding). I love her other recipes, such as for Japanese cheesecake, Japanese soufflé pancakes, and matcha mille crepe cake. Her instructions are clear and thorough, and I always have amazing results when I follow the instructions. Pro tip: precise measurements are a must when baking and weighing your ingredients rather than using measuring cups for volume will ensure the best result.
What I find myself returning to again and again
Ramen is a classic Japanese food, so it's no surprise that I return to it again and again. Anime fans will be incredibly familiar with the ichiraku ramen in Naruto and the delicious homemade ramen enjoyed by Ponyo in the beloved Studio Ghibli film. Whenever I see ramen in a show, I always want to eat some, my favorite being spicy tonkotsu ramen.
There are four main types of ramen in Japan, all of which are delicious:
- Shoyu ramen is a light soup broth made primarily with soy sauce.
- Tonkotsu ramen is made from simmering pork bones, making a rich, thick, and creamy broth.
- Miso ramen is made from fermented soybeans, creating a rich broth that doesn't have a creamy feel.
- Shio ramen is a clear broth made with salt, making it the lightest of the different types.
For those familiar with Naruto, his favorite ramen is miso chashu pork ramen, with chashu referring to the braised pork slices added on top of the ramen before serving. If you want to try Naruto's favorite ramen, I recommend going to Tsujita Artisan Noodle in Westchase or Kazzan Ramen & Bar in the Heights. Both have a great selection of various types of ramen with other fun appetizers.
Try in Houston:
- Ramen and takoyaki at Kazzan Ramen & Bar in the Heights
- Ramen and Japanese croquettes at Tsujita Artisan Noodle in Westchase
What I'm looking forward to trying
"Is this the food that God eats?" are the famous lines by Victor Nikiforov in Yuri on Ice the first time he eats katsudon (pork cutlet bowl). I love Japanese pork cutlets, and katsudons serve the cutlet fried and on top of a bowl of rice and vegetables, making it a complete meal! I don't get to have it often, so it is always a treat when I do.
Try in Houston: Izakaya Wa in River Oaks
Try at home: I recently discovered Sudachi's channel on cooking Japanese dishes, and I'm looking forward to trying his katsudon recipe to reward myself sometime.
A meal that excites me
While many characters enjoy zaru soba (cold soba noodles), such as Shoto Todoroki from My Hero Academia and Sasha Braus from Attack on Titan, I particularly like that tenzaru soba combines these delicious noodles with tempura. The cold noodles pair perfectly with the crispy tempura and balance each other out.
The first time I tried tenzaru soba was because I learned that my favorite character from my favorite manga loved this dish (shoutout to Yu Kanda from D.Gray-man). I was determined to try it, and when I finally found a restaurant that served it, I was over the moon. At first, the cold noodles surprised me, but now I find them refreshing, especially during summer.
Try in Houston:
My wildcard recommendation
Some recipes in anime belong to the realm of fantasy, making them difficult to recreate. Unfortunately (or fortunately, in some cases), we don't have mandrakes, dragons, or krakens to make meals out of. But many people get creative in making their monster food resemble as closely as possible to the ones you see in some of these anime.
Try at home: The YouTube channel Isekai Kitchen makes fantastic video tutorials for making some of the more fantastical dishes seen in anime. From One Piece's legendary oden soup to Delicious in the Dungeon's scorpion and walking mushroom hotpot, the videos are also very entertaining, even if you don't intend to eat any of these dangerous-sounding dishes.
About APAH Month at Asia Society Texas
Beginning in 2021, Asia Society Texas has celebrated Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with the Houston community and beyond through a curated calendar of events for 31 ways to celebrate over the 31 days of May. Spotlighting the traditions, talents, and contributions of Asians and Asian Americans, the calendar highlights the month's key Asia Society programming, providing a platform to showcase local artists, performers, educators, and leaders who contribute to the vibrant, multicultural tapestry of Houston while also featuring staff recommendations for our favorite music, books, movies, and more by Asian and Asian American creatives.
At Asia Society Texas, APAH Month is an opportunity to celebrate and honor Asians and Asian Americans and to uplift their stories to a broader audience as part of our goal to inspire our larger community to better understand one another through culture, conversation, and connection. For information about sponsoring APAH Month and other projects like this one, please contact Saleena Jafry at [email protected] or 713.496.9939.
Presenting Sponsor of APAH Month at Asia Society Texas
Sponsors of APAH Month
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APAH Month 2025 Calendar
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About Asia Society Texas
Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.
