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00:00In this video, I'll be going to Denny's and Red Lobster to find out if Japan can do American food better than America
00:06or if all this will end up a complete disaster.
00:08That is a texture that only a mother could love.
00:10This isn't fast food, this isn't high-end, it's a little something called casual dining.
00:15And I want to witness for myself how insanely different the menus here in Tokyo, Japan are from those in the USA.
00:20Right now we're headed to our first location, Denny's.
00:23But what is Denny's?
00:26Denny's is a 24-7 American diner chain.
00:29If I go to a Denny's in the USA, there are some usual suspects that I'm expecting to find.
00:33There's pancakes, waffles, there's the Grand Slam breakfast, a classic.
00:37But is there any way they have those same classics here in Japan?
00:39Or maybe, are they doing something better?
00:41Let's head in now to find out.
00:42It's remarkably busy in here.
00:44Japanese people love Denny's.
00:48All right, I've arrived.
00:49I've been assigned a seat.
00:51Oh, iPad.
00:53Menu.
00:56Sometimes I try to say thank you in Japanese.
00:58Halfway through, I mess it up and I just charge through to the end.
01:00Adi.
01:03Let's talk about what's happening at this table.
01:04First of all, this is the morning menu.
01:06Here we also have the lunch menu.
01:07We'll get into that later.
01:08We have the aroma fresca Ginza.
01:11We have dessert, other dessert, the grand menu.
01:14And we have the kids' meal.
01:15Have you ever seen so much paperwork at a restaurant, especially a diner?
01:20So let's get into breakfast.
01:22Right here we have scrambled eggs.
01:23We have basted eggs.
01:25Eggs sunny side up over medium eggs.
01:27And prosciutto Caesar salad.
01:28We have a load of carb options down here.
01:30So far, I'm a little bit disappointed that I'm not finding anything that's very Japanese-y.
01:34Until I came upon this.
01:38Rice and miso soup with natto?
01:40Oh, that is fermented soybeans.
01:42This is why you wake up early to come here to Denny's to eat natto.
01:46Do you think if I went to Michigan and I went to a Denny's, I would find natto?
01:49I do not think so.
01:52It's very good, right?
01:53Natto?
01:55Yeah, I get it.
01:55You like this?
01:56So I'm definitely going to be ordering this.
01:58Additionally, they have corn soup.
01:59They have prosciutto Caesar salad.
02:00They have banana.
02:02Wait, is that just a banana in a cup?
02:05Oh, on the back, there's a whole other thing going on.
02:08Here you can get grilled salmon breakfast.
02:09You can get rice porridge with shrimp and chicken.
02:12Here you can get a variety of pastas.
02:13And they also serve a hamburger steak.
02:15Beyond that, you can get a whiskey highball.
02:17That's amazing.
02:18Here they don't really have the Grand Slam like we have in the USA.
02:21They have this.
02:22They call it the brunch plate.
02:23So from here, I'm going to figure out how to order on the iPad.
02:26Ooh, alcohol menu.
02:26Highball.
02:27No plan on driving.
02:29The only option is yes.
02:30Too bad that I actually do plan on driving.
02:32So I'm going to get rice porridge with shrimp and chicken.
02:35Right here, banana.
02:36Definitely getting one of those.
02:37Soft-boiled egg.
02:38Let's get some natto.
02:39Soup.
02:40Seaweed.
02:40Miso soup.
02:41Your order was successfully processed.
02:43Very cool.
02:46Arigato gozumas.
02:48That was pretty good that time.
02:49Cheers.
02:50Now we wait for the rest of breakfast.
02:53Oh, it's so good.
02:55Oh, banana.
02:57Arigato gozumas.
02:59Damn.
02:59I gotta say, we've been sitting here maybe 10 minutes and it came already and everything
03:02looks fantastic.
03:03The price is $13.50 for everything you see here and that is including an alcoholic beverage
03:08and soy sauce that I assume I get to bring home.
03:12Or maybe not.
03:12Let's start over here with the miso.
03:14This is the perfect hangover cure.
03:16A nice savory broth in the morning.
03:20It tastes of fermented soybean and seaweed.
03:23It's umami.
03:23It's better than coffee in the morning.
03:25Then we go over to here.
03:25Scrambled eggs done the Japanese way.
03:27To go with it, we have this right here.
03:29Tomato ketchup.
03:35Here we go.
03:40It's pretty good.
03:40It's like a loose, soft, savory egg with some very sweet, sweet, sweet ketchup.
03:44Now I need a palate cleanser and something healthy.
03:46A dish known as banana.
03:48Let me tell you about banana.
03:49Banana has one ingredient.
03:50The ingredient is banana.
03:52Even though it's one ingredient, it does have to undergo kind of a process.
03:55They actually take the peel off of the banana.
03:57Now if you look closely, you can see they've actually sliced the banana.
03:59Then they put it into a cup, give you a fork to retrieve the banana.
04:02It seems a lot more complicated than it is, but it's pretty straightforward.
04:06Cheers.
04:10Those are the classic flavors of banana that I remember from my childhood.
04:13So even though some of this is going to be new to me, that tastes familiar.
04:16No one reviews a banana like that.
04:19That's a big f***ing compliment.
04:20If you ask most foreigners what their least favorite food is in Japan, it's going to be
04:24that natto, fermented soybeans.
04:26We'll get to that soon.
04:27But first, this porridge.
04:28Now they've got some sliced green onion on top, some egg, shrimp, some chicken, and then
04:32the porridge, which is not like a congee.
04:35It is more like a rice soup.
04:39That's nice.
04:40Deeply savory and satisfying.
04:41It tastes like a chicken stock.
04:42It's very salty.
04:43It's very good.
04:46Beyond that, they're just piling the meat in here.
04:48Look at that.
04:48Little shrimpies.
04:51The last meat right here is the chicken.
04:53Looks like some lean chicken breast that's probably been brined for 75 days to make it
04:58nice and moist.
05:02It's absolutely delicious.
05:03I love it.
05:03This was a little too heartwarming.
05:05Let's drink some of this to cleanse the purity of my heart.
05:09Bring back the demons.
05:10Let's try this.
05:11This is a soft-boiled egg.
05:14It's basically a half-raw, semi-warm yolk.
05:17It's creamy.
05:17It's delicious.
05:18But then there's this.
05:18This is something called natto.
05:20Let's unveil the natto within.
05:22Yes.
05:23Already you are seeing the slime from the natto.
05:27After you open the natto, you're actually supposed to mix the natto.
05:30Take a look at that.
05:31The slimey-ness leaves something to be desired.
05:48It is very gloopy, very slimy.
05:50But here's the thing.
05:51The flavor actually needs a little flavor enhancement.
05:53First, I'm going to put in a little bit of wasabi.
05:55I'm going to hit it with a little bit of soy sauce.
05:57And then I'm going to create a vessel on which the beans can thrive.
06:00Try finding this at the Denny's in the USA.
06:02I'm talking about seaweed.
06:03Ooh, look at all those flavors.
06:06Throw that onto some seaweed and toss it back.
06:10Now it's at least 4% better.
06:12Natto, not my favorite, but it will grow on you.
06:15Literally, don't let it grow on you.
06:17It's full of bacteria.
06:18So that is breakfast at Denny's.
06:19But in just 10 minutes from now, lunch is going to begin.
06:21And lunch presents a whole new world of opportunities.
06:23Let's get to it.
06:24All right, folks, let's talk about the vibe of the menu.
06:26First of all, foods here, they're looking much more substantial, much more complex.
06:29For example, here we have a rice casserole with hamburger steak and curry sauce.
06:34A lot going on there.
06:36Beyond that, they have a huge assortment of pastas.
06:38They have all kinds of hamburger steak.
06:40Then they have some rice dishes here.
06:42On the backside, delicious udon noodles.
06:44I'm not going to be getting the udon noodles today,
06:45but I love the idea of a Denny's having an udon option.
06:48Chicken with teriyaki sauce and mayonnaise and bacon with broccoli.
06:52I don't even know.
06:53They just keep adding words.
06:55Earlier during breakfast, I said,
06:56oh, they don't really have any omelets here.
06:57It turns out, incorrectamundo.
06:59This is a cheesy rice omelet.
07:02It looks incredible.
07:02I'm going to get that.
07:03Beyond that, they have something much more substantial.
07:05Now, this is what I call a lunch food.
07:07Two hamburger steaks.
07:09Beef hamburger steak with Japanese style sauce and fried shrimp.
07:12So that is the lunch menu.
07:13And just like a 10-year-old whose parents don't love him,
07:15let's head to the iPad.
07:16Cheese omelet rice.
07:17We're going to hit that first.
07:20It's so customizable.
07:22I want to say yes to everything.
07:24French fries with cod roe and mayo.
07:26Boom.
07:26One.
07:26This one.
07:27Hamburger steak with fried shrimp.
07:28Boom.
07:28How about drinks?
07:29No.
07:30Oriental sauce?
07:31Okay, first of all, I didn't say it.
07:33You did.
07:34Uh, I'm not touching that one.
07:36Now, let's get one oriental sauce.
07:37What could it hurt?
07:38Actually, can I get extra oriental?
07:39So, for everything I've just ordered, it is 3,003 yen.
07:47Order confirmed.
07:48As soon as you order, you hear a ding in the kitchen, and you know they are already at work.
07:51You may have noticed that Denny's in Japan is far different from the U.S. version, with
07:55fewer fistfights, too.
07:58Here, the Denny's interiors are sleek and modern.
08:01It's also a popular hangout for students and salarymen.
08:04But, here's the twist.
08:05That 24-hour diner vibe you'll find in the U.S.A., it cuts off here at 11 p.m. sharp in Japan.
08:12That said, they do have a drink bar, with a wide range of beverage options.
08:16Ah, the drink bar.
08:18This place has everything you could ever want.
08:20They have an ice machine.
08:21They have a soda machine.
08:22Over here, we have iced tea.
08:24We have oolong tea.
08:25If you like hot tea, they've got like 20 different varieties right here.
08:28Coffee machine.
08:29What are you?
08:29Water?
08:30That's not water.
08:31Right here is some other kind of a dark liquid.
08:33Here, they even have disgusting American drip coffee, just like a real Denny's.
08:37So, I'm going to get some diner drinks, starting with this.
08:40Ooh, a nice Colombian roast.
08:42Now, it's putting in a white liquid.
08:44The latte is becoming a latte.
08:45And this is the final result.
08:47A hot, delicious latte.
08:49Over here, wow.
08:50In Japan, this is a very large cup.
08:51Right here, I want a Coke Zero, right?
08:53But then I can have a sub-flavor.
08:55How about lime Coke Zero?
08:56All right, so I've got my lime Coke Zero.
08:58I've got my latte.
08:59Let's go sit down and get lunch.
09:00First of all, I've got two main courses and one kind of a side dish.
09:03And all of this for $20.
09:05That is remarkable.
09:06Moving on, course one right here is French fries with mayonnaise and cod roe.
09:09My first time having cod mayonnaise.
09:11Let's go for it.
09:11The mayonnaise is really coming through.
09:16It's got some little speckles.
09:17Like, it's got some texture in there.
09:18It basically tastes like mayonnaise with a little bit of fish.
09:20I'm going to work my way up to this big, gargantuan, substantial meal here.
09:24But first, rice, egg, and cheese.
09:25Take a look at the amount of sauce that's gone on here.
09:28It's a freaking saucepocalypse over here.
09:30Ooh, I see some stringy cheese.
09:32When you peel back the egg, you see the rice.
09:34And then the cheese is kind of mixed in with the rice.
09:36Oh, cheese pull.
09:41Wow, that tastes like daycare food.
09:42I love it.
09:43You don't have to chew it.
09:44Really simple flavors.
09:45Just a sweet brown sauce.
09:47Loads of this salty rice.
09:48The egg is fluffy.
09:49It perfectly covers everything like a dome.
09:53This is really satisfying.
09:55Big winner right there.
09:56Tons of palate with some lime Coke Zero.
09:59Little bit of latte for energy.
10:01Little bit of whiskey because the latte made me anxious.
10:04Next dish.
10:06All right, folks, we have our main course right here.
10:08They put vegetables on the side here.
10:09It looks like some boiled spinach.
10:11We've got sliced potatoes.
10:12This is our main meat, along with a fried shrimp.
10:19This is lunch.
10:20An absolutely perfect tartar sauce.
10:22Creamy, vinegary, pickly.
10:24It's so good.
10:25Next, this is a hamburger steak.
10:27It cuts very easily.
10:28Why?
10:28Because it's kind of like a hamburger.
10:29It looks essentially like a meatloaf.
10:31Let's give it a shot.
10:36This needs ketchup.
10:38Like real Midwestern white trash style.
10:41I want a meatloaf.
10:41I want it in a bread tin.
10:42And I want the whole top glazed, absolutely covered, smothered in ketchup.
10:48It's a delicious, uniform texture.
10:50It's full of fat.
10:51And it's full of flavor and seasonings.
10:53So that is breakfast and lunch here at Japan's version of Denny's.
10:56This was extremely affordable.
10:58But next, I'm going to aim for something that's extremely expensive.
11:00I want to see how much money I can spend at Red Lobster in Japan.
11:03I'm also curious to see how different the menu is.
11:06Because I've heard it is nothing like the Red Lobster in the USA.
11:09We're going to head there.
11:09Now, let's move.
11:10From Denny's, we have come to a mall in Tokyo where we have arrived at the Red Lobster.
11:14Red Lobster is an American casual dining restaurant chain specializing in seafood, particularly lobster, shrimp, and crab.
11:20In many small towns throughout America, this might be the nicest restaurant in that town.
11:24That was certainly the case when I grew up for a long time in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
11:27It's one of my absolute favorite restaurants to go to.
11:30Not even for the seafood because usually the lobsters look pathetic.
11:33They're usually huddled in the corner of some kind of pathetic aquarium like they're in a FEMA camp rush after a hurricane.
11:37When I love about Red Lobster are all the other creations.
11:40Cheddar Bay biscuits, seafood pizza, and the best tartar sauce you will find anywhere.
11:44But that's in the USA.
11:46How do things work here in Japan?
11:47Let's go inside and find out.
11:49We are now entering the Red Lobster where we have no permission to shoot.
11:54It is 3 p.m.
11:55It is not that busy in here.
11:57All right, folks, we have just been sat and we have the menu right here.
11:59In the front, I did see a lobster tank, but I blew right past it.
12:02So I wanted to take a look at the menu first.
12:04Later, we'll say hi to the lobsters.
12:05First of all, different options of sake.
12:08Now, that's something you won't find in the U.S. version of Red Lobster.
12:10Now, eventually we'll get into this, but here they have several different preparations of the live Maine lobster.
12:15This is something that stands out to be here.
12:17You can get a whole oyster sample or platter and even some fried oysters too.
12:21Beyond that, we have this.
12:23It is the ultimate seafood plate, and I don't need any translation for that.
12:27Let's talk about the layout of the restaurant.
12:29It leads a bit to be desired.
12:30It's big.
12:31It's open.
12:32It's a bit plain and a bit dated.
12:34That said, they have this.
12:35This is a button that when you press it, a human will appear.
12:39Hi.
12:39Could I please have this and the ultimate seafood plate?
12:43Arigatou goisama.
12:44Hi.
12:44All right, so our first course is on the way.
12:46The price, it's expensive.
12:48I'll tell you how much soon.
12:49All right, folks, we have our first course right here.
12:51Two appetizers starting with this right here, the oyster trio.
12:54Now, what types of oyster are they?
12:57Couldn't tell you.
12:58One of them is plain.
12:59I'll tell you that.
13:00And then maybe cheese, and then green sludge is the last one.
13:04For these nine oysters right here, it comes to $25.66.
13:07So let's get into it.
13:08Right here, we have a medium-sized oyster.
13:10I'm going to hit this with a little bit of lemon.
13:12Let's toss back an oyster.
13:18It tastes somewhat fresh.
13:20A little briny, a little salty, a little meaty.
13:21It's okay.
13:22I think it could use a little bit of help, though.
13:24That's why over here, I'm checking out the cheese department.
13:26Oh, look at that.
13:27You know the cheese is good when it kind of develops a skin on top.
13:30Not everyone can say their oysters have a thick skin.
13:32Here, you can.
13:33Cheers.
13:39Hmm.
13:39Cheesy, creamy, intense.
13:42A bold flavor.
13:43Let's move on to this.
13:44The last one, the green sludge oyster.
13:49Hmm.
13:50Not bad.
13:50That's kind of a pesto oyster.
13:52It tastes like oil and like some basil and a lot of it.
13:54Very flavorful.
13:55So that is our oyster trio, but then we have this right here.
13:58This is the rock star of seafood samplers.
14:00This here comes in at an astonishing $31.
14:03First of all, snow crab legs.
14:05Then we've got some cold mussels.
14:07We have a little bit of salmon with capers on top.
14:09Some bigger mussels with some kind of a vegetable salsa.
14:12Raw oysters.
14:13And then up here, it is crowned with four shrimp.
14:15And the best part right here, two lobster claws.
14:18I think we're going to start right here with the salmon.
14:20Okay.
14:24It's basically, when you go to a breakfast buffet that has cold salmon, it's that.
14:27But not bad.
14:28Let's move on to the mussel.
14:29As you rip off one shell, it reveals the meat of the mussel.
14:32And then this fantastic looking pico.
14:38Chewy mussel and a very bright, vibrant kind of vegetable salsa.
14:41It tastes amazing.
14:42So far, so good.
14:43In fact, for the price, pretty good.
14:44That said, this is not better or cheaper than going to a Japanese restaurant that has Japanese seafood.
14:50So I'm still trying to figure out how there was possibly a hole in the market here in Japan where folks feel like they needed a red lobster.
14:55Let's move on to this.
14:56This is something you'll also not find in the USA.
14:59And that is a shrimp with some body parts hanging off.
15:01Now, it's not difficult to de-shell a shrimp, but it's also not difficult to butcher a cow.
15:05Either way, I don't want to do it when I go to a restaurant.
15:07So let's give it a little bit of a dip.
15:08This is either ketchup or cocktail sauce.
15:12It's just ketchup.
15:13Where's the cock?
15:15Tail sauce.
15:16I've also noticed that there is absolutely no tartar sauce.
15:19And the tartar sauce is my favorite part about going to a lobster.
15:21From here, we're moving on to the lobster claw.
15:24Now, here's the thing.
15:24They gave me another sauce here, but I don't know what it is.
15:28All right, it's like apple cider vinegar.
15:30Probably for the oysters.
15:31So then for the lobster, there's nothing left.
15:32Well, my friends, I'm just going to eat it plain.
15:37Everything tastes okay.
15:38All I've been doing for the last week, by the way, is eating the most pristine, precious, freshest seafood in all of Japan.
15:43And this.
15:44This ain't it.
15:45This is something that's been frozen since last October.
15:47So that is our first course.
15:49But next, we're going to be trying something that you definitely will not find in the USA.
15:52Let's get that next.
15:53This is known as salmon roe and caviar jewel.
15:56I think it's a Danish word.
15:59Basically, it looks like an open-faced sandwich.
16:01Technically, there are three types of eggs on this bread.
16:04First of all, chicken egg.
16:05The next one, salmon roe.
16:06The next one, caviar.
16:07But, um, is it really caviar?
16:09No.
16:10Let's give it a shot.
16:13Hmm.
16:14Mayonnaise, shrimp, avocado, eggs.
16:17I'm ashamed at how much I enjoy that.
16:19That said, you're never going to find a mainstream American seafood restaurant selling salmon roe.
16:23Next food, right here.
16:25Now, yes, you will find shrimp in the USA.
16:27But you won't ever find fried shrimp served with the head, the shell, the tail, the legs still attached.
16:32Cheers.
16:35Very good.
16:36The shell is thin enough that when they've fried it, it's become kind of crunchy.
16:39Beyond that, it's absolutely coated with this spicy masala.
16:42It's pretty intense.
16:43Now, let's talk about the final food that you will never find at an American Red Lobster.
16:46And that is the fried softshell crab.
16:49These are the claws.
16:50That is the main body.
16:51And those are the legs underneath.
16:53I know what you're thinking.
16:53Hey, Sonny, people eat this in the USA.
16:55Yeah, I know.
16:56But you're not going to see people frying, serving, and eating whole crabs like this at a mainstream restaurant like Red Lobster in the Midwest.
17:02For a Midwesterner, this would give them a heart attack.
17:04Even more than their ordinary diet, which is already giving them heart attacks.
17:08Moving on.
17:08This is what I want to start with right here.
17:09The softshell crab claw.
17:13Soft?
17:14Oh, it's so weird.
17:15Biting into this, it has some hint of flavor similar to eating fried crickets.
17:20Oh, yeah, take a look at that.
17:21You can see all of the head fat inside is squeezed out of the body.
17:28A little real mixture right now.
17:29Out of this world, in not the best way.
17:30I'm so sorry, Japan.
17:31So those are three foods that you will never find in a U.S. Red Lobster.
17:34But what about the lobster?
17:35Let's go check those out.
17:36Now, I cook those up next.
17:37Right here we have the live Maine lobster.
17:40These are big lobsters.
17:41Oh, ho, ho, ho.
17:42Well, Konichiwa, my little friend, he's got some nice-sized claws.
17:46He's got that juicy tail, too.
17:48This is my favorite type of lobster.
17:49You guys can enjoy your spondi lobsters all day.
17:51But for me, it's all about that clawed American lobster.
17:54I mean, lobster is named clawed.
17:55C-L-A-U-D.
17:56Hi!
17:57Now, if you look down here, you're going to see some much smaller ones.
18:00This is what you usually see in the U.S.A.
18:02Something that weighs like one pound.
18:04But these up here, ooh.
18:06It's certainly not the biggest lobster I've ever held,
18:08but it's the biggest lobster at a Red Lobster that I've ever lobstered.
18:11Wait, what?
18:12It's $130 to get this bad boy right here steamed up.
18:15Am I going to do it?
18:16Yeah, of course.
18:17I came to Japan Red Lobster.
18:18I'm getting some lobster.
18:19So here's my plan.
18:20To make the most of my time at Red Lobster in Japan,
18:23I'm going for two lobsters.
18:24One classic steamed lobster, and the other, well, you'll find out soon.
18:28They really just let you molest the lobsters, and no one says anything.
18:31It's like being on the set of a Nickelodeon show or something.
18:34Anyways.
18:35All right, folks.
18:35So the live lobster has arrived, and it is right here, and it's beautiful.
18:39Now, if I want to, I can cut it open myself.
18:42But here, our trusty server says he will do it for me.
18:45Please.
18:45Step one, remove the claw.
18:47Step two, remove other claw.
18:49This lobster is officially an amputee.
18:50Ooh.
18:52Inside, it is revealed succulent lobster meat.
18:55The claw gets the same cutting treatment.
18:57Then he removes the tail from the body, splitting it down the center.
19:01Ooh, what a beauty.
19:03Now, my friend who I just met, he comes from the Japanese prefecture of Bangladesh,
19:07and he taught me a lot about lobsters.
19:08First of all, he walked me through the weight of every single size of lobster,
19:11but then he showed me a secret lobster area.
19:13There is a reserve tank.
19:15In the reserve tank, there are gigantic lobsters.
19:17Lobsters bigger than this.
19:18I asked him if I could buy one of those lobsters instead, and he said,
19:21No, you can't order this.
19:25Oh, really?
19:25You have to reserve this one.
19:27These lobsters are much bigger.
19:29They're maybe, I would say, three to four pounds.
19:31The question is, what kind of person is ordering a lobster
19:34and reserving it so they can eat it here at Bread Lobster?
19:39Moving on.
19:39Here, we have the actual lobster.
19:40It looks pretty good.
19:41I'm going to pull out some of this wrist meat.
19:46Mmm.
19:46Best bite of the night.
19:47Sweet, fatty, lobstery.
19:49And, in fact, I learned these lobsters come from Canada,
19:51meaning they'll soon be considered American lobsters.
19:54Welcome, Canada.
19:55Welcome.
19:56From there, we have this right here.
19:57This is the tail of the lobster.
19:59That's a decent-sized, juicy-looking tail.
20:01Cheers.
20:05All right, nice.
20:05A little tough, a little sinewy, but still juicy, sweet.
20:08Now I'm starting to get it.
20:09Red lobster is a place to go to in Japan when you don't want soy sauce
20:11and you don't want wasabi.
20:12This is a place you go to when you want drawn, melted butter.
20:15Seafood, butter, it's better.
20:16It's the American way.
20:17But then there's this.
20:18This is something that's absolutely not American at all.
20:21Initially, he called it miso.
20:22But then I remembered, I believe miso can either mean the kind of internal organs
20:26or it can mean fermented soybeans.
20:28And this right here, those ain't soybeans.
20:32Oh, umami.
20:33A little seafoody.
20:34Savory.
20:34That's nice.
20:35It almost tastes like crab head fat with the lobster version of that.
20:38From here on, this lobster, you can see they've done the same thing.
20:40This is also that head butter, but they put some of this special sauce on here.
20:44Let's talk about the preparations.
20:45As far as I understand, in the USA, you can get a steamed lobster and that's about it.
20:49But here you can get it steamed, you can get it oven-roasted,
20:51you can get it spicy, or you can get it with this sauce.
20:53It looks like cheese, but this is in fact a sea urchin sauce.
20:57So I'm going to grab this part of the tail and start to peel out the lobster from within
21:01and reveal that gooey, warm sauce on top.
21:04Let's go for it.
21:09Mmm.
21:10Oh, it's like a thick gravy.
21:12Rich.
21:13Savory.
21:14A little seafoody brininess to it.
21:16That is an epic, strange sauce, but I like it.
21:18Sea urchin is uni.
21:19It's very fatty.
21:20Here, they made it into a decadent sauce.
21:21Put it on top of the lobster and somehow it works.
21:23I also kind of like this lobster guts with sea urchin sauce on top.
21:27That should be our final bite of the day.
21:31I kind of like it.
21:32It pairs perfectly with this, a Japanese highball.
21:36Mmm.
21:37Balance.
21:38Here's what I like about it.
21:39They're making use of every part of the lobster.
21:41This is true nose-to-tail cooking here.
21:43In the USA, that would just be discarded.
21:45So from here, we're heading outside and I'm going to tell you if Japan is actually improving
21:49American casual dining food or if they've made it worse.
21:52Let's head outside and I'll reveal the truth.
21:54In this video, I tested American casual dining restaurants here in Japan.
21:57So were they better or were they dramatically worse?
22:00Well, it depends on which restaurant we are talking about.
22:03In some ways, I would say Denny's was better.
22:05I liked Denny's that I didn't really have to talk to people that much.
22:08Ordering on the iPad.
22:09Amazing.
22:09Oriental sauce.
22:11Why do they call it that?
22:12But also amazing.
22:13So even though they didn't have the breadth of unhealthy food that we have in the USA at Denny's,
22:18I thought, pretty good.
22:19But then there's Red Lobster.
22:21Wow.
22:22Red Lobster, as I said earlier, it's one of my guilty pleasures.
22:24But Red Lobster in Japan?
22:27Huh?
22:27What are they doing?
22:28Red Lobster in Japan is unique because they have so many different creations that we don't
22:31have in the USA.
22:32But is most of it good?
22:33No.
22:34No, it's not.
22:34I think that if you are in Japan looking for seafood and you end up at Red Lobster,
22:38something happened along the way.
22:39Bad parenting, drug overdose, using Apple Maps instead of Google Maps.
22:43Any of those are possible options.
22:45The only thing better about the Red Lobster here in Japan is the variety of ways to prepare
22:49a fresh live-made lobster and the fact that they have so many lobsters and some pretty
22:53big ones.
22:54But the price is a pretty big detractor.
22:56Sometimes when you come to Japan, they do things a little bit better and sometimes they
22:59do it way worse.
23:01That's why I say when you're in Japan, go eat Japan stuff.
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