It's fair to say British food gets a bad rap. From mushy peas to battered Mars bars, the stuff us Brits shovel into our gob has long been the source of a great deal of international derision, especially from those that see their country a having a more refined palette (looking at you, France).
For this reason, you may imagine that the Japanese, often seen as boasting the best grub on the planet, would share the view that, when it comes to grub, the British Isles are basically a no-go zone. But interestingly, this is not at all the case.
In fact, the land that brought us sushi and ramen holds British food in rather high regard, with UK-themed eateries and gastro-pubs popping up all over the country.
And while some might argue that this trend is more to do with a cultural obsession over Britishness (think Harry Potter, Paddington, etc.), rather than a genuine love of our food, this hasn't stopped our classic dishes growing more and more popular amongst Japanese diners.
British influencer James Edwards visited Japan recently, and documented his time eating at one of these British restaurants.
With a menu boasting fish and chips, shepherd's pie and haggis, the Japanese had clearly done their homework, although the presence of carbonara and seafood ceviche suggested there may have been some wires crossed at some point.
For those assuming that these restaurants are simply for UK tourists, James was gobsmacked when he walked inside. He revealed that he was the only Brit there – and that the place was packed to the rafters with locals desperate for a taste of British grub.
While briefly considering the jerk chicken, a nod to the culinary influence had by the Windrush generation on UK food, James lands on the fish and chips. He is even provided with vinegar and tartare sauce, which he says was "10/10".
Interestingly, the comments were flooded with Japanese nationals as well as British expats, most of whom agreed that British food in Japan is a really big deal.
"If there's one thing that always seems to slap in Japan, it's tartar sauce", wrote on user, with another mentioning that all they ever want in Japan is "a spud and a full English".
Interestingly, one user pointed out that English food did potentially have some influence on one very popular Japanese dish.
They wrote: "Britain's greatest food export to Japan was curry rice which was introduced to Japanese soldiers by the British navy, then adapted and popularised at canteens and Western style restaurants."
So there you have it, who said British food was bad anyway?!
