Japanese Yatai

The Japanese Yatai, or portable food stalls, could be found in numbers along the streets of Tokyo and Fukuoka, and other localities in the past, but now are few and far between. Nowadays the yatai appear late at night and almost stealthily to avoid the police. The portable "food wagons" cook the food on site and provide benches or chairs for their customers.  The yatai operators usually serve ramen(noodles), oden(Japanese stewed vegetables), or fried and grilled food. On a recent trip to Japan I ate and drank at a yatai right outside the Shinjuku station late one night(around 11:30 PM)and had a bowl of hot ramen along with 2 large glasses of sake. Needless to say, the food, drink and company were excellent, and the tab “yasukatta”(inexpensive). This would definitely qualify as cheap eats.
If you are lucky enough to stumble across one in the evening, please be sure to stop in and have some food and drink. I think you’ll like it. Plus it’s a rather unique part of the Japanese culture and an experience that shouldn’t be missed.
It's especially good on a cold night with a hot bowl of ramen or a hot bowl of oden and sake to cut the chill.  This is a Travel Japan favorite!