Spaghetti Napolitana. Lavazza Cafe, Omote-sando in Tokyo. ¥930 inc. coffee.

Funny how it happened. I spent weeks, if not months, looking forward to my Japan trip - imagining all the wonderful Japanese delicacies I would savour, all the new tastes I'd try, how much better sushi would taste on its home turf! But once I got to Japan, every few days, I'd find myself craving Western food. Pasta, bread, steak, potatoes, whatever. Bad. I suppose the grass is always greener on the other side. I guess I should have ignored those cravings, and kept on shovelling in the wafu ryori... I mean, Western food in Japan is more expensive than Japanese food, and it seems illogical to pay premium prices for food that you could get easily (and cheaply) at home.

At the same time, however, it would be even more illogical to eat something you don't really feel like. And it's important to indulge every now and then.

Here are some highlights of the western foods we ate whilst in Japan. Click on the slideshow to get it started.