Having moved from Los Angeles to Japan, there are of course differences to grapple with. When people ask me about the thing I miss the most (besides family/friends), I always respond with “the food”, specifically “Mexican food”. For whatever reason, this cuisine hasn’t found enough popularity in the country for there to be an abundant supply. Of course, some restaurants exist closer to large metropolitan areas like Tokyo, but other areas of Japan rarely offer anything. In addition, the times where Mexican food does appear, it is often either too expensive for too little, or misses the mark on the taste (sometimes both). Still, whenever my wife and I see a Mexican food eatery in our current home of Tochigi, we’re curious enough to try.

About a year ago, Thunder Tacos opened in Utsunomiya (the capital of Tochigi), and we recently had a chance to try it for ourselves. There are a number of items on the menu, and one thing that caught my attention was how reasonable the cost appeared for the amount of food provided. To give an idea, I’ve gone to places that charged me around 500 yen for a single taco, whereas Thunder Tacos charges close to 900 yen for 4 tacos.

The restaurant itself is quite spacious by Japanese standards. The establishment offers a few tables, as well as counter seating. It doesn’t feel too dissimilar to a place I’d find in Los Angeles. I should also mention that although everything we ordered included meat, they do offer vegetarian nachos, tacos, and burritos.

We started with some beef nachos (called “Thunder Nachos” here). The portions were fair, and they were fully loaded with beef, jalapeños, cheese, avocados, and various other ingredients that made for a delicious appetizer. The owner even provided a bottle of Cholula hot sauce (not commonly found in Japan).

For the main course, I decided to go for some pork tacos. The taco plate includes 4 corn tortilla tacos for around 900 yen, and includes onions, avocados, and taco sauce. Even before taking the first bite I could tell the food would be good just by the smell. The aroma was in line with the Mexican food I’m used to back home, and biting into the first taco confirmed that while not 100% like the food in the west, it was flavorful, a little spicy, and delicious!

Having enjoyed the tacos, my wife and I decided to go back again to try out their burritos. Both of us ordered their “Thunder Burrito”, which uses beef as the core ingredient. Upon receiving the meal, I noticed the size of the burrito was somewhere in between the size of the burritos I would normally find in Japan (small) and the size I’m used to getting in the states (quite large). the taste was once again great, a good blend of veggies, sauce, and meat.

While Thunder Tacos is no replacement for authentic Mexican food in the west, It’s probably the closest I’ve found out here in Japan. For those of you from North America who are missing this sort of cuisine, or for anyone interested in Mexican food, I’d recommend giving it a try if you find yourself in the area.

Thunder Tacos Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thunder_tacos/