Eating Chinese Food Everywhere He Goes… What Is the “Best Dish” According to a Man Who Traveled to 21 Countries Around the World in Search of “Mapo Tofu”?

2026-08-26

Chinese cuisine has taken root all over the world. The mapo tofu served in each region has its own unique character… (From *Mapo Wanderings*)

The Man Who Eats Mapo Tofu No Matter Where He Goes in the World

“No matter where I go overseas, I always end up looking for Chinese food… specifically, mapo tofu,”

says Yoichi Arashi (56), speaking passionately about his love for mapo tofu.

It’s been 35 years since he first set out to see the world, traveling to countries across the globe like a backpacker with a DSLR camera in hand. From Europe to Asia, Africa, and Central and South America, Mr. Arashi has visited a total of 94 countries. He is currently active as a travel writer.

Mr. Arashi recently published *Mapo Wanderings* (San’i Editing Center)—not *Mahjong Wanderings*. The book compiles his experiences from 25 locations across 21 countries, where he sought out Chinese restaurants wherever he went to satisfy his appetite.

“I’d been thinking about turning this into a book for a while, but I just couldn’t get the project approved (laughs). Now, it’s finally come true,” said Arashi (all subsequent quotes are from him).

It might make sense in China or elsewhere in Asia, but why seek out mapo tofu in countries across Europe, Africa, and Central and South America? Isn’t part of a travel writer’s job to sample the local cuisine of the countries they visit and introduce it to readers? It feels a bit like breaking the rules…

“Of course, I do eat local food, but sometimes it doesn’t suit my taste, or it’s too heavy on my stomach—it gets tough if that’s all I eat. In those situations, Japanese restaurants are few and far between, and even when they’re available, they’re often expensive and don’t suit Japanese tastes. That’s why I find myself unconsciously searching for cheap, convenient Chinese restaurants.

I’ve especially loved mapo tofu ever since I was in Japan—I used to order the mapo set meal at local diners and even try mapo ramen at ramen shops.As I kept posting updates on X from my travels about local mapo tofu, people around me started seeing me as “the guy who eats mapo tofu no matter where he goes in the world” and started teasing me about it. Now, when I bring that up on YouTube or at events, it goes over surprisingly well (laughs).

I don’t realize it myself, but apparently I get really passionate when talking about Chinese food and mapo tofu abroad, and people find it funny. But it’s not just me—I actually think other travel writers, when they go abroad, eat Chinese food as well as local cuisine. They just don’t let it show (laughs).”

The Unexpected Country Where I Ate the “Best Mapo Tofu”

According to Arashi, “Chinese people have migrated all over the world and, even in the face of adversity, have worked harder than the locals.Once they save up money, they open a restaurant—which is the quickest way to get started—and put down roots in that area. Then, as similar restaurants start popping up around them, they spread out by opening new ones in distant locations… That vitality is incredible.” He says Chinese restaurants can be found everywhere in the world.

For example, in Lima, Peru, there was reportedly an entire block lined with nothing but signs for Chinese restaurants and “chifa” (local Peruvian-style Chinese restaurants).An anecdote from *Mapo Wanderings* describes how, upon seeing this, Arashi got so excited that the person traveling with him was completely put off, saying , “Let’s eat something local…” —a classic case of putting the cart before the horse.

Furthermore, the book features the best dish he had at a restaurant in Bucharest, Romania, that’s reportedly frequented by all Japanese expatriates. In Tana, Madagascar, there’s a dish that brought him comfort after a day spent traveling for over 12 hours on unpaved roads in a van—known as “Taxi Blues”—packed with more than double its capacity.In San Pedro Sula, Honduras, amidst the worst security conditions, he ate a dish after undergoing a body search just to enter the restaurant. This book is filled with stories of encounters with various Mapo Tofu dishes and Chinese people around the world.

I’d like you to pick up this book and see for yourself, but such Mapo Tofu sometimes serves as a soothing balm for Arashi’s stressful travels, while at other times, it turns out to be a “landmine” that doesn’t agree with his palate. It seems there are factors at play here beyond just the pure “flavor.”

“I don’t know if the flavors I experienced in a particular place will feel the same when I eat them in Japan. The environment and circumstances at the time, as well as my physical condition, likely act as spices that shape my memory of the taste.”

This book, which chronicles his encounters with mapo tofu in various places and at various times, is a fine travelogue. Furthermore, having visited Chinese restaurants around the world and eaten mapo tofu for many years, he says he’s noticed certain changes in the dish.

Some restaurants have “evolved” to the point where they no longer suit Japanese tastes

“In the past, Chinese restaurants were everywhere and were a ‘safe bet.’But things have changed quite a bit over the past 10 to 15 years. The reason is that ownership has changed hands, and there’s been an increase in cases where Chinese restaurants are operated purely as a business, often targeting inbound tourists. These restaurants have undergone drastic changes—either to cater to tourists or to local tastes—and as a result, there are now more places that don’t suit Japanese palates.”

However, unlike in the past, I feel like if you search on your smartphone and gather information from reviews, you can avoid ending up at a bad restaurant.

“I do search thoroughly. But I still end up making mistakes. Reviews from local customers or white tourists aren’t reliable. A trick to identifying restaurants that are ‘pretty much a safe bet’ is to see if there are Chinese people among the owners or staff—and if there are Chinese or Asian customers in the restaurant.”

Mr. Arashi says that it’s not just overseas— even “when I’m in Japan, if I walk into a restaurant and see mapo tofu on the menu, I’ll at least check it out.” Not only that, but he says , “I learned about it from a Chinese person when I first started traveling abroad and was living in London,” and he even makes mapo tofu himself. Incidentally, he claims , “When it comes to mapo tofu mix, Marumiya is definitely the best!”

His love for mapo tofu has grown so strong that he appeared as a guest on the radio show hosted by Kinjiro Tamabukuro—who appears as a “black belt” on the popular TV program *Let’s Have a Drink at a Local Chinese Restaurant* (BS-TBS), where viewers enjoy drinks paired with dishes from neighborhood Chinese restaurants—and spoke about his passion for the dish. Even so, Arashi’s “love for mapo” shows no signs of slowing down.

“I’m going to keep eating mapo tofu from all over the world. It’s my mission!”

As Arashi speaks so passionately about it, his journey in pursuit of mapo tofu will undoubtedly continue.