A hotel restaurant is a traveler’s gamble — the worst a penitentiary cafeteria, the best a gourmet’s destination.

Atop a hill, Acquamare di Acqua Pazza overlooks Tokyo Bay from behind glass walls that give its patrons the feeling of a luxurious dining experience without the extravagant check.

Five years ago, I discovered a lovely Greek restaurant housed in an old metal shipping container on Ikei Island, part of a small island chain on the east side of Okinawa.

In the shadow of Tokyo Skytree, the tallest tower in Japan, is a small restaurant, Ninja Cafe & Bar. For one week in September, the 20-seat Ninja Cafe served 1,000 bowls of piranha ramen. You read that correctly — ramen made with the flesh of the notorious, all-consuming, carnivorous South American freshwater fish. I was luckily among the relative few to feast on this rare dish.

Scientists believe that pancakes — in one form or another — may have been eaten as far back as prehistoric times, so it’s hard to find a fresh take on the universally adored food item.

Chicken nanban might not seem like a novel concept, but in 1965 when the chefs at Ogura restaurant in Miyazaki first put tartar sauce atop their fried chicken — already slathered in sugared vinegar — it started a culinary revolution.

I’ve become an absolute fiend for a bright-pink, sweet-and-sour doughnut baked by a tiny backstreet shop in Tokyo’s Azabujuban district. The Framboise from Dumbo Doughnuts and Coffee is so good, I’m willing to put up with the sometimes-rude, disinterested college kids working the counter. It’s so good, I’m OK with strangers staring as I slather my face in raspberry glaze while working my way through this massive, messy confection.

A Sasebo Burger has all the greasy goodness of a traditional American cheeseburger mixed with a little Japanese flair. The iconic piece of America is sold at a variety of shops outside the gates of Sasebo Naval Base, one of the smallest U.S. military installations in Japan.

A new restaurant, The Mint Motel, has sprung up on Route 16 just a five-minute walk from the supply gate at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo.

It’s not hard to find a pizza restaurant conveniently located outside most military installations. Poke around any corner and you’re bound to find a hot slice within meatball-throwing distance.

Take away dribbling, dunks and the backboard from basketball and what have you got? Not a spectator sport, in my opinion, but something called “netball” was playing on my hotel television during a recent trip to Brisbane, Australia.

Just a short walk from Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, there’s a new sports bar with a flavorful menu and an American feel. Slider’s Sports Hub & Grub opened July 4 in the northeast end of the popular nightlife district called Bar Row. It’s situated in a Tokyo suburb of Fussa, but inside its doors is the familiar atmosphere of a stateside sports bar.

Lucy’s homemade lemonade, Marcie’s waffle chicken and chocolate brownies named after Charlie Brown: Every menu item, every decoration and even the paper napkins at the Peanuts Diner adhere to the “Peanuts” theme.

When the new year rolls around, many swear off junk food, resolve to lose weight or promise themselves, “I will eat healthier starting today!” This resolve might, or might not, survive the winter months.

Growing up, how many of us were told by our mothers or grandmothers that breakfast is the most important meal of the day?

It was 2015 the last time I was here in South Korea, in the city of Uijeongbu, and got my first taste of an Italian mushroom risotto at a local restaurant.

The quality of a pizza parlor coincides with the quality of its Margherita pie, and Dumbo Pizza Factory near Naval Air Facility Atsugi is the best I’ve had in Japan.

Toriyoshi Shoten, which translates to “good chicken store” in Japanese, offers a variety of dishes, but its specialty is poultry.

The party’s over, the bars are closed, the lights have gone up, and you have a hangover hunger to satisfy. If you’re in Shinjuku, you’re in luck; that’s the home of Roast Beef Abura Soba Beefst, a “build your own” soba noodle restaurant that unlocks its doors just in time for lunch and stays open deep into the night.

Finding a quiet spot near Tokyo's Shibuya Station — just steps from the world’s busiest intersection — isn’t as hard as it might seem when you’re struggling to think over the clatter of pachinko parlors. All you have to do is navigate with thousands of others across that busy intersection and wander down a few back alleys to arrive at a staircase leading to Pizzeria La Soffitta, which touts authentic Milanese pies and imported Italian pastas and wines.

Don’t let the name fool you when visiting Cafe & Dining Santorini on Okinawa. Qwner and chef Yoshitomo Nagamine said the name of his eatery, which specializes in staples like grilled chicken and sauteed fish, was inspired by a past trip to Santorini. This spurred a dream to one day open a restaurant on the island, which attracts millions of tourists each year.

In early March, after my family of five and I settled in for another two-year tour in Korea, I was invited out to a welcome dinner with coworkers. Since I was still unfamiliar with the area, I elected to ride with a colleague to the lively locale, something I hadn’t seen yet in my short time in Pyeongtaek.

Amasake-chaya, a teahouse and rest house located along the Old Tokaido Road, has been serving the same amazake recipe to weary travelers since it opened in the 1600s.

On Okinawa, La Polleria Pipeline Coffee in the Ginowan area is embracing Japan’s Instagram obsession by serving up delicious breakfast and lunch fare in a stylish, yet homey setting.

South Korean chain Raracost claims to be "The World’s Best Family Restaurant" — but does the restaurant's take on Italian cuisine help it live up to its title?

As a longtime resident of Okinawa, I often have friends and coworkers coming to me for advice on where to go and what to do on the island. The most common request? Where to enjoy a fine meal without breaking the bank.

On Okinawa, there are a variety of restaurants residents can flock to whenever a craving for red meat strikes. But Ralph’s Burger Restaurant, which opened in early 2018, is the perfect place to go when you need burger fix.

In order to sample Sapporo Beer's best brews, however, you’ll have to travel to Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido, where Sapporo began producing its famous eponymous beer in 1876.

Sea Life Park’s Ka Moana Luau is among the best on Oahu, offering diners a bountiful banquet — as well as activities for young and old, a gorgeous seaward vista and hula dancers aplenty.

Many foodies who visit Japan expect their meals to be filled with the likes of sushi and ramen, the most common forms of Japanese cuisine served abroad. But there’s a wide range of Japanese fare beyond these staples — and one of the most popular among locals is tonkatsu.