Evening is the main meal, starting with an appetizer and small cups of sake, fermented rice wine usually served warm. The meal itself usually consists of a simmered dish, a salad, a fried, steamed or broiled dish, rice and soup. The dishes are simply prepared, but the combination of flavors, textures, and foods creates the elegance and variety that so typifies the Japanese style. The courses are served simultaneously and eaten at random, with no particular order. Rice with pickles and green tea signify the conclusion of the meal.
Noodles are a typical lunch, and noodle shops abound.
Udon are wheat noodles frequently served in soups, while the soba or buckwheat noodles are commonly served as salads, although these are not hard and fast delineations. Vegetables are rarely served raw, but usually with vinegar, pickled or preserved, simmered or deep fried, as with tempura. Root vegetable grow well, so carrots, burdock root, daikon radish are commonly served. As with these firm vegetables, cucumbers play a large role as garnishes, being cut into fans, petals or other fanciful creations. Some of the most impressive are the 'fishermen's nets' made out of a single strip of white daikon radish and seen commonly in sushi bars.