The Tokyo Olympics have taken over the TikTok For You Page this past week in what is being called Olympic TikTok. Olympians from all around the world are giving a look into the Olympic Village in a way that has never been done before. We can thank TikTok and the many Olympic TikTok users for this behind-the-scenes experience.
Here are the Olympians answering all of your questions about what they’re eating at the Olympic Village Dining Halls this year:
Dominique Scott // @domscottrunsa
South African runner Dominique Scott revealed the basics of dining in the Olympic Village this year on her TikTok. The athletes eat in a massive two-story dining hall known as main dining that is open 24 hours. The main dining hall has 900 seats on the first floor and 2,100 on the second, and it has over 700 menu items. She mentions that “world, gluten-free, Japanese, and Asian” are a few of the main cuisine options. To no surprise, Japanese is the most popular stand in the dining hall with a variety of sushi options, yum! Scott enjoyed a breakfast of coffee, eggs, bread, fruit, salad, and ham in her video.
Tilly Kearns // @tillykearns
With Covid-19 as a major concern at this year’s Olympic games, Japan has taken extensive protocols to reduce the spread in the Olympic Village. Australian water polo player Tilly Kearns takes us through the Covid-19 procedure in her viral TikTok. Upon entering the building, all athletes are required to sanitize and put on gloves. All food trays are sanitized prior to use. Athletes sanitize their eating space and enjoy their food in a secluded glass screen cubicle, making mealtime conversation rather difficult, but safe!
Cody Melphy // @codymelphy
U.S. rugby player Cody Melphy has taken TikTok by storm this week, gaining almost one million followers posting dozens of behind-the-scenes videos in Tokyo. One of his most popular of his videos is a full tour of the food stands in the Olympic dining hall this year. The stands this year include: Pizza Pasta, World, Asia, Noodles, Japanese, Vegetarian, Salad/Desserts, Halal, and Gluten-free. Personally, I don’t think you could go wrong with any of these options.
Melissa Wu // @melissapaigewu
Along with the main dining hall, there is a second dining area in the Olympic Village referred to as casual dining. Unlike the wide variety available in main dining, casual dining focuses on Japanese cuisine. Melissa Wu, an Australian diver, gives a run through of some of the food they serve. In her video, she tried delicious-looking okonomiyaki, tempura, noodles, and fresh fruit.
Sam Fricker // @samfrickerr
Another fan favorite this year at the Olympics is Australian diver Sam Fricker. When he’s not busy competing, he is posting continuous mini vlogs to his 1.1 million TikTok followers! Fricker demonstrates the free vending machines available all over the Olympic Village. When athletes are on-the-go, they can simply scan a card at any vending machine and tap their drink of choice. My only question is: Where can I get a card like this?
Ilona Maher // @ilonamaher
Easily one of the funniest creators on Olympic TikTok is U.S. rugby player Ilona Maher. Although she just returned home from the games, her time in Tokyo will live on through her countless viral videos. Some of her personal favorites from main dining are the deep fried camembert (as a Wisconsinite, I definitely approve), spring rolls, ramen, and the “best gyoza dumplings in the world,” according to Maher. Let’s just say I’m basking in jealousy here in the States.
Erik Shoji // @thelibero
Perhaps the king of food reviews in the village this year is U.S. volleyball player Erik Shoji. He is answering the question that we are all wondering: What are they serving at these dining halls? He has several food reviews on his TikTok, and he provides an extensive list of foods served this year. His full list is as follows: edamame, musubi, somen salad, sesame fruit salad, garlic pesto, steak, cucumber sushi, tuna sushi, shrimp sushi, dimsum, gyoza dumplings, Japanese curry, rice balls, grilled pork, corn, okonomiyaki, shrimp dumplings, meat buns, fried chicken, egg rolls, bread, inari and a variety of fruit. My mouth…is watering.
The Olympics are a unique tradition that connects the world in a way that is not seen often. With 206 countries competing at the Games this year, a diverse menu is essential to accommodating these athletes. Tokyo stepped up to the challenge and provided a wide variety of delicious cuisines that are gonna be hard to beat in the upcoming years. That said, I wish we could order delivery from Tokyo!