We had some great food in Japan; it's a cuisine I probably wouldn't tire of too quickly. Here's a recap of some of our meals on the trip.
Ramen: We had ramen our first night in Japan (in Sapporo) and again in Tokyo. It's the Japanese version of chicken soup for the soul: piping hot, tasty broth (usually pork-based, miso-flavored at times), incredibly fresh noodles, a perfectly soft-boiled egg, a crisp piece of seaweed, and crunchy bean sprouts. Versions vary, of course, but even the most basic is delicious on a cold day. Afuri Ramen in Tokyo is the spot and ordering is an adventure (orders are placed via a "no English" vending machine at the front of the restaurant).
Yakatori: In the simplest of terms, yakatori is meat and veggies on sticks. Grilled. Over coals. I liked it. But there's not much else to say about it.
Sushi: We had sushi a few times, but most notably at the Tsukiji Fish Market and before leaving for the airport. The Tsukiji Market is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and home to a number of small sushi spots. Tourists line up for one in particular, but knowing that the chefs all get access to the same fresh fish, we exchanged our spot in line, outside in the cold, for two seats inside another restaurant. The move was smart. It was sushi unlike any other I've had -- beautifully cut pieces of fish that sit atop a small pillow of rice perfectly balanced in terms of flavor and temperature, and that simply melt in your mouth.
Lunch on our last day had to be sushi again, but this time, inside a large mall in Shibuya, omakase-style (allowing the sushi chef to decide what we eat). I told myself that I had to eat everything put in front of me. And I did (for the most part). Cod sperm sack sushi included.
So I didn't eat the raw shrimp sushi, because I've had it before and I'm not a fan of the film it leaves in your mouth. I also didn't suck on its head. But everything else! Here's what I learned: I'm not a fan of uni, but I can do salmon roe. And cod sperm sacks are creamy. (By the way, LA friends, you too can have shirako nigiri at Hamasaku; check this out.)
Yakatori: In the simplest of terms, yakatori is meat and veggies on sticks. Grilled. Over coals. I liked it. But there's not much else to say about it.
Tonkatsu: Perhaps the opposite of yakatori (at least in terms of calories), tonkatsu is a piece of perfectly fried pork (cutlet or loin). Its coating is panko bread crumbs, and its sides are crispy cabbage with a sesame dressing that's lick-your-bowl good and fluffy, white rice. The best part? Creating your own dipping sauce by grinding up sesame seeds yourself using a small pestle and mortar, and adding tonkatsu sauce, which is part sweet, part sour.
Sushi: We had sushi a few times, but most notably at the Tsukiji Fish Market and before leaving for the airport. The Tsukiji Market is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and home to a number of small sushi spots. Tourists line up for one in particular, but knowing that the chefs all get access to the same fresh fish, we exchanged our spot in line, outside in the cold, for two seats inside another restaurant. The move was smart. It was sushi unlike any other I've had -- beautifully cut pieces of fish that sit atop a small pillow of rice perfectly balanced in terms of flavor and temperature, and that simply melt in your mouth.
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| Can you guess which piece is the shirako, or cod sperm sack sushi? |
Sweets: A firm believer in having dessert after every meal, I suffer from a major sweet tooth. I loved perusing the aisles of Japanese grocery and convenience stores. Shelves were lined with such interesting-looking items! If I were to live in Japan, my goal in life would be to taste-test every one of them. On this trip, I tried out a few; some were misses, but most were hits and made for delightful edible souvenirs.
All your pictures look so delicious! I love sushi and can eat it every day! :-)
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