I follow a Japan travelers' Facebook group and have read many comments about how wonderful the food is here - from the sushi and yakatori (skewered chicken) to the tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlet) and shabu-shabu (meat and veggie hotpot). We've been regularly sampling Japanese delicacies during our stay, and I continue to attempt to replicate those we like back here at our apartment. To sum it up, I'd say we've had both hits (like okonomiyaki savory pancakes) and misses (such as takoyaki octopus dumplings) in the things we have tried in restaurants and street food stalls, as well as the dishes I've tried to recreate in our tiny kitchen.
I can speak for both of us when I say the ramen here is AMAZING. There are ramen restaurants everywhere. Initially I thought, if you've been to one, you've been to them all. Boy was I wrong. Ramen is like American barbecue in that it varies from restaurant to region.
The items that go into a bowl of ramen are generally the same, much like the items that appear on a plate in a barbecue restaurant - the meat, corn, beans, cornbread, and coleslaw. In the case of ramen, it's generally seaweed, garlic, a boiled egg, slices of pork and scallions. The broth and noodles are distinctly different from restaurant to restaurant. I guess it's all in the preparation and where products are sourced. We're really enjoying trying new ramen spots in our travels across Tokyo and in other areas of the country - especially on rainy cold days. By the way, we love gyoza as well - those fried pork dumplings you see pictured with the ramen above - yum! Japanese beer is pretty good too...🍺
This week we checked out a shabu-shabu restaurant just down the street that was absolutely delish. We dined on a variety of very thinly sliced meat (mostly different cuts of beef) and a variety of vegetables that we cooked in boiling broth. It was a fun experience.
Japanese folks love their sweets - especially ice cream and pastries made with bean paste (which believe it or not is sweet). IMHO, Macha does not belong in ice cream...and beans should not be sweet. LOL They also do amazing things with grapes and strawberries here. This strawberry treat was quite similar to a candy apple. It was good - but maybe not for my teeth. I'm just glad I didn't lose a filling...
What we haven't tried yet is sushi. I am a very tentative seafood eater and really only like shellfish and very mild white fish. Truth be told, the thought of eating raw fish isn't exactly appealing to me. That said, I've had sushi in the states a few times and survived. And I actually like California rolls - but do they really count as sushi? I think not. Anyway, I know, I know, the best sushi on the planet is right here. So, tomorrow we are going to sushi restaurant Paul found that is supposedly sympathetic to sushi novices like me. It's a Friday and it's Lent, so no time like the present to try it out. I'll let you know how it goes. 😐
I recently attended my second survival cooking class at Mayoko's Little Kitchen. (https://www.mayukoslittlekitchen.com/)
The first class was so very helpful that I've decided to take one class a month as long as we're here. In her survival class series, Mayoko not only teaches how to prepare traditional Japanese dishes, she also shares information about ingredients, where to shop, where to eat, kitchen gadgets, the history of food in Japan, cooking and eating traditions, etc. This time we made Garlic Sandwich Tokatsu, Egg Yolk soaked in Soy with Avocado, Barley, Black Rice & Quinoa Rice, and Chicken Dango Soup which is sort of Japan's take on wedding soup. And yes, those two small glasses at the top of the picture are shooters of plum wine - one made with vodka and the other made with Wild Turkey of all things. Mayoko loves experimenting with her plum wine!😉
By the way - you can freeze fresh eggs overnight and when you peel/thaw them the next day, the whites return to normal but the yolks retain a solid spherical shape. Who knew? Give this recipe a try - I loved it!
Avocado Ranou Shoyuzuke Nose (serves 4)
2 avocados
4 egg yolks
black pepper
sesame oil
green onion
For Marinade:
4 T soy sauce
1.5 T mirin
I recall in my first class, there was another American who asked me, "Have you cried in a grocery store yet?" When I told her I hadn't, she said, "Don't worry, you will." So far I've held strong, but I will admit I have turned around and walked out of food stores empty handed on more than one occasion. Sometimes the stress of trying to figure out what I'm look at and where to find things is simply too overwhelming.
Paul and I are scheduled to take the next survival cooking class together one Friday night later this month. We'll be preparing a sushi dish involving Yellow Tail among other things. Wish us luck! Anyway, I hope you give the recipe I've shared a whirl, and stay tuned on how I liked my sushi experience tomorrow night - and in our survival cooking class #3!
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