249 replies to this topic

[cookaburra]

This is the 2nd installment of my food diary from my trip to Japan which was from the December 26, 2006 to January 17, 2007.
This installment will cover the dates 29.12-30.12

In case you need to refer to the previous postings on this thread featuring the following dates, here they are:

26.12-28.12
29.12-30.12
31.12.06-2.1.07

3.1. WEDNESDAY
In the true Japanese tradition of Hatsumoude the first pray of the year, we took the train to Mount Takaosanguchi to exchange our uchiwa (paper fans) and make a wish at the temple at the top of the mountain. Unfortunately the Gods were not with me that day. Just as we were about to approach the temple, an error message appeared in my digital camera. A faulty Dick Smith Electronics 256mb compact flash memory card decided to pack up and die. This is why there are no photos up to this day. I could wait to get back to the house to insert my back up memory card. I was so disappointed to lose so many precious photos from this trip up to now. No money from the shop refund could ever replace that loss.

LUNCH-When returning to the base of the mountain from our chair lift ride, we wrote our name in the book at the soba restaurant on the corner of the walkways, Takahashiya(Japanese), and waited for a table. I had the opportunity to try soba sake ¥840 and ate the tempura soba ¥1260, while Hidemi had the sansai soba ¥840.After the meal we bought some soba miso ¥520 from them. We then walked down the path and found a shop selling fresh grilled sembei (rice crackers).We bought a few varieties-miso, garlic, negi-miso. Very nice. Should have bought more. Across from the sembei shop is another soba restaurant. The chefs were on display in the front window rolling and cutting the fresh buckwheat noodles.

DINNER-We just settled for some inari sushi and yakitori from inargeya supermarket. At less than ¥1000 for the two of us you can’t go too far wrong with that.


4.1. THURSDAY
LUNCH-We caught up with Miki and Yasuko, friends from Hidemi’s childhood. I wanted to try a Japanese pizza.ph 1 So we called Dominos.We had the teriyaki chicken and vegetarian ½ and ½. The thick crust was OK, pretty normal for that sort of thing I guess. However I should have gone for the thin crust I think.

We supplemented that with some just made shumai, gyoza and a roasted vegetable and deep fried anko(monkfish) salad, all from the Keio store at Seseki Sakuragaoka. Drinks with lunch included beer and umeshi (plum wine). We finished the meal with an icecream biscuit sandwich and some strawberries which were very sweet, perfectly ripe and soft in the mouth, unlike most Aussie strawberries. I noticed that characteristic in all the strawberries I tasted in Japan. I must confess though we did always but the more expensive ones in the supermarket to be sure they would be good. We paid about 800yen for a punnet most times.

DINNER-We went to No no Budou.This is a photo of their advertising plaque

This was a baikingu (buffet style) restaurant on the restaurant level of the Keio store at Seseki Sakuragaoka.ph 2 The menu prides itself on healthy foods and farm vegetables. There are over 80 menu items. I really enjoyed the freedom to select anything from the buffet that looked interesting for ¥2600.


I also opted for the nomihodai option,where you pay ¥2000 and have as much beer, wine, sake, shochu and soft drink as you like from their page of choices. I was interested to try shochu again as an unpleasant past experience had turned me off it for a while. So I figured that if I didn’t like it this time then I could move straight onto the sake.
The shochu is like a Japanese schnapps I would say. It was too harsh for me, and when mixed with water I felt is this really worth it. Anyway, I ended up tasting 4 different shochus. Each made from a different grain- soba, barley, rice and sweet potato. I discovered that I still prefer sake.

The next part of my trip involved a bus tour to Akita for 2 nights,4 days.

[Domestic Goddess]

Look forward to more pictures and posts cookaburra!

[SheenaGreena]

does shochu taste like soju (korean)? I think they are both made from sweet potatoes and the pronunciation is similar

[cookaburra]

does shochu taste like soju (korean)?  I think they are both made from sweet potatoes and the pronunciation is similar

I'm not sure. I've never tasted soju. I imagine it would be though. Shochu is popular with hot water and umeboshi, or "on the rocks", or with a sweet flavoured soda water.
I didn't like it so much. But I might like it if it were mixed with some grapefruit flavoured soda water or some other kind of sweetened soda.
I took a real liking to sake whilst in Japan and tried to taste as many kinds as I could. All in the name of research of course.

[Peter Green]

does shochu taste like soju (korean)?  I think they are both made from sweet potatoes and the pronunciation is similar

I'm not sure. I've never tasted soju. I imagine it would be though. Shochu is popular with hot water and umeboshi, or "on the rocks", or with a sweet flavoured soda water.
I didn't like it so much. But I might like it if it were mixed with some grapefruit flavoured soda water or some other kind of sweetened soda.
I took a real liking to sake whilst in Japan and tried to taste as many kinds as I could. All in the name of research of course.

I've had shochu with lime and soda at a few places. My impression is (was) that it's not quite as "thick" on the palate as soju. However, that could be the brands, or the weather, or a number of things.

[helenjp]

Shochu is sometimes made from sweet potatoes, but also from barley, and less commonly, rice, buckwheat, and I believe sugar cane sometimes??

I think of it as the Japanese answer to meths

[cookaburra]

I think of it as the Japanese answer to meths   

Me too

[cookaburra]

I love Afternoon Tea, here is the homepage with a menu.

I haven't been there in a while but I would always order an iced tea (I am pretty sure it was Earl Grey) mixed with orange juice. I have tried to duplicate this at home but just can't get it right.   I mean how hard can this be??

Costco's cornbread is really good. It is quite different from the normal American corn bread that Hiroyuki worked so hard on making.   They are rolls made mostly with white flour, though there may be some cornmeal in there, they are dusted with a very fine cornmeal and have corn kernels inside.

Thanks for that Kris
I'll check it out

[Hiroyuki]

Some clarification need here.
There are two types of shochu (Japanese distilled spirit) in Japan: Korui (甲類) and otsurui (乙類). The former is cheaper, often diluted with water, citrus juice, and others to make chu-hai. The latter is also known as honkaku (authentic) shochu, and is more expensive. More details can be found here.

cookaburra, I hope that your favorite sake brands include those from Niigata.

[cookaburra]

Some clarification need here.
There are two types of shochu (Japanese distilled spirit) in Japan:  Korui (甲類) and otsurui (乙類).  The former is cheaper, often diluted with water, citrus juice, and others to make chu-hai.  The latter is also known as honkaku (authentic) shochu, and is more expensive.  More details can be found here.

cookaburra, I hope that your favorite sake brands include those from Niigata.

Thanks for the info on Shochu. Maybe next time I have the opportunity I will make sure I get a taste of both the Korui and the otsurui so I can compare their taste and qualities.All in the name of research of course.

Coincidently, Hiroyuki, my next post contains references to a sake from Niigata which I drank in an pub which I describe like this..................

""The place appeared to me to be an Izakaya with function rooms upstairs I believe. I don’t know the name of it but I think it might be owned by Keio. It was in a street about 3 minutes walk from Seiseki Sakuragaoka station and I was told that someone in our group of 7 had made the reservation for 5pm as that is the time that it opens." Anyone have any idea what the name of it might be or if they have website?

I don’t know the name of the sake but it was from Niigata and I remember something about umi(ocean) and hachi(8).It had a white label with about 2 kanji characters in big bold black writing. I wish I knew what it was so I could buy some more of it.
I have now been informed by my wife that it may have been Hakkaisan sake.
Would that be right?

Speaking of Niigata sake, I just finished a 180ml bottle of uonuma sake while nibbling on some of Hidemi’s homemade tamari almond and linseed mix. It was a very nice, smooth sake. I want to have some more. No more left so I decided to open another bottle which I brought back with me-Chomei Izumi from (Narita,Chiba) apparently. It was very nice too but I preferred the uonuma sake. However,I am a newcomer to sake and just starting to appreciate the different varieties and levels of quality.So please forgive my preferences if they sound strange.

[Hiroyuki]

Some clarification need here.
There are two types of shochu (Japanese distilled spirit) in Japan:  Korui (甲類) and otsurui (乙類).  The former is cheaper, often diluted with water, citrus juice, and others to make chu-hai.  The latter is also known as honkaku (authentic) shochu, and is more expensive.  More details can be found here.

cookaburra, I hope that your favorite sake brands include those from Niigata.

Thanks for the info on Shochu. Maybe next time I have the opportunity I will make sure I get a taste of both the Korui and the otsurui so I can compare their taste and qualities.All in the name of research of course.

Coincidently, Hiroyuki, my next post contains references to a sake from Niigata which I drank in an pub which I describe like this..................

""The place appeared to me to be an Izakaya with function rooms upstairs I believe. I don’t know the name of it but I think it might be owned by Keio. It was in a street about 3 minutes walk from Seiseki Sakuragaoka station and I was told that someone in our group of 7 had made the reservation for 5pm as that is the time that it opens." Anyone have any idea what the name of it might be or if they have website?

I don’t know the name of the sake but it was from Niigata and I remember something about umi(ocean) and hachi(8).It had a white label with about 2 kanji characters in big bold black writing. I wish I knew what it was so I could buy some more of it.
I have now been informed by my wife that it may have been Hakkaisan sake.
Would that be right?

Speaking of Niigata sake, I just finished a 180ml bottle of uonuma sake while nibbling on some of Hidemi’s homemade tamari almond and linseed mix. It was a very nice, smooth sake. I want to have some more. No more left so I decided to open another bottle which I brought back with me-Chomei Izumi from (Narita,Chiba) apparently. It was very nice too but I preferred the uonuma sake. However,I am a newcomer to sake and just starting to appreciate the different varieties and levels of quality.So please forgive my preferences if they sound strange.

That must be Hakkaisan (八海山)! It's very, very popular in the Tokyo area. I like it, but I like Kakurei better!

Have you checked out this thread, which I started in the Wine Forum? Most sake produced in Niigata are described as tanrei karakuchi (淡麗辛口), light and dry, but Aoki Brewry aims to achieve tanrei umakuchi (淡麗旨口), light and tasty.

Also, have you checked out this site? Click "GOURMET LIQUOR" on the left-hand side, scroll down to "Sake brewing of Minamiuonuma", and click either 2Mbps or 500Kbps depending on your Internet connection, and a video will start, showing Hakkai Jozo (which produces Hakkaisan), Aoki Shuzo, and Takachiyo Shuzo.

[cookaburra]

[QUOTE][quote name='Hiroyuki' date='Feb 25 2007, 10:49 PM']
That must be Hakkaisan (八海山)! It's very, very popular in the Tokyo area. I like it, but I like Kakurei better!

Have you checked out this thread, which I started in the Wine Forum? Most sake produced in Niigata are described as tanrei karakuchi (淡麗辛口), light and dry, but Aoki Brewry aims to achieve tanrei umakuchi (淡麗旨口), light and tasty.[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

Very interesting thread.Nice photos of the factory.
I once went to sake factory in Penrith,Sydney,Australia.The only one in Australia I think.The Sun Masamune company make a few varieties of sake.I haven't tasted them in a while but am sure they do not compare to good sake made in Japan.My wife uses Goshu sake in her cooking.It is about AUS$18 for a 750ml bottle.Quite expensive compared to the prices I paid for sake in Japan.

[QUOTE]Also, have you checked out this site? Click "GOURMET LIQUOR" on the left-hand side, scroll down to "Sake brewing of Minamiuonuma", and click either 2Mbps or 500Kbps depending on your Internet connection, and a video will start, showing Hakkai Jozo (which produces Hakkaisan), Aoki Shuzo, and Takachiyo Shuzo.

[/quote][/QUOTE]

I have upgraded my monthly downloads to 1GB as of next month so will check out the video then.Hopefully it doesn't use up too much MB/GB.


I have upgraded my monthly downloads to 1GB as of next month so will check out the video then.Hopefully it doesn't use up too much MB/GB.

[/quote]
I'm sorry for the confusing reply.I am quite confused about the egullet technique of quoting/snapback/right .
Does anyone have any tips or links to mastering this tchnique.Especially when I just want to quote parts of someone's post,not the whole lot?

[cookaburra]

Apologies to those who were waiting to read about my kaiseki experience.
Well here it is complete with photos.

This is the 7th installment of my food diary from my trip to Japan which was from the December 26, 2006 to January 17, 2007.

This installment will cover the date 10.2.07

The previous threads on my trip to Japan are as below………

Part 1
http://forums.egulle...dpost&p=1364086

part 2
http://forums.egulle...dpost&p=1364119

part 3
http://forums.egulle...dpost&p=1365703

part 4
http://forums.egulle...dpost&p=1365703

part 5
http://forums.egulle...dpost&p=1366512

part 6 http://forums.egulle...dpost&p=1371235


10. 1. WEDNESDAY
MORNING TEA-Since we just had a light breakfast I needed a little something to help me last out until our 2pm restaurant booking. So I made the bad decision to eat a teriyaki burger at the Golden Arches. The meat tasted very much like a cheap sausage mince.

LUNCH-The time had arrived I would get to sample some Kaiseki ryori at Ukai Chikutei (Japanese) which was very close to Takaosanguchi train station. The restaurant actually run a free shuttle bus which picks up from the station every 20 minutes.
The setting for the private dining rooms is simply exquisite. Each room is connected by narrow, stone lined pathways. The trees and plants, the ponds with carp, the bamboo and the stone sculptures all contribute to the typical Japanese setting that it is. And when the waitress, dressed in kimono, escorted us to our room, I felt, “this is Japan”.
Our room looked out onto a garden of bamboo along with a few large rocks. The seats had back rests and we could rest our legs in the dugout trench underneath the table.

The course of the menu entitled “snow” (Japanese) was very much in tune with the season. And at 9450yen + tax we all thought it was good value for the quality of the whole experience.

To start the proceedings drinks were ordered. And of course I selected a serve of sake. This time it was “kuwa no miyako” from Hachioji. I even got to select which ochoko or guinomi I would like to drink from.
First course was “ama ebi(raw sweet prawn) resting on a slab of yamimo dofu, with mitsuba, wasabi and a soba tsuyu tasting sauce. All that topped with the blue eggs of the female prawn and some gold leaf for the wow factor.


Second course was a clear soup with a round crab cake, some green vegetables, takenoko(bamboo) and shiitake were the accompanying elements of this soup
Before going onto the next course I ordered a sake from Hokkaido. Once again selecting my choice of drinking vessel.


Third course was a sashimi boat. The pieces of tuna and white fish of the day rested on boat shaped dish and was garnished with shiso leaf , shiso no hana(shiso flower) and wasabi. The other decoration on the plate was a strand of rice. Rested on the ceramic roof which was dusted with a white powder to resemble snow was a pine leaf .



Fourth course was a buri mizore soup-some buri (yellowtail fish) with the bloodline intact, grated daikon and yuzu made up this soup. Mizore means "rain and snow mixed". In this soupthe grated daikon looks similar to "Mizore". Grated daikon cuts the fat from the buri refreshing your mouth, removes the smell of the fishes, aids in digestions and warms your body.


The fifth course came out on a spectacular tray decorated with pine, bamboo and plum flower (shochikubai). Sitting in the bamboo vessel was na no hana, a broccoli like vegetable. Clockwise to that was the budou mame (a kind of black beans) cooked with sugar and tossed through daikon oroshi( grated).At six o’ clock on the plate was the camellia sushi. So called because of the shape and presentation of it. The thinly sliced hirame (sole fish) sushi enveloped the sushi rice and was garnished with egg yolk and a camellia leaf on the side. The last item on the tray was gyu no shigureni (beef cooked in a sweet soy sauce). This was garnished with sansho no mi(berries of the sansho plant).



To continue the spectacular presentation of things the sixth course arrived partly cooked and continuing to cook on the leaves of bamboo and hoji cha to create a nice smokey aroma to the amago( a river fish/salmon?).The fish was so delicious that I carefully made sure I finished every last bit of meat left on the fish, except for the really bitter innards. Apparently you would normally eat the head on this fish , but as this one was a little to large, we were recommended not to. The heavy application of salt on the fins helps to prevent too much burning. Some kinome zu was used as a dipping sauce.



The seventh course also finished it’s cooking at the table. The beef , cooked on a hoba (magnolia) leaf in a beautiful, salty and sweet miso sauce was simply garnished with watercress and negi(a type of scallion).


Nearing the end, the eighth course was the one which always consists of rice, miso soup, (tsukemono) pickles and tea. The rice was a lovely scallop rice. The miso soup was filled with grated daikon and tofu. On the pickles plate were some white pickled daikon, shiso no mi and some konbu. The tea was a cleansing hojicha.

The ninth and final course was a refreshing strawberry sorbet.


My wife bought her most favourite sweet, domyoji(dyed pink sticky rice cake wrapped with a salted cherry blossom leaf) from Ukai before we left.

Buying green tea from the jido han baiki(vending machine) close to home was a common occurrence, as we did not have to bother the father’s private space by entering the kitchen to make tea. Although we did manage to time it right sometimes, and I got to enter the kitchen to make tea, after they had made theirs. I usually topped up their used teapot with just boiling water to make our tea as it was easy and economical. The result was good enough for us. For the last week of our stay I was the designated messenger, tea maker and breakfast maker. This was to prevent my wife’s slightly virus infected body from coming close to her father’s run down immune system body.

[shellfishfiend]

Cookaburra,
I have really been enjoying your trip reports and photos.

Your kaiseki meal looks beautiful and you did a great job with the photos.
The tuna sashimi looks like maguro. Was it?
Do you know what kind of white fish was served with it?

Also, how was "the broccoli like vegetable" prepared?

Thanks again for the reports.

[cookaburra]

Cookaburra,
I have really been enjoying your trip reports and photos.

Your kaiseki meal looks beautiful and you did a great job with the photos.
The tuna sashimi looks like maguro. Was it?
Do you know what kind of white fish was served with it?

Also, how was "the broccoli like vegetable" prepared?

Thanks again for the reports.

Thanks very much for your complimentary comments.

According to my knowledge, maguro is the Japanese word for tuna. So as far as I know it was a variety of tuna, of which I could not say.
Unfortunately I didn't get the details on the variety of white fish sashimi. However the taste, texture and quality was superb.

Can't help much more on the brocoli like vege either, sorry. I guess it was simply blanched , relying on the quality of the produce and the exacting of the cooking techniques. It was then garnished with a sprinkle of something yellow(I can't recall what that was),quite possibly either egg yolk or yuzu zest.

I can highly recommend this restaurant. There are a few different courses to chose from and possibly serve a la carte too. We chose the middle range priced kaiseki course.

[Hiroyuki]

The white fish looks like tai to me.

The nano hana is probably simply boiled for a few minutes, put in cold water, drain, and seasoned with some kind of sauce. Such a dish is called ohitashi.

[shellfishfiend]

"According to my knowledge, maguro is the Japanese word for tuna. So as far as I know it was a variety of tuna, of which I could not say.
Unfortunately I didn't get the details on the variety of white fish sashimi. However the taste, texture and quality was superb."

Sorry about the ignorant question. Here in the U.S., at least in the places I have eaten sushi (which aren't anything too special) there are often only two types of tuna listed on the menu: maguro and toro. I thought these were differnt types or different cuts of the same fish. What is lean tuna called in Japan?

So, I learned soemthing new today. Thank you.

[Hiroyuki]

Lean is called akami (which is a noun, not an adjective), which literally means red meat.
We have akami, chuu-toro (medium toro), and oh-toro (fattest).

I posted some info about different species of maguro here.

[cookaburra]

Lean is called akami (which is a noun, not an adjective), which literally means red meat.
We have akami, chuu-toro (medium toro), and oh-toro (fattest).

I posted some info about different species of maguro here.

Hiroyuki,thanks for the info on tuna. I think you would be right in your comments too, regarding the tai and nano hana dishes.

[raji]

Hey fellow eaters -

I was off to Japan on business last week, on very short notice, so I've been here a week already. I meant to post before leaving. Without getting into a more granular discussion of whether NY's Japanese cuisine represents the vanguard, in broad strokes I'll say it's 500% better than just 10 years ago, while I can't speak for the peak of Japan's bubble economy nearly 20 yaers ago when there where many more Japanese in rotation to NY. While 500% better, the "big room" Japanese boom in NYC nearly noexistent in Japan - I'd say a simple result of supply and demand of accomplished chefs, a proper Japanese chef is spread quite thin in NY. In fact I'd call Yakitori Totto "large" for this country. The suburbs have destination restaurants housed often in traditional Japanese houses with shoji, but I think we're talking about urban dining.

That all said, without fail I seek out that which I cannot in NY while here. So, I've already eaten Ramen 5 times, Sushi 4, Yakiniku 5 times (at the behest of the Toraji president, a Japanese yakiniku restaurant group which should be in NY in another year or 2 if I have anything to do about it), but I needn't waste a lunch on bento or most Japanese fusion-type places which are very well represented in NY. Tomorrow I'll lunch at a Yakitori-ya that I hope will be better than Totto.

I'm kind of busy here, not on vacation, so can't afford much time to do full-on reports although I'll try. I meant to post before leaving because I just wanted to know if people in the NY forum, who are all very actively discussing Japanese cuisine, have questions or want to know, for instance, what is booming, why you can get amazing $7 lunches in Tokyo, what the inside of your average sushi looks like, etc. Time and SD-card space permitting I'll try to accommodate.

I'll start off with a smattering of Yakiniku pictures from week 1 (These are from TORAJI Ginza, Yaesu & Ebisu honten, and Sumibi-Tei in Sumiyoshi, Toraji's prez's mentor's restaurant) and your obligatory Shibuya 109 gyangaro-gal (mountain gal) candid shot　(notice the placement of "Male In", if she only knew...).... any questions/comments fire away!























All my other shots are on my mobile phone here so I'll get them up tomorrow. Hiroyuki whereever you are, or anyone from the Japan forum reading this, recommendations please! 東京とだけおねがい。よろしくおねがいたします。

Edited by raji, 16 April 2007 - 04:16 AM.

[Hiroyuki]

Hiroyuki whereever you are, or anyone from the Japan forum reading this, recommendations please! 東京とだけおねがい。よろしくおねがいたします。

I'm here in Shiozawa, 210 km to the north of Tokyo, so I don't have any recommendations. Good to see one of those ganguro/yamanba (?) gals. I didn't know they still existed!
I hope you post more pictures. Did you do cherry blossom viewing (hanami) in Tokyo?

[raji]

Hi Hiroyuki!

NYers speak up!

Yes yamamba still exist. Have you seen the gyaku-yamamba?! They look like albinos.

I got here sensenshi no kinyoubi dakara, I jusssssssst missed it -

Don't know any Tokyoites? It's amazing how localized Japan is - I can't get a recommendation from someone that isn't within a 10 minute walk or 170yen train of their home or office.

[raji]

Apologies for making you tilt your head - my software did it automatically but loses it when I upload....

This pic actually still resided on my phone from last summer. Per Japanese tradition, on the hottest day of the year (according to the calendar) you are supposed to eat Unagi to give you energy. this was a simple Unagidon but more traditionally is the delightful SHITSUMABUSHI, which is basically the same thing but serve with an tea-based soup and wasabi. You procedurally eat the dish while mixing in the ocha and wasabi. Absolutely delicious and great as most of Japan gets very muggy and hot in the summer, very similar to DC weather.

On the same day in NY you will find most Japanese restaurant serving at least an unagidon and they'll be packed with Japanese customers.

This was had at Unagi Matsukawa near Shibuya station.
http://www.unagi-mat....jp/honten.html

The thing that you'll notice and I love about Japan is that with few rare exceptions, the food you are served almost perfectly resembles the photos or plastic models in the front of the restaurant (check the website and then my half-eaten mess). Being that most restaurants feature these photos or plastic models (an art form in Japan), it's exceedingly easy for a non-Japanese speaker to eat in Japan. Point and enjoy.

This was ¥1000, about $9.



TSUKERAMEN had a new shop opened near Shimo-Kitazawa station. TSUKERAMEN is ramen deconstructed, noodles and soup separately. This allows you to more leisurely eat your ramen, not worrying about your noodles getting fat and soggy. It's also delicious. This was ¥680, about $5.

Here we find a quirk of Japanese culture. The soup is the same size, but you can get a small, medium, or large order of the noodles. I went GUTS-style and went for the large, and a huge platter, about a kilo of ramen noodles came piled out.

The quirk being that the small, medium, and large are all the same price. This is a result of either one of 2 things; 1) this is a "service" of the ramen shop, a unique feature that gets the customers in, just something interesting about it rather than your boring old ramenshop, and/or 2) As a proper Japanese you will order the size that you can realistically eat.

My large absolutely stuffed me and I probably shouldn't have finished it, but I would rather do that than give the ramen shop owners any reason to deride foreigners. Then again, the women next to me handed back plates half-full of noodles after giving up
.




After a last-minute DJ gig in Shibuya @ WOMB, these are mine and my friend's ramen from the shop right across from Shibuya 109. I ordered the spiciest miso-ramen they had. It was very spicey with chili oil and had me full on sweating. It was also huge and I couldn't finish it. Next, my friend's more modest miso-ramen, which he also gave up on. For a miso-ramen it looked more like a tonkatsu-ramen without all the fat.

¥800 each, and we were given a service ticket for free gyoza next time we return. A week in Japan and you will find yourself with a dozen pointcards and service tickets. Ramen's a competitive biz!





Teishoku lunch in Shimotazawa, ¥800 each.

I got the MAGURODON (tuna rice bowl) coming with pickles and miso soup, as well as a nearly rare poached egg served in cold soup. And my friends KAKIFRY (fried clams). Not outstanding but for $7 you can't really beat it - healthy, delicious, cheap. Now I'm remembering why lunch was my favorite meal in Japan. Most restaurants fling their doors open and offer their fare at super-cheap prices.









Negitoro-don Lunch @ ZIGZAG cafe in Shimokitawa, ¥800 plus ¥150 for drink service (I got a coke consumed in one draw on my straw. Hate that about Japan, beverages are served kids-size)

Delicious. The white stuff you see is Tororo which is a mucus-like, delicious result of a ground-up yam.

Edited by raji, 17 April 2007 - 08:12 AM.

[BryanZ]

I miss cheap Jap lunches. Keep posting. I need to go back to Japan.

[raji]

This pic highlights a few more elements of Japanese food culture.

Indeed Japan's most recent athletic export is it's competitive eaters. There are many of them. Many restaurants features an inhuman-sized rendition of their dish which, if you can finish off, you will be rewarded with money. Competitive eaters can eat their way across Japan for free, as long as they can finish it.

This guy finished off a 9.3 kilo ramen in a matter of 10 minutes and was rewarded ￥５０，０００ (about $450) for his effort. This is a ramen that this shop sells normally for 10 people to share. And of course they weighed and measured him before and after, this ramen adding 22 whole centimeters to his waist.

The other feature being that, first of all, most Japanese only have NAMAHOSO, the OTA broadcast channels, so have just several broadcast channels. On these channels is an inordinate amount of food programming. At any given time at least one of the channels will have a variety show on where the hosts are discussing, visiting, or in this case, competing at one of Japan's numerous restaurants. Food is filmed meticulously and you are introduced to the ingredients, chefs, and history of many types of cuisine in extreme detail. Besides making you hungry and introducing you to delicious deals all over town, living here you become a much more well-informed eater. So I find most Tokyoites more like Egullet members, knowing this spot and that.

Edited by raji, 17 April 2007 - 08:24 AM.

[raji]

I miss cheap Jap lunches.  Keep posting.  I need to go back to Japan.

Haha - will do Bryan!

MODS, I know this thread belongs in the Japan forum, and I'd love to link it over there, but I'm posting here more for educational purposes. Everything I've posted so far can be had at similar prices at Midtown Japanese restaurants. Japanese food is SOOO diverse that I find myself constantly introducing my friends and family to different kinds of dishes.

However, the next post is for pure envy.

[thelobster]

東京都 is a big place - where are you based, and what do you want to eat?

Tetsugen Nikusho near Shibuya might be worth checking if you speak Japanese - they have lots of different meats like boar, venison, horse, all very nicely prepared. And an excellent sake selection.

[Hiroyuki]

Thanks for all the photos, raji. (Seems like few New Yorkers are interested in responding to this thread of yours...)

I wonder if you'd like to contribute to the konbini eats, supermarket eats, depachika, and 100-yen shop threads here in the Japan Forum.

[raji]

Thanks for all the photos, raji.  (Seems like few New Yorkers are interested in responding to this thread of yours...)

I wonder if you'd like to contribute to the konbini eats, supermarket eats, depachika, and 100-yen shop threads here in the Japan Forum.

Hey Hiroyuki - now that I'm here, I'll gladly contribute to those threads if I can -

Well, the usual number were reading, but not many questions, no...

Well, as a technician, I will allow that the thread DOES belong here so I'll continue to post my culinary adventures here. I wish I hadn't been drained by some settai, otherwise I might actually have a budget to try more expensive restaurants....

Edited by raji, 17 April 2007 - 08:43 PM.

[raji]

東京都 is a big place - where are you based, and what do you want to eat?

Tetsugen Nikusho near Shibuya might be worth checking if you speak Japanese - they have lots of different meats like boar, venison, horse, all very nicely prepared.  And an excellent sake selection.

Great! Sounds like you've got your finger on the pulse.

While I'm not reading any newspapers or listening to the evening news in Japanese, in a restaurant situation my Japanese is pretty much fluent and nearly native. Also in sales meetings and talking to strange women at bars.

I'm bouncing around friend's houses and working out of them during the day. I'm based in Shimo-kitazawa until tomorrow, then Naka-Meguro. I'll also be over to Akebonobashi which is basically Yotsuya-sanchome/Ichigaya.

Looking to eat outstanding lunches for under ¥1000 or a sushi lunch for not much more, and dinners around ¥5000. I'm a NY-native so no need for any recommendations which would be eclipsed by the international community there. Mostly looking for standout Japanese traditional, nouveau, fusion, etc. - the types of places you see covered on TV programming....

I'm here until Monday. Thank you so much for your help!