anpanman

If you're interested in having fugu, I would try to get that while in Fukuoka. It's more of a local specialty there than in Osaka. Or better yet, take the 30 minute shinkansen ride to Shimonoseki and get it at the source of the best fugu in Japan.

That about sums up the Tsushima experience. And like Shimizu, they're doing a lot to bring in a good expat lunch crowd as well.

Here's a website for Tazuru Annex with descriptions of the various multi-course menus. In case you want to review.

Um. This is great, but why is it on the Japan board?

Komatsu in Torrance, or Thousand Cranes in Little Tokyo

Just wanted to correct you on your rosukatsu error. Rosukatsu is loin and hirekatsu is tenderloin. I also think there's some grade inflation going on here as Katsuhama puts out a decent product, but it doesn't really come close to the quality you can get in Japan.

You could try Acqua Pazza around Ebisu. I've been to their restaurant in Hiroshima and was pretty impressed. Their Shizuoka restaurant was recently featured on Gochi ni Narimasu, the off-shoot show from Guruguru99. Acqua Pazza is the flagship restaurant, but they have other specialty Italian restaurants around Tokyo as well.

What about the egg custard in the casserole? It usually comes to the table mid-meal, mostly unexpected on my part, but I do love it.

I think it might be useful to have a section on the myths and realities about MSG. It seems that there are so many people who feel the need to avoid MSG or have self-diagnosed themselves with MSG sensitivity, when it's probably something else. It seems to be a contributor to some Asian food phobias.

Just so you know, I'm Japanese, I know one of the managers, and they still don't take reservations. I believe their policy is to take reservations until 7pm, and then it's the waiting game. It seems your assumptions are on the wrong track.

Your version of melonpan is a specialized variation the standard melonpan, which is not a filled pastry, but a slightly dense and chewy bread. Here's a wikipedia page on the melonpan (with a couple factual errors). The Japanese Wikipedia entryhas more information. According to this entry, the filled melonpan was introduced in Hiroshima. For some pictorials on the melonpan, here is a melonpan blog. And here's another page with a pictorial of varieties of melonpan. Nonetheless, the most likely place you'll find a yakitate melonpan is at Cafe Zaiya on 41st St and Madison. I doubt that you'll find a filled version of melonpan in NYC, unless you find a packaged version in the refrigerator section of a Japanese grocery.

I had my first white curry at an odd 70s style kissaten in Okayama about 4 or 5 years ago. My friends who took me there seem to have been eating it for a while. It was very good.

I'm not sure if Ariyoshi is one of the best izakayas in NYC, but they are pretty decent. The Ariyoshi in Queens and the one on 53rd St have nothing to do with one another. The one in Queens is just a general Japanese restaurant serving dumbed-down Japanese food, while the one on 53rd is more of a watering hole with food. The Ariyoshi on 53rd changed ownership about a year ago, which has something to do with how inconsistent they've been, but it seems to be better than it was during the transition. Many of the signature items from a few years ago aren't as good or even on the menu. I don't think these guys were around from the 80s. Also, the aozora site is badly in need of an update. The info is pretty outdated.

The closest places for homemade soba near Grand Central is Hatsuhana Park. I like their really light version. Another very good place is Hyo Tan Nippon (or Restaurant Nippon) on E. 52nd St, near Lex. They're associated with Soba Nippon, so maybe they make the soba for both restaurants. Here's their website. Check out the part describing where they source their buckwheat.

Lunch no joou was very entertaining. It revolves around a yoshoku restaurant, so there are some great scenes and dialogue around things like Omu-raisu (I think from the very first scene), and attempts to make the best demi glace, among many others. Takeuchi Yuko's great in the title role, as were Eguchi Yosuke and Satoshi Tsumabuki, and one of Japan's favorite hotties, Ito Misaki. Here's a link to a Jdorama site on Lunch no Joou. Another great food drama is Oosama no Resutoran (King's restaurant). This story is set in a struggling French restaurant, and it really goes into the culture of French cuisine. And there's plenty of food scenes to enjoy. Here's the Jdorama link: Oosama no Resutoran Another worthwhile comedy/drama is Manhattan Love Story, which is a parody of a love story, set in a kissaten. Not too many food scenes, but there's just enough. It's more serious about coffee, actually. Here's the Jdorama page: Manhattan Love Story