MoGa

If they're really brave what you'll get are things like hueva de mujol served this way: http://blog.yam.com/aegonfelix/article/8503330 - 5th & 6th photos from the bottom (just past the omelet photos). - the blog shows a Japanese restaurant in Taiwan BTW There are a lot of similarities between much of the 'old school' Spanish bar food and many Japanese dishes. It would be wonderful if someone was aware enough of the gastronomy from both cultures to be able to adequately exploit this. During the Edo period, the Japanese considered the word's three greatest delicacies to be sea cucumber, sea urchin, and mullet roe (konowata, uni & karasumi). None of these are out of synch with Spanish tastes, even Etxebarri is serving sea cucumber

Thank you helenjp. Your post is yet another perfect example of why I love this forum so much. (And the youtube link is wonderful!)

There's a line relating to dried pasta I won't cross. If I can't get it to an 'al dente' texture I'm not interested, this rules out many of the generic supermarket pastas in Britain and Spain (and Japan). I won't substitute good olive oil for pomace oil or another vegetable alternative, thankfully, what I regard as 'good' olive oil isn't necessarily expensive. Thankfully I can buy panko very cheaply in London, I brown it in olive oil with some garlic and other herbs and sprinkle it on food instead of parmesan. This is very economical. And no matter how poor I am I never buy eggs from non-free range hens. Thankfully more and more products in the UK that have eggs in them are using free-range eggs, Hellman's mayonnaise is a good example of a product I've been able to start buying again recently.

http://www.01ch.com/ramen/anaya.html Anaya 2-4-3 Honmachi, Shibuya ku, Tokyo MAP showing relation to Shinjuku & Yoyogi stations This is a Tsukemen Ramen recommendation - the odd thing about this place is that it's one restaurant in the afternoons, but a completely different one in the evenings. The recommendation is for lunch times. Here's another link that suggests it's called Naito at night. http://gourmet.livedoor.com/restaurant/113...s/detail/19906/ The photo shows their 'shoyu tamago' ---- There's a clip of a shio ramen restaurant in this youtube link that he can recommend called Aiueo website: http://aiueo.nu/ 3-1-11 Meguro MAP in relation to Meguro station I'm afraid we can't give you a good recommendation for shoyu ramen after all.

Has Antiu Xixona opened up a branch in Barcelona yet? The first ice cream parlour using this name opened in Alicante nearly 2 years ago, and according to this article: http://www.mundofranquicia.com/mfc/noticia...hp?notinum=8921 there are plans to open more in other parts of the country. Antiu Xixona (Which means 'old Jijona') is a brand name of la Asociación de Artesanos del Helado and is reserved for thieir premium products (the turrones used are first rate), unfortunately, I can't find any information at all in their website: http://www.heladosalacant.com/ Here's a youtube clip of their Alicantinian store (they actually have two of these revolving display cases)My last visit was short so I only got to try the yema tostada, I'm looking forward to sampling lots of other flavours.

We don't really have access to good fresh ramen noodles, so I'm afraid we resort to the Maruchan brand (picture in THIS LINK) Like you, I was quite careful to get the ingredients right the first time I made it, I'm not nearly so bothered anymore. Tomatoes are certainly essential to this dish. I make a scruffy Japanese style omelet (with plenty of dashi and mirin) which I then turn into shreds, we also like julienned courgettes/zuchinis and strips of leek, which I just toss into the pan once the omelet is ready, I like to keep some raw leek aside as his has a different taste. I'll also shred any suitable fish product we may have to hand - prawns, crab sticks, even pieces of chikuwa. I always salt julienned cucumber before I add it, I just don't like it 'raw'. We usually have slow cooked shiitake in the fridge (they've become a kitchen staple as they last so long) so I'll slice some of these up too - but you're right, they don't add that much to the dish. My husband will add pieces of ham if he has some. There is a limit to what we'll add though - wilted spinach with a drop of sesame oil or wakame seem like good ideas, but then it starts tasting like bibimbap. I don't always like it with beni shouga (red ginger) either, although I do sometimes add some fine shredded cabbage or an extra sprinkle of shredded nori. I believe you'll enjoy it more when the weather gets really warm. It's for those days when you want something light and refreshing, perhaps a little vinegary, but crave something with more weight to it than a simple salad. When it's hot, I occasionally crave it in a similar (but different) way to gazpacho (which is harsher).

There's a real dearth of recommendations for good soba restaurants in Tokyo on the internet. Anyway, here's another one Towada (there are a few others with this name) The one I'm recommending can be seen in this link: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g061100/ The address in English: 1-13-4 Asakusa, Taito ku, Tokyo THIS MAP shows you where it is in relation to Asakusa stations (on the right) and Asakusa Park. Very different soba style to Hojinbo/Hojimbo.

Incidentally, as it's vaguely on-topic... If anyone is curious about Japanese bakery items (not patisserie items), the Japan Centre at 213 Piccadilly has just opened a bakery section with a variety of Japanese choices. (On the left hand side, past the cashiers and crockery, a selection of baskets against the wall) These go quickly, so by the evening the remaining selection is meagre or non-existent, but if you ever wanted to try classics such as melon-pan, at least once, this is the place.

I hesitated about including this information in the 'everything ramen' thread (gyoza arguably comes under this category), but found this dedicated thread. --- For those who are drawn to ramen places mainly for the gyoza, there is a place where a selection of gyoza restaurants are huddled together. I regard the environment in which they're situated 'challenging' - the sort of place that can only be enjoyed by the sort of connoisseurs of kitsch who openly enjoy the seedier-yet-still-family-friendly corners of places such as Niagara Falls, Las Vegas, Benidorm, Lourdes, Blackpool or Southend, at least on their first visit. It's the misleadingly named Gyoza 'stadium' in Namja Town (entry fee required) in the Sunshine City Complex in Ikebukuro. (Same location as the Ikebukuro Sunshine Prince Hotel.) There's a video tour somebody uploaded here: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=0a0oAJnNTog Familiarise yourself with the location of the nearest fire exits before you settle down to eat there. Only reason I know about Namja Town is because we went specifically to buy dried miracle fruit there. Unfortunately, I needed to sit outside in a wheelchair (in front of the gyoza stadium adverts) whilst my non-kitsch appreciating husband went inside to get the berries. They were kind enough to give him a generous discount on the entrance price. I got a full and fresh second-hand commentary on the wonders inside Namja Town. There's currently some kind of Gyoza Challenge event at Gyoza Stadium featuring highlights such as monster lobster gyoza and 1 metre long gyoza More infor here: http://www.sunshinecity.co.jp/sunshine/event/e0114.html

I'll ask for some specific recommendations for you and post them this evening. I just wanted to clarify that when my partner advised against "places that serve a variety of different styles of ramen" he didn't mean somewhere like the Yokohama Ramen Museum. Each restaurant there concentrates on their own speciality. Apparently this is one of the better places in Tokyo to sample Sapporo style Miso ramen, as you did.

Hiroyuki, you're as much a ramen enthusiast as I am! My husband does come into this category (although not to an obsessive degree), and I have a healthy spectator's interest (as I think anyone who saw Tampopo at an impressionable age can't help but have). We had another conversation about ramen last night sparked by the tonkotsu/shoyu/shio ramen comments. His view is that in Tokyo, tonkotsu ramen is usually the 'safe' choice. Those serving tonkotsu ramen are more likely to serve an acceptable version of this style than those offering shoyu (or shio) ramen. Hiroyuki's post about the probable origins of tonkotsu lend support to his view om why this is... the stock is robust enough to resist mistakes and apathy (and plain old bad cooking) in the kitchen. When shoyu ramen is done well, he won't hear a thing against it, but he recognises the discrepancies in quality associated with this style and that they are wider than those found amongst the tonkatsu joints. This makes them riskier prospects. What he advises anyone against are places that serve a variety of different styles of ramen (described as ramen equivalents to Denny's), the chances of finding decent versions of any of the ramens is slim, chances of finding bad examples, very high. ---- P.S. I notice there are no reports on Ramen Jiro here. According to the family expert, it's like eating noodles in molten haggis (if haggis was made of pork and not sheep). Apparently, this isn't a bad thing, but you wouldn't want to go there every day. Definitely an occasional treat worth having only occasionally.

My favourite is William Curley (Richmond). I got a real taste for the patisserie in Tokyo and Mr Curley satisfies this beautifully with his own wonderful creations.

Alas, yes. Graters, mandolins, strainers, metal bento boxes with elastic belts... my favourite purchase so far has been a set of tea cups that stack. There's the cup, the strainer, the lid and the citrus squeezer. All the pieces are ceramic and fit together like a Russian doll. Alas, they seem to have stopped stocking them a while back. --- I saw torakris showed a picture of her 漬物器　tsukemonoki - pickle press. I'd love to get a couple of these. Does anyone have a recommendation pertinent to Tokyo? (Or, perhaps better still, a practical way of making my own)

As mentioned, according to "The Meaning of Liff" PIMLICO (n.) Small odd-shaped piece of plastic or curious metal component found in the bottom of kitchen rummage drawer when spring-cleaning or looking for Sellotape. http://folk.uio.no/alied/TMoL.html#anchorP I guess a pimlico could be used for this end. It might be its only useful function. --- It's been ages since I've seen this. Shoeburyness has always been a favourite (my English grandmother lived there). But there are some lovely treasures, such as SHANKLIN (n.) The hoop of skin around a single slice of salami. (which can now be updated to include chorizo) and HENSTRIDGE (n.) The dried yellow substance found between the prongs of forks in restaurants.

It is confusing, and I think it also depends on who you speak to in Tokyo. Shoyu ramen may be accepted as the standard Tokyo ramen style, but the reality isn't so cut and dried. For instance, Tokyo's most famous ramen place/brand is Ramen Jiro, which serves tonkotsu ramen. Tonkotsu is the preferred ramen choice for many Tokyo residents. My husband (who's from the city and who spent five years there quite recently) enjoys both the shoyu and tonkotsu styles, yet when asked a similar question recently he had the impression that there were more tonkotsu ramen restaurants in Tokyo. It may depend on the neighbourhood you live in and what grabs your attention. The only thing that appears consistent is that Tokyo is not a great place to find miso ramen.

This brand was recommended to me http://www.kanda-izumiya.com/cook/lst_oil.htm It's on my 'must buy' list for my next visit to Japan. (the shop that sells it also stocks tamari by the way) Address in English here: http://www.bento.com/rev/1873.html

Could you tell us which country you live in? Responses will be more useful with this information. EDIT TO ADD: I see from another thread that you are in Canada (additional edit to remove link to this thread) Most of the companies that import shoyu for the North American market seem to import tamari also.

Thank you very much for this information, I'll keep looking. This thread helped me avoid all the brands that offered Toban Djang without any broad beans listed in the ingredients, so we settled on the Lee Kum Kee version which at least featured some broad beans. Although it smells appetising, the flavour lacked balance, it became more pronounced in the aftertaste whereas the initial impact of the sauce with every new mouthful was thin and reedy. It developed into something fuller and more satisfying only after several chews tasting best whilst you swallowed it. The sauce is also quite thin, much more watery than in the image above and nothing to match the intensity of colour. I can't help but suspect that good douban jiang would yield its flavour more fully from the moment you put it in your mouth.

I'd just say plan your travel and accommodation well in advance. Don't make the mistake some do and assume it's near enough Barcelona that you'll be able to return there after your meal (apart from the distance involved, the winding coastal roads are death traps in the evenings) There are dedicated threads for El Bulli in the Spain forum. Why not enquire there?

The other problem with going to these places is that you can never truly enjoy sushi from less accomplished sources ever again. Once the bar gets raised, it stays there. No wonder Jiro Ono's place is so modest, it's a crack den.

Nearly forgot. Opposite of Kururi, just across the Yamanote line and moat, you'll see the tall Hosei University building which looms like a skyscraper. From what I could tell when I was taken there, anyone can go into the University canteen. This certainly qualifies for budget fare. As you go into the canteen hall you'll see trays with food samples on them. Decide what you like the look of and buy appropriate tickets from the machine. Once you have the tickets then you can approach the serving counters. From what I remember, most of the dishes were around ¥300. Avoid the peak lunch hours (as that's when the students will require their facilities), but if you go after 2pm there should be lots of room. There's enough room that you should be able to find a corner where your children can relax comfortably.

That sushi was an exercise in persistence and tenacity. I hope you enjoyed it! I love the glimpse of your tea, looks like the stuff you're supposed to have a sushi restaurant - konnacha.

You'll be near one of my favourite soba restaurants Shinano - open lunchtime 11:30-15:30 and evenings 17:00- 20:30, Saturdays 11:00 - 19:30, closed on Sunday. http://shinjukuku-kushouren.net/itten/shinano/ 2-10 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku ku. Map showing where it is in relation to Iidabashi station http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&ge...z=17&iwloc=addr As well as soba there are other items such as tempura - everything is cooked to perfection --- If you follow the moat down from Iidabashi station towards Ichigaya you'll pass one of Tokyo's most celebrated Ramen restaurants. Unfortunately, the popularity of this place and limited opening hours means that there is usually a queue (I'd avoid 12-2pm) MAP The place is called Kururi, address is 3-2 Ichigayatamachi Here's a youtube video with more info A bowl of noodles here is around ¥700, unfortunately, it's not really the best place for toddlers.

There's always Kami no Shizuku (The Drops of the Gods) http://search.japantimes.co.jp/rss/fg20080411a1.html Don't worry too much about impenetrability amongst Japan's restaurants, Michelin hardly touched on what's available and didn't necessarily pick out the 'best in class' of what they did sample For instance Okina in Ebisu got in but none of Tokyo's truly great soba restaurants got a mention. And then there's places like Aronia de Takazawa which were overlooked entirely. http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_a...0and%2520Travel The anomaly is that we get to read about this place in English, who knows how many other gems like this are hidden away in Tokyo's warren of streets, and new restaurants are constantly being opened - competition is fierce. Tokyo has been keeping me happy for several years as I can eat like a princess there for a fraction of the price of what an equivalent might cost me in London. For instance, before Michelin released their guide I went to Chez Tomo for a wonderful lunch (I found out about it from a Japanese blog I couldn't even read). Several courses cost me about 15GBP. Here are the photos that got me interested http://torutoru.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/200.../post_31aa.html - part of my choosing to eat here was that the location was convenient An hour out of town and there's the hauntingly beautiful Ukai Toriyama http://www.ukai.co.jp/toriyama/ where a multi course dinner in a semi-private setting can be had for 20-25GBP (or more). Best dinner I ever had in Japan was part of a Matsutake Ozen feast in the most ordinary of inns, a place for workers and retirees of a Nagoya prefecture area. Dinner, bed and breakfast was 60GBP each. There were four of us served in our own hall. The portions of matsutake were so generous we woke up smelling of the mushroom next day (much nicer than it sounds). I've eaten at Nobu, Nobu didn't even come close. More expensive doesn't necessarily equate better, just as a meal at the Ivy isn't necessarily going to be better than that at a gastropub. But I don't doubt that those 'in the know' with deep personal or company pockets have access to staggeringly good food. My point is that, if you know where to look and how to appreciate it, everyone else has a good shot at it too. It's entirely possible that you might consider a ¥630 bowl of noodles at Kururi, 3-2 Ichigayatamachi (near Ichigaya station MAP ) to be one of the best meals you ever had in your life. The passion and attention to detail lavished onto the speciality here is as focused and dedicated as that of any of the world's leading chefs. By somersaulting over people like this to concentrate solely on getting into more exclusive and supposedly more rarefied establishments you end up missing out on many of the culinary world's greatest offerings.

The article has had over 200 responses, most of them indignant and rather fiery (I expect it's the heartburn). A few bloggers are raging too. When he said 'closer to home' he may have meant it in relation to all his readers. Perhaps he just needed to get all his facts straight before he launched this particular onslaught, which is more on a cherished National institution than on a lauded establishment. He's certainly hit a nerve though. It's an attack on a very sacred culinary cow... I mean pig. People are genuinely livid. (PS - couldn't see a 'take down' in your link - just a very complimentary review)