torakris

Raw and rare chicken isn't unusual in Japan, though most restaurants that serve it are quite proud of where there chicken comes from and how it was raised.　Chicken sasami (tenderloin) is probbaly the most common and even many cookbooks/cooking magazines have recipes in which the tenderloin is dipped in hot water for just seconds, this turns the outside white while the inside is still that creamy peach pink.

The deer meat was incredible! I will eat it again in a heart beat. It is now ranking up there with as one of my favorite foods.

I think that pic was one years Osechi am I right? ← Yes, you are right! It was from my foodblog during the New Years holidays a couple years ago!

I would recommend the IH rice cookers if: --you cook rice a couple times a week --you eat rice because you love rice, it is not just something you dump a stirfry on top off --you are sometimes in a hurry and need that rice in 14 minutes --like to cook brown rice perfectly --occassionally make other rice dishes like okayu, takikomi, etc --prefer your rice either firmer or softer than the one button rice cooker makes it --pick one with a timer if you like rice for breakfast or to be ready when you get home from work In the other thread I wrote: Fuzzy logic rice cookers are disappearing from the shelves as the IH cookers have now taken over. I purchase a pretty high end model about 2 years ago (in Japan) for about $250 and have never looked back. The rice does cook better and the brown rice comes out perfectly even with no soaking. There are different water levels for white and brown rice and the cooking time is different as well, my cooker takes 60 minutes for brown and 38 minutes for a regular white. It also has a speed function and can cook 2 cups in 14 minutes (5 cups takes 18). I really like the curry rice function (this makes rice to eat with curry not the curry itself), it takes 25 minutes and it isn't as sticky and a little firmer. Here is my post from when I first purchased it: I bought one of the new IH rice cookers a little over 2 months ago, it is a Sanyo that is most likely not available outside of Japan. tongue.gif I love it! It cooks brown rice better than any other rice cooker/pan method. You first pick the kind of rice from plain white, brown, sprouted, brown-sprouted, no wash, etc then you can choose the texture desired from things like normal, softer, harder, chewy, etc as well as special settings for okowa (sticky rice), rice to serve with curry rice (harder than average), sushi rice, etc. It also has the typical setting for okayu (rice gruel) and mixed rice dishes. It cooks Jasmine, Basmati and American long rice perfectly as well, they don't have setting for these kinds of rices but I just use the typical white rice setting. I find their normal rice is a bit soft for my liking to always set it to katame (firmer). The typical rice course cooks in 38 minutes quite a bit faster than my old fuzzy logic Zojirushi and the fast course can cook in 18 minutes and it makes incredible rice.

I would definitely recommend Heichinrou, I have been there on numerous occasions (both the China town store and the smaller one just 5 minutes from my house). It is Cantonese and can get pricey but they have really good lunch deals. I really hate to say this about Yokohama's China town but it is very easy to get a bad meal here and an overpriced one at that. In most of Japan you can pick a restaurant randomly off the street and get a good if not wonderful meal. I have tried this numerous times in China town and have been disappointed every time. I have tried little mom and pop style noodle shops as well as he monstrous palace like places that serve a little of everything. I now head right to Heichinrou where I know I will get consistently good food. The little shops on the street are quite good, especially the roasted chestnuts, any of the pork buns and the sweet deep fried sesame coated balls.

Can we go to Tempura Kondo? I may be coming sooner than later! ← Just give me a date and a time and I will be there!!

For most people the word sashimi conjures up an image like this a plate of sliced raw fish, neatly plated However in Japan, fish is just the beginning. You name it and you can probably find it somewhere. What are some of your favorite (or least favorite) non-fish sashimi?? Just last weekend I was fortunate enough to be served an incredible shika (deer) sashimi, this was a first for me and I am hoping to able to enjoy it again sometime. I didn't think to pull out my camera at the time, but this is better than one I would have taken anyway. Some other non-fish sashimi we have discussed include: kujira (whale) sashimi Chicken parts, including brains, liver, gizzards, etc liver sashimi, including beef and chicken basashi (horse sashimi)

Aopther sanuki udon fan here!! I was hoping to get more information about that soba as well. It is some of the thinnest and lightest (in color) soba I have ever seen. The picture upthread looks like there was yuba (tofu skin) in it as well. The picture in your album of the man's soba looks thicker but still quite light in color. If you ever find out more information about that place let us know. Also the pictures of the menu (?) in your album, are those from the shop?

I didn't care for it, but I also detest all types of white chocolate...

Saturday was our elementary school's undokai (sports day) and I was rushed for time in the morning and snapped off only one picture just to have it be blurry.. top left: apples, spinach omelet, deep fried satumaimo (Japanese sweet potato), cherry tomatoes, lemon-parsley sausages and nowaza-na (a green) and chirimen-jyako (baby sardines) onigiri (rice balls) top left: yukari onigiri, more sausages, more tomatoes, more omelet bottom: chicken nanban-zuke (deep fried and marinated in a vinegar based dressing), more onigiri, more satumaimo and more tomatoes

The current new flavor of hi-chew is banana, I refuse to eat it but if anyone has sampled I am curious to know what it tastes like.

I think this one is on its way out but I really liked it and will pick it up again. blood orange flavor

I found this pictures in my imageGullet album and it looks like I never posted them... early summer flavors in Japan Tahitian vanilla and coconut Green tea

This was a daifuku combination I didn't care for. strawberry, matcha cream and anko (read bean paste)

I always thought of color on the plate as a good thing, those last two pictures prove me wrong!

That is really beautiful! Any idea why it is wrapped in a paper towel for over 5 minutes? Though from the picture it doesn't look like it, but was the tempura coating softened at all because of that?

Jennifer, Those are just amazing pictures! I can't wait to see the rest of the trip. I wish I was eating so well... Rona, Make sure you let me know when you are in town, I am more than happy to go out and eat with you!

I can't wait to see it! I just set my DVD recorder (DVR) to record it so I make sure I don't miss it.

v. gautam The dish is called hamaguri sushi (はまぐり寿司） and I thought of it because I knew I had seen recipes and pictures of it in older Japanese (in English) cookbooks. The name refers to the shape (hamaguri means clam) rather than the filling, it is usually made with just a simple vinegared sushi rice or extra infrediants depending on who is making it. Here is a recipe in English

Could it have been a thin omelette (usuyaki tamago) that was wrapped around something? Was it anything like this? The marks like this are usually made with a heated metal skewer.

I have scoured the site as well and can't find any information. I did request some free samples of their products though! If you could post a picture it would be great otherwise I am headed off to a supermarket in a couple hours and I could look for it there and report back.

I almost always use it within 2 days, any longer than that and it starts to get floppy. It is more of a loss of texture rather than flavor though. The thinner and more well washed they are the faster they should be used. Wrapped in a cool place in newspaper I imagine it would stay flavorful for close to a week.

Interesting! Maybe they are bored, I have never seen anyone scrutinize gobo in Japan before... Here are some tips for finding the best gobo: look for a medium thickness the thinner tips should stand straight, not be floppy look for those with little to no hairy roots look for those with no knobs avoid those that are cracked or split gobo that is still covered in dirt stays fresh longer Gobo loses its freshness very quickly so try to use it as soon as possible, if you need to store it wrap it in newspaper and store it in a cool place. Wash the dirt off just before using it. If you have bought gobo that has been washed store it in a bag in the refrigerator.

The price will depend upon the brand and then the series within the brand.. 4, 6 and 8 slice breads are all the same size loaf just cut into different thicknesses, 8 slice being about the size of American sandwich and 4 being double the thickness. The cheapest I have ever seen a package of bread is 98yen ($.86) and they can run up to 300 or 400 yen. They average price for supermarket bread is about 160 - 200 yen ($1.40-$1.75)

I usually get thin 8 slice, with my American sandwich tastes, but 4 slice is marvelous for the best French bread EVER. ← I used to get 8-slice when I lived in Japan, for frugality's sake. And sometimes "pan no mimi" if I was really broke. ← I usually get "8-slice" shokupan, too. It's only that "4-slice" shokupan is hard to come by, and I just had to grab it. ← I wonder if it is a regional thing? Where I am the 4 slice and 6 slice are sold everywhere, the 8 slice is the hardest to find. I can find it most times but 2 or 3 times out of 10 I end up with the 6 slice instead. I really love the 4 slice but am just too frugal...