torakris

I forgot to add that I also found a new hi-chew flavor, American cherry! It wasn't bad but I was hoping for it to be a little more exciting. I want the lime one back......

two recent Pocky purchases mont blanc flavor and almond crush, both very good

I saw this one in the store yesterday, it was almost 3 times more expensive than the one I bought. There is a very good chance it tasted much better. Cassis seems to be the flavor of the moment, I found tehse yesterday but didn't really care for them...

If this happens then you have really done your tonkatsu wrong! Gus has hit all the right tips for tempura, very cold, barely mixed batter (made with very low protein four) and frying in small portoins at a steady heat. Some people even suggest keeping the foods refrigerated as well. And others swear by beer or soda water instead of regular water.

Thanks for that report! I have really been wanting to go there, but 40,000 for 3 people?! That is my eating out budget for 4 months! I would love to see your pictures!!

I am not sure exactly what it was but did it look something like this? This is one of my favorite foods! But I must admit that if I was in high school and someone tried to serve it to me, I probably would have run... There are many ways to cook these small fish, the picture above is dish called tsukudani; foods are simmered for a long time in a sweetened soy based sauce. Fish bones are quite edible, they just have to be small enough or cooked enough. Oh, and welcome to eGullet and the Japan forum!!

Congratulations!!

Yes it does. Natsukashii is one of my favorite Japanese words and I wish we had a good equivalent in English. ← Does it have a different feeling than the English "nostalgic"? To keep this vaguely on topic, I will admit that I have yet to ever buy a bottle of Kewpie mayo - something I will remedy this weekend when I again visit/bother my favorite Japanese shopkeepers. Also, I want one of those マヨマニアTシャツ!! ← You have never bought kewpie?!?! Natsukashii is sort of a step beyond nostalgic in that it is more memory evoking. For example. If I was in the car and Wham's Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go came on the radio I would probaly squeal "natsukashiiiiiii" to who ever was in the car with me. You couldn't express these feelings in just one word in English. Now that I have showed my age....

Yes it does. Natsukashii is one of my favorite Japanese words and I wish we had a good equivalent in English.

You could hardly call it pizza though. Please refer to the abomination with the fish roe. If someone can truely say with all conviction that what they are eating is the highly developed result of pizza evolution I will stand up and applaud them loudly. Keep it simple, keep it real. ← Don't knock it until you've tried it! I am not a fan of most Japanese pizzas but that cod roe one was really good. I am sure many Japanese would cringe at what some American have done to sushi. I just received the new Domino's flyer today and they new spring pizza looks interesting. Asparagus and shrimp with an avocado sauce

Maybe one of the really big department store basements? I know that I have seen some place where they were scooping it out of a big barrel, I can't remember where though.... I think I also saw a store selling it like that in Asakusa but I can't remember what else they were selling. I am not sure why I even bothered to reply to your post even though I have no answer...

I started the this thread with the above post and now yesterday (almost 3 years later) I am in possesion of Pizza Hut's latest flyer. They have taken the sausage stuffed crust to a new level! Now the sausage in the crust is left partly exposed that that it gets "crunchier", and if that wasn't enough they have also added a layer of cheese and bacon under the sausage! Check it out here!

Sushi grade tuna (or any other kind of fish) means that it can be eaten raw. If the fish is not sushi grade I wouldn't recommend eating it without cooking. Even in Japan the fish in the supermarket are divided into those that can be eaten raw and those that can't. THe fish meant for raw eating should say on the label either 刺身用　(sashimi you) or 生食用 (nama shoku you). In most stores they are even in completely separate cases. Most tuna is going to be frozen, much of the catch is caught so far away it must be flash frozen on the boat. There was some talking of parasites and raw fish starting with this post (it starts out about salmon but the discussion leads into other fish )

Rice, especially for small kids, is best rolled into rice balls (onigiri). These can be seasoned with anything you desire. The smaller the kid the smaller the balls should be. The balls should be formed when hot and then cooled to room temperature before adding to the lunch box. They are fine without ice for quite a while, the Japanese have been eating them this way for centuries. Eggs for small kid's bentos are best as slightly sweetened omelettes, the salt and sugar help keep them fresh for a couple hours without refrigeration. Another great thing for small children are boiled quail eggs, the perfect size for little mouths.

Jen, That gyudon looks REALLY good! even at 7:00am......

I am not quite ready for that..... Here is an English recipe for those who want to try.

I had a really nice natto for breakfast yesterday, it was ume fuumi (ume taste) with kurozu (black vinegar). I mixed it with some blanched chopped okra and really enjoyed it. here is a picture of the package

Actually sake lees are available in almost any supermarket, so you don't have to worry about making your own. I know there is a discussion about illegality of home brewing in Japan around here somewhere....

You might want to take a look at the Bento thread in the Japan forum, you might get some ideas there. The later pages tend to focus more on bentos for kids (with may pictures). Almost any Japanese food is meant to be good at room temperature.

basashi (horse sashimi) turned into the Korean dish yukhwe (yuke)

This is one of my favorite salads using daikon but it is grated not julienned, I originally posted this in the daikon thread. My favorite recipe for grated daikon (I make this a lot!) Japanese spinach salad (sorry, I am not very creative with names) Boil until tender 1 bunch of spinach rinse under cold water, drain sqeezing out excess water, and season with a sprinkling of mirin, soy sauce, and dashi (if you don't have the mirin or dashi don't worry about it.) remove the seeds (and skin if you like), then dice 1 tomato grate enough daikon to equal 1 cup (about 1/3 to 1/2 a daikon) this should be a very fine grating, similar to grated ginger drain off the excess liquid, I place it into a cheesecloth and wring it out gently. In a bowl stir together 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar 1 Tablespoon sugar stir until dissolved, then add the chopped tomato and grated daikon and mix gently. Place the spinach into a shallow bowl or a dish with sloping sides and place the daikon, tomato mixture on top. Serve.

I have never seen anyone dip their shabu shabu in an egg but that doesn't mean that it isn't done somewhere.....

Really good! I will definitely do it again. Horse meat is usually just eaten as sashimi here and it is nice but this is so much better.

Newest from MOS Katsu curry rice burger! A deep fried pork katsu is deep fried and placed between two rice "buns" but not before being topped with a special curry sauce made with almonds, cashew nuts, edamame, raisins, tomato, etc. If that wasn't enough they also cram some shredded cabbage and macaroni salad on there as well. It sounded good unril I got to the pasta part.... the rest of the current menu

kuma, welcome to egullet and the Japan Forum! I don't have an answer for your question, I will save that for our local pickle expert. I can't wait to hear more about your cooking adventures! Sake, wow!