torakris

If I was going to eat kaiseki but didn't want to pay kaiseki prices I would go to Ukai Toriyama. This is, I believe, actually a robatayaki restaurant but the meals are served kaiseki style (brought one course at a time). It is the most beautiful setting for a restaurant that I have ever been to, every group is served in separate rooms all connected by footpaths and bridges. It is hard to believe you are in Tokyo (actually it is Hachioji, the outskirts of Tokyo). The menu is very simple you have a couple choices for meals ending with either grilled chicken or grilled beef. The chicken courses start at 4700 (about $45) and go up to 6800 (about $65), beef are a little more pricey. The restaurant is located on the slopes of Mt.Takao and it would be a wonderful day or half day trip from Tokyo. Some info in English their Japanese homepage

It took me a long time to learn to love bitter melons (goya is the Okinawan word and nigauri the Japanese). I had heard that rubbing them with salt and letting them sit for a bit would help ease the bitterness, as would parboiling them. I usually do both. I don't know how much it really helps though, but since I enjoy the bitter flavor now I am not sure why I still bother. Last year in Japan I found a white bitter melon they called a salad goya and it had almost no bitterness at all, I didn't see it this year though.... now that foo yu could take some getting used to....

so the coca cola variation is everything else the same but with the coke in place of water? tepee, In Japan whole eggs are often added to braised meat dishes as well.... I do it quite often , it is like an extra side dish without the hassle.

I have been unable to find this shio natto anywhere near my house.. Last summer a friend brought back a couple packs after visiting family in Yamagata, but last week my MIL brought over 6 packs that she found at a depachika near our house. They were having a special fair with foods from Yamagata. Last night I mixed it with a bit of boiled melokhiya, tossed it with soem soy sauce and karashi and put it all on top of tofu.

more hiyayakko last night with natto and melokhiya, dressed with a karashi (Japanese mustard) and soy sauce dressing

is there some way to tell by looking at them (or touching them) if the yolks are soft?

Are they really supposed to be runny? The ones I have eaten in Japan always have very firm yolks, like this. DO you think they are old?

there are quite a few places from beer to shumai to cheese and milk. What part of Japan are you looking for? do you wnat the tours in English or Japanese?

here is a post from the mountain potato thread that describes the various types with a link to a site that has pictures.

namaimo or nagaimo? namaimo often written as　生芋　literally means "raw potato" though you don't see it used all that often. It can also be used to refer to the "potato" used for making konnyaku, either as the name of the potato or the process by which the konnyaku is made. The latter is a more common usage. You may see konnyaku labeled as namaimo konnyaku, this means it is made the old fashioned way by grating the raw "potato" (imo) this gave it the gray color. Modern methods use coloring from sea vegetables such as hijiki to give it a grey color. Recipes for making konnyaku from scratch call the "potato" (imo) different things, most commonly konnyaku-imo but also namaimo and 生玉。I am not sure of the reading of the last characters but possibly ikutama? (namatama, sounds funny ) Anybody? now if you actually meant nagaimo.....

I am glad you figured out the pictures. Great review! I am looking forward to more.

I remember seeing these on my last trip to Japan. The food looks good, but I'm not sure about the name. It reminds me of when I found out what was in those cans of "new corned beef." ← I know what you mean about the name, I never would have gone to the place if my in-laws hadn't taken me the first time... For those who don't know much Japanese bikkuri means surprise, so I always joked to my husband that it was Surprise! Donkey Meat! After the first time we ate there my 4 year old commented in the car that he wanted to go to bikkuri-shita donkey again, it doesn't sound as funny in English but by adding that shita in there the name of the store becomes 'The Surprised Donkey' and it just conjured up a very funny image.

I really agree with Rona here, for me the kaiseki meal is more about the experience and atmosphere than the food. I have only enjoyed a kaiseki when someone else in paying I could have ten better meals for the price of one kaiseki in most instances.

My new favorite in the family restaurant kind of place is Bikkuri Donkey, this is a restaurant that serves just hamubaagu, a hamburger without the bun, and very cheaply. I can feed my family of 5 for 2500 yen (under $25) and feel very full. You can choose between a set with rice and salad that all comes on one big dish or the meal on a hot iron plate that sizzles in front of you. You can also chose the size of the hamubaagu from 100g up to 400g as well as the topping. My favorites are the Japanese style with shiso and grated daikon and the one with pineapple and teriyaki sauce. their menu click on menu pick up and then click on any of the menu choices to view the selection they don't show prices, but they range from 500 yen to 1000yen (for the 400g).

beetee, I think it was you who mentioned this place before. I checked their homepage (link to the menu) and I see they have finally opened one by me. As well as two in Singapore. I will have to go check them out.

I would like to do it next winter, but if my sister has her wedding in France in the fall we will be going there instead... Then Malaysia would be two years from now. How is the travelling around the Christmas and New Years holidays? ← You won't be able to go to the East Coast then, because that's monsoon season and the roads may be impassible. West Coast should be OK; right, West Coast people? ← The other time of year we may be able to go would be late April to Early May, is this a better time of year for travelling around? tepee, those lunches look incredible!!

Is this the same dish as "red cooked chicken"? I have seen recipes for this and the ingredients look similar.

9/16: どんがら汁 dongara jiru This is a speciality of Yamagata prefecture that can be made with salmon. It is similar to sanpei jiru but the other main ingredients tend to be tofu and scallions and with a miso base. dongara jiru

homemade noodles? wow!

I would like to do it next winter, but if my sister has her wedding in France in the fall we will be going there instead... Then Malaysia would be two years from now. How is the travelling around the Christmas and New Years holidays?

Here is the homepage for the Seki cutlery hall It is almost 3 1/2 hours away from Tokyo (one way), including a 50 minute bus ride. I have never been there but considering the quantity and price of knives in Kappabashi, I am not sure it is worth the easily $200 and 7 hour round trip. If you are actually planning on visiting Gifu it might be a good place to drop in.

9/15: 三平汁 sanpei jiru This soup is another speciality of Hokkaido. It is made with salted salmon, daikon, potatoes, carrots and onions, though other vegetables can be added as desired. The broth can be seasoned simply with just salt or with sake lees, I have even seen a couple recipes for miso. sanpei jiru with sake lees and with a simple salt flavored broth

9/14: チャンチャン焼き chan chan yaki This is dish of salmon (often a whole side of it) and vegetables all covered with a miso sauce. This is a very popular food for BBQs and the vegetables can be anything you have on hand though they usually include, onions, carrots and bean sprouts and other things like cabbage and mushrooms. The salmon is placed on a plate in teh middle of the grill and the vegetables form a circle around it, the sauce is placed on top and everything is cooked until done. It is then often mixed together just before eating. chanchanyaki on the grill and in a hot plate

are you asking about the US or Japan?

Well you guys have decided it for me... Our next family trip will be to Malaysia. we still have enough miles for two more trips within Asia (we will be in Bali this Christmas). My husband and I were debating between Malaysia and Vietnam, but after reading all of these threads on KL/Malyasian food with the gorgeous pictures, Malaysia it will be!