smallworld

I'm pretty sure the dishes would be served together rather than in courses-- kaiseki was developed several centuries later. Somehow I doubt that diners cooked their own kamaboko. That just seems like a way of eating that Heain nobles would consider vulgar. I also think that they would eat in a banquet room, and not a kitchen-- so no fire in the middle of the room either. And kamaboko isn't really impressive enough to have been prepared in front of them by a chef, as some dishes were. My guess? The kamaboko was served cold and already cut up, with some sort of dipping sauce on the side. Incedentally, do you know the origin of the word "kamaboko"? They were originally called "gamanoho" for their resemblence, especially while being cooked on sticks, to the fuzzy pod (ho) at the top of a bullrush/cattail (gama). Over the centuries the pronunciation of "gamanoho" has been corrupted to "kamaboko".

Is it true that the polyphenols and other goodies in green tea start to break down soon after brewing? Wouldn't that mean there is little benefit (health-wise) to drinking cold green tea? Not that I'm going to stop drinking it, but I'm curious.

This was my contribution to Konnyaku day: ito-konnyaku to sakura-ebi no itame (konnyaku "strings" sauteed with dried baby shrimp). I liked it a lot, and even my konnyaku-hating husband enjoyed it.

With walnuts? In Japan? Sounds like hodo kwaja, Korean walnut cake. Does it look like this? If so, you have to tell me where you've seen them! They are one of my all-time favourite sweets, but I've never been able to find them outside of Toronto.

This is not strictly a food blog, but Up and Down Japan will cronicle my cross-Japan tour. The tour is 3 weeks and runs from Hokkaido down to Okinawa. The focus of the tour is on Japan and its culture and people, but I'm sure there will be plenty of good eating along the way. And I will be taking lots of pictures and trying to add as much food-related content as possible. The tour runs from March 6th to 26th, but the blog has already begun and will continue beyond the tour.

Hitchmeer, glad you're all settled in and eating well. I think pretty much every microwave sold here oven doubles as a convection oven. I've got one and although it does take some getting used to, it's been fine for baking and roasting. I can't recommend any particular brand, but I'd suggest you head to Akihabara on your next visit to Tokyo and check the ovens out for yourself. There seems to be a new generation of convection ovens that have all sorts of great features and look really cool. Which means that you can either buy a fancy new oven or get a great deal on a plainer old model.

Not in Tokyo, but when I lived in Tochigi I used to see them fairly often. Except only at my house, whenever I made them. Actually, now that I'm in Nishinomiya, I still make pierogi (just finished off the last 6 of the last batch I made) but haven't made patties in ages. I've wanted to, but have been too lazy. There are a couple of Jamaican restaurants in Kobe and I've been meaning to see if they have patties. Maybe they do mail order? edited to fix my tags ← I did make patties a few years ago, and they were nice. But I'm not very good at making pastry, and they just didn't have the right flaky texture. So eating them made me crave the real thing even more. I guess it just takes practice, so I should keep trying (any hints would be highly appreciated). And I'll have to try making pierogies too. The thing is, with other hard-to-find foods it's obvious why they're not more popular (real bagels are too firm and chewy, fresh cranberries, lingonberries etc are too tart, mutton and goat are too gamey and so on). But there's no reason at all why Japanese people wouldn't like patties or pierogies. So I keep hoping someone will introduce them and they'll become popular.

Yup, there are certain things that are just impossible to get here, so you learn to either make them yourself or do without. I think Japan and especially Tokyo has a terrific selection of food, and feel lucky to live here. That said, I really miss pierogies and (Jamaican) hot patties. I don't suppose anyone has seen them in Tokyo? Perhaps we should turn this into a "Where can I find ____ in Japan?" thread, and see if there's any way to satisfy those repressed cravings.

Any idea why it's called Turkey rice?

Motsunabe, a specialty of Fukuoka, at Koganeyain Shibuya. "Motsu" is a general term for variety meats, but the motsu in motsubabe is always beef intestine. Koganeya prepares their motsu in such a way that even people like me, who normaly can't eat organ meats, can eat it. And it's actually really good. See my blog for a more complete description of the meal.

My husband used to work in a ramen shop, and was quite proud of his broth. But do you think he's ever made ramen from scratch? No way. In fact I don't know anyone who's ever made ramen broth from scratch at home. But that doesn't mean it's a bad idea. I made pho from scratch last month, which is something I'd never attempt back home. But then, there are plenty of good Vietnamese restaurants in Toronto, and none in Tokyo. So if it's the only way you get to eat something you crave, then it's worth it. Making tonkotsu broth may be an all day affair, but don't let that put you off- it's the same for any other kind of ramen broth. In fact, I've always assumed tonkotsu was easier, since the broth is supposed to be opaque and boldly flavoured- it's much harder to make a clear, delicate broth. (For this reason, I find it's hard to find really good shio ramen- the simplest broth is the most difficult.) Each shop has its own recipe, with quite a lot of variation. So don't feel you have to stick exactly to the recipe- improvise and substitute if you need to. And remember that tonkotsu usually has more "condiments" than other types of ramen- stuff like minced garlic, chili paste, mentaiko, benishoga, and tanaka pickles can be ordered as toppings or added at the table. So even if your broth doesn't turn out perfectly, you can do a lot to fix it in the bowl. Good luck, really looking forward to seeing the results!

This blog is by a Canadian man teaching English in Utsunomiya. Not specifically food-related, but it might be worth having a look and/or getting in touch with the writer. http://sushiandmaplesyrup.blogspot.com/

OK, what is cream stew exactly? Does it have a western equivalent or is it a made-in-Japan food? And can it be made without the store-bought roux?

But why? I am fascinated with this thread but would really like to understand why sake and rice don't go together. ← Hmm, there was a discussion about just this subject recently, but I can't seem to find it. Anyway, there are three things to consider here. One, sake (which was once the only alcohol consumed in Japan) is made of rice. Two, each meal should have one, and only one, carbohydrate. That carboydrate could be rice, or udon noodles, or sake, but never more than one at the same time. So basically sake is considered to be a form of rice, and it just wouldn't make sense to mix starches like that. Now beer, whisky and wine are popular in Japan, but they're considered to be just variations of sake and the rule still holds. In fact, the word "sake" can be used to mean alcohol in any form. The third cosideration is that certain foods, especially fish and strongly flavoured foods, are thought to go well with sake. Bland foods like rice are a poor match for alcoholic drinks. Hope this hasn't confused things even more! It is worth noting that plenty of people completely ignore the rules, and there have always been exceptions. For example, soba noodles and sushi have always been considered excellent matches for sake.

I just made a wonderful discovery (via Accidental Hedonist): Autumn Omakase, a free downloadable cookbook from Tasting Menu. Just click the link and fill out a quick form, and download the .pdf file. Adobe Acrobat Reader version 6.0 required. I'm not sure if I'll actually try any of the recipes (they're a bit too fancy for Chez Smallworld), but the pictures are just gorgeous and the text is enlightening.

Isn't FoodEx open to those in the food industry only? Have any non-food industry folks had any luck getting in?

I have nothing to add- everything's been covered! I like Jason's idea of what to avoid. I really agree with the first one, family restaurants. Unless you're traveling with kids, there's no reason to go. But I have to disagree with the last two. I love Japanese curry and no matter how it's made I think it's a must-eat. If you don't get to try some in a Japanese home, then a chain is just fine. I recommend Curry House Coco Ichibanya. As a bonus, the picture menu makes ordering really easy. And Roppongi isn't that bad. Maybe not a must, but like it or not it is packed with restaurants and bars, some of them excellent. I know many tourists love the robatayaki restaurant Inaka-ya, and Roppongi Hills has brought some great places. Last month we had a wonderful lunch at Sunbou, and The Oak Door would be a great place for visitors who want a little break from Japanese food. My pick for places best avoided: Old-style chain cake shops like Fujiya. If you find a cake shop fronted with a life-sized bobblehead of a scary-looking little girl, keep away.

So Kristin, Hiroyuki, Halalsushi's obachan and I were the only ones who made yakisoba? I think we should declare this Yakisoba Week or Yakisoba Month to let everybody participate!

My husband had the tandoori chicken one a few weeks ago. It was good.

Here's what my husband cooked up: Negi yakisoba. Very simple with negi (scallions) and shrimp, flavoured with oyster sauce, chicken bouillon powder, garlic and ginger rather than the little powdered packs of sauce that come with the noodles. Topped with white scallion ends sliced and mixed with ground sesame, tobanjan (chili paste) and sesame oil. He mostly followed this recipe (Japanese), substituting shrimp for chikuwa. His usual yakisoba usually has so many gu (toppings- like pork, cabbage etc) that they almost spill out of the wok, so this simple recipe was a nice change. I liked it a lot and requested that he make it again soon (not likely but a girl's gotta try).

I am! Or rather, my husband is. He's in charge of the yakisoba around here. Pad Thai, mie goreng and yaki beefun are all my domain, but his yakisoba can't be beat. Would next weekend (September 10th/11th) be too soon?

Could it have been Pretz rather than Pocky? I tried maple butter Pretz early this year. It was good and I'd buy it again but I haven't seen it since- I think it was a seasonal item.

Cute!

That looks great, Kristin. Canada Dry also had a new, stronger ginger ale out some time ago. Forget what it was called but it was delicious and slightly ginger beery. Of course, the next time I went to the store it was gone...

Great topic, Hiroyuki. I can't believe we don't already have a canned coffee threed. I like the idea of canned coffee more than the coffee itself. I love the warming effect of the hot cans on a cold winter day. Although the number of coffee chains has exploded in recent years and it is now possible to buy a fairly cheap cup of take-out coffee nearly everywhere, this coffee will never replace canned coffee. Sure, it may taste much better, but you can't put a cup of coffee in your pocket to keep warm, can you? The sudden jolt of caffeine is also useful before a lesson or workout or while waiting for a train (that you don't want to fall asleep on and miss your stop again). As for the flavour, well, it's almost always disappointing. Kind of a gamble, choosing canned coffee, since the descriptions on the can never really match the contents. And with convenience stores/vending machines changing their line-ups so often it's a good bet that each can you try will be a new one. If you like it (I've found a few good ones) good luck trying to find it again. By the way, I read Kuhaku and I loved the canned coffee reviews. It says on the link Hiroyuki provided that they are accepting canned coffee reviews and will post the best ones. Anyone up for writing a review?