Japanese Food Word Association Game

[tupac17616]

I'm not gonna lie. I know next to nothing about Japanese cuisine, ingredients, culture or language – which makes me all the more excited for my upcoming trip to Tokyo. It is sure to be an eye-opener.

During late December/early January, I will be there for roughly a week, before heading to Shanghai and maybe one additional place (thinking of Bangkok/Chiang Mai…though I’m certainly open to suggestions) for the same length of time each. I will be traveling with two friends of mine, one of whom is reasonably well-versed in the language, and both of whom are nearly as food-obsessed as I am.

In looking for restaurant recommendations in a city like Tokyo, I scarcely know where to begin. I highly doubt the French Michelin inspectors have the cultural perspective to truly “get” Japanese food, and I pretty much loathe Zagat. Ratings, in general, are tough and can be misleading. Which is why I turn to you now. And also why I would like to keep this first post as general as possible.

Not that I have the slightest idea what I'm talking about, but I'm just gonna throw some words out there…

Still remember the place where you ate some amazing ____? Happen to know of the market/vendor/restaurant for ____ in Tokyo? Think a day or two outside the city in search of ____ is a worthwhile adventure? Please let me know! My stomach thanks you in advance!

anything live

bento

chawan mushi

cod sperm sac

congee

donburi

gyoza

homestyle japanese cuisine

horumonyaki

ikizukuri

izakaya

japanese knives

kakuni

karasumi

kaiseki ryori

miso soup

monja-yaki

natto

oden

odori ebi

osechi-ryori

ramen

robata-yaki

sake

sashimi

shabu shabu

shiokara

soba

sochu

somen

sukiyaki

sushi

tataki

tempura

teppanyaki

teriyaki

tonjiru

udon

wagashi

yakitori

zoni soup

I realize that the list is all over the place, but hopefully something on there will spark some ideas.

[prasantrin]

Are your dates fixed? Because that period is o-shogatsu (New Year's), so a lot of the really good little places will be closed for the holidays, from a few days to a full week, depending on the place.

No budget?

[tupac17616]

Are your dates fixed?  Because that period is o-shogatsu (New Year's), so a lot of the really good little places will be closed for the holidays, from a few days to a full week, depending on the place.

No budget?

Unfortunately, they are ...Dec 29th through Jan 5th. BUT, who's to say that I shouldn't spend that third week (after Tokyo+Shanghai) back in Tokyo?

As far as the budget goes, I couldn't even begin to guess what I should allot for my time in Tokyo. And I am a grad student, so certainly good value places are always appreciated. That being said, I have no problems spending money for quality, when it is worth it. The main thing I am after with this trip is an education in Japanese cuisine. Though I have been to both, I would not go to the French Laundry to learn about American cuisine or Le Calandre to learn about Italian food, for example. I have no overwhelming predilection for haute cuisine. Basically, wherever the most beautiful examples of the above types of Japanese cuisine are to be found in Tokyo -- whether it costs 2,000 yen or 20,000 -- that's where I want to be.

[tupac17616]

I should also mention that I know very little about the layout of the city, but we'll be staying in Shinjuku

[raji]

Hey guys - I lived in Japan 2000-2002 returning a few times each year since then - some of my intel might be a bit dated, I am going to put together a map on Google maps of all my recommendations, and I will post it in this thread when it's up. I hope you guys can help add and annotate that map when I do -

[peter_nyc]

It's true that the first few days after New Year's is probably the worst time to visit Tokyo if you're primarily interested in food experiences since most establishments will be closed, so I'd definitely try to return for at least some of that third week if possible.

IMHO there's some common ground between French and Japanese cooking technique and philosophy--the significance/importance of preparation, refinement of cuisine--so I wouldn't be so quick to discount Michelin. It may prove a good supplemental resource as you plan your culinary itinerary. You may also consider a meal at a good (Japan-ized) French restaurant while in Tokyo, in which case the Michelin would certainly come in handy.

As for specific recommendations, I offer the following:

Ten-ichi (tenpura, multiple locations)

Bentenyama Miyako-zushi (edo-mae sushi, Asakusa)

Kaikaya (inventive seafood, Shibuya)

Seigetsu (izakaya, Kagurazaka)

There's also a very good unagi-ya that I visited but can't recall the name of right now, kind of hidden away. I'll see if I still have it written down somewhere.

Another great resource:

http://www.bento.com/tf-rest.html

[peter_nyc]

Oh, and I forgot to mention, you should definitely check out the depachika, or food-courts in the basement levels of the department stores. You'll encounter a dizzying array of prepared foods of extremely high quality. It's a great place to graze or pick up tasty bites for a picnic in your hotel room (I don't eat in public in Tokyo).

[tupac17616]

Thanks for the specific recs, peter. I'm starting to see that planning a week in a city with as many culinary resources as Tokyo is kind of overwhelming!

And, raji, the Google map is a great idea. I can't want to see that.

[tupac17616]

What a beautiful city. I am in love. We arrived the day before yesterday. Dinner the first night was at Tsunahachi in Shinjuku. A very nice set tempura meal was a beautiful introduction to Tokyo. Woke up early the next morning to hit the Tsukiji market. We got there just after the tuna auction was ending, but still the market was a lovely sight. It was interesting for me to compare and contrast it with the better fish markets I've seen in, say, Italy. Very cool. Instead of waiting in a 2-hour line to have a sushi breakfast in a place whose racist proprietess had singled the three tall white guys in the crowd, telling us "there's not room for you." Absolute bullshit, and that made me incredibly angry. Yet we quickly found consolation in purchasing a tray of uni from Hokkaido from one of the market vendors, grabbing a few pairs of chopsticks, and making the unadorned roe our breakfast. Then it was back to the hotel for some fruit and pastries to provide a sweet cap to the meal before a long nap. Much of the rest of the day, thankfully, was spent relaxing. Dinner last night was at Kyubey in the Keio Plaza Hotel, as the Ginza location is closed on Sundays. If we were going to have sushi in Tokyo during this trip (and how could we not?), it had to be last night, given the fact that the fish market will be closed for the next several days for New Year's. We lucked out in being able to reserve two spots at the counter (a bit stubbornly, perhaps, the only place I would consider having sushi). The meal, simply put, was absolutely incredible. And surprisingly, a great deal. With a boring omakase listed fish-by-fish on the menu, we chose to create our own, getting a beautiful progression of fish for just over 10,000 yen. This is going to be a great week.

[Hiroyuki]

What a beautiful city.  I am in love.  We arrived the day before yesterday.  Dinner the first night was at Tsunahachi in Shinjuku.  A very nice set tempura meal was a beautiful introduction to Tokyo.  Woke up early the next morning to hit the Tsukiji market.  We got there just after the tuna auction was ending, but still the market was a lovely sight.  It was interesting for me to compare and contrast it with the better fish markets I've seen in, say, Italy. Very cool.  Instead of waiting in a 2-hour line to have a sushi breakfast in a place whose racist proprietess had singled the three tall white guys in the crowd, telling us "there's not room for you."  Absolute bullshit, and that made me incredibly angry.  Yet we quickly found consolation in purchasing a tray of uni from Hokkaido from one of the market vendors, grabbing a few pairs of chopsticks, and making the unadorned roe our breakfast.  Then it was back to the hotel for some fruit and pastries to provide a sweet cap to the meal before a long nap.  Much of the rest of the day, thankfully, was spent relaxing.  Dinner last night was at Kyubey in the Keio Plaza Hotel, as the Ginza location is closed on Sundays.  If we were going to have sushi in Tokyo during this trip (and how could we not?), it had to be last night, given the fact that the fish market will be closed for the next several days for New Year's.  We lucked out in being able to reserve two spots at the counter (a bit stubbornly, perhaps, the only place I would consider having sushi).  The meal, simply put, was absolutely incredible.  And surprisingly, a great deal.  With a boring omakase listed fish-by-fish on the menu, we chose to create our own, getting a beautiful progression of fish for just over 10,000 yen.  This is going to be a great week.

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Tsunahachi in Shinjuku! What a nice start! I like Tsunahachi. (That one in Shinjuku may be the one my sister worked at part time when she was young.)

I'm terribly sorry about what happened to you at the sushi place. I hope your anger has subsided a little by now. I don't want to defend her, but from my point of view as a native Japanese, I really don't think she is a racist. She just wanted to warn you that the place served raw fish, didn't she? Maybe someone who lives or is stationed in Japan can confirm that.

Edited to add: Can anyone come up with some handy words and phrases that can help ease tense situations like:

Sushi (sashimi) daisuki. (I like sushi (sashimi) a lot.)

Edited December 31, 2007 by Hiroyuki (log)

[raji]

I sent him to the one in the old house, I think it's in nishi-shinjuku, it's near the west exit of shinjuku-eki from what I remember - is that the same as your sister?

After years of helping Tokyo visitors (and many visiting DJs) out I've accumulated a pretty long list of recommendations - and 2 phrases of utmost importance:

> It's such an easy place to explore food, most restaurants have either the

> plastic models or pictures. Also, be sure to ask for "EIGO NO MENU", a lot of

> places have English menus, and if not, you can just point and order.

>

> Also in general, if you can find someone local to that neighborhood, just

> corner them and ask

>

> "OISHII ______ WA DOKO DESU KA?"

> ____ = what you want to eat.

Some of the places I recommended were Tsunahachi, Torikai, the tonkatsuya in Shibuya-eki (Tokyu), Toraji, a lot of Ts!!!! Also Midorizushi, but that's best for when you're running out of money

As for the waitress, and I'm assuming they went to the Daiwa that ALL the tourists go to - but then again, they were the only white guys on line - so I'm not quite sure what happened. I think it was most likely a miscommunication. Perhaps she meant that they are physically too big to knock elbows at the sushi bar. Or maybe she thought they were GIs. All I know is that what can seem like racism in Japan is often just a matter of mispoken English or Japanese. That said, there are distinct advantages and disadvantages to being a gaikokujin in Japan, but one downside is that you will never, ever be Japanese. But tell that to an Asian living in white America.

[Hiroyuki]

I sent him to the one in the old house, I think it's in nishi-shinjuku, it's near the west exit of shinjuku-eki from what I remember - is that the same as your sister?

←

Sorry, I don't know, and I don't send her an email just to confirm that.

Thanks for your interpretation of the situation.

[tupac17616]

I think it was most likely a miscommunication. Perhaps she meant that they are physically too big to knock elbows at the sushi bar. Or maybe she thought they were GIs. All I know is that what can seem like racism in Japan is often just a matter of mispoken English or Japanese.

This was no miscommunication, I'm afraid. Her message was crystal clear. But either way, let me move on to talk about more important things -- namely, the rest of the trip!

[tupac17616]

Rona, this is for you....

So far I've only talked about Tsunahachi, the Tsukiji market, and Kyubey, but that was just the first 24 hours!

The day after our dinner at Kyubey was New Year's Eve. We slept late and had breakfast at the hotel. Pretty decent buffet, actually. And they can make a mean omelet. We made our daily trip to the gym, then headed out for some (window) shopping. Lunch was inside the Ometesando Hills shopping center, at Mist: Chabuya Japan. This is a ramen shop that Adam had really enjoyed on a previous trip. Let's just say this is not the typical ramen shop I had pictured before coming to Tokyo. We pulled up a chair at the bare metal (read: cold, industrial, and ugly) bar. There were only two options: Tonkotsu Noodle (1,000yen) and Miso & Sesame Noodle (1,200yen). I chose the latter, and opted for an extra topping of boiled pork (250yen). Other toppings on offer were boiled egg (150yen) and seaweed (150yen). Now, this was a hell of a lot more than I ever expected to pay for ramen, but I must say I found it to be quite tasty. Adam was not so impressed this time around, and kept complaining that the miso & sesame noodle didn't even come close to the soy sauce noodles he had enjoyed the last time. Luckily, I'm not too susceptible to his negative power of suggestion, and I happily cleaned out my bowl.

Dinner that night was at New York Grill, the restaurant on the 52nd floor of our hotel. Adam claimed this was the place to be on New Years Eve in Tokyo, and given the view, I'm not sure I can disagree with him, even if the food was very mediocre. I was particularly amused with the wine list, which was uselessly disjointed into three separate lists. The first, with American wines, was the longest. We asked if they had any French wines, so they brought a second list. And our request for an Italian wine produced yet another list. Funny. Anyhoo, we had champagne, a sauvignon blanc/semillon blend from the Columbia Valley, and a cabernet sauvignon from Napa. The courses seemed to alternate between terrible and mediocre. Particularly deserving the former distinction were the Hokkaido taraba crab salad and a mushroom "risotto" with a dry puck of sausage. The Australian rock lobster with black truffle (only there in spirit) & champagne sauce and the grilled Miyazaki "Koyama" ribeye with braised beef cheek and celeriac cream were a whole lot better, though. A cheese course and dessert were decent, if forgettable. But certainly, this was not an evening where I was particularly worried about the food. The view was great, the company was great, and really I can think of no better way to ring in the New Year than with two of my best friends and a glass of champagne in hand.

New Year's Day I wandered around Shinjuku on my own for a bit. I stumbled onto a place near Shinjuku Station called Mochi Cream. They had 24 flavors of ice cream-filled glutinous rice goodness, of which I chose six: adzuki, black sesame, red sweet potato, double caramel, raspberry mille feuille, and cheese. Cheese?!, you might be asking. I certainly was wondering the same thing. I assumed these mochi were filled with flavored paste rather than ice cream, so I saved them until I'd returned to the hotel to share with my friends. The "cheese" it turns out was cream cheese -- not so good. Adzuki, red sweet potato, and double caramel were okay. Black sesame and raspberry mille feuille were great. The raspberry in particular had tiny extra-crunchy bits throughout the center that felt almost like pop rocks on the tongue. Very tasty snack.

Despite all the above suggestions to avoid Tokyo on New Years and the week thereafter, but there we were, trying to find a nice place for dinner. Gonpachi was not that place. It was open, of course, and we went, but it was like a bad dream. As we sat for 2 or 3 minutes as they looked for our reservation, I would not have been at all surprised if they had handed me a little coaster whose lights would blink when our table was ready. Yes, it was that kind of place. The kind of place where the menu is disgustingly eclectic (foie-friggin'-gras?!). Where the "authentic" atmosphere looked to be over-designed by some white guy who has never set foot in Japan. Where the ratio of foreigner-to-local was about, oh, infinity. Where the cooks in the open kitchen were competing for the customer's attention like kindergarteners in a school play. We gave the place a chance. The cold soba that Adam and I each ordered was decent. And our friend Jeremy ordered a few skewers of chicken, which he enjoyed. But the atmosphere in that place was seriously driving me bat-shit crazy. We got out of there ASAP, and moved on to a second dinner.

We almost followed Raji's recommendation for yakiniku at Toraji, but I was outnumbered 2-to-1. Both of my buddies thought why come to Tokyo for Korean BBQ. Raji had told me it was simply Korean-style, but regardless, we ended up going elsewhere. To L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (why come to Tokyo to eat French, I responded! ). Now, I really like L'Atelier in New York. There's no coincidence that it's the longest review on our website right now. But a chain is a chain is a chain, and I wasn't exactly thrilled to be spending a Tokyo meal in a French restaurant. I had a plate of jamon Iberico, and dish of langoustine ravioli with truffle cream sauce. Both were tasty, I'm not going to lie. But expectations are very, very important. And frankly, eating non-Japanese food with so little time in Tokyo felt pretty stupid.

The next day, we hit the depachika, and we hit them hard. Takashimaya, Mistukoshi, and Isetan. All three were great, each in their own way. Takashimaya and Isetan had huge selections of sweets. I found the French connection to be really intriguing: Pierre Herme, Fauchon, Dallayou, and the list goes on and on. Many of these place have locations in only two cities -- Paris and Tokyo. Very interesting. My single favorite thing that I ate all day was a fantastic bowl of unagi donburi from a vendor at Isetan. Simply rice topped with grilled unagi, but so satisfying. I could eat that every day.

We had a light dinner at Ningyocho Imahan in Ginza. We weren't incredibly hungry, so we split one beef shabu shabu meal among the three of us. To say I'm inexperienced with shabu shabu is an understatement. This was only my second time having it (the first was, oddly enough, at Masa in NYC). All I can say is I must be missing something. I really don't see the appeal of this at all. Boiling the thin slices of beef yielded floppy, rubbery, and flavorless results. The mushrooms and cabbage were a bit better, but still incredibly bland, even when doctored with the dipping sauce they'd given us. The waitress inexplicably put about a tablespoon of fresh ground black pepper into the broth she served us in small cups at the end. Totally overwhelming. The price for this not-so-wonderful meal? About 12,000yen, factoring in the 4,000yen fee for the room, which they of course neglected to mention anywhere on the menu. I thought that was pretty steep!

to be continued...

[tupac17616]

There had been both very good and very disappointing meals up to this point in the week, but it was smooth sailing after that. At the suggestion of our hotel concierge, we booked a mid-afternoon meal at Ukai Toriyama. This place is located at the base of Mt. Takao, about 45 minutes by train from Shinjuku station. The concierge claimed that if we were in the mood for yakitori, the grilled chicken here would would certainly scratch that itch. He recommended we make a reservation around 3pm, so we could see the place by day and by night. This was definitely the way to go. There were three different course meals on offer -that -- grilled chicken, grilled beef, and hot stone beef -- and three of us. How convenient, right? Too bad we couldn't quite get the point across to the waitress that we wanted one of each of the menus. They initially said no, we all had to order the same menu. They also pointed out that setting up both the grill and the hot stone at the same table would be too tight. But we persisted, and our persistence (read: stubbornness) paid off. We all shared everything, so we could taste the maximum number of different things, so I'm not quite sure what dishes went with each course menu. An early highlight was ebi imo. The texture of this potato was such that it yielded easily to the fork but still had integrity when you bit through it. The flavor was sweet and delicious. A selection of tempura vegetables including carrot, mushroom, and shiso leaves was really nice. Crisp and not the least bit greasy. A bowl of wonderful chicken broth was served with a tender chicken meatball. A grilled Japanese sardine served whole on a skewer was great. The grilled chicken was the favorite of the main courses, but both beef courses were also quite nice. One thing I particularly enjoyed, and something I've since prepared a few times at home, was mugitoro, grated yamaimo served over barley rice. Dessert was a silky red bean soup with a chunk of glutinous rice cake. They somehow avoided the gritty mouthfeel I often associate with red bean desserts, and it was not over-sweetened either. Really a solid meal overall, one of the best of my whole trip. The cost, by the way, was a bit over 10,000yen/person.

This was the last night all together, so we went up to the bar on the 52nd floor for some drinks. There was a jazz ensemble playing that evening. I was having flashbacks to the movie Lost in Translation. Unfortunately, Scarlett Johansson was nowhere to be seen. We shared some champagne and a few snacks from the bar menu. We shared some laughs. And we shared some memories about the great experience in Tokyo that we were wrapping up.

Breakfast the next day was room service. I'm telling you. It's all about the omelet here. While Adam was leaving that morning, I still had one day more before moving on to Shanghai, and my other buddy still had some time to kill. He wanted to go back to Shibuya crossing, so I indulged him even though I had the "been there, done that" attitude about the place. I stopped in to the Tokyu department store basement for a simple baked sweet potato. There's something special about Japanese sweet potatoes, I think. Every time I sampled one -- whether orange, yellow, purple, or white -- it was delicious.

The time flew by and soon it was time for my other friend to leave. We said goodbye at the metro station near Harajuku, and I headed back to the Meiji shrine, which we had already been to a few days prior to this. Of course, I wasn't go back for the temple; rather, I was going back for the outdoor food court they had set up near the exit. I wanted a light lunch, and I saw something I couldn't pass up: fat, chewy udon noodles with a raw egg stirred through off the heat and sprinkled with chives. The Japanese answer to spaghetti alla carbonara, this was friggin' delicious. When I look back at Tokyo, it's the simple things like this (and the unagi donburi) that I miss the most.

I was on my own for dinner the last night. Both of my friends had already left, and our collective knowledge of Japanese had gone with them. Beyond food words, I know nothing (this seems to be a trend across several languages for me ). I had heard great things about Tofuya Ukai, so I booked it well in advance. It definitely did not disappoint. I ordered the Yuki set menu, priced at 12,600yen, which featured beef as the main course. I was intrigued by the fish main course on the Touki menu, though, so I asked them to work that in as well, which they did for an additional 1,800yen. Things started with steamed shredded turnip, yam, firm tofu and mushroom. Served in a soy-based broth and dotted with wasabi, it was sweet, salty and hot all at once. Next was fried tofu with miso & scallion and tamago topped with shredded turnip. The texture of the fried tofu was spongy in a good way. A very good way. It was also crisp on the outside and tender within. The tamago was well-done also, custardy smooth. Next was a sashimi course, which was supposed to be more "special" since I ordered the most expensive of the three offered menus, my waitress claimed. They gave me a dreadfully mundane selection: cooked ebi, decent maguro, and forgetful karei. I wasn't exactly expecting cocktail shrimp given that the only dishes that differed between the three menus were the sashimi course and the main course. At least they gave me the shrimp head, though, which was the best bite of the bunch. Next up was a fish dumpling with shredded scallop served in a hot broth. The fish dumpling was fantastic -- soft, custardy texture and a slightly sweet flavor. The broth was very clean tasting. So nice. Next was a plate consisting of three separate presentations: soft buckwheat tofu topped with uni; boiled abalone served with seaweed; and the oh-so-good "rape and milt in bitter-orange juice". The first two were as good as they sound, but I really must say the third was the single best thing I ate during this trip to Tokyo. I smiled when I saw this on the menu. We had been asking for shirako at a few restaurants without any luck, and here it was finally on my last night in Tokyo. Much to my surprise, both the texture and flavor were phenomenal. It was (not surprisinly) creamy, almost custardy smooth. The flavor was delicate, and slightly sweet. The bitter orange juice contrasted the natural flavor of the shirako perfectly. Really an incredible mouthful. Next the waitress brought a huge bowl of warm soy milk and a block of silken tofu. She set this on the table and ladled it into a smaller bowl. The aroma was so nice. In a way it reminded me of the latte di mardorla, or almond milk, that I've tried in Sicily. Slightly sweet. Warm and satisfying. The silken tofu was great, too, served with kombu and soy sauce. My fiish course was outstanding: salt-grilled mackerel with yuzu. Just so flavorful! The grilled beef was pedestrian, and frankly didn't warrant the extra cash I'd spent in choosing that menu. But at this point, what did I care. Next they brought a bowl of rice topped with snow crab; miso soup with tofu; and pickled vegetables. The rice was particularly good. Never have I encountered a culture that cooks its rice so incredibly well as the Japanese. Seriously. It's amazing. Dessert was a small cup of red bean soup and some wedges of persimmon. Nothing special, but not bad either. Factoring in tax, the meal came out to about 16,000yen. Not cheap. In fact, the most expensive meal of the entire trip. But oh so worth it. I would return here in a heartbeat.

[tupac17616]

And so that, my friends, is that. It was my first time in Tokyo, but there's no way it will be my last. It's really a great city. It's huge, it's metropolitan, but somehow it's clean. It's efficient. It just works. New York could really learn a thing or two. The people were ultra polite, almost awkwardly so at times (with the exception of that stupid lady at Tsukiji), and for the most part I felt welcome. It was crystal clear than just one week was really only enough to barely scratch the surface of this great food city, and this great food culture. Tokyo may not have been the most soul-satisfying place I experienced on this trip -- that title would go to Bangkok -- but I can't say enough good things about it. And I am dying to return. Next time, hopefully it won't be around New Years, so I can eat more sushi! Next time, I'll go to Ryugin. Next time, no French food. Next time, next time, next time. That next time can't come soon enough.

[smallworld]

Next time, no French food.  Next time, next time, next time.  That next time can't come soon enough.

←

Next time take pictures!

But thank you so much for finally posting your report. Lots of great details and you mentioned several places I've been to or am interested in, which was a nice reminder that I need to eat out more. I've heard so many good things about Tofuya Ukai and your review just moved it to the top of my list of places to try.

Sad to hear that you didn't like your shabu shabu-- it's one of my favourite meals. Usually Japanese restaurants don't allow two or more people to just share one order, so I wonder if maybe they were a bit pissed off and served you inferior beef (and tried to give you a pepper overdose) as revenge? It could also be that you over cooked the meat, because shabu shabu beef should definitely not be rubbery-- it just needs a few swishes in the broth until it's just barely cooked.

It's interesting that you liked the mugitoro at Ukai Toriyama, as it's hard to think of a food less appealing to non-Japenese than grated yamaimo! Takao's "meibutsu" (famous product) is actually yamaimo, usually in the form of tororo soba but also as mugitoro. It's great that you were able to try a local product while you were here.

Looking forward to your next visit and report!

[tupac17616]

Sad to hear that you didn't like your shabu shabu-- it's one of my favourite meals. Usually Japanese restaurants don't allow two or more people to just share one order, so I wonder if maybe they were a bit pissed off and served you inferior beef (and tried to give you a pepper overdose) as revenge? It could also be that you over cooked the meat, because shabu shabu beef should definitely not be rubbery-- it just needs a few swishes in the broth until it's just barely cooked.

It very well could have been the case that they weren't happy with our decision to split that meal, but they didn't bat an eye when we made that request. We'd had a LOT of food that day, and certainly didn't need a full meal, but I really wanted to (re)try shabu shabu.

I was very surprised with the toughness of the meat, because it had only a short dip in the broth. I love raw meat, and my friend Adam is the biggest nippophile I know, so he wouldn't have let us make the mistake of overcooking it. Perhaps, as you supposed, it was just inferior beef.

[helenjp]

Wow - more "good restaurants" than I've visited in 20 years, probably!

As for Tsukiji, it's hard to know what was going on, of course - on the one hand, I think groups of foreign men are more likely to be regarded with apprehension than mixed groups; on the other hand, foreigners are frequent customers at Tsukiji restaurants. There are situations where being foreign arouses blatant differences in treatment, but restaurants have never been a problem in my experience.

Tofuya Ukai seems to be one restaurant where people consistently have a good experience. Your meal there sounds so good!

The Takao restaurant (Ukai Toriyama) sounds very normal in their policy - usually dishes designed to be shared have a note in the menu stating that you must have a minimum of 2-3 people to order, and it would be pretty unusual to have two such set-ups on one table! Sounds as if that time they cut you a little slack as foreigners!

[tupac17616]

Next time take pictures!

So, about that...

We took around 3,000 pictures in Tokyo between the three of us. So I suppose the least I can do is share a few of them!

Tsunahachi -- tempura before and after

Tsukiji -- breakfast uni

Park Hyatt -- breakfast buffet

Kyubey (Keio Plaza) -- still-quivering kuruma ebi; its grilled head

Mist: Chabuya Japan -- miso & sesame noodle with boiled pork

New York Grill -- Australian Southern Rock Lobster, Black Truffle, Champagne Sauce; Grilled Miyazaki "Koyoma" Ribeye, Braised Beef Cheek and Celeriac Cream

Mochi Cream -- mochi omakase; raspberry mille feuille mochi

Gonpachi -- seiro soba

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon -- La Langoustine en ravioli truffé à l’étuvée de chou vert; "Iberico de Bellota," escorte de pain toaste a la tomate

Takashimaya depachika -- macarons from Wittimer

Mitsukoshi depachika -- taiyaki; unagi donburi

Isetan depachika -- "It's a small world after all...". To understand the personal significance Salumeria Garibaldi has for me, click here.

Ningyocho Imahan -- beef shabu shabu

Ukai Toriyama -- yakiniku/yakitori; mugitoro

New York Bar -- buffalo burrata with iberico ham, strawberries, and melon

Tokyu depachika -- baked Japanese sweet potato

Meiji Shrine food court -- udon with egg and scallion

Tofuya Ukai -- shirako with bitter orange juice; salt-grilled Spanish mackerel with yuzu

Candy -- sakura kit-kat; pocky, pocky, pocky

Capsule hotel -- a little cultural exploration

Narita Airport sushi -- one last piece of uni before saying goodbye to Tokyo

[prasantrin]

Awesome, simply awesome!

Now I'm trying to decide which place(s) to try during my visit in April. I'd like to try both Ukai Toriyama and Tofu-ya Ukai, but I don't think I can eat as much as you can!

I may actually try to hit Tsukiji this time, since I keep promising myself I'll go, but I never ever do. I'm assuming I'll have better luck at Daiwa than you, since I at least look Japanese (and hopefully once I start speaking, they won't kick me out).

[tupac17616]

I'm assuming I'll have better luck at Daiwa than you, since I at least look Japanese (and hopefully once I start speaking, they won't kick me out).

I'm glad at least one of us can get in there. My Japanese skills certainly won't be opening up any doors for me anytime soon!

[tupac17616]

I am obviously terribly slow, but I finally wrote about my meal at Tofuya Ukai. Pictures are here, and the description is below. Enjoy!

I had only been in Tokyo a week, but my practice of the Japanese art of kuiadore was progressing quite nicely. By eating my way to financial ruin and an irreversibly larded midsection over the past several years, I had actually been getting a head start on connecting with this culture before I even arrived. Or at least that’s what I told myself as I tried to justify walking around with this ridiculous piece of paper in my hand. Let me explain…

It was my last night in Tokyo, and I was on my own for dinner. Both of my friends had already left, and our collective knowledge of Japanese had gone with them. Beyond food words, I know essentially nothing (for me this is a trend across several languages, English included). So I asked a staff member at the hotel to write out a simple message for me on a sheet of paper — Please give me the longest menu this restaurant offers. Thank you.

To observe this woman using all the willpower she had to stifle her laughter is to understand how much the Japanese value politeness. But she indulged me nonetheless, and soon I was on my way to Tofuya Ukai. Adam had actually been before on a previous trip and so his endorsement echoed the praise I had already been reading, so I was quite excited for my dinner in the shadow of the nearby Tokyo Tower.

I arrived to find three set menu options priced at ¥8400, ¥10500, and ¥12600. (Word to the wise: lunch prices are about half that.) My disappointment was palpable when I was given an English menu and an English-speaking waitress came to take my order — I couldn’t use my paper now! In any case, I got the “Yuki” set menu (the largest, natch), which featured beef as the main course. But I was intrigued by the fish main course on the middle “Tsuki” menu also, so I asked if it would be possible to work that in as well. Her surprise (disgust?) when I made that request reminded me how easy is it to feel like you’ve just offended someone in Japan. After running downstairs to get permission, she hesitatingly said they could do it for an additional ¥1800, an offer I happily accepted.

Things started off with some steamed shredded turnip, yam, tofu and mushroom. This was served in a soy-based broth and dotted with wasabi. With a firmness almost like a mushroom, this was the first of many textural incarnations of tofu that I would see that night. The other flavor accents here were sweet, salty and hot all at once, each interacting in a different way with the subtle flavor of the tofu.

Next was deep fried tofu with miso and scallion, and tamago topped with shredded turnip. The texture of the fried tofu was spongy, but in a good way — a very good way. It was also crisp on the outside and tender within. An added plus was that it was served very hot, which really activated the aromas of the miso and scallion. The Japanese-style omelette, meanwhile, displayed a restrained balance between sugar, soy sauce, and mirin. And a skilled cook must have prepared it, as the result was a custardy smooth texture and a taste that skewed neither too sweet nor too salty.

My waitress claimed my sashimi course would be more “special” since, along with the main course, it offered the only distinction among the differently priced menus. But unfortunately they brought a dreadfully mundane trio of ebi (shrimp), maguro (lean tuna), and karei (flounder). I liked the presentation on a bed of ice, but it only intensified the ghastly mental image of cocktail shrimp I got every time I looked at this (unfortunately) cooked shrimp. I’d just had live kuruma ebi (tiger prawn) a few days prior to this so I wept a little inside as I found this tough and flavorless by comparison. I found consolation in the crunchy and tasty shrimp head, although the maguro was mediocre and the flounder, forgettable.

Next up was a fish dumpling with shredded scallop (I think) served in a hot broth. “Dumpling” seems almost a misnomer for something that graces your tongue with such lightness. I really hope there is a poetic Japanese term for these things. The texture was a cross between soufflé and custard, and the flavor was just slightly sweet. Think exceptional quenelles de brochet with a Japanese sensibility. The fish broth just tasted so pure and I really liked drinking it as a soup for a clean finish.

The next dish held three separate presentations: soft buckwheat tofu topped with uni; boiled abalone served with seaweed; and the gracefully translated “rape and milt in bitter-orange juice”. You can top all sorts of things with good, fresh sea urchin roe to create something successful, but I thought the nutty buckwheat tofu matched with it particularly well. The softness of the tofu also mimicked the creamy uni, creating nice textural continuity. The abalone had the firmness characteristic of that tasty mollusk but it was neither tough nor chewy. In another display of culinary minimalism, its flavor shined brightly and simply. But, oh, about that milt! You might know it as shirako (meaning “white children” in Japanese), but let’s call a spade a spade — it’s fish semen. And it was the single most delicious thing I ate during this trip to Tokyo. One would expect that being presented with bodily fluids meant for ingestion would arouse a certain level of inquisitiveness, but I’m actually still unsure to which species of fish I owed this pleasure. Though I failed to ask who the — shall we say — benefactor had been, that ignorance tasted blissfully good. Smooth with a mouth-coating creaminess, the milt’s flavor was delicate and subtly sweet. Meanwhile, the slight bitterness of the orange juice and broccoli rabe contrasted the natural flavor of the shirako beautifully. I just loved this dish.

The waitress then brought a huge bowl holding a sea of warm soy milk and an island of silken tofu. She proceeded to set this on the table and carefully ladle it into a smaller bowl. This seasoned soy milk was just delicious. Its warmth unleashed a satisfying aroma almost reminiscent of cinnamon. The taste was sweet and nutty in a way that reminded me of the almond milk I enjoyed in Sicily. The unadorned block of tofu was bland, but dressed with kombu and soy sauce its taste was enhanced. And its texture was totally deserving of the “silken” title.

There were two components to the fish course that came next: salt-grilled Spanish mackerel with yuzu, and a croquette fashioned from a mixture of lotus root and rice. The salt-grilled fish was dead simple but just stunning. The skin was beautifully charred, while the flesh remained moist. A squeeze of fresh yuzu juice and a sprig of some sort of tempura-fried herb heightened the natural flavor of the fish even more. Meanwhile the croquette had just the thinnest crispy layer on the outside while the inside was a moist and creamy blend of glutinous rice and lotus root. I was reminded of a particularly rich form of Italian arancini that are filled with béchamel, but this somehow had a lightness to it, and a delicate sweetness I found almost enchanting. I really enjoyed this course.

The charcoal-grilled beef, on the other hand, I was not entirely thrilled about. In fact I thought it pretty pedestrian. Seasoned simply with salt and pepper, I expected a stronger beef flavor to shine through but it never did. The seared outside I’d enjoyed so much on the fish was nearly absent here. It was instead just gently browned, although it was thankfully rosy pink on the inside and thus fairly tender. But oddly, between this course and the sashimi, the two courses that accounted for the higher priced menu were the most disappointing of the evening. Frankly neither warranted spending the extra cash. I guess even in the food paradise that is Tokyo, you can’t win ‘em all.

The last savory course included a wooden dish full of rice topped with snow crab, miso soup with tofu, and pickled vegetables. Never have I encountered a culture that cooks its rice so incredibly well as the Japanese. Seriously. It’s something to behold. Each grain here had integrity and flavor on its own, while seamlessly disappearing into an ocean of others. It was not clumpy or dry or broken. It was not over- or under-cooked by a second. With nothing accompanying it but a few pieces of sweet snow crab, it was, in a word, fantastic. The miso soup was basically umami in a bowl, and I enjoyed the lone piece of tofu floating in it that had soaked up that flavor. The pickled vegetables were good also, like a savory palate cleanser. But I’m still thinking about that rice…

Dessert is usually an incredibly simple (or completely non-existent) affair in Japan and this was no exception. Just a small cup of red bean soup and couple of wedges of fresh persimmon. The soup was fortunately less grainy than red bean desserts can often be, but I wouldn’t call it particularly great. The fresh fruit was just a simple, clean way to wind down the meal. And I also happen to really like persimmon, so it was a happy ending.

After the meal, I sat in the now-empty dining room drinking tea for a bit before deciding to explore the restaurant grounds. Passing back through the lobby I saw a huge barrel full of soy beans, this tofu-focused restaurant’s raison d’être. From what I could see from my upstairs window the enclosed garden area looked quite peaceful, and it was. An outdoor grill area still smelled of charcoal. A small stream snaked between the different private dining houses. I could have stayed out there for a while just relaxing, but I was already chilling a bit too much on that nippy January evening.

While I wouldn’t call this the single best meal I had in Tokyo (that would be Kyubey), I would say my dinner at Tofuya Ukai was an eye-opener. The wonderfully varied texture, temperatures, and presentations of tofu I saw that night shattered a lot of the pre-conceived notions about certain soy products, (okay, that last one’s actually pretty good, but still). I think Adam said it best — Japan makes you a better person. This meal showed me that maybe this tofu stuff isn’t just for hippies and Buddhists after all. So I say forget all the crap you’ve heard and tasted before. Tofuya Ukai should be on any Tokyo short-list. After all, where else are you going to get your milt fix?