Travelogue: Spirited Away

[dockhl]

Wow, Peter.................

Blog on !

[Peter Green]

Okay, I've gotten rid of Scud by sending him to Akibahara with a wad of cash and no social skills. this should buy me enough time for another post.

[Peter Green]

After all this – dinner

After Fushimi, we trained back to Osaka and made our way to Hankyu for a bit of shopping, mainly camera stuff, and then went hunting for food.

Oh, one observation, just because I love these “Persistent Pursuit of Dainty by World Coffee Company”. I love it when someone has a focus in life.

Our first attempt was to try Rona’s favourite sushi place. It was small, and we’d need to be there pretty much when it opened in order to get a place. However, when we showed the metal grating was down and it was shut up for the day, and wouldn’t be serving that evening.

Such is fate.

So, instead, we worked our way over to Umeda 2 Chome and dropped in on Ginza Kuraodo in the Hilton West Plaza.

We’d really wanted to do Kahala while I was here, but, unfortunately, we weren’t able to get reservations. Oh, well. This would do fine for us.

The restaurant is, in a word, gorgeous. Great views over the town, and a wonderful use of space, with the area broken into numerous nooks and crannies, giving it a much more fun feel than the “big room” they could’ve done.

We sat at the bar, which was fine by me. In addition to the standard wine menu, they also had a promotion going on world wines, which was well worth opeing, as it came as a pop-up.

How can you not love a pop-up wine menu?

I must admit, one disappointment……I’d decided, given the décor, that the most appropriate starter would be a martini, but, despite the fact that they had a beautiful bar, with a competent bartender, they didn’t have any vermouth.

What’s the world coming to?

So, instead I returned to the pop-up menu, and chose a glass of the Mondavi Fume Blanc 2005, just for old time’s sakes.

Then, of course, we had to wrestle with the metaphysical issues of “what to order for food?”. This was easy. We saw the foie gras, and went there.

So, we’d decided on the Kirameki course.

Let’s work through it.

First up was a salad with jellied edible wild plants. This was “alright” the jellied wild plants striking me across the cheek with memories of things at buffets in New Orleans that were in jelly. But the dish was saved by the quality of the salad material, and by the artful addition of uni to the mix.

Next came “appetizer”, really a selection of deep-fried camembert with honey sauce (upper right); rape and baby octopus in mustard sauce (upper left); shrimp and yolk sushi with a bit of caviar atop; and squid sauté with a risotto of barley.

The cheese was excellent, full of fat, and just what those of us who have been starved of mammary fluids need to perk us up. The raped octopus (now there’s a name for a band!) was good, but I believe paled in the company it kept, as did the shrimp, of which I can say nothing bad, but it paled beside the squid on the barley risotto. The little tiny squid are so soft, and just squirt as you bite them. And I’ve always been a fan of barley, since Yoonhi started putting it in our rice at home.

I must admit, I did not attempt to eat the branch with the little flowers.

But I was tempted.

My wine was a thing of the past. And, as much as I admire wine, I was in Japan, and a world of sake lay before me. I asked for something with a full mouth, and was offered a Yamagata Jyuyondai, which tasted very good, rich on the palate.

Next was a clear soup of steamed seaweed and a cake of bamboo shoot. It had been topped with an artfully carved bit of carrot, and what we were told were Angelica spears (which is something I’ll need to look up in my Penguin Food Companion when I get home).

I should’ve made the effort to shoot the bowl. I love, as I’ve said, the treasure box aspect of Japanese dining. A beautiful tool (in this case a bowl) used to hide a pretty dish until the last moment. There were hints of gold in the lid, and a presence, set against the gold in the cloth beneath, that could just hold you.

Unfortunately, the dish was perhaps too thickened by the seaweed. It was very sweet, and that, combined with the mucus texture, did not come across quite right for my taste.

But, once the next course came, I forgave them.

Now, you’re going to have to forgive me. You really don’t have much choice. I forgot to take a picture. I was just too excited.

It was a sashimi of horse meat, fluke, horse mackerel, and tuna. The tuna was just alright, with almost a backdrop of ammonia, but the fluke and horse mackerel were fine, and the horse sashimi was wonderful, just the rich, fatty memory I have from Uomasa in Bangkok. Serena’s not going to be happy knowing I eat ponies, but she’s just going to have to deal with it.

Next, the “Grilled Dish”, a foit gras confit with miso and chocolate sauce. Dotted around it were little dried red peppercorns. We’d asked about these, and were told they were either French, or Malagassy. I’m only used to green Madagascar peppercorns, but, hey, maybe they are from there. They had a wonderful flavour in contrast to the foie, and the chocolate and miso was a very nice backdrop of rich bitterness against the full frontal fat you get from nicely done duck liver.

And this was followed by the “seafood”, a big eye tuna that had just been hit with a bit of the grill before being served up with a very tasty tomato, and a windsweep of balsamic and basil sauce. Atop were fried onions.

At this point I found out that Rona is one of those people I love to dine with. She has a small appetite (well, with the exception of baked goods). That means, when she slows down, I can clean up! ☺

The “Refreshment” was a cherry blossom ice cream, which I liked, but Rona found some background of what we thought might be mugwort that she didn’t care for.

And then, of course, we had to have our “Main Dish”…..or at least, I did. Rona was losing ground, but was holding out for dessert. This was a wagyu fillet with a tempurar of spring vegetables, with rape seed seeming to figure into them in quite a decent manner.

The steak, and its jus, was, of course, really, really good. And Rona couldn’t finish hers.

You don’t mind if I gloat for a bit, do you? (this is, of course, payback for those of you who have been complaining about my laziness in posting).

And after this, more treasure boxes!

On the right was a miso soup, with yuba, the skin of the tofu, in it.

And behind door number two……chirashi zushi.

This had a nice piece of egg, some snow crab, other stuff (jump right in!), and, one of my favourites from the Four Seasons’ brunches – eel. All this on rice that I just can’t say no to.

I really do love opening these boxes up.

“Dessert” and Rona’s appetite returned. A strawberry pie, that was a layered affair of strawberries, pastry, and some attractive greens (which leaves me out). I think there was a nice bit of cream in there, too, but I’m getting old, and my memory is failing me.

And, I’m already on record defending Japanese strawberries, so I’ll make no further comments.

We finished with coffee

I went with ice coffee, making it an extension of dessert, at least as far as I was concerned. This is something I don’t drink enough of, I must admit, and with a touch of cream and some of the sugar syrup provided, it was very, very pleasant.

Dinner done, we exited, stage right. It’s a nice building, with what Rona felt were Frank Lloyd Wright influences, but which I see as reflections of Tezuka Osamu’s Metropolis, particularly the 2002 anime, with all the big gears

and back lit scenes of the future.

But, all good things come to an end, and Rona headed off for her place, and I made my way back to mine.

Luckily, my friendly vending machine was waiting for me, so that I could get some writing done.

(Can someone tell me what the beer is on the left? I’d think a Sapporo from the star…..I know, you should never take strangers back home……)

[Peter Green]

There, now I've got the first three days of the trip done.

What day is this now?.....

[Hiroyuki]

The "beer" on the left is a happoushu, Nama Shibori Migaki Mugi.

http://www.namashibori.com/

You mean you didn't like it?

[helenjp]

So which did you prefer, the Sapporo Nama Shibori (one of the better happoushu, I think), or the Asahi beer?

And to think that my elder son spent the whole day moaning about how life was never any fun, not for even one second, when he could have been showing Scud around his beloved Akihabara! I won't tell him, as it will just underline his conviction that he is doomed to a life of misery!

That meal looks spectacular. I used to think that Osaka was a place where the top hotel restaurants were often the best picks - maybe that hasn't changed?

[Peter Green]

That meal looks spectacular. I used to think that Osaka was a place where the top hotel restaurants were often the best picks - maybe that hasn't changed?

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Rona, you know better than I. What would you say?

[Shelby]

Peter, I love seeing all of the exotic foods you eat!

This Kansas girl has one question.........

....HORSE???

[nakji]

Breathtaking, as ever. If I ever get down to Osaka, I'll be calling Rona up!

Is it true that the blue circles in the bottom of the sake cup are to test for clarity?

[Peter Green]

Peter, I love seeing all of the exotic foods you eat!

This Kansas girl has one question.........

....HORSE??? 

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If ever if ever a horse of course......

Serena is going to be very unhappy with me, I know, but I really like horse meat.

Now, if I can get french fries done in horse fat.......

[Peter Green]

Breathtaking, as ever. If I ever get down to Osaka, I'll be calling Rona up!

Is it true that the blue circles in the bottom of the sake cup are to test for clarity?

←

I honestly can't say. After I'd finished about a litre, I think clarity was one of my challenges.

[Shelby]

Peter, I love seeing all of the exotic foods you eat!

This Kansas girl has one question.........

....HORSE??? 

←

If ever if ever a horse of course......

Serena is going to be very unhappy with me, I know, but I really like horse meat.

Now, if I can get french fries done in horse fat.......

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*faint*

I didn't know horse was eaten. I learn something new everyday.

[Domestic Goddess]

Horse is only eaten in the Philippines after tired old racehorses are "set out to pasture" after failing to win so many games. Of course, the meat is tough as leather jerky.

[Peter Green]

I'd always thought of horse as being a French thing, but then again, I do remember as a youth being around Pike Place Market in Seattle, and there was a butcher there that did horse.

Steingarten has a good piece on this somewhere in one of his collections, discussing how (at least in the 90's) horses were slaughtered in America, but then the meat was exported, as there wasn't really a domestic market for Mr. Ed. Unfortunately, while I always go back to Steingarten's books when I worry that I might be becoming too obsessive, I didn't pack them with me for this trip.

I need to prepare better for my travels.

It was a few years back in Bangkok that I found Uomasa off of Thonglor, down in that Japanese enclave back down one of the sois. Along with whale, they also had a selection of horse sashimi. Having been a big fan of tartare and raw meats in general, I figured it was worth a try.

What you get, there and here, is very nicely marbled meat that's very, very smooth to eat. No gaminess, and a good buttery feel. Tough old nags? Not by any means.

[smallworld]

I am loving this travelogue, Peter. Just one question: was the sake tour conducted in English?

[prasantrin]

I am loving this travelogue, Peter. Just one question: was the sake tour conducted in English?

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I'm not Peter, and I can't even play him on TV, but the sake tour wasn't conducted in English. We were very fortunate, however, to have Peko join us for the tour (he wasn't originally part of the tour, but had asked to bring his former professor from the US to the factory so the Kitagawas asked me if they could join us--the professor had to cancel at the last minute, but Peko still came). Peko is fluent in Japanese, so he translated for us. Plus he had the benefit of having made the tour a couple of times before, so he was well-versed in a lot of the terminology.

When I broached the subject of the tour with my student, the family was keen on showing us around, but was a little worried about the technical language. Miho (my student) could probably have done a lot of the easy stuff, and her mother could have helped out, but the more scientific stuff was out of their league. So we were very very fortunate, indeed.

One more thing...

The funniest part of the tour (for me, at least) was while Peter, Peko, and Mr. Kitagawa were tasting the sake. I don't drink much, and my student is a teenager so she doesn't, either, so we spent a lot of the time looking at stuff around the room. At one point we had a conversation that went like this:

Me: They sure do talk a lot, don't they?

Miho: Yes. . . and they drink a lot, too!

If only she knew...

Peter forgot to mention our omiyage! Little glass containers of umeshu (my favourite!) that you can put in the freezer to make umeshu sorbet! I still haven't tried mine.

Edited March 26, 2008 by prasantrin (log)

[Peter Green]

Us? Drink a lot?

Like I said, there are times when luck just starts rolling in. Having PekoPeko with us, with a good background in technical Japanese, was a blessing, and I do recommend Kyoto Foodie for those of you in the Kansai.

And I was going to get to the plum liqueur! Do I look like the sort of fellow who'd not?

[Peter Green]

March 16

Osaka is described as the “kitchen of Japan”.

It was time to get into the kitchen.

Rona met me for lunch, and a wander about Namba, which is just a couple of stations away from where I was staying (around a 20 minute walk). As expected, I messed up the directions, and was at the wrong place. But, in Japan, like in Korea, all you need for a rendezvous to get back on track is a cell phone and the number of a station exit. I had both.

We started by making certain we could find the sumo hall. We had tickets for the 18th, and I feel it’s always good to reconnoiter if you can. Okay, we were just wandering around. But it makes it sound more like we knew what we were doing.

I like the tie in of booze with sumo. There were big casks stacked up around the entrance,

And Asahi Beer appeared to be a proud corporate sponsor.

There were stands inside where you could order your food that would be delivered to your box for the match, all ready for you, and there were plenty of souvenirs to be had.

And there were the wrestlers themselves. Big boys coming in and out. Big, big boys.

this photo would be better with something to scale it by. Like a bull elephant or something…..

We ambled from there, taking in the Otaku district in preparation for Scud, and checking out the interesting food bits to be found.

Here’s a shot of Rona and I.

And then we popped down the food street ( near Ebisu dori?), or rather the covered arcade, and gawked at all the stuff. I’d already mentioned the Japanese passion for pastries. It did seem like every second shop was selling something beautiful and baked,

but the other stores also looked good, with cooking pots and tools, plates and dishes, and foodstuffs galour.

And we were even able to keep abreast of the new ideas in candy marketing (Yes, I know it’s a horrible line, but I had to get it off my chest)

As you'd expect, there’s the usual assortment of the usual culprits to be found. KFC, McD’s, TGIF, and Wendy’s. But they seem to be doing a lackluster business in comparison with the takoyaki stands, which were busily turning out product for the passing crowd, who in turn were happily eating (sitting down on the benches, of course. You don’t walk and eat here).

In Aza Manga Daioh they say it’s a stereotype that the Osakans are crazy for takoyaki.

there may be something to it, though.

And down every side alley, there’s always more to be found.

And, finally, we came to Dotonbori and the icons of the city.

The Kani Doraku crab (and its imitators), several meters across, and mechanized.

More Zuboraya, with their huge pufferfish,

This one I don’t know, but it looks friendly. Can anybody jump in on this one?

The clown, Kuidaore Taro, with his mechanized drum

And the Glico Man (he must shave his armpits).

And here’s the explanation of it all….

But enough of that, let’s get a meal in us, and then I'll talk more.

[Peter Green]

The "beer" on the left is a happoushu, Nama Shibori Migaki Mugi.

http://www.namashibori.com/

You mean you didn't like it?

←

Actually, it was quite good. What is the basis for the protein in this one if not malt?

I'd have to say, at this point, near the end of the trip, I'm settling down with Yebisu Malt as my standard beer. I'll post the "wall of beer cans" when we get to that point.

[Hiroyuki]

Protein? I don't know.

From the manufacturer's website:

Raw materials:

malt, hop, barley, sugars

About the building:

C'est la vie SQUARE Nakaza.

http://www.nakaza.net/

The cute animal is, of course, a tanuki.

The cup used for sake tasting (kiki zake in Japanese) is called a kiki choko. (I didn't know how it was called, so I had to google.) The blue circles are used to check the clarity of sake.

Horsemeat is called baniku in Japanese, but it's also called sakura niku (cherry meat), which sounds less offensive, right? Baniku sashimi is called basashi.

[judiu]

March 16

Osaka is described as the “kitchen of Japan”.

It was time to get into the kitchen.

And we were even able to keep abreast of the new ideas in candy marketing (Yes, I know it’s a horrible line, but I had to get it off my chest)

Oh. MY. GAWD! It's Nanny Ogg's Strawberry Wobblers! (Sorry, it's a Discworld thing...)Andi, if you will jump in here...

[_john]

All those people lined up to eat takoyaki are tourists who think that Osaka is all about takoyaki. When I go on dotonbori I can see that about 70% of people there are tourists. The people they are following who are caring flags is a dead giveaway . Good shot of Kinryuu, their ramen is pretty good. The other really famous ramen shop Kamukura is just around the corner. And near the sumo stadium is one of my favorite ramen places Ippudou. The street with tools and plates is called Doguyasuji. I try not to go there too much it is bad for my wallet.

[Domestic Goddess]

And we were even able to keep abreast of the new ideas in candy marketing (Yes, I know it’s a horrible line, but I had to get it off my chest)

Oh. MY. GAWD! It's Nanny Ogg's Strawberry Wobblers! (Sorry, it's a Discworld thing...)Andi, if you will jump in here...

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LOL I would never have thought of it as one of Nanny Ogg's indecent delights.

PS. Not to hijack this thread but I am willing to mail the latest Terry Pratchett movie (The Colour of Magic) to any eGulleeter who is also a TP fan. It came out last Easter.

[Peter Green]

The street with tools and plates is called Doguyasuji. I try not to go there too much it is bad for my wallet.

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That's it! Thanks, John!

[Peter Green]

All those people lined up to eat takoyaki are tourists who think that Osaka is all about takoyaki.

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This is one of the things that had been bugging me before I came. In the English version of Aza Manga Daioh, they talk about stereotyping Osakan kids as having "meatball sandwiches" in their lunchboxes. It wasn't until a few days ago that I was able to see the anime series (with subtitles) and there it was clear that everyone in Tokyo expected Osakans to have takoyaki on the brain.

I would love to figure out how to rig a tourist flag on a prop in front of me so I could follow it around. Alternatively, I guess I could rig up an old budo thing on my back, and be my own standard bearer.

It's tough travelling on my own.

P.S. - Scud refuses to walk in front of me with a flag. Whatever happened to filial piety?