Tales (and pictures!) of trips in Japan

[gini]

The okonomiyaki was actually quite good - though not as much fun as the manjayaki and yakisoba (which we were able to cook ourselves). The seaweed and bonita flakes were great - love how the bonita dances on the hot cake!

[Hiroyuki]

Thanks for sharing your photos. Everything looks familiar to me except the fried octopus.

[helenjp]

That fried octopus looks pretty good, actually!

[torakris]

So what were some of your favorite discoveries?

I think I am getting a monjyayaki craving...

[gini]

The fried octopus were really good!

I loved the Japanese style breakfast. Western/continental breakfasts have always been disgusting to me, and I was so happy to get grilled fish! I also loved the freshness and variety of seafood and how it varied between cities. The conveyer belt sushi was really fun as well.

Unfourtunately I didn't take pictures of some of the interesting teas and fruit drinks we had in the karaoke boxes and cafes - I really enjoyed that aspect of the dining culture as well.

I was also struck with the presentation. Something as simple as a fruit plate in a cafe in Harajuku would be turned into a wild sculpture.

[cookaburra]

This is the 3rd installment of my food diary from my trip to Japan which was from the December 26, 2006 to January 17, 2007.

This installment will cover the dates 30.12.06-2.1.07

In case you need to refer to the previous postings on this thread featuring the following dates, here they are:

26.12-28.12

29.12-30.12

31.12. SUNDAY

We decided to check out the newish patisserie located next to the bento shop in Fuchu. The name Lumiere indicated to me that it seemed quite a professional operation. I have since found that the pastry chef worked in an Alain Ducasse restaurant. Framed trade certificates, possibly from France are proudly displayed on the wall of the shop. We bought the Mont Blanc and a very rich mini chocolate cake. The cake had some crepe layers as one of it’s components. It also had a rich chocolate mousse and was topped with a shiny ganache and some gold leaf. The Mont Blanc had too much whipped cream for Hidemi’s liking. She told me that she has had better.

This shop has a table and two chairs which I assume are just for tired customers as they wait for their goodies to be wrapped with so much care and style. Like only the Japanese can do.

LUNCH-We just had cup ramen and some fresh corn bread from Cosco

DINNER-In true Japanese New Years Eve tradition we had toshikoshi soba. This consisted of fresh buckwheat noodles blanched and refreshed, then dipped in the traditional soba sauce. It was served with some bought tempura. Sake helped to ease the awkward feelings I felt sitting at the same table as the old man.

After dinner, Hidemi assembled the jubako for osechi ryori. These stackable boxes were to contain all the varieties of foods served specially on the first few days of the New Year. Our version of this was simplified as it was just going to be the 2 of us eating it. Of course all the photos of the their assembly have been lost so I’ll do my best to remember what Hidemi chose to fill these boxes. We ate our breakfast from these boxes for the first 3 days of the New Year.

In one box:

kamaboko -red and white

datemaki -rolled omelette with a fish paste

Kuro mame-sweet black beans

kobumaki -we used the salmon wrapped in cooked konbu

kurikinton -sweet cooked chestnut in a sweet potato paste

Onigarayaki-little crunchy grilled prawns on a skewer

In the other box:

Sudaco-vinegared octopus

namasu-daikon -and carrot with sweet vinegar and yuzu

Smoked salmon-not traditional

Subasu-vinegared lotus root

Kohada-vinegar and millet cured fish(gizzard shad)

1.1. MONDAY

BREAKFAST-As well as the jubako, Hidemi’s stepmother prepared ozoni. A clear chicken soup with a sticky rice cake ( mochi ) inside it. It was garnished with carrots cut into shapes of pine, bamboo and plum flower to symbolise a celebration. This time it was the New Year.

The others had some yatsugashira, a big hairy yam which I dislike. Other Japanese foods I cannot stomach are the foods which have a neba neba (sticky) consistency. Some of these include nagai imo, okra, tororo konbu and natto. I also hate shiokara (raw marinated squid guts).

Up to this point we cooked, washed up and dined together with Hidemi’s father and stepmother. From here on in, when we ate at the home it was in the privacy of our own room, due to the tensions between us and the father.

LUNCH-After a 15 minute walk to the main centre of Fuchu Shi we found MOS Burger. I had a shoga yaki rice burger. Instead of a bread bun, a bun is made from lightly compressed rice. The filling was stir fried ginger pork.

Later on we went to Starbucks. The matcha tea latte was very nice.

DINNER-We went to a family restaurant called Dennys. Their menu had a few things I wanted to try. The gobo(burdock) potage was delicious. Cheese fondue with veges and bread was good too. A rice congee with chicken and eringi mushrooms was well executed. While Hidemi enjoyed the vegetable hotpot cooked in a milky broth. Like a vegetable pot a feu.

We ordered a bit too much food as I wanted to taste a few things. Dinner for 2 costed ¥2590 with no drinks.

2.1. TUESDAY

MORNING TEA-We went to Seseki Sakuragaoka. This is only 2 train stations away from Bubaigawara station,which is 5 minutes walk from the house. The café in Keio department store called “Afternoon tea” had a short but confident menu. We shared a chestnut cake and I had a pot of chai tea. They served the spices on the side so you add what you like. The 3 or 4 cakes on display all looked tempting. The tasty looking pastas going to other tables made us return on at a later date. Does any one have the link to this store?

LUNCH-The bread shop in Keio department store had a good selection of things. The potato croquette sandwich was a winner.

DINNER-A massive New Year Feast at Hidemi’s aunty. Her husband is a chef and likes to put on a big spread of food for the family every New Year. He likes to feature both Western and Japanese items in his selection. Here is a list of what I can remember he offered that night…………..

stuffed egg with salmon roe, puff pastry stuffed with sardine, puff pastry stuffed with ham,

Prosciutto, salami, smoked duck, coppa

Green olives, semi dried tomato, blue and brie cheese,

Warm grilled prawns in their shell with cocktail sauce

lotus root, Kamaboko, kinpira (burdock root salad), daizu (sweet soy beans), shiitake, tamagoyaki(omelette), kazunoko (salted herring roe), konnyaku

Namasu,ozoni,

Main course-The best cooked medium rare roast beef I have tasted. It was a shoulder of Aussie beef served with potato gratin, carrots vichy, broccoli, fresh grated horse radish and a beautiful sauce using glace de viande.

Beer, whisky, ocha, coffee

All this for 8 of us. It certainly was a generous feast.

My next installment on this thread includes a trip to a soba restaurant at Mount Takaosanguchi and a healthy Japanese buffet restaurant called "No No Budou"

[Hiroyuki]

I found this online shopping site of Afternoon Tea.

Corn bread? You don't mean corn bread made with cornmeal, do you?

[torakris]

I love Afternoon Tea, here is the homepage with a menu.

I haven't been there in a while but I would always order an iced tea (I am pretty sure it was Earl Grey) mixed with orange juice. I have tried to duplicate this at home but just can't get it right. I mean how hard can this be??

Costco's cornbread is really good. It is quite different from the normal American corn bread that Hiroyuki worked so hard on making. They are rolls made mostly with white flour, though there may be some cornmeal in there, they are dusted with a very fine cornmeal and have corn kernels inside.

[prasantrin]

Costco has cornbread in Japan? I should look for it next time. I wonder if it's supposed to be Jewish-style corn bread--maybe not. I miss that they used to have rye and pumpernickle bread. they were the only places I found those breads in Japan, and I haven't seen them in a long time.

[torakris]

Costco has cornbread in Japan?  I should look for it next time.  I wonder if it's supposed to be Jewish-style corn bread--maybe not.  I miss that they used to have rye and pumpernickle bread.  they were the only places I found those breads in Japan, and I haven't seen them in a long time.

←

I sort of described it above. They are actually rolls and are sold in those big bags with 25 or so. They are usually on the racks with the other rolls the variety of which seems to vary by the day. They actually contain very little cornmeal and have kernels of corn inside. It isn't what I think of when soemone says cornbread but they are good in their own right. They go bad very quickly! You will see mold after 2 days, so I suggest freezing those that you will not eat immediately.

[cookaburra]

This is the 2nd installment of my food diary from my trip to Japan which was from the December 26, 2006 to January 17, 2007.

This installment will cover the dates 29.12-30.12

In case you need to refer to the previous postings on this thread featuring the following dates, here they are:

26.12-28.12

29.12-30.12

31.12.06-2.1.07

3.1. WEDNESDAY

In the true Japanese tradition of Hatsumoude the first pray of the year, we took the train to Mount Takaosanguchi to exchange our uchiwa (paper fans) and make a wish at the temple at the top of the mountain. Unfortunately the Gods were not with me that day. Just as we were about to approach the temple, an error message appeared in my digital camera. A faulty Dick Smith Electronics 256mb compact flash memory card decided to pack up and die. This is why there are no photos up to this day. I could wait to get back to the house to insert my back up memory card. I was so disappointed to lose so many precious photos from this trip up to now. No money from the shop refund could ever replace that loss.

LUNCH-When returning to the base of the mountain from our chair lift ride, we wrote our name in the book at the soba restaurant on the corner of the walkways, Takahashiya(Japanese), and waited for a table. I had the opportunity to try soba sake ¥840 and ate the tempura soba ¥1260, while Hidemi had the sansai soba ¥840.After the meal we bought some soba miso ¥520 from them. We then walked down the path and found a shop selling fresh grilled sembei (rice crackers).We bought a few varieties-miso, garlic, negi-miso. Very nice. Should have bought more. Across from the sembei shop is another soba restaurant. The chefs were on display in the front window rolling and cutting the fresh buckwheat noodles.

DINNER-We just settled for some inari sushi and yakitori from inargeya supermarket. At less than ¥1000 for the two of us you can’t go too far wrong with that.

4.1. THURSDAY

LUNCH-We caught up with Miki and Yasuko, friends from Hidemi’s childhood. I wanted to try a Japanese pizza.ph 1 So we called Dominos.We had the teriyaki chicken and vegetarian ½ and ½. The thick crust was OK, pretty normal for that sort of thing I guess. However I should have gone for the thin crust I think.

We supplemented that with some just made shumai, gyoza and a roasted vegetable and deep fried anko(monkfish) salad, all from the Keio store at Seseki Sakuragaoka. Drinks with lunch included beer and umeshi (plum wine). We finished the meal with an icecream biscuit sandwich and some strawberries which were very sweet, perfectly ripe and soft in the mouth, unlike most Aussie strawberries. I noticed that characteristic in all the strawberries I tasted in Japan. I must confess though we did always but the more expensive ones in the supermarket to be sure they would be good. We paid about 800yen for a punnet most times.

DINNER-We went to No no Budou.This is a photo of their advertising plaque

This was a baikingu (buffet style) restaurant on the restaurant level of the Keio store at Seseki Sakuragaoka.ph 2 The menu prides itself on healthy foods and farm vegetables. There are over 80 menu items. I really enjoyed the freedom to select anything from the buffet that looked interesting for ¥2600.

I also opted for the nomihodai option,where you pay ¥2000 and have as much beer, wine, sake, shochu and soft drink as you like from their page of choices. I was interested to try shochu again as an unpleasant past experience had turned me off it for a while. So I figured that if I didn’t like it this time then I could move straight onto the sake.

The shochu is like a Japanese schnapps I would say. It was too harsh for me, and when mixed with water I felt is this really worth it. Anyway, I ended up tasting 4 different shochus. Each made from a different grain- soba, barley, rice and sweet potato. I discovered that I still prefer sake.

The next part of my trip involved a bus tour to Akita for 2 nights,4 days.

[Domestic Goddess]

Look forward to more pictures and posts cookaburra!

[SheenaGreena]

does shochu taste like soju (korean)? I think they are both made from sweet potatoes and the pronunciation is similar

[cookaburra]

does shochu taste like soju (korean)?  I think they are both made from sweet potatoes and the pronunciation is similar

←

I'm not sure. I've never tasted soju. I imagine it would be though. Shochu is popular with hot water and umeboshi, or "on the rocks", or with a sweet flavoured soda water.

I didn't like it so much. But I might like it if it were mixed with some grapefruit flavoured soda water or some other kind of sweetened soda.

I took a real liking to sake whilst in Japan and tried to taste as many kinds as I could. All in the name of research of course.

[Peter Green]

does shochu taste like soju (korean)?  I think they are both made from sweet potatoes and the pronunciation is similar

←

I'm not sure. I've never tasted soju. I imagine it would be though. Shochu is popular with hot water and umeboshi, or "on the rocks", or with a sweet flavoured soda water.

I didn't like it so much. But I might like it if it were mixed with some grapefruit flavoured soda water or some other kind of sweetened soda.

I took a real liking to sake whilst in Japan and tried to taste as many kinds as I could. All in the name of research of course.

←

I've had shochu with lime and soda at a few places. My impression is (was) that it's not quite as "thick" on the palate as soju. However, that could be the brands, or the weather, or a number of things.

[helenjp]

Shochu is sometimes made from sweet potatoes, but also from barley, and less commonly, rice, buckwheat, and I believe sugar cane sometimes??

I think of it as the Japanese answer to meths

[cookaburra]

I think of it as the Japanese answer to meths   

←

Me too

[cookaburra]

I love Afternoon Tea, here is the homepage with a menu.

I haven't been there in a while but I would always order an iced tea (I am pretty sure it was Earl Grey) mixed with orange juice. I have tried to duplicate this at home but just can't get it right.   I mean how hard can this be??

Costco's cornbread is really good. It is quite different from the normal American corn bread that Hiroyuki worked so hard on making.   They are rolls made mostly with white flour, though there may be some cornmeal in there, they are dusted with a very fine cornmeal and have corn kernels inside.

←

Thanks for that Kris

I'll check it out

[Hiroyuki]

Some clarification need here.

There are two types of shochu (Japanese distilled spirit) in Japan: Korui (甲類) and otsurui (乙類). The former is cheaper, often diluted with water, citrus juice, and others to make chu-hai. The latter is also known as honkaku (authentic) shochu, and is more expensive. More details can be found here.

cookaburra, I hope that your favorite sake brands include those from Niigata.

[cookaburra]

Some clarification need here.

There are two types of shochu (Japanese distilled spirit) in Japan:  Korui (甲類) and otsurui (乙類).  The former is cheaper, often diluted with water, citrus juice, and others to make chu-hai.  The latter is also known as honkaku (authentic) shochu, and is more expensive.  More details can be found here.

cookaburra, I hope that your favorite sake brands include those from Niigata.

←

Thanks for the info on Shochu. Maybe next time I have the opportunity I will make sure I get a taste of both the Korui and the otsurui so I can compare their taste and qualities.All in the name of research of course.

Coincidently, Hiroyuki, my next post contains references to a sake from Niigata which I drank in an pub which I describe like this..................

""The place appeared to me to be an Izakaya with function rooms upstairs I believe. I don’t know the name of it but I think it might be owned by Keio. It was in a street about 3 minutes walk from Seiseki Sakuragaoka station and I was told that someone in our group of 7 had made the reservation for 5pm as that is the time that it opens." Anyone have any idea what the name of it might be or if they have website?

I don’t know the name of the sake but it was from Niigata and I remember something about umi(ocean) and hachi(8).It had a white label with about 2 kanji characters in big bold black writing. I wish I knew what it was so I could buy some more of it.

I have now been informed by my wife that it may have been Hakkaisan sake.

Would that be right?

Speaking of Niigata sake, I just finished a 180ml bottle of uonuma sake while nibbling on some of Hidemi’s homemade tamari almond and linseed mix. It was a very nice, smooth sake. I want to have some more. No more left so I decided to open another bottle which I brought back with me-Chomei Izumi from (Narita,Chiba) apparently. It was very nice too but I preferred the uonuma sake. However,I am a newcomer to sake and just starting to appreciate the different varieties and levels of quality.So please forgive my preferences if they sound strange.

[Hiroyuki]

Some clarification need here.

There are two types of shochu (Japanese distilled spirit) in Japan:  Korui (甲類) and otsurui (乙類).  The former is cheaper, often diluted with water, citrus juice, and others to make chu-hai.  The latter is also known as honkaku (authentic) shochu, and is more expensive.  More details can be found here.

cookaburra, I hope that your favorite sake brands include those from Niigata.

←

Thanks for the info on Shochu. Maybe next time I have the opportunity I will make sure I get a taste of both the Korui and the otsurui so I can compare their taste and qualities.All in the name of research of course.

Coincidently, Hiroyuki, my next post contains references to a sake from Niigata which I drank in an pub which I describe like this..................

""The place appeared to me to be an Izakaya with function rooms upstairs I believe. I don’t know the name of it but I think it might be owned by Keio. It was in a street about 3 minutes walk from Seiseki Sakuragaoka station and I was told that someone in our group of 7 had made the reservation for 5pm as that is the time that it opens." Anyone have any idea what the name of it might be or if they have website?

I don’t know the name of the sake but it was from Niigata and I remember something about umi(ocean) and hachi(8).It had a white label with about 2 kanji characters in big bold black writing. I wish I knew what it was so I could buy some more of it.

I have now been informed by my wife that it may have been Hakkaisan sake.

Would that be right?

Speaking of Niigata sake, I just finished a 180ml bottle of uonuma sake while nibbling on some of Hidemi’s homemade tamari almond and linseed mix. It was a very nice, smooth sake. I want to have some more. No more left so I decided to open another bottle which I brought back with me-Chomei Izumi from (Narita,Chiba) apparently. It was very nice too but I preferred the uonuma sake. However,I am a newcomer to sake and just starting to appreciate the different varieties and levels of quality.So please forgive my preferences if they sound strange.

←

That must be Hakkaisan (八海山)! It's very, very popular in the Tokyo area. I like it, but I like Kakurei better!

Have you checked out this thread, which I started in the Wine Forum? Most sake produced in Niigata are described as tanrei karakuchi (淡麗辛口), light and dry, but Aoki Brewry aims to achieve tanrei umakuchi (淡麗旨口), light and tasty.

Also, have you checked out this site? Click "GOURMET LIQUOR" on the left-hand side, scroll down to "Sake brewing of Minamiuonuma", and click either 2Mbps or 500Kbps depending on your Internet connection, and a video will start, showing Hakkai Jozo (which produces Hakkaisan), Aoki Shuzo, and Takachiyo Shuzo.

[cookaburra]

That must be Hakkaisan (八海山)! It's very, very popular in the Tokyo area. I like it, but I like Kakurei better!

Have you checked out this thread, which I started in the Wine Forum? Most sake produced in Niigata are described as tanrei karakuchi (淡麗辛口), light and dry, but Aoki Brewry aims to achieve tanrei umakuchi (淡麗旨口), light and tasty.

Very interesting thread.Nice photos of the factory.

I once went to sake factory in Penrith,Sydney,Australia.The only one in Australia I think.The Sun Masamune company make a few varieties of sake.I haven't tasted them in a while but am sure they do not compare to good sake made in Japan.My wife uses Goshu sake in her cooking.It is about AUS$18 for a 750ml bottle.Quite expensive compared to the prices I paid for sake in Japan.

Also, have you checked out this site? Click "GOURMET LIQUOR" on the left-hand side, scroll down to "Sake brewing of Minamiuonuma", and click either 2Mbps or 500Kbps depending on your Internet connection, and a video will start, showing Hakkai Jozo (which produces Hakkaisan), Aoki Shuzo, and Takachiyo Shuzo.

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[cookaburra]

Apologies to those who were waiting to read about my kaiseki experience.

Well here it is complete with photos.

This is the 7th installment of my food diary from my trip to Japan which was from the December 26, 2006 to January 17, 2007.

This installment will cover the date 10.2.07

The previous threads on my trip to Japan are as below………

Part 1

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1364086

part 2

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1364119

part 3

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1365703

part 4

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1365703

part 5

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1366512

part 6 http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1371235

10. 1. WEDNESDAY

MORNING TEA-Since we just had a light breakfast I needed a little something to help me last out until our 2pm restaurant booking. So I made the bad decision to eat a teriyaki burger at the Golden Arches. The meat tasted very much like a cheap sausage mince.

LUNCH-The time had arrived I would get to sample some Kaiseki ryori at Ukai Chikutei (Japanese) which was very close to Takaosanguchi train station. The restaurant actually run a free shuttle bus which picks up from the station every 20 minutes.

The setting for the private dining rooms is simply exquisite. Each room is connected by narrow, stone lined pathways. The trees and plants, the ponds with carp, the bamboo and the stone sculptures all contribute to the typical Japanese setting that it is. And when the waitress, dressed in kimono, escorted us to our room, I felt, “this is Japan”.

Our room looked out onto a garden of bamboo along with a few large rocks. The seats had back rests and we could rest our legs in the dugout trench underneath the table.

The course of the menu entitled “snow” (Japanese) was very much in tune with the season. And at 9450yen + tax we all thought it was good value for the quality of the whole experience.

To start the proceedings drinks were ordered. And of course I selected a serve of sake. This time it was “kuwa no miyako” from Hachioji. I even got to select which ochoko or guinomi I would like to drink from.

First course was “ama ebi(raw sweet prawn) resting on a slab of yamimo dofu, with mitsuba, wasabi and a soba tsuyu tasting sauce. All that topped with the blue eggs of the female prawn and some gold leaf for the wow factor.

Second course was a clear soup with a round crab cake, some green vegetables, takenoko(bamboo) and shiitake were the accompanying elements of this soup

Before going onto the next course I ordered a sake from Hokkaido. Once again selecting my choice of drinking vessel.

Third course was a sashimi boat. The pieces of tuna and white fish of the day rested on boat shaped dish and was garnished with shiso leaf , shiso no hana(shiso flower) and wasabi. The other decoration on the plate was a strand of rice. Rested on the ceramic roof which was dusted with a white powder to resemble snow was a pine leaf .

Fourth course was a buri mizore soup-some buri (yellowtail fish) with the bloodline intact, grated daikon and yuzu made up this soup. Mizore means "rain and snow mixed". In this soupthe grated daikon looks similar to "Mizore". Grated daikon cuts the fat from the buri refreshing your mouth, removes the smell of the fishes, aids in digestions and warms your body.

The fifth course came out on a spectacular tray decorated with pine, bamboo and plum flower (shochikubai). Sitting in the bamboo vessel was na no hana, a broccoli like vegetable. Clockwise to that was the budou mame (a kind of black beans) cooked with sugar and tossed through daikon oroshi( grated).At six o’ clock on the plate was the camellia sushi. So called because of the shape and presentation of it. The thinly sliced hirame (sole fish) sushi enveloped the sushi rice and was garnished with egg yolk and a camellia leaf on the side. The last item on the tray was gyu no shigureni (beef cooked in a sweet soy sauce). This was garnished with sansho no mi(berries of the sansho plant).

To continue the spectacular presentation of things the sixth course arrived partly cooked and continuing to cook on the leaves of bamboo and hoji cha to create a nice smokey aroma to the amago( a river fish/salmon?).The fish was so delicious that I carefully made sure I finished every last bit of meat left on the fish, except for the really bitter innards. Apparently you would normally eat the head on this fish , but as this one was a little to large, we were recommended not to. The heavy application of salt on the fins helps to prevent too much burning. Some kinome zu was used as a dipping sauce.

The seventh course also finished it’s cooking at the table. The beef , cooked on a hoba (magnolia) leaf in a beautiful, salty and sweet miso sauce was simply garnished with watercress and negi(a type of scallion).

Nearing the end, the eighth course was the one which always consists of rice, miso soup, (tsukemono) pickles and tea. The rice was a lovely scallop rice. The miso soup was filled with grated daikon and tofu. On the pickles plate were some white pickled daikon, shiso no mi and some konbu. The tea was a cleansing hojicha.

The ninth and final course was a refreshing strawberry sorbet.

My wife bought her most favourite sweet, domyoji(dyed pink sticky rice cake wrapped with a salted cherry blossom leaf) from Ukai before we left.

Buying green tea from the jido han baiki(vending machine) close to home was a common occurrence, as we did not have to bother the father’s private space by entering the kitchen to make tea. Although we did manage to time it right sometimes, and I got to enter the kitchen to make tea, after they had made theirs. I usually topped up their used teapot with just boiling water to make our tea as it was easy and economical. The result was good enough for us. For the last week of our stay I was the designated messenger, tea maker and breakfast maker. This was to prevent my wife’s slightly virus infected body from coming close to her father’s run down immune system body.

[shellfishfiend]

Cookaburra,

I have really been enjoying your trip reports and photos.

Your kaiseki meal looks beautiful and you did a great job with the photos.

The tuna sashimi looks like maguro. Was it?

Do you know what kind of white fish was served with it?

Also, how was "the broccoli like vegetable" prepared?

Thanks again for the reports.

[cookaburra]

Cookaburra,

I have really been enjoying your trip reports and photos.

Your kaiseki meal looks beautiful and you did a great job with the photos.

The tuna sashimi looks like maguro. Was it?

Do you know what kind of white fish was served with it?

Also, how was "the broccoli like vegetable" prepared?

Thanks again for the reports.

←

Thanks very much for your complimentary comments.

According to my knowledge, maguro is the Japanese word for tuna. So as far as I know it was a variety of tuna, of which I could not say.

Unfortunately I didn't get the details on the variety of white fish sashimi. However the taste, texture and quality was superb.

Can't help much more on the brocoli like vege either, sorry. I guess it was simply blanched , relying on the quality of the produce and the exacting of the cooking techniques. It was then garnished with a sprinkle of something yellow(I can't recall what that was),quite possibly either egg yolk or yuzu zest.

I can highly recommend this restaurant. There are a few different courses to chose from and possibly serve a la carte too. We chose the middle range priced kaiseki course.