Dinners in Japan fell into three kinds of categories. The first - the ones we will review today - were mostly one offs.
Soba (buckwheat noodles) and donburi (rice with various items - chicken and egg in this case) on our first night in Japan. This was a shop where one purchased a ticket from a machine, turned it in, and got one's order:
A couple of nights I had onigiri (rice balls) from the grocery store downstairs. Three made a prefect meal. They were around 300 Yen per item - unless you got there at the last our of operation, when they were 600 Yen for three. Everything was made fresh daily:
Ehomaki. A rather fat roll, it is traditional consumed on the holiday of Setsubun, the last day of the Winter before Spring in the Lunar calendar. Tradition has it that in order to insure good luck for the coming year, one must consume the ehomaki at a single go, without speaking, facing the auspicious direction for that year.
I am not really sure how to classify this. One ordered different kinds of meats and vegetables and they were brought on a very hot iron plate. One cooked the meat and vegetables right there.
A little more formal dinner at the hotel restaurant. The main courses are saba (mackeral) and karaage (Japanese fried chicken). As you may note from the pictures, rice and miso soup is are standard side dishes (the beer may also appear to be a standard side dish but, sadly, must be ordered separately).
Dessert. A coffee flavoured jelly with ice cream.
It all looks good to me with the exception of the dessert which I would have to pass on due to my dairy allergy.
ReplyDeleteEd, it really was. I cannot think of a bad meal I had there. I suspect part of it is due to the fact that everything seemed very fresh
DeleteEverything looks so interesting. Is there much regional variation in Japanese cuisine?
ReplyDeleteLeigh, that is my understanding, although we tend to spend most of our time in Tokyo. I do know that there is a great deal of regionalism in bento boxes, the lunch boxes that are sold in major train stations.
DeleteOne wonders about the hours the shops and restaurants were open TB. These photos look good......great.......now I have to go start breakfast! ........:)
ReplyDeleteNylon12, I think most of the restaurants we were at closed at 9 PM. there were some "all day" sorts of restaurants, but they were very much Western chains (Denny's, McDonald's, etc.).
DeleteI’m really enjoying your Japanese food videos. Lately, I have been going down the YouTube rabbit hole watching videos on traditional Japanese meals. While I love the variety of dishes they seem to eat at each meal, the process it takes to cook so many items is a bit much for my attention span. Do you and your family ever prepare Japanese food at home? One meal item I frequently prepare is what I call Asian oats. Basically, oatmeal (rolled oats cooked 3 minutes in microwave with water), then after that is cooked add a bit of canned black beans, some kind of tender green (such as baby spinach which wilts on its own in the warm oats), and soy sauce. It is even more delicious with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil, and much to the dismay of some family members I add some kimchi to mine. I’ve even fried up an egg and topped the bowl with that.
ReplyDeleteWe have occasionally prepared teriyaki chicken and have had udon or soba multiple times. It is a bit of a shame, as we really enjoy Japanese food 0 but as you say, it seems rather involved to cook.
DeleteYour Asian oats sound interesting - is this a recipe you found somewhere or has simply manifested?
I came across the idea about 16 years ago from the Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease book by Caldwell Esselstyn, MD. One of his patients was (if memory serves me correctly) of Chinese descent, and desired a breakfast that would be within Esselstyn’s diet guidelines, while being like the patient’s native food. Dr Esselstyn is a huge fan of oats for cardiac patients, whether for breakfast or any meal. So the patient adopted eating non-sweetened cooked oats with spinach in it. I just expanded on that theme. It took me several years after reading about this type of oats before I got up the courage to try it. A little miso dissolved into the oats is good too, or any leftover cooked animal protein. Esselstyn would not approve of the animal protein😉.
DeleteIn my first comment I mentioned your Japaneses food “videos”. I should have said blog posts. I had videos on my mind.
DeleteWell, I like oats right enough; I have them every morning. I just do not know quite know how I feel about the spinach - which I eat almost every day at once. Miso would be good though, and I have never thought about animal protein - I always have protein powder and yogurt with my oats.
DeleteI enjoy the commentary surrounding the food, TB. Ice cream on jelly gives me pause, but it's all very interesting nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Becki!
DeleteThink of the "jelly" as almost a rather soft coffee jello. Not my ideal dessert, but not bad (ice cream makes everything better).
Hmm. That hot plate dish makes one think of some manner of DIY hibachi, or perhaps a Japanese version of fajitas.
ReplyDeleteI've ever been hesitant to try Asian cuisine. Between lacking culinary adventurousness, not wanting to waste food or coin, and self-consciousness at insulting the cuisine/chef/etc. by refusing to eat, it's been a hard sell. Lord only knows how I'd get by when abroad.
P_P - It was a bit like a DIY hibachi. I have never seen anything similar here in the States.
DeleteI understand your hesitation - for years growing up, the only Asian food we had was Chinese. I "branched out" into Japanese in high school. I will admit it is different than much of Western cuisine, but I have come to enjoy it greatly. Something like Udon or Soba - basically noodles - might be a good entry point.