Things are piled on top of each other, even to the extent of having fried food sticking out of soup.
Interesting things I ate:
Plenty of sushi (don’t tell my doctor) – though I am particular.
-I don’t like it still wiggling (one of Tom’s co-workers was telling me that a friend of his ate octopus that was killed in front of him, and still writhing. On the way down, one of the suction cups attached itself to the guy’s throat, and he had to reach down and pull out the tentacle.)
-I like only a minimal amount of wasabi (ever see the scene in Jackass the Movie where Stevo-O snorts a line of wasabi?) , otherwise my eyes and nose smart (which I don’t like the feeling, not to mention it’s embarrassing – especially in a culture that neither sneezes or blows their noses.)
-I like fish that melts in your mouth, like tuna and salmon – nothing chewy. (While we were at a Kaitan sushi bar, I had a piece of salmon with a thick piece of fat down the middle. Keep in mind, this is not cooked fat that will eventually break down. This is the killed-that-morning fresh variety of fat. I chewed and chewed and even tried to wash it down with some green tea, but alas I could not swallow. The thing about Kaitan sushi bars is that all the customers sit around the chef, who is surrounded by a conveyor belt full of sushi. There is no privacy. And, there are no napkins. There was nothing else to do but spit it out, and hide it in between the used plates on our stack. I was comforted by the fact that I would probably never see anyone there again!)
-I do like California –style rolls, but they have to be bite-size – Nori is hard to chew through, unless it is hot.
-What is the deal with eating shrimp with the tail still attached? No thank you.
Miso Soup (broth with scallions, tofu granules and sometimes pieces of Nori. They do not serve spoons – you have to drink it straight from the bowl.
Tempura – lightly battered fried vegetables and/or meat, placed on a bowl of steamed rice, and with a sprinkling of a tempura sauce, which is a combination of broth, sweet sake (called Mirin) and soy sauce). The most interesting piece of tempura I had – fried pumpkin.
Udder meat – wouldn’t recommend, though I had to try it once. I ate this at the Brazilian Barbeque called the “Barbacoa”. It has quite the “barnyard” flavor. I did enjoy their pepper steak and garlic steak. Basically, at this restaurant, you sit down and guys just continuously bring out skewers loaded with meat until you flip over a little pog to the “Stop feeding me” side. I did not try the “hump”. The grilled pineapple and the banana frittatas were amazing.
Cassis soda – Delicious sparkling blackcurrant beverage. Light and fruity, but not too sweet. Highly recommend.
“Pocari Sweat” – An interesting translation for the use of Gatorade, as this drink replaces Electrolytes lost while perspiring. I tried the standard citrus flavor. It’s ok. Just for the namesake, its’ worth trying once.
Ramen noodle soup – Trust me, it’s nothing like what you’d get at the grocery store. You eat the noodles and trimmings with chopsticks, and then drink the broth from the bowl. Mine had a piece of pork in it, Nori and scallions. It was fun to watch the chef (this wrinkly, little old guy) make the soup, too. Like the sushi place, he stood in the center and everyone sat around him – it was a soup bar. He had a large pot filled with bones and broth, and then would ladle it over the hot noodles, add your meat and vegetable and then serve. He made the soup as if it was an art form. The place that we went to was a few doors down from the hotel, and the walls are covered with autographed photos of famous guests. The cool part was that, even after not seeing Tom for a while, the guy’s face lit up when he walked into the restaurant.
Powdered green tea – this was served at just about every place we went. You put about 1/8 tsp. (using a specially made bamboo scoop) into a cup of hot water. It has a very earthy and grassy flavor. You do not add sugar.
Green tea sorbet – delicious, unusual, not too sweet. Dessert is served sparingly in Japan. The bowl contained a mere tablespoon’s worth of sorbet. Definitely savored every bite.