Japan (Hakone/Atami) - おいしい

2008-07-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

Fuji-Hakone National Park (Hakone)
Fuji Mountain

Hakone Hotel (Hakone)

New Akao Hot Spring Hotel (Atami)

Shinkansen Bullet Train (Atami->Osaka)

Japan (Tokyo) - おいしい

2008-07-04T10:24:00.001-07:00

As a post-graduation, last-chance-before-I-work-for-the-rest-of-my-life vacation, the family and I finally went on the Japan tour I've been wanting to take for years. So with an open heart and an empty stomach.... let's eat!

Cérès - ANA Narita Hotel (Narita)
Our first meals in Japan were dinner and breakfast buffets at the hotel restaurant. Very good variety of food and unlike American buffets, the portion size of each selection was much healthier and more conducive to sampling.

Since the breakfast buffets at the hotels every morning were more or less the same, I didn't feel the urge to get any snapshots. However, I did do a parallel sampling of (1) American hot breakfast food, (2) rice porridge with add-ins, (3) yogurt with fruit and granola, and (4) distinctive pastries. The Cérès breakfast was one of the best ones in my opinion.

dessert buffet: assortment of cake, coffee jelly

more cakes, cream puff, mochi

Sensoji Temple (Asakusa)
We had a sashimi lunch at a small restaurant near the Sensoji Temple. My first taste of Japanese sashimi: on par if not better than the best sashimi I've had in the States. The tuna was such a deep vibrant red and had that melt-in-your-mouth quality of freshness.

As we perused the rows of small shop stands in from of the temple, rounded off this pit stop with some fried dough ball like things. Not quite taiyaki but the same idea. The filling flavors ranged from azuki to green tea to pumpkin. Warm and freshly made, the balls were a bit greasy but very tasty.

tuna, red snapper, scallop sashimi

fried stuffed dough balls

Ginza (Tokyo)
The most expensive district in Tokyo, Ginza is chi chi shopping central. Didn't actually eat any food here, but window shopped around the pastries and foods floors of a large department store. So don't really know how good the food tastes, but everything looks drool-inducingly amazing.

Still not sure why some of the fruit sold in Japan is so ritzy, but a cantelope can run for $110 US!! No luck in spotting a square watermelon...

assortment sponge cake rolls

strawberry and mousse parfaits

kawaii! pig shaped mochi

$52.50 US for a watermelon

Shinjuku (Tokyo)
The liveliest district in Tokyo, Shinjuku is the bustling cityscape I had imagined all of Tokyo to be. It reminded me a little of NYC, but busier and surprisingly cleaner. Crowded streets (and even more crowded substreet levels), bright neon lights and flashing marquees, and plenty of places open late for eating and pleasure.

Our tour guide recommended an udon noodle place and a standing sushi place for dinner. We ended up trying the udon since the parentals aren't big on uncooked foods. Among the bowls we ordered were a curry katsu udon, a kimchi udon, and my sukiyaki udon. The noodles were of perfect chewiness and the broth was very flavorful but not overbearingly so. Not very pricey and very fulfilling both in taste and quantity.

sukiyaki udon

curry katsu udon

Also on the guide's suggestion list were custard cups from a nearby department store (similar to the one in Ginza) and a little alleyway full of yakitori bars. The custard cups were perfect for a sweet cleansing after the udon. It reminded me of a milkier version of flan though not quite as soft as the Jello version and not quite as thick as traditional Mexican flan.

We made our way over to the yakitori alley after a brief digestion break. This little street is frequented by a lot of the Japanese businessmen when getting out of work late in the evening. Each little booth store probably seats no more than 10 at a time and in close proximity. A good time to throw back some beer or sake, eat various types of skewered meats (mostly chicken) hot off the grill, and socialize with strangers.

custard cups

yakitori alley

yakitori skewers + sapporo

Tsukiji Fish Market (Tokyo)
Ventured out on our own early in the morning to the Tokyo Metro Central Wholesale Market (Chuo Oroshi-uri Ichiba) in Tsukiji. Daily auctions are held here for produce, meats, and seafood. The quality is so good that a lot of restaurants overseas order it through Tsukiji. There is a huge selection of fresh fish that you can buy straight from the market. After a lot of wandering and a little bit of direction, we managed to find the sushi bars nearby. Unbelievable!! I have never had high quality sashimi in such variety. It's a shame we were in a rush so didn't get to savor every bite like I would have liked to, but I did add sea urchin to my sashimi repertoire.

sushi chef in action

sakura sashimi platter - ebi:shrimp, ika:squid, tai:red snapper, o-toro:fatty tuna, unagi:eel, hotate:clam

chirashi bowl - ikura:roe, uni:sea urchin, maguro:tuna, sake:salmon, crab

Around the World in 80 Bites

Japan (Hakone/Atami) - おいしい

Japan (Tokyo) - おいしい