As promised...

In my last blog from Japan, I promised yummy things would follow. It is time for me to make good on that promise. The following is a chronicle of my favorite food experiences in Japan. I think we're very spoiled in California, because we have a great variety of cuisines available, and amazingly enough, after going to the country of origin I realized it's not all "McDonaldized."

The first item lacks a photograph, simply because I didn't even think of it. My first morning, I was left to my own devices after a brief introduction to the kitchen and refrigerator the day before by my hostess, T.

Now, she had told me a little about the nato, and I'd read her blog on it. Otherwise, I was pretty naive. Regardless, when I discovered I'd been left freshly made rice, I decided to dive right in and have nato first thing. It reminded me of when I'd tried to make rock candy from evaporated cane juice (yield=sugar water, very fermented) and vaguely of caramel, or burnt marshmallows. It just tasted bland. I wasn't impressed in the least.

I informed T that she was missing half a container of nato due to me, and was slightly taken aback by her shock that I had tried it alone. This shock and slight horror was duplicated by everyone who heard about it while I was in Japan (including strangers on the train). I willingly had some again when we visited with another friend, and was amazed how delicious it became when you mixed the soy sauce and mustard in, instead of just drizzling it on top. Final verdict: delicious.


My next taste adventure had to be rebooked several times due to all four chairs at the restaurant being filled. But try, try again, I got my Mexican food.

The chef lived in Guadalajara for 11 years before returning to Niigata, his home town. Everything was so delicious, I almost forgot to take pictures. The set lunch started with chilled sweet potato bisque and a cup of Chinese tea. Next came the main course, enchiladas with house chili sauce. Oh, they were absolutely superb, especially when the tortillas were crisped with a blow torch.

Dessert was rice pudding with fresh and preserved fruits, and fresh mint tea. Delish!

But despite the flavors, I wasn't in Mexico, I was in Japan and Japanese cuisine was in order.
I couldn't visit Japan without having sushi--it would just be wrong.

Having sushi in Japan is like having sushi^2. It just sushi-er. And incredibly delicious.

This was our sushi chef, Blue Oak, with one of his exquisite creations.

The neighboring chef, whose diners were fascinated with the Japanese speaking (mainly T, I only spoke after extensive coaching), chop stick wielding geigin.

Some sushi you dip, and some you don't. The one on the left you don't, and after trying it, you realize that putting soy sauce on this specimen would be like putting ketchup on filet mignon.

The last day of my trip, we stopped by a shop that was making fresh rice crackers dipped in soy sauce. We hot a batch hot from the fryer/oven/cooking apparatus.

Ah, well, I'm hungry again after all that. See you at the sushi bar!