What’s a blog without lots of pictures of food? We had lots of great food on our trip. Here are a few highlights.
Doug has declared that Japanese food is his favorite food in the world. I think that has to do with one thing: raw fish!
When in doubt, Ramen is always a safe choice. There are lots of choices and many different styles. It’s always a delicious and cheap option.
And what’s a food blog without some drinks? Yes, you can buy beer in vending machines in Japan.
My Japanese food of choice is curry and rice. Here it is served in the typical – with a side of miso soup and green tea. Water is almost always served at Japanese restaurants. This is quite a change from our European trips where sometimes beer was cheaper than water.
A typical lunch “setto” … sushi, noodles, a little tofu along with miso soup and tea
We went with Miho and Anthony to The Motherland for fish lovers – Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo. The day starts early around 4am (we didn’t make it) for the tuna auction and works its way through the dealers, wholesalers and restaurant owners. This is no “flying fish” tourist market. It is a real working market as evidenced by the number of times Miho almost got run over by various tractors and machinery moving throughout the market. And the blood and guts… (photos available upon request)
OK – there is a little bit of touristy business in the fish market area. When there is a giant picture of a fish with a place to put your head, someone has to pose for a picture.
Some of the wonderful sushi during our “sushi breakfast” at Sushizanmai in the Fish Market.
We went to a very local izakaya with Miho and Anthony. It is the sort of place that we never would have walked into on our own and it was delicious.
Curry with an egg on top
It was very hot so we had to drink some beer.
Speaking of beer, Anthony recommended we have a beer on the shinkansen because “everybody has a beer on the shinkansen”. We picked up a couple at the station and Doug used the equivalent of a $100 bill to purchase about $4 worth of beer. The clerk didn’t blink. Japan is a true cash society.
We also had some Chinese food. We like how Japanese meals have little portions of lots of different things. This is probably why many young Japanese people who live alone don’t cook for themselves. Too many parts!
The food was better than my face indicates.
Did I mention it was hot? We had to stay hydrated. This is at a café overlooking Kyoto station. I had a vacation-long quest to successfully use the “free wi-fi” promised in so many places.
This is not Cudahy circa 1988. We found Doug’s former employer has a location in Kyoto.
This was a really, really cheap lunch place in Kyoto. I think there were plenty of “regulars” here. Note the guy behind us is so at home here that he took off his shoes for his meal.
When we didn’t stop for some afternon “hydration”, we sometimes stopped for a little piece of cake and coffee. It was a good chance to rest up, enjoy the air-conditioning and decide what to do next.
In Kyoto, we ventured into an Izakaya (bar/place to eat cheap stuff). We were surprised when the host led us to a private tatami room and pointed to a screen instead of giving us menus. We made some selections by touchscreen and hoped for the best.
Within minutes, there was a knock on the door and the dishes we ordered started arriving. Although this was only place we had the touchscreen, many restaurants had a button on each table so you could call the server when you wanted or needed something.
Despite all the delicious Japanese choices, sometimes you just need pizza.
AND…. Mexican food!! We used to take a bus about an hour to have something similar to Mexican food. Here we are having a delicious Mexican dinner in the Fukuoka train station!
Every plate is a work of art in Japan! It always looks as good as it tastes!
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