Went to a restaurant in Atami, a sea-side onsen town about an hour out of Tokyo. The himono (air-dried fish) here is really well known in this town, perfectly salted and grilled. Here it is, with requisite grated radish and lemon. Drizzle over some soy sauce to your liking, and you’ve got a very typical […]
Author Archives: Kayoko Akabori
December 21, 2008
One More!
Missed this in yesterday’s post, from Tokyo- miso ramen with scallions marinated in spicy-as-hell chilly sauce. So intense.
December 19, 2008
RAMENRAMENRAMEN
My goal in Japan was to eat ramen everyday. With everything else that there was to eat, I sadly couldn’t fulfill the goal, but I did have my fair share. Here is my top 3: A place near my aunt’s house in Yokohama, called Tora. Lots of chain ramen joints everywhere now, which was a […]
December 15, 2008
The UM Reader, vol.035
The reader has slacked off a bit, but I will bring you links each week, if I’ve got links to share with you. Usually this comes out on Saturdays, but I’m trying out Tuesdays for now. Let’s see if this sticks. Sake brewing internship at Daimon Brewery in Japan: a one-week experience for 5 lucky […]
December 11, 2008
Fried Meat on a Stick!
Besides okonimiyaki, Osaka is known for another genius culinary invention: kushikatsu (aka kushiage). It’s so dreamy. Various meat and seafood parts, sometimes utterly inappropriate but so delicious. All kinds of vegetables. All breaded, then fried. On a stick! Yippee!!! We went over to the Jan-Jan strip of the city (above neon sign), where the taxi […]
December 10, 2008
Hoppy: A Beer Alternative for Shochu Lovers
Hoppy is a non-alcoholic beverage in Japan that tastes like beer. It’s been around since 1948, and was popularized as a cheap way to get drunk. How does one get drunk off of non-alcoholic beer, you ask? Add it to shochu, of course!!! (Shochu is the closest thing to vodka they make in Japan). Trust […]
December 8, 2008
Wakuden: A Century Old Culinary Tradition in Kyoto
Here is quite possibly my most memorable meal in Japan. At least it’s one that I often have been contemplating, recalling the presentation and flavors of that mystical meal overlooking Kyoto (ahhhh). Famed Kyoto restaurant Wakuden has been around for something like a century, and recently opened another outlet on the 11th floor of the […]
December 5, 2008
Cabbage Obsession (Extra Mayo)
In Japan, I noticed an unhealthy obsession with cabbage. While cabbage is quite normal with tonkatsu (as Yoko wrote), it’s pretty bizarre to be serving it by itself as a sort of “starter,” don’t you think? Bizarre, but not bad. Kinda addictive actually. Here it is with a curry miso and mayo at an izakaya […]
December 4, 2008
The Japan Yogurt Files
Whenever I travel anywhere, I always check out the yogurt aisle at the grocery store. Countries are doing really bizarre things with yogurt, which fascinates me. I like to consider myself a bit of a yogurt connoisseur- as I’m sure Sonja would as well. Best yogurt I’ve ever had was in India, out of a […]