The capital of the Umamisphere, Tokyo is a cluttered jungle of JUNK. Yoko reports.
After four years in Tokyo, Yoko recently relocated to the Bay Area. She loves dips, dashi and deals.
Tokyo JUNKtion
November 10, 2009
Tokyo JUNKtion: Preparing Salmon Seminal Fluid
I bought a sac of shirako at my local supermarket for 90 yen (85 cents). I never knew that shirako was so cheap since I had never had the balls to prepare it until now. Shirako is the seminal fluid of fish who shoot their sperm onto roe. It is served in many different ways […]
November 5, 2009
Tokyo JUNKtion: ChocoBari Love
My new favorite ice-cream product is Chocobari. The closest translation for the Japanese word “bari” in English is the onomatopoeia “crunch.” I first knew of Chocobari in the summer months when they were running ads for it on TV. I couldn’t find the actual ad I saw on Youtube, but here’s one I was able […]
October 31, 2009
Tokyo JUNKtion: “Here’s LOOKing at you!”
My husband and I took a stroll around Tsukijishijo (Tsukuji Fish Market) yesterday after running an errand in Ginza. I used to work near Tsukiji and never had the privilege of spending a day-off there. It was the same Tsukiji I went to on my lunch breaks, but it makes it a lot more exciting […]
October 23, 2009
Tokyo JUNKtion: Caramel Pudding Kit Kat
After trying two Kit Kat flavors available in Japan with gag-inducing colors: light aqua for the Ramune Kit Kat and salmony orange for the Mango Pudding Kit Kat, I was seriously relieved to see that the Caramel Pudding Kit Kat was poo-colored just like the OG chocolate Kit Kat. As I busted open the package, […]
October 6, 2009
Tokyo JUNKtion: So NOT Bored at the Park Hyatt
I did the Lost in Translation thing for the first time and went to the Park Hyatt’s New York Grill. I suppose that after living in Tokyo for four years, it was about time. And given the fact that I will be leaving Tokyo in three months back to my home state of California, it […]
September 26, 2009
Tokyo JUNKtion: We Went to a Maid Cafe and All I Got Was This Lousy Curry
Anders (fellow UMAMIMART writer), Rene and I went to Pinafore, a maid cafe in Tokyo, last Sunday. Here’s the report. ANDERS:It’s funny how you as a foreign tourist constantly walk around in Tokyo expecting to be shocked, appalled and freaked out by the weirdness of the Japanese. Maybe it’s the over-hyping guide books, maybe it’s […]
August 26, 2009
Tokyo JUNKtion: MANGETSU Redux
I posted about Mangetsu’s Mugi-toro Don the other day, Tokyo JUNKtion: Mugi-toro Don at MANGETSU, and promised to get back to UMAMIMART with more coverage on Mangetsu since one post was just not enough. You will probably see me at Mangetsu one to three times a week during these past two months (I was introduced […]
August 11, 2009
Tokyo JUNKtion: Summertime Party at Washio
One of the best things about Tokyo is its haphazardness. In addition to being able to drink outside, their zoning and permit laws seems to be pretty lax, allowing for makeshift parties outside – literally on the street. If a car tries to squeeze by, well… it’ll just have to wait until all the drunkards […]
August 6, 2009
Tokyo JUNKtion: Mugi-toro Don at MANGETSU
One of my most recent discoveries in Tokyo is Mangetsu, a tiny place that has a maximum occupancy of eight, one-minute from Hatagaya station that specializes in gyu-tan, or beef tongue. I will post on their many beef tongue dishes in the near future, but this post concerns Mugi-toro meshi – a barley rice bowl […]
August 5, 2009
Tokyo JUNKtion: Mango Pudding Kit Kat
I was a little skeptical about this week’s Kit Kat flavor “Mango Pudding” because of its shocking orange color. I am usually not a fan of chocolate doesn’t taste like chocolate, but the Mango Pudding coating was actually quite enjoyable. Imagine having mango pudding with a wafer served on the side and you get the […]