Umami Mart

Got into Osaka yesterday, where we’ve been doing all sorts of eating: Street eating. Walking 5 more steps and eating some more, eating. Oh, I’ll have one of those! eating. Ok, this is my last order, I swear, eating. You get the picture. We’re staying right next to Dotonbori– a single street that is at […]

Sorry I have not been posting! I was staying at my aunt’s where i couldn’t get an internet signal this last week. Just got into Kyoto yesterday- it’s such a vibrant, artful town, full of color and excellent food. The coffee shop culture here is unreal! More on that later. For now, here’s a picture […]

Japanese people really like to wait in line for food. It’s this really bizarre psychological phenomenon here, where people think that the longer the wait, the better the food must be. Check out these hardcore lines in Ginza, Tokyo. Out of control. Also note that they are all for sweets from a foreign land. Hmmm. […]

Drying mackerel and squid for himono (semi-dried fish that is then grilled), which brings better preserves them and brings out more profound flavors. UMAMI! Atami, Japan.

Lavender flavored soft serve (or “soft cream” as they call it here in Japan) from the Hotel New Akao’s Herb House in Atami. The subtle hint of lavender was just right, not overwhelming. I wish American chefs would use more flowers and herbs to flavor sweets. Like macarons from Laduree! Gotta love this purple soft […]

Just got to Tokyo late on Monday, and my aunt swooped my away immediately to Atami, a sea-side town just an hour out of the city. We relaxed there for a night bathing in the hot springs and went to a cheesy jazz band dinner show (where the food was terribly bad). Above all else, […]