Back from Japan! Report Number 1.
Yay I'm back. I'm also jetlaged. I got up this morning to unpack and then decided to take a nap. That nap lasted 9 hours. I hope I can get to sleep tonight. Anyway the first part of my Japan After action report will cover my food impressions.
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My favourite foods that I had not tries before:
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Oyakodon: A super tasty breakfast involving eggs, sauce, and chicken on top of a bed of rice. My first breakfast in Japan and I loved it. Translated it means "mother with child". Twisted name, but by far the best breakfast food. (more on breakfast later) Im a big fan of mixing sauces with rice and generally in Japan the rice is served after the main meal. Not so with this dish. I get to mix it all up whitey style.
Tonkatsu: Lauren was the one who sat us down for this dish, but I had seen it in many a shop display. (Japan is big on plastic food displays). Essentially it is a breaded pork cutlet served with a dipping sauce, shreded cabbage, and miso soup. You dip a bit of cutlet into the sauce and lay it on the rice. Then you munch away. The cabage comes with a sauce to pour over it as well. Simple and tasty. Also by laying the dipped cutlet on rice you get sauce rice action. (always a plus in my book)
Japanese Curry: It's no secret I loves teh curry. Japanese curry is thicker and sweeter than it's Indian counterpart, and doesnt use coconut milk like it's Thai counterpart. Its curry and rice, you can mix the rice and sauce, and woe be those who eat it with a fork (you use a spoon, a fork is a faux pa). I picked uo some mix packets to make it at home. Very popular because its fast and easy to make. It was introduced in the Meiji era when Japan opened up to westerners again (and the ban on meat eating was lifted). They got curry from the British so they consider it a western food. (despite it beign Indian)
Okonomiyaki: commonly reffered too as Japanese pizza. I guess this applies, it comes in sort of a pie shape and you can cut up slices to eat. It also can have just about anything you want in it. Lily and I had 3 types. One of which was apparently the "American style" because it had macaroni, cheese, and mayo on it. Speaking of Mayo, it is put on way to many things IMHO. I'm not a fan of mayo but Jpan seems to like it. I guess they like how it makes things creamy. I would prefer spicy to subtle and creamy. But I dont think spicy is really how Japanese cuisine rolls.
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Stuff I have had in the states and then tried in Japan:
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Sushi: Fish is softer and tastes fresher wasabi is already added to every morsel. Tastier than the US but it didn't make my cry and curse "what I thought was Sushi".
Udon: tastier than any udon I had stateside, but essentially the same.
Soba: Pretty much the same:
Ramen: Tastier and fresher tasting than the US variety. Lily got a bowl that had spiced ground beef in it that blew me away. IT WAS REALLY GOOD. I had some 3AM Ramen after drinking with Lily, Bahia, and Chris and it was damn good. However it was fatty as hell. Tons of fat globules floating in the broth. I mean tons. Never have I ever seen such an unhealthy food. Ever.
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Misc thoughts:
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Japanese breakfast is hard for me to take. Fish and miso for breakfast doen't do it for me. Give me cereal or eggs and toast anyday.
Tooo much mayo on stuff.
Sakura Mochi: interesting mochi made with chery blossom flowers and wrapped in a cherry blossom leaf. Leaf is salty, and mochi is (surprise) floral tasting. Interesting, but I prefer regular mochi.
Bear: is gamey and not that tastey.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
My favourite foods that I had not tries before:
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Oyakodon: A super tasty breakfast involving eggs, sauce, and chicken on top of a bed of rice. My first breakfast in Japan and I loved it. Translated it means "mother with child". Twisted name, but by far the best breakfast food. (more on breakfast later) Im a big fan of mixing sauces with rice and generally in Japan the rice is served after the main meal. Not so with this dish. I get to mix it all up whitey style.
Tonkatsu: Lauren was the one who sat us down for this dish, but I had seen it in many a shop display. (Japan is big on plastic food displays). Essentially it is a breaded pork cutlet served with a dipping sauce, shreded cabbage, and miso soup. You dip a bit of cutlet into the sauce and lay it on the rice. Then you munch away. The cabage comes with a sauce to pour over it as well. Simple and tasty. Also by laying the dipped cutlet on rice you get sauce rice action. (always a plus in my book)
Japanese Curry: It's no secret I loves teh curry. Japanese curry is thicker and sweeter than it's Indian counterpart, and doesnt use coconut milk like it's Thai counterpart. Its curry and rice, you can mix the rice and sauce, and woe be those who eat it with a fork (you use a spoon, a fork is a faux pa). I picked uo some mix packets to make it at home. Very popular because its fast and easy to make. It was introduced in the Meiji era when Japan opened up to westerners again (and the ban on meat eating was lifted). They got curry from the British so they consider it a western food. (despite it beign Indian)
Okonomiyaki: commonly reffered too as Japanese pizza. I guess this applies, it comes in sort of a pie shape and you can cut up slices to eat. It also can have just about anything you want in it. Lily and I had 3 types. One of which was apparently the "American style" because it had macaroni, cheese, and mayo on it. Speaking of Mayo, it is put on way to many things IMHO. I'm not a fan of mayo but Jpan seems to like it. I guess they like how it makes things creamy. I would prefer spicy to subtle and creamy. But I dont think spicy is really how Japanese cuisine rolls.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Stuff I have had in the states and then tried in Japan:
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Sushi: Fish is softer and tastes fresher wasabi is already added to every morsel. Tastier than the US but it didn't make my cry and curse "what I thought was Sushi".
Udon: tastier than any udon I had stateside, but essentially the same.
Soba: Pretty much the same:
Ramen: Tastier and fresher tasting than the US variety. Lily got a bowl that had spiced ground beef in it that blew me away. IT WAS REALLY GOOD. I had some 3AM Ramen after drinking with Lily, Bahia, and Chris and it was damn good. However it was fatty as hell. Tons of fat globules floating in the broth. I mean tons. Never have I ever seen such an unhealthy food. Ever.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Misc thoughts:
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Japanese breakfast is hard for me to take. Fish and miso for breakfast doen't do it for me. Give me cereal or eggs and toast anyday.
Tooo much mayo on stuff.
Sakura Mochi: interesting mochi made with chery blossom flowers and wrapped in a cherry blossom leaf. Leaf is salty, and mochi is (surprise) floral tasting. Interesting, but I prefer regular mochi.
Bear: is gamey and not that tastey.