A mutli-colored breakfast in Utsunomiya
Aya and James prepared a curry and tasty chicken.
Plastic food displays make it easy to order in Japan.
CoCo Ichibanya is a chain curry joint which once saved me from frostbite after I missed the last train.
If your idea of Japanese cuisine is visiting hibachi restaurants or suburban sushi buffets, you’ve probably never been to the mountainous archipelago. During my fourteen months in Nippon I never marveled at a flaming onion volcano, and preferred sushi rotating on conveyer belts or from convenience stores. I bellied up solo at noodle shops, rolled 30 deep in private karaoke rooms, and competed against bony elbowed grannies for marked down supermarket bargains. Yet I can’t remember a single dissatisfying meal. Japan’s culinary delights feature healthy ingredients spanning all colors of the rainbow. Here are some more favorites from our July 2009 visit in Japan.
Takoyaki are fried or grilled octopus dumplings.
We attended a takoyaki party hosted by Ikue and Yousuke.
The kimchi gyudon setto will fill you up.
Tough to find a better bargain then gyudon
Melissa opted to skip the beef setto and chose eel.
The best ramen noodles don't come in styrofoam.
Our tonkatsu ramen in Kyoto did not last long.
You can cook your own burger on a round stone.
Snacks and cold beverages on the shinkansen train.
Yousuke, a crystal stream, sandwiches and a sweet Aquarius
Pickled vegetables in Nishiki Market, Kyoto
Visit Nishiki Market to sample fresh fish.
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