Hiroshima's okonomiyaki hall is a well known place to visit and try the specialty. There's 24 vendors to pick from although I couldn't tell much difference between them all. I'm sure by now people have found their favourites...
This one I tried is called Itsukushima.
I only reason I went to Kobe was to try Kobe beef teppanyaki. Before the easily accessible information online, the recommendations came from guide books and this one from The Rough Guide.
It wasn't as good as the remarkable sirloin from 511 in Tokyo (https://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/511-tokyo-01-2012) but I'd honestly have to go back to Kobe to try again.
After fawning over the remarkable Lost in Translation, a pivotal place to visit was the New York Bar high up in the Shinjuku Park Hyatt. Since I stayed on the funkier east, walking to the business west actually took a lot longer than anticipated.
The views and the majesty are equally matched by the prices and meats are available from around the world at a premium. I seem to recall paying $60-70 for a steak from Australia (which after the fact seemed unnecessary considering I get Australian steak all over Australia usually... but you live and learn).
I don't think I need to go there again, but I'm glad I have once in my life.
After years of religiously watching the original Iron Chef Japan on SBS each weekend and marvelling at the rushed creations of Michiba, Sakai and Chen, it was natural that my instinct was to find their restaurants in Tokyo. Sakai has La Rochelle but French isn't my favourite. Chen's dishes interested me with the chilli and heat but I thought Michiba was the most invincible (other than the German chef who beat him in the peppers battle) and his food being modern Japanese would be the most memorable.
On the 8th floor of this building in Ginza, the two of us were the only non-Japanese people in the restaurant. They did have an English menu translation and so I'm sure there have been tourist Iron Chef fans before us to make that worth their while.
Although Michiba wasn't there himself, the meal was spectacular. Tradition mixed with modern, in combinations well before their time in the world of fusion. The flavours were strong and typically Japanese with a little something extra.
One of my favourite meals of all time.
Hors d'oeuvre platter
- Deep fried scallop & yam ball coated with broad bean bits;
- Konbu seaweed infused seabream sushi wrapped in cherry leaf;
- Grilled cheese aged in miso & sake lees;
- Boiled tiger prawn with vinegared taro potatoe in saffron jelly cube;
- Tender simmered sweet-soy flavoured baby turbo shell;
- Blanched nobiru chives served with a vinegared miso;
- Fragrant new season's bamboo shoot sprinkled with bonito flakes.
Soup
- Soft-shelled turtle ball rolled in tapioca, served in a delicate bonito broth, sprinkled with chopped leek & ginger juice.
Sashimi
- Bonito, sea bream, squid.
Grilled Dish
- Grilled hairtail, octopus, tripe & steamed vegetable salad, served with a truffled dressing, garnished with salmon roe. This dish was truly remarkable in flavour.
Simmered Dish
- Sharkfin in a thickened golden bonito broth, served on a savoury egg custard with soybean-milk-skin & nameko mushroom.
Refresher
- Green leaf pickle sushi.
Main Course
- Fresh fish of the day simmered with burdock in a sweet flavoured soy sauce;
- Japanese lobster served simmered in a sweet miso sauce.
Rice & Noodle Dish (served with pickles)
- Mackerel aged 3 years in rice bran (nuka-saba) on rice with a light dashi broth;
- Michiba style "curry udon" (thick wheat noodles served in a curried broth).
Dessert
- Seasonal fruits, apple sorbet, sampokan citrus jelly served in its own cup.
Koyasan or Mount Koya - one of Japan holiest Buddhist areas.
Spent overnight in a temple lodging, experienced shojin-ryori (exquisite vegetarian cuisine of the monks) & morning prayer session.
Photos are dinner then the following breakfast.
Y130 per plate
Up on the 10F of the Kyoto JR station is ramen koji - where ramen dreams come true and there's a choice of places each with their own specialty regional ramen.
It's difficult to know which one to choose and my ramen type knowledge back in 2009 wasn't all that flash. In any case each one is a pretty safe bet.
It proved to be an unexpectedly difficult task. Walking around Kyoto looking for somewhere to eat ramen. I was certain we had walked past a heap of places just before... but now couldn't find any.
Eventually I walked into a department store food area and asked a staff member. "Ippudo" she wrote down and directed us. Little did I know how much this place would develop internationally onwards after that.
Delicious (expensive) tonkotsu, gyoza, and the tiniest bun you've ever seen.
So good, went back the next day to try some other varieties.
Specialists in okonomiyaki
