Japan has been heavily on my mind lately – such an amazing country, facing such terrible and unrelenting disaster. So I wanted to share some of my favorite memories of Japan, focusing on the food, since that’s certainly one of the things that makes Japan so distinctive and wonderful.
Kaiseki
Perhaps one of the first things that comes to mind when thinking of food in Japan is kaiseki, a stylized, seasonal multi-course meal that is elevated to an art form. The courses (and their order) are partially dictated by tradition – for example, your dinner will have a sashimi dish, a soup, and a grilled dish among (many) others.
I’ve typically had kaiseki dinners when staying at ryokans (traditional Japanese inns), so the dinner was served in our room at a low table. And of course, it was very nice to dine while wearing a yukata.
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| Artistic presentation of vegetables and sushi |
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| Sashimi plate |
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| A piece of “knotted” fish |
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| Crab “gratin” on the right; the bundle on the left held baked fish |
Zen cuisine
In Kyoto, there are many ancient temples, and correspondingly, many places where you can sample the tofu-focused vegetarian meals that Zen Buddhist monks might eat. Much of this food is, admittedly, a bit plain – but I would say that its simplicity is one of its strengths. In particular, I enjoyed a dish of tofu pieces on bamboo skewers, broiled with a green miso paste.
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| Broiled tofu, fit for a monk! |
Anago-meshi
When I discovered this amazing combination of anago over rice at a restaurant called Ueno in Miyajima-guchi (near Hiroshima), it quickly became my favorite meal in Japan. Anago is the ocean cousin of unagi (freshwater eel), and is significantly more delicate – none of the rubbery texture that sometimes characterizes unagi. I can still recall the flavor of the savory, charcoal-grilled anago and the richly seasoned rice beneath – I will always remember that flavor!
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| Anago-meshi served in a bento box… |
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| …And in a donburi (just as good!) |
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| Ueno’s storefront |
Pastries
Outside of Paris, the best place for French patisserie is definitely Japan. (Sometimes I even think the Japanese renditions might be superior!) Japan takes its pastry very, very seriously. My favorites are strawberry shortcake and Mont Blanc.
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| Perfection |
Strawberry shortcakes are made of light-as-air sponge cake, whipped cream, and thinly sliced strawberries; you can actually get a reasonably faithful rendition at the Japanese bakery at Mitsuwa, and at other Japanese-style bakeries in the US. Mont Blanc, on the other hand, has proven much harder to find outside of Japan. It consists of a genoise base, then a chestnut cream (and sometimes some candied chestnut), topped artfully with swirls of chestnut puree so that it looks (very vaguely) like the actual Mont Blanc. Once, in a fit of desperation, I did purchase a “Mont Blanc” at Shirokiya (a Japanese department store) in Honolulu. Alas, it was heavy and overly sweet, and nothing like my beloved Mont Blancs from Japan.
Fresh momiji manju
For a more traditional Japanese confection, try a freshly-made momiji manju filled with custard – ephemeral and delicious. Momiji means “maple leaf”, and these delicate little cakes are shaped like maple leaves and filled with custard, or red bean paste, or a green tea filling.
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Descriptive poster in the momiji shop
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They’re very simple, just a tender, thin layer of cake around the warm filling, but they’re undoubtedly one of the things I wish I could have here in the US. Even in Japan, a warm momiji isn’t too common. They are really only made near Hiroshima (especially Miyajima), and unless you’re lucky enough to eat the freshly-made version right there in the shop, you’re left with momiji that have been cooled and wrapped – still very good, but they just can’t compare to the meltingly warm perfection of the freshest cakes.
Department store food floors
Whenever anyone asks for advice about where to eat in Japan, I always point them to the basement food sections of department stores. For one thing, it’s amazing to see the wide range of beautifully packaged foodstuffs meant to be given as gifts – cookies and rice crackers, yokan, candies crafted of colorful sugar, teas, and so much more. But more importantly, these department stores are a great place to pick up inexpensive, light lunches or dinners – about $5 for a bento box, about $6 for a dozen gyoza.
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Bento box with grilled salted salmon, tamago, and vegetables
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Receipts – less than 1500 yen for dinner
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You might not expect to find reasonably-priced, good, and fresh food in these stores that also sell out-of-this-world expensive and elegant boxed gifts, but trust me – head down the escalator at any department store and prepare to be amazed!
Murren raspberry tart
All around Paris
French hot chocolate
Tuna salad with tomato
You're making me hungry.
I had the best tonkatsu EVER at a department store food floor in Tokyo.
I know – I made myself VERY hungry!! 🙂
Oh, it would be so nice to go back to visit Japan, to eat the wonderful food there!