It’s been over a week since the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan. Even now, there is daily news about the nuclear situation at the Fukushima Daiich nuclear plant. Since that time, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on our recent trip there and all the kind and friendly people we met along our travels in Tokyo. Although my aunt’s family in Japan is safe and accounted for, I know many more people who weren’t as lucky. If you haven’t donated yet and are looking for a way to help out, I encourage you to look into giving to the Canadian Red Cross. You may also want to see if your employer or other institution has a donation matching campaign. I did a little research on my corporate intranet and found out that my employer had started a matching campaign for funds to the Red Cross in support of the Japan earthquake. Any amount helps and I know it will be much appreciated!

I thought it would be a nice closing post on the Tokyo portion of our trip to do a recap of the many snacks and small eats we had as we made our way through the city. I know that Japan will rebuild again as they have before and I’m looking forward to making my return visit in the near future and experience the vibrant and friendly culture of that country.

Onigiri – Our almost daily breakfast. Since we were splurging on quite a few meals, we tried to save on breakfast by buying cheap but delicious onigiri from the convenience store next to our hotel. At about ¥100 each, we could eat two for a regular sized breakfast and and still have room for intermittent snacking before lunch. My favourite was a tuna and mayo version as well as a grilled salmon version.

Ninyo-Yaki – At least I think that’s what these were called. Along the path to Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, we noticed many stores selling different shaped cakes filled with red bean paste. I’ve had these cakes before in Vancouver and was never a fan but I decided to give them a try since they were freshly made and what a difference that made! The cakes were moist and delicious with just the right amount of red bean inside. You definitely need to eat them right away as the ones I saved for eating a few days later did not taste as good…at least to me.

Fresh Mochi – My little cousin is a huge fan of this stuff and she seemed pretty excited for me that I was going to get to try it for myself. We found a little store in Asakusa that sold fresh mochi and we hopped in to sample some. Pictured below from left to right, we had miso, black sesame, and shoyu (soy sauce). I really liked the nuttiness of the black sesame paste and the soft mochi really picked up its flavour.

Fresh Rice Crackers – Especially around the Asakusa area, we noticed many rice cracker vendors with a display in the front where they made the rice crackers fresh and on premise. We definitely had to try a couple of these and for ¥100 each, the price wasn’t too bad. We tried classic shoyu and although that was good, I really liked the wasabi with seaweed version.

Crepes – Tasting nothing like the French versions, I really don’t think their intention was to make it the same. Japanese crepes are less rich and the crepe batter seems lighter and slightly sweeter. Perhaps that is why I always prefer the sweet filling version of Japanese crepes over the savoury types. The one I had below was from Harajuku’s Takeshita Dori, which had several busy crepe vendors. The crispy crepe went really well with the strawberry, whipped cream, and ice cream filling I chose in the version below.

Takoyaki – A definite must try if you are in Japan! I found the balls to be quite larger than the version in Vancouver…hehe The piece of octopus was also more substantial and I’m not sure if it was because of our choice of vendor…we tried to pick the one that seemed the busiest. The takoyaki itself was nice and crispy, being freshly made when we ordered it and had just the right amount of sauce, nori, and bonito flakes. We ordered 8 balls below for only ¥500.

Canned Drinks – We had a blast buying drinks from the many vending machines that grace Tokyo’s street corners. We bought this sparkling chardonnay in a convenience store and it sounded kind of interesting so we had to give it a try. It tasted mostly like grape juice with a hint of alcohol…nothing like real chardonnay.

Soft Serve Ice Cream – This seemed to be quite popular in many place in Tokyo. The one I had below was actually from Kamekura, which is about a 1 hour train ride away from Tokyo. I decided to have the purple potato flavour, which is a specialty of the Kamekura region. It was only mildly sweet and had a really great yam flavour to it. I believe this one cost about ¥300.

Ice Cream Wafers – We saw this at many vending machines as well so wanted to give it a try. Although good in theory, the ice cream made the wafers slightly soft so I think this would be better eaten fresh.

And that sums up the many snacks we had while in Tokyo! I’m sure that many of these snacks are regional specialties and if we had ventured to other cities, there would have been other goodies for us to check out. It was really interesting for me to try out things that I had eaten before in Vancouver and I finally had the chance to compare it with the freshly made version in Japan. I highly encourage you to give some of these snacks a try if you are in Tokyo. Next up in these travel series will be Singapore!

I wrote this post before hearing about the earthquake in Japan. Our thoughts and prayers to all the people there.

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Another  dinner in Tokyo that my aunt helped arrange for me was a fugu dinner at Sankaku in the Asakusa neighborhood. Fugu (or puffer fish) is a Japanese delicacy and is poisonous if not cut and prepared properly. Although fugu incidents are quite low and generally due to home preparation, there is still some risk to eating fugu…but I suppose that is part of the intrigue. My aunt told me that fugu happened to be in season when I was in Tokyo (during December) and she made reservations for me at a place that her dad frequented quite regularly.

We were really lucky that my aunt knew the owners because they were fully booked during the busy holiday season but were able to squeeze us in when my aunt told them that we came all the way from Canada. I checked out Sankaku’s website prior to our visit but my aunt actually came up with a list of dishes for us to order so we could get the full fugu experience and also translated it into Japanese so we could pass it along to our server and chef. After we settled into our seats, the owner came out to greet us and came to explain what each dish was. His English was pretty good…much better than our broken Japanese

While we warmed up from the cold, our server brought some nibbles for us. First was some fugu “jell-o”, a salty gelatin made with fugu skin (left), then some sea snail (centre), and a couple of fresh broad beans (right).

Then came the main dishes. First came the fugu sashi, which was basically sashimi from different parts of the fugu. In our haste to eat this, we didn’t even realize that I didn’t take a picture until we were half done! The fugu sashimi was cut very thinly and arranged in the shape of a chrysanthemum flower. At the top of the photo below is also some fugu skin, sliced very thinly and in strips. Our server helped us to prepare a sauce of chives, spicy radish, vinegar, and soy sauce, which we used to dip the fugu sashi in. We found the flavour very subtle with a hint of sweetness but most of the flavour came from our dipping sauce. What I found really unique was the slightly chewy and firm consistency of the fugu sashi, which I haven’t experienced in other sashimi before.

Next came fugu karaage, deep fried fugu. We drizzled some lime over the fugu which brought out the subtle flavours of the fish. The deep frying brought out the firmness of the fish, which was also quite flakey but juicy at the same time, which contrasted with the light crispy coating. This was one of Jenkins’ favourite fugu dishes of the evening.

At this point, the owner came out and asked if we’d like anything additional to drink other than the green tea we already had. He recommended that we try the fugu hire sake, which was grilled fugu fins in sake. Jenkins and I decided to have one to share and this turned out to be a good thing because it was really strong! At the same time, this was actually our hands down favourite of the evening. We could really taste the grilled flavour of the fugu which permeated the warm sake. It was delicious and we also noticed that it was a fan favourite amongst the other patrons as well.

Then came the shirako-yaki, which was the grilled roe of the fugu. We found out later that this is a really popular fugu dish and although we were a bit nervous about eating it initially, I ended up really liking it. The outside was lightly grilled and salted; once you popped the whole thing in your mouth, it burst into some creamy goodness. The lime and salt heightened the flavour and I could see why it was so popular.

We were finally down to the last dishes of the evening, fugu chiri, which is like a fugu hot pot. Along with the fugu bones came some tofu and veggies.

It looked like most of the patrons were preparing the hot pot themselves but since we were newbies, my aunt asked in advance if the server could help us prepare the dish.

The flavours from the veggies and the fugu in this dish was so mild that most of what we could taste was the recommended vinegar-based dipping sauce. Again, what really stood out for me was the unique firm texture of the fugu.

When we finished the last of the veggies and fugu, the owner came out and prepared a light congee-like dish with the remaining broth. He threw in some pre-cooked rice, swirled in some eggs, and added a dash of MSG for some extra umami.

We garnished our zousui (congee) with some thinly sliced green onions and a bit of spicy daikon. Although really mild in flavour, I really liked the zousui as an ending dish and I think a large part of it was due to the once again, perfectly made rice.

Jenkins and I had quite an enjoyable experience trying fugu for the first time. I was quite surprised by the mild flavour of the fugu and in my first-timer opinion, I felt that fugu was more about a play on different textures than the taste itself. Trying the different dishes, I could see how the texture of the fugu changed depending on how it was prepared but it was always different from other foods I’ve tried before…if that makes any sense. The only dish where I really tasted the fugu flavour at its fullest was the sake and that is probably why it was also one of my favourite “dishes” It was definitely a unique experience though and I would highly recommend it…especially if you are in Japan during fugu season. Due to the strict regulations around fugu preparation, the meals are quite costly and you definitely want to make sure the fugu is prepared correctly! Our dinner was ¥12500 for the two of us.

Details:
1-20-7 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-3841-7650

Summary:
Food: 4 out of 5 stars
Service: 5 out of 5 stars
Price: $$$$

After a visit to the Tokyo National Museum, Jenkins and I walked about 10 minutes to Izuei Honten for a late lunch. I first found out about Izuei Honten via Paul’s blog where he shared his Tokyo eating adventures. After this initial discovery, I found many more positive reviews of Izuei Honten and since it happened to be near our sightseeing path, we decided to make it one of our stops. Izuei Honten’s claim to fame is that it has been making unagi for over 260 years. The restaurant itself is housed in a newer building these days and has seven floors all serving its signature item: unagi.

After doing a little research, I stumbled across a coupon on Izuei Honten’s English website that gives you a free drink if you pay cash for your meal. Since there were two of us dining that day, Jenkins and I were given a large bottle of Asahi beer to share.

After a bit of deliberation, Jenkins and I finally decided on what we would order. Jenkins was feeling a bit girly that day so he ordered the himejyu, also known as the Princess Meal. Along with the unagi don came an assortment of seafood, tofu, veggies, and other goodies (middle bowl in the picture below). There was also a bowl of eel liver soup accompanying the meal. This meal set cost ¥3360, which was a bit of a splurge for us but you did get a lot of food. The veggies and seafood provided some nice variety and although tasty, the real star of the show was obviously the unagi. It was perfectly grilled and had just the right combination of sweetness and umami. To be perfectly honest, I think Jenkins would have been happy if all he had ordered was the unagi don on its own. Jenkins raved about how the rice was perfectly flavoured by the unagi and had the right texture.

Perhaps buoyed by Jenkins’ choice, I also decided to go for a larger meal set and chose the Unatoro Ju (?2835, eel yum box according to the menu translation). Along with my unagi don came a grated yam soup, sashimi, pickles, and eel liver soup.

I don’t really know what I was expecting with the tororo (grated yam soup with dashi) but I didn’t really like it. The texture was slightly slimy and served cold. Perhaps it is an acquired taste.

Although not as good as the maguro we had at Sushi Dai, the maguro served here was still very fresh and flavourful. It went really well with a bit of fresh wasabi and a touch of soy.

Similar to Jenkins’ unagi don, mine was definitely the star of my meal set. Resting on top of perfectly made rice, the unagi was delicious and flavourful. The rice was great on its own and the unagi only made it better. The next time I come back, I would be happy just ordering this on its own.

Jenkins and I had a great time at Izuei Honten. After tasting the unagi here, it is going to be difficult to find another place that can compare…especially outside of Japan! I should also note that the staff were very friendly and patient with us.

Details:
2-12-22 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0005
Tel: 03-3831-095

Summary:
Food: 4 out of 5 stars
Service: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Price: $$$

One place that a couple of people recommended that Jenkins and I check out while we were in Tokyo was Gonpachi. Located in the Rappongi ward of Tokyo, Gonpachi mainly an izakaya but the top floor houses a slightly more upscale sushi restaurant. Originally, Jenkins and I ended up in the sushi restaurant because the signage was a bit unclear as to the entrance but we were quickly redirected to the izakaya on the ground floor.

One of Gonpachi’s claim to fame is that its interior served as the inspiration for the restaurant fight scene in the Kill Bill Vol. 1 movie. Based on this fact alone, Jenkins said we should try to visit the restaurant while we were in Tokyo. We were seated at the bar and looking around us, we could easily see the similarities between Gonpachi and the restaurant in the Kill Bill movie.

Jenkins and I arrived at the restaurant fairly early (right at 6PM) because we were unable to make reservations so we wanted to eat dinner before the regular crowd arrived. Partly due to that fact and the fact that we had been eating all day, we kept our meal fairly light.

One of Gonpachi’s specialties is the yakitori grilled right on their huge charcoal grill which took up the main cooking space of the restaurant. We decided to order a couple of the negima (chicken grilled with our choice of soy sauce or salt) and tebasaki (chicken wing). Interestingly, our two choices were combined onto one skewer. The chicken was very juicy and we could really taste the charcoal flavour from the grill. Even the negima, which was grilled without its skin, retained a lot of its natural juiciness and the soy and salt served to accentuate the chicken’s natural flavour. I should note that even though we chose a combo of soy and salt, it was hard to differentiate them.

We were also feeling a bit guilty that we hadn’t been eating as many vegetables as we should so we also ordered some veggie skewers, which included shishinto peppers, radishes, tomatoes, gingko, and eringi mushrooms. The veggie skewers also retained a lot of its natural juices and I especially enjoyed the shishinto peppers and the gingko beans. The mushrooms were also quite tasty and had a meaty texture.

We also ordered the takana meshi, which was rice and pickled mustard leaves served in a hot stone pot. The rice was perfectly made and slightly dry so the hot stone pot created a nice and crunchy crust after we let the rice sit for a bit. The mustard leaves also provided a bit of a crunch and along with the bits of seaweed, flavoured the rice well.

Jenkins and I wrapped up our meal with the Gonpachi agedashi tofu. We weren’t really sure what to expect but since the menu promised that it was served Gonpachi-style, we were somewhat intrigued. The tofu came coated in a very light crust and drizzled in the typical tentsuyu broth. I really liked the enoki and oyster mushrooms that accompanied the tofu. There was some runny egg white on top which seemed odd at first but seemed to add an interesting texture to the dish.

Jenkins and I quite enjoyed our meal at Gonpachi. It was a lively and fun atmosphere watching the chefs at work was a really interesting experience.  The food was slightly more expensive than Tengu but we really enjoyed being able to say that we ate at the Kill Bill restaurant.

Details:
1-13-11 Nishi-Azabu Minato-Ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5771-0170
There are locations all over Tokyo but the one we visited is the most well-known.

I was really interested in checking out a Japanese fast food place while we were in Tokyo. The opportunity presented itself when Jenkins and I were travelling to the Miraikan Emerging Science and Innovation museum but wanted to stop somewhere for lunch first. Luckily for us, there was a Lotteria that was right next to the museum and surprisingly, the prices seemed on par with its other locations elsewhere.

It took Jenkins and me a while to figure out what we wanted to eat and we finally decided on ordering a couple of burgers and sharing an additional snack.

The ebi (shrimp) burgers were delicious. I’m not really sure why they don’t carry them here in North America. A deep fried shrimp cake is sandwiched between some hamburger buns with some shredded lettuce and a generous spread of tartar sauce.

I thought that the shrimp flavour was actually pretty prominent but would have preferred for there to be less tartar sauce. The shrimp cake was obviously freshly fried as it was very crispy on the outside and because I suspect that it was battered with panko rather than the typical breaded crust found in other fast food joints.

We also decided to try one of their new products, namely called the sausage roll. Upon unwrapping the sausage roll, we noted that it looked a bit odd but tasted better than it looked. It was a regular hot dog weiner wrapped in a crispy pastry shell. The pastry shell was slightly buttery and tasted pretty good.

I had wanted to try more Japanese fast food places during our time in Tokyo but Lotteria turned out to be our only visit. It would have been fun to try out some of their other menu offerings. Our meal turned out to be one of our cheaper meals in Japan, costing less than ¥800 for the two of us.

Details:
2-3-6, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo (and various other locations)

One of the things I was looking forward to the most about our trip to Tokyo was meeting up with my Aunt Yuko’s brother, Tomo. The first and only time I had met Tomo previously was at my aunt and uncle’s wedding several years ago. When he and my aunt found out that Jenkins and I were going to Tokyo, they offered to treat us to dinner at their family friends’ restaurant, Daimon Takezushi. I was a bit nervous about my ability to write an objective review as a result but my aunt assured me I was free to write whatever I wanted. With that out of the way, I was really looking forward to our dinner with Tomo!

Daimon Takezushi is located in the Minato neighborhood of Tokyo, near Tokyo Tower.

When Jenkins and I arrived, Tomo wasn’t there yet but there were 3 spots reserved for us right at the sushi bar. We were presented with some warm towels to freshen up and some green tea.

Once Tomo arrived, we chatted for a bit and drank some sake before the food started arriving fast and furious. Our meal for the evening was omakase style, with our sushi chef, Chef Sawada, having personally selected all the ingredients that morning at Tsukiji. It’s really hard to get any fresher! Tomo acted as our interpreter and helped explain what some of the dishes were. First up was some fish liver, which Jenkins and I likened to a Japanese seafood version of fois gras. The flavour was mild and accented by the crunch of some flaky sea salt. It wasn’t fishy at all and I think this would have gone great with some crackers as well.

Next came some steamed mini crab, that was served in its shell. The crab meat was delicate and sweet. We drizzled some fresh lime on the crab as well as the crunchy crab roe. The roe wasn’t fishy at all and had a slightly salty flavour from the sea, which contrasted with the lime juice.

We also had some braised leeks which went really well with a small pile of shaved bonito flakes.

Then came a small assorted sashimi plate. The seafood was all very fresh and you could really taste it in each bite. As I mentioned in my Sushi Dai post, hamachi was in season and the hamachi sashimi we had at Takezushi was delicious. I also enjoyed the fresh needle fish (white fish on the left in the middle) which had a firm texture and went really well with a special dip of ginger, chives, and soy.

After we finished our sashimi, Chef Sawada gave us a grilled skewer with the skin from the needle fish wrapped around it.

Next came a gently grilled flatfish, which was cooked in what I thought was a light mirin and soy broth. I had never had flatfish before but I really liked the buttery, fatty fish which went really well with the slightly sweet sauce. Jenkins and I both remarked that this would have been fantastic with some Japanese rice.

After we were finished with our flatfish, the nigiri started coming. First up was some ika. It came sprinkled with some sea salt so we only dabbed a little bit of freshly grated wasabi and soy sauce. The ika was slightly sweet and not rubbery at all. As usual in our Tokyo trip, it came perched on some perfectly made sushi rice.

Then came the saba, which was perfectly cut and tasted delicious without a hint of fishiness at all. It tasted nothing like the saba we have had in North America and I think it was definitely in part due to its freshness.

The aji (horse mackerel) came with some grated ginger and chives, which balanced the fattiness of the fish. We were instructed by Chef Sawada not to use any soy in this one and it was an excellent recommendation. Compared to saba, I definitely prefer the aji variety of mackerel more.

The star of our dinner was definitely the kinme tai (golden eye snapper), which was lightly seared with a blowtorch before being served. Tomo exclaimed that it was delicious after eating it and Jenkins and I agreed with him…proclaiming it being oishi to Chef Sawada. It tasted completely different from the snapper in Vancouver and was very flavourful and fatty with a slight seared flavour. In fact, Chef Sawada saw that we all enjoyed the kinme tai so much that he offered us all another piece at the end of the meal, which we all gratefully accepted. Tomo explained to us that kinme tai comes from a special region of Japan, near Tokyo and is one of the rarer varieties of snapper but definitely one of the most delicious.

To cleanse our palates after the nigiri, we were presented with a hot bowl of clear clam soup. The clam itself was juicy and sweet, thereby nicely flavouring the broth. This was a simply made broth but done very well. Jenkins laughed at me when I said it tasted like the sea but I really think it did!

Finally, our meal was coming to a close and after we polished our last piece of kinme tai, we were presented with some fresh, sweet kumquats. It was a simple but perfect way to end our fantastic dinner.

Jenkins and I had a terrific time chatting with Tomo about our trip so far as well as our meal. He was also a great translator for us and Chef Sawada and his family. Although I was a bit nervous about the meal, I was really happy that I enjoyed the food so much and that I was able to write a positive review about my great experience! This was definitely one of the highlights of our trip and one of the best meals I’ve ever had, in part due to our unique dining experience. The next time I am in Tokyo, I will definitely make Daimon Takezushi a part of our itinerary. Note that since Tomo treated us, I’m not sure how much our meal cost but Daimon Takezushi offers a “party set” meal for ¥5000 and a deluxe nigiri set for ¥2500.

Details:
1-7-14 Shibakouen, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-3437-6655

Summary:
Food: 5 out of 5 stars
Service: 4 out of 5 stars (but do note that we knew the owners)
Price: $$-$$$ (based on their website since we did not pay for our meal)

Jenkins and I knew that during our trip to Tokyo, we wanted to try out an izakaya place. It was a bit of a challenge figuring out which one we wanted to go to because there were so many. After consulting a few food blogs and talking to my friend Victoria, we decided to check out Tengu Izakaya, which was a chain izakaya with really reasonable prices and happened to have a location really close to our hotel in Shibuya.

Jenkins and I went to Tengu for dinner late one evening around 9:30PM or so. The reason the picture above has light is because I forgot to take a picture when we went for dinner so we stopped by quickly the next day on our way to the subway. Tengu was pretty busy when we arrived despite the late hour but we only had to wait about 5 minutes before they seated us. I should warn you that smoking is allowed inside so it may not be the best place for you to visit if you are sensitive to that.

We had been snacking for most of the day so we only ordered a few things to share. First came the cold ramen salad. All the components were served separately so we mixed everything together before we ate it. The ramen was chewy and perfectly cooked with a light miso dressing. Along with the ramen came some lettuce, cucumbers, tomato, and roasted seaweed. The ramen was definitely the star of the show but the accompanying veggies gave this salad a nice crunch. It was definitely one of our favourites of the evening.

We also ordered some gyoza, which was served steamed rather than pan fried. It was simply dressed with some soy, leeks, and green onions. The gyoza skin was very thin and perfectly complemented the pork filling inside. The ingredients were all very simple but again, very well made.

We also ordered a few yakitori skewers. The pork cheek (bottom in the photo below) had a lot of porky flavour and was simply seasoned with some salt and pepper. The pork was quite juicy and the meat retained some charcoal flavour from where it was grilled. Jenkins and I preferred the bacon and mochi skewer more but it’s usually hard to go wrong when there is bacon involved. The smoky bacon kept the mochi from oozing everywhere and the saltiness of the bacon went well with the mochi, which does not have much of any taste. With a little dab of Japanese mustard, these skewers were quite tasty.

The garlic fried rice was a surprise hit. Jenkins and I were looking for some type of filler dish that would add some substance to our “snack” dinner so that was why we ordered the fried rice originally. However, this turned out to be another excellent dish. The roasted garlic flavour permeated the rice, which was perfectly fried with each grain being its own distinct piece and perfectly seasoned with the right amount of salt and pepper. Time and time again, Jenkins and I were super impressed with the rice while we were in Tokyo and this was no different.

Jenkins and I were really happy with our light meal at Tengu and our only regret was that we weren’t more hungry because then we could have tried more dishes! We were hoping to come back for a repeat visit but there just wasn’t enough time so Tengu will definitely be on our list when we come back to Tokyo. Prices here were pretty reasonable with the items that we ordered totaling to about $15 CAD.

Details:
15-3 Udagawacho, Tokyo, Japan
Hours: Daily 5-11:30PM

Summary:
Food: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Service: 3 out of 5 stars
Price: $

One of the things I was looking forward to while in Tokyo was to check out some of Tokyo’s specialty restaurants, places that have been specializing in one type of food for many years. Unlike many of the Japanese restaurants in Vancouver, a large percentage of restaurants in Tokyo hone their skills in one type of food and as you may expect, they get very good at what they do. One place that I really wanted to try was Kanda Yabu Soba, which has been in business making soba since 1880. I actually discovered Kanda Yabu Soba through my own research but I was also told by my aunt that it was extremely popular so I should be prepared for a bit of a wait. Kanda Yabu Soba is located near the Akihabara area so Jenkins and I wandered over there for a late lunch after checking the latest electronics in Akihabara.

Since it was almost 2PM by the time we arrived at the restaurant, we only waited about five minutes before we were shown to our table. I decided on the seiro soba, which was fantastic. The freshly made soba noodles were chewy with a nice bite that I really enjoyed.

Before eating the soba, I dipped it in the accompanying soba tsuyu (dipping broth) which was made of dashi, soy, and mirin. The broth had a nice umami flavour with the perfect combination of salty and sweet. I added some fresh wasabi and grated onions to my broth, which added some additional flavour. After finishing my soba, our server brought a teapot with some of the starchy water that the soba had been cooked in. I poured the water into the remainder of my soba tsuyu, which created a nice soup that is reported to have some healthy benefits.

Jenkins decided to have the hot soba version of my dish, the kake soba which came in the soup version of my tsuyu broth. This version’s soba had a little less chewiness to it perhaps due to the hot broth but was still full of great flavour. Jenkins’ dish also came with some spicy flakes which he tried out but he noted that the soba tasted best on its own and some thinly sliced leeks on top.

Prices at Kanda Yabu Soba are probably a bit higher than your typical soba joint but for the quality of soba you get, I think it’s definitely worth a try. Service is very friendly and the staff are patient with you as you try to navigate the menu, even though the restaurant is quite busy. Of special note is the lady standing in the corner of the restaurant who sings the orders out to the chefs in the kitchen.

Details:
2-10 Kanda Awajicyo, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Tel :03 3251 0287

Summary:
Food: 4 out of 5 stars
Service: 4 out of 5 stars
Price: $$

While Jenkins and I were in Tokyo, we met up with our guide, Chie, from the Tokyo Free Guide program. Chie spent about half a day with us and took us around Asakusa and some other neighborhoods and we covered her meals and snacks. It was a great experience for us, especially since Chie had done an exchange at UBC a few years ago. Since Chie is originally from Osaka, we asked her to take us to an okonomiyaki restaurant. She told us that she has yet to find an okonomiyaki place that rivalled the restaurants in Osaka and even her own kitchen but she would do her best to find a place that we would enjoy.

We ended up going to Okonomiyaki Wahaha, which was conveniently located near our hotel in the Shibuya ward. Chie explained that it was part of a chain but was quite highly rated. As with many restaurants in Tokyo, it was located on the third floor of a tall building which housed other businesses and restaurants so you really had to know what you were looking for in order to find it.

We were shown to a small room with a grill inset into the table. While we perused the menu, we ordered some drinks. I decided to have some grapefruit juice.

We decided to order three things to share. Since Chie was the only one who could read Japanese and was also a self-professed foodie, we left the ordering up to her. First came the omusoba, which is basically an omelette stuffed with yakisoba. It arrived sizzling hot and finished cooking on our heated table grill.

The yakisoba itself was chewy and full of flavour: slightly sweet and tangy but not overly so. I also liked the abundance of crunchy cabbage which added a nice amount of texture. The omelette itself was drizzled with ketchup and mayo which added an extra flavour to the omusoba.

Next came the okonomiyaki. Chie chose one that was stuffed with pork and seafood and was topped with some Japanese leeks and a raw egg. It was definitely one of the best okonomiyaki I had ever had, if not the best. The ingredients worked well together and the porky flavour was very prominent in the yakisoba. The leeks provided a nice oniony crunch and the egg and mayo provided all the creaminess you would need.

I was a bit uncertain when I saw how many leeks were topped on the okonomiyaki but they really added a nice flavour overall. I couldn’t taste the seafood very much but the pork was excellent.

Initially, we thought that two items would be enough but we decided that a third dish wouldn’t hurt Chie told us that one of her favourite okonomiyaki flavours was one with kimchi and mochi. Jenkins and I thought it was an odd combo but decided to give it a try.

Jenkins and I loved the kimchi and mochi okonomiyaki. The mochi gave the okonimyaki and extra gooey texture and an ever so slight sweetness while the kimchi provided some crunch and spiciness. I’m usually not even a fan of kimchi but this was probably the best okonomiyaki I had ever tasted.

Overall, Jenkins and I had a great time at Okonomiyaki Wahaha. As Chie alluded to, there are probably better okonomiyaki places (likely in Osaka!) but it was definitely the best okonomiyaki that Jenkins and I have had so far. In general, the okonomiyaki here was thicker and more packed with ingredients compared to what I’m accustomed to in Vancouver and there is definitely a lot more variety. I don’t really remember exactly how much dinner cost, but it was fairly reasonable, around $40 for the 3 of us.

Details:
1-15-19 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 330-9111, JAPAN
Futaba building, 3 Floor
Tel: 03-5766-3139

Summary:
Food: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Service: 3 out of 5 stars
Price: $$

One of the things I was most looking forward to for my Tokyo trip was my impending visit to Tsukiji Fish Market, the largest fish market in the world. I had heard countless stories from people going to the market and indulging in a breakfast of some of the freshest fish one can imagine and finally, it was time for me to check it out for myself. But first, I had to brave the line-up to get into Sushi Dai, one of the most popular sushi restaurants in Tsukiji. Although there are several restaurants in the market, there are only two with line-ups and the one with the longest line-up is Sushi Dai.

Jenkins and I got in line at about 8:30AM and after about two hours of waiting in line, we finally made it inside the small restaurant of about 10-12 seats. They must be quite used to the crowds because we ordered our meals before we even entered the restaurant. To be fair, there are only two options: the Jyou (¥2500, standard meal) and the Omakase (¥3900, translated at the door as “trust the chef” ). Of course, it was pretty obvious to both Jenkins and I that we would get the omakase…there’s no way we would skimp out after travelling so far to get there!

The omakase course included ten pieces of nigiri chosen by the chef as the best choices of the day. In addition, we would also get some maki, tamago, and miso soup. Since our sushi chef already knew what we’d be ordering, all we had to do after we were seated was to chat with our chef and marvel at the sushi that was being created before our eyes. What a tough life, huh?

First came the tamago. It was slightly sweet and just cooked, while retaining a nice, silky texture (at least for an omelette). I had the feeling that we’ were in for quite the treat.

Our miso soup came next and I slowly sipped on this throughout my meal. It had a strong miso flavour but was not overly salty and it was also made with some fish bones, which gave it an extra layer of flavour.

And then came the nigiri. First up was the o-toro, which is the fattiest grade of toro (tuna belly). It was unlike anything I had ever had before and just melted in my mouth. I’d also like to note that the rice for the nigiri was amazing. It was perfectly seasoned with just the right amount of vinegar and sweetness and absolutely held up nicely to the o-toro.

Next came the suzuki (sea bass). It came with just the right amount of fresh wasabi and we were instructed to eat this with no soy sauce. I decided after this advice to forego the soy sauce for the rest of my meal and the only thing I was sad about was that I should have done it for my o-toro too!

Tai (snapper) is one of my least favourite types of sushi in Vancouver. However, both Jenkins and I noted right away that the tai we ate here was nothing like what we were used to and was super tasty. I find that the tai I usually eat in Vancouver is a bit rubbery and does not have any flavour to it but the tai at Sushi Dai was almost fatty and smooth in texture. Definitely one of my favourites.

I was looking forward to the uni and this definitely did not disappoint. It was sweet but briny tasting and had a very creamy texture. The seaweed provided a slight crunch and the perfectly made rice tied everything together. I am drooling a bit as I write this post :p

The aji (horse mackerel) was another one of my favourites that day. The fish was slightly firm but very fatty and did not have the overly fishy smell that I find with mackerel normally. The ginger and green onions on top balanced out the fishiness and enhanced the overall flavour of the fish.

I think the hokkigai is something that Sushi Dai whips out to impress us tourists It is so fresh that when our chef places our hokkigai nigiri in front of us, it is still moving! It had a slight crunch and was not chewy at all.

Ikura (salmon roe) is one of the things that I usually leave behind on a sushi platter. I don’t like the odd popping feeling in my mouth as the roe bursts and I also find it too tasty. However, the ikura here was so different and TASTY that Jenkins noted it was like we were eating something else altogether. The roe was only slightly salty and did not have that odd popping feeling…it’s a bit difficult for me to explain exactly why it tasted so much better so you just need to believe me Our chef explained to us that the reason this tasted so good was because it had never been frozen.

Next came the maki sushi. I got a couple of pieces of a toro roll and two pieces with toro, cucumber, and clam.

I had never had baby shrimp before so the shiraebi was pretty interesting. Our chef told us that it was dozens of little shrimp, which he brushed with a thin layer of soy sauce. I found that the flavour was a bit mild but it was interesting to try.

Much to my surprise, I was starting to get full but we still had a few more pieces to go. Next came the marinated maguro (tuna). It had a lovely red colour and a firm, almost meaty texture.

The anago (eel) was one of Jenkins’ favourite that day. The fish seemed to be steamed rather than broiled or roasted and was very moist. It was marinated with a slightly sweet sauce that complemented the anago very nicely.

We were down to our final choices of our meal. We had the option of choosing a repeat of something we had already tried or something new altogether. Namely, we asked our chef what he would recommend and he noted that since it was December, there were a few things in season that we may like. The first recommendation was hamachi and Jenkins decided to go for that one. He was kind enough to give me a bite and it was hands down, the best hamachi we had ever tasted. It was fatty and flavourful with the little sprig of onion on top adding a nice layer of taste to it.

For me, I chose the option which was something I had never tried before and who knows when I’ll try again, which was the cod sperm sac. Laugh as you may but I actually thought this was quite good! The texture was similar to uni in some respects and its slight saltiness went really well with the green onion and grated daikon on top. As with most of our other nigiri, it came pre-marinated by the chef and did not require any additional soy sauce.

Jenkins and I had a fantastic time at Sushi Dai and it met, if not exceeded, our expectations. Service was very friendly and we had a great time chatting with our knowledgeable sushi chef. It was the best sushi we’d ever had and the only sushi that beat it was to be the sushi meal we had the next day with my aunt’s brother. Jenkins and I enjoyed this so much that we tried to make a repeat visit to Sushi Dai during our trip but unfortunately, the timing just did not work out. I suppose I’ll just have to go the next time I’m in Tokyo!

Details:
Tsukiji-Shijo 5-2-1 #6.
Open 5am-2pm, closed Sundays and some Wednesdays

Summary:
Food: 5 out of 5 stars
Service: 4 out of 5 stars
Price: $$$