Eating my way across Japan (well through Tokyo and Kyoto): Part 4

Part 4 - Back to Tokyo!

We met up with Alec's skiing group in Tokyo but still had time for some amazing food! Japan is famous for their beef (which some people don't realize). Wagyu beef is incredibly tender and a bit fatty. I like fat in meat (my downfall) so I loved it. You can see in the photo below how marbled the rare beef is. I think US beef has been prohibited for import in Japan nowadays. Beef is incredibly expensive there.

A random restaurant near the Imperial Palace that we went to. We ordered lunch sets. This beautiful beef was served cold. It was delicious!

The sashimi and 3 vegetable meal that I ordered - From top right (Clockwise): Fresh sashimi - octobus and a white tuna, cold mashed pumpking, an edamame, corn, greens, salad, roasted eggplant with a dark soysauce sauce. 

Both of our meals came with brown rice, pickles, and miso soup. Needless to say, we were stuffed! 

We went out to the Ghibli museum, - a truly magical place. Its a children's museum but its devoted to the art and animation of Hiyao Miyazaki and the Ghibli studio. They created such beautiful films as: Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and Princess Mononoke.

At the end of the day we stopped for a drink in the Straw Hat Cafe. The food was as magical as the museum. I had a "sunset ice cream soda". As you stirred it, the chemicals reacted to turn it from blue to pink. And it was delicious! And the sipping straw was made from a real straw!

For more information about this fantastic museum, check out this blog: Haikugirl or go to their wikipedia entry.

The low light of the culinary feast across Japan was a very expensive yet underwhelming dinner at the R2 Supper Club in Roppongi. The company was divine but the fish was overcooked and not warm. I didn't even take a photo of the indifferent hummous and something masquerading as babaghanouj.  The warm cheesecake with strawberry ice cream was fabulous however and saved the meal. I had two Shochu-tinis which did not even give me a buzz yet managed to cost me $15 each. The place is much better as a place for overly expensive drinks than for dinner although to be fair, we were a group of 20 people so perhaps that caused the fish to dry up but there's no excusing that baba ghanouj.

Boring and dry.

 The last day we spent together, we went to a gorgeous open air sculpture museum in Hakone. It was snowing but it was a gorgeous way to experience all the beautiful art work - sculptures by Calder, Henry Moore, and a large Picasso collection. They even have a warm foot bath! Perfect for those 'barking dogs'. Oddly, they float oranges and lemons in the foot bath.

Catch the orange in the footbath.

Alec in the bath!

Everyone loves the footbath! 

Picasso! 

I think this bison knows that I enjoy buffalo meat. 

On a clear day, you would see Mt Fuji which we didn't but they did have Mt Fuji cookies!

Hello Mt Fuji! You look delicious!

and the last night I spent in Tokyo I spent with a lovely friend who took me out for Teppanyaki. But first we walked by one of the famous Fugu (puffer fish) bars. We didn't stop in but I was tempted to play Russian Roulette!

That's how you know they serve Fugu.

Not quite as pretty as their big brother on the sign above the door. 

My friend's relative took me to her favorite place to eat in Tokyo - Dante's, a place made famous by a visit by Michael Jackson! The Teppanyaki was fantastic. The steak was rich and tender, the scallops perfectly done, and the rice delicioius. They put on quite a show for us.

Preparing to make a nice medium rare dish for us.

The first flaming! 

Perfectly cooked!

FIRE! 

 It was an amazing food adventure across Japan. There were lots of things I didn't get the chance to eat but I'll be back for sure! Luckily, I live in Bangkok which has lots of Japanese restaurants so I hope to head out for more Japanese cuisine soon! 

Memorable meals from 2011

Blood Curry with noodles at the Chatuchak Market in February.

Korean Bulgogi up in the air on Business Class to New York from Seoul on Korean Airlines

Som Tam prepared fresh for me at the UN cafeteria for lunch every day.

Oysters and Muscadet on a little rooftop balcony in Paris with a handsome Swede that I was falling in love with.

Fish Amok in a beautiful old Cambodian house in Siem Riep

Laab Gai in Vientiane, Laos followed by Gin Brambles next to the Mekong river.

Crepe "Complet" with ham, gruyere, and a fried egg at the market in the Louvre.

Black eyed pea pancakes in Malmö with a suitcase filled with smuggled tropical fruit on top washed down with great black coffee and a bit of heart break.

Raw oysters with garlic and chili peppers on the street in Sukhumvit at 3 in the morning after an evening of Karoake.

All you can eat dim sum at the Landmark Plaza hotel with Alec and the look on his face as he bit into a black sesame dumpling cooked in ginger syrup... "Look at it." 

London Broil

Marinating a Top Round sirloin in a marinade from Joy of Cooking: 1 cup of red wine, some crushed black pepper, three cloves of garlic and a quarter of an onion.

It's marked as London Broil from the package but all the recipes in Epicurious.com contain soy sauce or ginger which seems out of place in a traditional American beef dinner that my father so enjoys.

Will accompany with either home fried potatoes cooked in bacon fat and onion, mashed potatos with butter, or baked potatoes with sour cream. Also brussel sprouts quick sauteed with garlic and olive oil or broccoli served fresh with a squeeze of lemon.