Japan: Photo roundup #1


Here is the first roundup of our Japan trip from a couple of weeks ago. We visited Sapporo, Otaru, Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo. Although the trip was busy and we ran into a few stumbling blocks, Japan is and will always be one of my favorite places on earth and we did have a lot of fun.





1) Hot NUTS! It was my first time on business class and, being the dorky type, I was almost as excited for the flight as I was for the vacation in Japan. When the United flight attendant served me a bowl of fresh, warm nuts the minute my butt hit the seat, I was pretty much on my way to a great flight. I'm sure those of you who fly business all the time are yawning at this little tidbit, but I was as giddy as a kid in a candy store. Crunchy, salty and toasty nuts in five different varieties, plus a glass of champagne? At that moment I wished the 11 hour flight was 18 hours. *sigh*










2) Fresh fruit and yogurt. "Is this a post about JAPAN or United business class?" you're probably wondering. I promise, last photo (at least in this post) of airplane food but C'MON!!!Doesn't the deep color of those blueberries make you want to chomp your monitor right now? Again, dorkface me was utterly impressed. Woo hoo!

3) Yosakoi Soran Festival. J and I were wandering the streets of Sapporo when we thought we heard takio drums in the distance. As we walked toward the sound, we started noticing more and more people and then we pretty much ran smack into this festival which is the fusion of the Yosakoi Festival of Kochi and traditional soran folk music of Hokkaido. Tons of people danced and clapped to taiko-like beats, and we could tell that there were numerous teams, each sporting their own colorful uniforms. We found out that we were there on the second of three days, and a taxi driver informed me that on the third and final day, a winning team is announced and the whole thing is "crazy."



4) Crab at Nijo Market in Sapporo, Hokkaido. I know I had some photos of live ones in my last post, but are they not impressive?



5) Ahhh, Engrish. This is one of the best examples I've ever seen. Although it's funny at first look, it's actually quite deep if you think about it. I mean, who wants to be treated like that? I'd surely be crying if it was me.



6) Hip girl in shotengai (shopping street) in Sapporo. Fashion in Japan never fails to amaze me. You can wear pretty much whatever you like and no one even blinks an eye.....it's just a form of personal expression and the majority of Japanese seem to completely accept that, which I think is fantastic!

More to come...........

Restaurant Review: Picchu, Sapporo, Japan
The Meaning Of Restraint



I am back from my Japan trip, and it was a trip, to say the least. I’ll leave out the gory details but J ended up with a badly twisted ankle on the second day of our vacation; I decided to sprain my foot a few days after. Toss in a visit with the police (did not involve me personally but I had to play interpreter at 5:00 AM) and an earthquake which scared the living daylights out of me (I was in my high rise hotel room) and you’ve pretty much figured out that this wasn’t exactly the trip of a lifetime. However, a wacky Japan experience is better than no Japan experience, so I’ll spend the next couple of posts relaying the highlights of our trip.



One our very first day in Sapporo, we strolled around Nijo Market, famous for their bounty of locally caught seafood. We gawked over some of the biggest crabs I’d ever seen, piles of whole salmon and an array of a conch-like shellfish stuck to sides of large tanks. Almost all of the shops had lots of other local specialties like dried squid with squid ink, crab miso and even canned seal (please do not write me emails about this- I am simply making an observation!). One of the fish mongers offered to crack open a live uni (sea urchin) for us to eat and I was giddy since I’d always seen this on TV but had never tasted fresh-from-the-shell uni before. O M G- it was fresh, slightly briny and totally rich and J loved it as much as I did.





As we were walking around, J spied a teeny tiny restaurant with a sign that read “Picchu.” We peered inside to see that, at 2:00 PM, it was closed but gathered from the display of good olive oils and balsamic vinegars on the counter that it was an Italian restaurant. There was something so compelling about the bar-only restaurant that, even though it was our first day in Japan, we tossed our plans to eat sushi aside and vowed to come back for dinner.



On the way back to the hotel I picked up a few interesting food items to bring back to my friends. Sapporo is known for their food, particularly seafood, dairy, corn, ramen and potatoes. Each little shop carried the most unusual snacks showcasing these famous foods and I couldn’t resist. I bought four different flavors of caramels- corn, milk, potato and shio-ramen and decided that the corn and milk work, the other two definitely do not.



We returned to Picchu at around 7:00 PM and found the 10-seater bar half full. Since the space was so small, it was quite warm but once we opened an additional window it was quite comfortable. There was one lone chef- I’d say mid-30’s- working behind the bar in plain sight of all the customers. One very capable and polite waiter was the only other employee so he doubled as a dish washer as well between orders. We spied the specials written on a chalk board but since my Japanese reading ability is mediocre at best, we simply asked the chef to give us a tasting menu of what he recommended that highlighted the local ingredients. J went over the extremely reasonably-priced wine list and selected a bottle of Prosecco to start, then a half bottle of a red from Montepulciano.



The chef worked very steadily but calmly, and in no time we were both handed a plate with a small fish that the chef described as a tiny salmon. It was in a light broth and slightly grilled, very tender and extremely delicious. Topped with a thin slice of marinated konbu (seaweed) and a dollop of caper relish, it was the perfect compliment to our sparking wine. J and I knew at that point we were in for a treat.



The next course was a piece of homemade crab sausage made almost entirely of pure crabmeat. It, too, was lightly grilled and placed in a reduction so tasty that I almost picked up the bowl and drank every last drop. It was just so pure and beautiful in it’s simplicity and we both knew the chef was there to showcase the ingredient, which is did better than anyone I’d seen do in a long time.



I was very happy when a plate of spaghetti was the next course, since I’d been hoping for some pasta. The noodles were tossed with some good olive oil, salt & pepper and was peppered with chunks of local conch and edamame. The slight crunch of the conch came through and was mellowed by the sweet soy beans.



What came next was another dish I’d seen here and there but never eaten- uni risotto. You can only imagine how good his version, using the best local uni, tasted and I wanted to make sure to savor every last bite. This was a “wow” dish, and once again it was simple, beautiful and not overly rich.



The first of two main courses was a braised lamb, wrapped in caul fat and perched on a bed of dark green mashed local potatoes. Tender doesn’t even describe the softness of this meat that still somehow retained its meatiness. The basil-infused mashed potatoes were so fresh with herb flavor that I only wished I had more. I know, I’m gushing at this point but every single bite of every single plate to this point was so profound that we just sat there and ate in silence. I can still taste the basil in those potatoes they were so prominent yet completely melted with the flavor of the lamb.

Think it doesn’t get any better? Feast your eyes on this plate of local wagyu beef sitting in a garlic and potato puree and topped with watercress. Yes, it was as good as it looks if not even better and we both agreed that this was the absolute best thing of a fantastic meal. It was juicy and tender and everything I’d hoped real wagyu beef would taste like.





At this point one word kept popping into my head that explained clearly what this chef was all about- he was an expert in restraint. Nothing was over-sauced, over-garnished, over-thought or over-produced. It wasn’t even over-plated……..the places in which he held back made each dish perfect. Talk about an exact opposite experience of the one I had at Tojo’s in Vancouver. This chef was quiet in his perfection but modestly so- he wasn’t standoffish and answered questions we had but focused on the food and let it speak for itself. I mean, isn’t this what every food loving person in the world HOPES and dreams they will experience? The fact that we stumbled upon this nondescript place that ended up being one of the best meals we’d ever eaten made it even better. I mean, who would have known that such a small restaurant in the back alley of a fish market would be the location of what was most definitely one of the more profound dining experiences of my life eating Italian food in Sapporo?? Mind boggling, isn’t it? When I asked the chef if he’d been to Italy, he answered “No….but hopefully one day I will get the chance.” I swear it made me want to run to the local travel agent and buy the guy a ticket- I mean, if he is THIS good already could you image the insanity he would create after his maiden voyage to the country to which he pays such wonderful tribute to through his cooking?

The cost of this near-perfect, six course meal? A mere 5000 yen each for food. That's just under $50 each. It's almost a crime to eat all of the above and pay just that, don't you think?



Even though a bunch of weird things happened on this trip, our experience at Picchu made the entire trip worthwhile. There isn’t a shred of this restaurant on Google or anywhere online that I could find, and I don’t have the business card on me but once J gets back from his tour I’ll post the address.

Off to Japan for two weeks!



I am off to Japan for a two week vacation and I'm sure I will return with lots of delicious stories and photos to share with you.

We'll be visiting Sapporo, Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo so I see lots of sushi, sake, tuna toast (of course!) and tempura in our future.

Mata ne!

TAG

Vancouver: Japa Dog & Tojo's: No Reservations Revisited



I adore Anthony Bourdain. I’ve been a longtime fan of his, from Cook’s Tour to No Reservations to his frequent appearances as a guest judge on Top Chef. The guy is smart, insightful, bold and, most of all, honest. He’s given me some of the best television moments I have ever witnessed- I practically cried at his personal joy at going back to his childhood home in France with his brother, and couldn’t believe it when he spent hours in a stinky, sweltering bat-poo-filled cave in Jamaica. I love that he loves Japan and have watched his Osaka episode of No Reservations 10 times. The look of sheer ecstasy he had on his face after eating at Koyoshi Sushi is one of the main reasons I plan to hit the sushi bar next week when I’m in Japan.

So, imagine my surprise when I unintentionally found myself living out Bourdain’s Vancouver No Reservations episode. I went last week to catch a few off days with J who is on the road, and I didn’t have my normal list of restaurants handy since we weren’t going to be there long and I wanted to be spontaneous. After checking into the hotel, we decided to take a walk and what should appear right in front of the entrance but the infamous “Japa Dog” cart that was on the Vancouver episode?! Nari, one of Bourdain’s producers, had introduced him to this wonderful world of Japanese-style hotdogs that drew long lines daily. It looked the same, the food smelled terrific and, just like Nari said, there were people lined up at all times of the two days we were there.



Japa Dog offers several kinds of Japanese-style dogs. First, you can choose what kind of dog you want, and in addition to your normal beef dogs they have tofu, turkey and even kurobuta (black hog) dogs. Toppings include nori (dried seaweed), wasabi mayo, teriyaki sauce, daikon and other “perkily perfect” options. We ordered one “miso mayo” dog which is a turkey dog topped with daikon sprouts, miso-sesame sauce, Japanese mayo and miso. Like Bourdain, we loved it and only wished we had ordered one each instead of sharing one.


For dinner, J got tied up with work so my friend Jesse and I decided to go to dinner. He had his heart set on a place called Tojo’s which I hadn’t ever heard of (or so I thought) so I did a little googling and the comments I found were not positive. People across the board made comments about how it was a rip off, not worth the price, good but insanely expensive, etc etc. One commenter in particular was livid and (referring to the restaurant's website which features a photo of Tojo laughing), "See Tojo laughing on the webpage? He's laughing at YOU." So I was worried, mentioned this to Jesse but he had tried Tojo’s food which was catered in the past at some event and had loved it. So I called the restaurant, asked if there was room at the sushi bar and was told yes, come in, but that the bar is omakase (chef’s choice) only. When I asked for a ballpark price, it was much higher than I’m used to spending, but we decided we’d go for it anyway.



We arrived to a half-empty restaurant at 8:00 PM on a Saturday night. The host was friendly and lively, expressed his surprise at my Japanese (it seems a lot of people don’t see any Japanese in me, even though I am half) and took us straight to the bar where we were greeted by a smiley sushi chef who looked very familiar. He welcomed us, and as he was speaking I kept trying to put my finger on where or when I’d seen this person. After another five minutes or so, it came to me- this was Tojo, owner and chef and Bourdain’s good friend who also appeared on the same No Reservations episode as Japa Dog! In fact, Bourdain probably sat in the exact seat that I was in, and once I realized and recalled the fabulous food he’d been served, I was excited to be there.





Tojo started off by telling us that he would prepare us food we’ve never had before- amazing, different things that would surprise us. “Bring it on!” we thought, as we ordered some cold sake and settled into our seats. First up- chunks of tuna dressed with a ponzu sauce swimming in grated yamaimo (mountain potato) and topped with fresh uni. Delicious, fresh, subtle. Similar to dishes I’ve had but a fantastic version. The next dish would definitely count as something neither Jesse nor I had ever experienced before- morel mushrooms that size of golf balls, stuffed with a mixture of shrimp and scallops, flash fried and topped with a sauce. First of all, I’d never seen morels so large in my life- the ones here, if and when you can get fresh ones, are tiny in comparison. They were slightly crispy on the outside and the tender filling was the perfect foil.



Things just got better with a bowl of barely-cooked, thinly sliced octopus. Minus one suction cup at the very top, the slices were smooth and clean so it was hard to tell that it was octopus at all. Each piece was super tender and lightly dressed so the flavor of the seafood really came through. We were pretty happy at this point, but oddly getting kind of full.

Here’s where things started to go downhill, at least for me. No, the quality of the food didn’t fade (save for one soy-paper roll that was just inedibly soggy- we left it). Our sushi was all fresh, the toro was the best I’d ever had, the sweet shrimp succulent and tender. The problem was Tojo. Smiling, beaming Tojo. What could I possibly have against this sushi master? Here it is- his constant banter about what a sushi master he truly is. Between each course he couldn’t help but mention how people travel from far and wide to eat his food. Oh yes, he was on “No Reservations” of course. Isn’t this the best (fill in the blank) you’ve ever eaten? “Tojo’s food is the best! Tojo creates dishes like no other!” Look- I can appreciate when people have pride in their work, but this was too much. I started to feel obligated to give some over-the-top reaction and roll my eyes back in ecstasy every time I took a bite of something.



The real bummer came with this story that he not only told in detail but actually kind of acted out. He told us about one of his regular customers who was recently diagnosed with cancer. The customer called Tojo and said he wanted to eat his last meal at Tojo’s, so of course Tojo complied. Tojo then looks at me and Jesse, pretends to be this dying guy and motions with his hand like he’s picking up a piece of sushi, slowly brings it to his lips, puts this pretend sushi in his mouth, closes his eyes, sighs, then says “I can now die a happy man.” He then followed with “A LOT of people want to eat their last meal at Tojo’s.”



For the love of God, if someone is THAT good at what they do, is there any need to constantly run around telling everyone? It didn’t bother Jesse as much, but being Japanese I was stunned to witness such bravado from a fellow countryman. The melodramatic reenactment of this man’s last meal was enough to make that one meal at Tojo’s MY last meal there as well. I mean, what would Bourdain say? I guess I’d like to hope that he have a sarcastic comment up his sleeve for this sort of behavior but then again he’d probably tell a no name blogger (aka ME) that everyone has their quirks and the guy can cook so who cares?

For the record, the meal was the most expensive I’ve ever had at any restaurant- sushi or otherwise- other than Urasawa. No joke. Yes, the food was good, but certainly not worth the price. Nor the commentary.

Japa Dog Stand
In front of Sutton Place Hotel, Vancouver
845 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 2K6, Canada

Tojo's Restuarant
1133 W Broadway, Vancouver
Tel: 604-872-8050
Fax: 604-872-8060

101 Cookbook’s Corn Quiche in a Teff Crust



I’d wanted to make this dish ever since I saw it on 101 Cookbooks awhile back- something about the deep, brown crust just really reached out and grabbed me. I’m glad I finally got around to it and I certainly won’t let too much time pass before making it again.



As some of you know by now, I hate rolling out dough and am always thrilled to find one that is easy to manage. This dough comes together with just a quick whiz in the food processor and really stays together nicely through the rolling and pressing-into-the-pan process. It also has the huge benefit of actually being healthy- the entire recipe contains only 4 tablespoons of butter and is enriched with teff flour which is high in protein, carbohydrates and fiber.

Heidi’s recipe lets you choose to use soy milk or regular milk for the filling, so I decided to try it with soy milk just to see how it’d turn out. I just blended together some raw corn cut straight off about four cobs, the soy milk, Tabasco, 4 eggs and salt until it make a smooth puree, then added some grated light Jarlsberg cheese, chopped fresh basil and chopped scallions. After decorating the top with some sliced tomatoes and a bit more cheese, I popped it in the oven.

Ready for the oven

The resulting “quiche” was super light and fluffy- almost cloud-like- and the crust was slightly sweet and nutty. I really, REALLY loved the flavor of this crust and am eager to try it with other fillings, both sweet and savory. The filling tasted like a sweet corn chowder and the sweet tomatoes and basil were the perfect additions. The only changes I would make are to not sprinkle cheese on top since it creates a crust that is difficult to cut through since the soy milk makes the quiche so ultra fluffy that it kind of squishes down when you cut (or I guess I could sharpen my knives, duh!) and I may add a bit more texture by mixing in some steamed broccoli or something in the filling next time. My dough also required about double the amount of water called for in the recipe before it came together in a ball in the food processor.



This makes a fantastic breakfast, brunch or even dinner. We had it with some “caramelized” zucchini (just take VERY thinly sliced zucchini and toss it in a very hot pan with a bit of butter until the zucchini turns golden brown) and a salad made with frisee and blood orange segments.



I’d like to add that, in addition to her wonderful website, Heidi has a cookbook out called Super Natural Cooking that is just filled with creative and unique healthy recipes.

Recipe: BBQ Tofu Wrap



Look, ma, more fun with tofu! Ok, this “recipe” isn’t really a recipe and may come as a surprise since I just stated in my last post that I feel tofu works best with Asian flavors, but this one is an exception! I had some tofu leftover from my soba noodle salad recipe so the next day I just tossed together this wrap which will definitely be on my regular menu for quick and easy dinners from now on.

As I did with the tofu in the salad recipe, I weighted down the loaf with some thick paper towels and got a lot of the water out. I then tossed it in some of my favorite BBQ sauce and just pan fried them until they were heated through. It was then time to build the wrap:

I got one Whole Wheat Olive Oil Wrap from Trader Joe’s and filled it with greens and corn cut straight off a steamed cob:




Then added the BBQ’d tofu slices, fresh ripe avocado, sliced red onions and chopped cilantro:



Then rolled it into a nice little wrap……….



…..which I served up with a mixed green salad. And dinner was done!



Happy Friday!