So the last leg of my 6 month long sabbatical was a 2-week trip to Japan – 6 nights in Kyoto and 8 nights in Tokyo. After getting lost in Kyoto seeing temples and old Japan, Tokyo was all about food, food and more food.
Here are pictures of things I ate at various Tokyo izakaya (places that serve food along with drinks) sorted from mild to wild. This ranking of course is highly subjective, as there are probably people out there who think horse is common and grilled chicken bizarre…. but who knows. Anyway, here are my pictures. I’m getting hungry already uploading them and remembering my fantastic trip to Japan…
Chicken and leek yakitori, teriyaki sauce … kinda boring. But still the best I’ve had. It could be because I was in Japan…
Edama… meh. Edamame. Nothing special. Even in Tokyo.
Raw cabbage with white miso and mayonnaise … Healthy, except for the mayonnaise and the first beer that went with it.
A chicken and rice hot pot with mushrooms, pumpkin, scallion and a soft egg on top. Min’s Marlboro Lights on the side. I love how they always serve rice at the end of the meal in Japan. After all the food and drinking at this izakaya, this last dish made sure I have enough energy to make the train ride back home…
Our Japanese host Kazuo ordered this dish saying that these charred leeks are a highly seasonal dish. Peel back the charred layers and the soft cooked leek, the flavor of mild onion, reveals itself. A little miso paste is served on the side for seasoning.
Chicken gizzard yakitori … wedge of lemon on the side… getting interesting…
Raw oysters in Japan? Yes please!
I had this omakase selection of sushi for lunch at a sushi bar in Tsukiji market. So technically not at an izakaya. But I had to post this picture somewhere…
And an extra order of my favorite sushi of all time: ikura or salmon roe.
Bacon-wrapped mochi yakitori. Interesting. Bacon and rice? Why not! Throw in the egg and it’s a Filipino breakfast on a stick!
It was sake night at this izakaya and I remember eating grilled squid at some point. I can’t find a picture of the squid on a plate (maybe because I never took one…). But here it is on the grill…
Grilled baby octopus with lemon. Wittle baby o-ko-puss … awww, sooo cute!
What am I, chopped liver? Yes, chopped chicken liver and shiso leaf. Cooked medium rare as ALL liver, from whatever animal, should be cooked. Unless you are making pate. Miraculously, not a single vein or piece of sinew on this plate of chopped chicken liver. It was… good.
Once upon a time, a man caught little fish and wove them tightly together to form a place mat. He lightly salted his place mat and dried it under the sun. He used the place mat, then decided he wanted to eat it instead. So he grilled it, cut it into squares and ate it. I don’t know if that story is true or not, but this dish looks and tastes exactly like a grilled, dried fish, place mat. … I did not like it. I’d rather eat raw chicken.
Raw chicken sashimi with sesame seeds, pine nuts, shiso leaf and a raw chicken egg yolk on top. Salmonella on the side, please. It was lovely! Oishi!
Horse meat sashimi. Horse. Meat. Sashimi. #horse #meat #sashimi . Served with ginger, garlic, green onion, and sweet soy sauce. It tastes like … (raw) chicken! Just kidding…. It tastes like raw beef.
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