Food Adventures in San Diego

I've been in San Diego for several days for business but did my best to make the rounds of recommended eating places. My hotel is on Harbor Island, a not so convenient spot, so until my husband joined me 2 days ago I was stuck at the hotel, attended required functions with awful food. Why is hotel food so bad?? We had a big, fancy dinner Monday night but the salmon was so-so and this was the dinner for the Surgeon General of the United States! The worst was a lunch meeting where we were served ice cold pork tenderloin with ice cold noodles and lettuce on an ice cold plate. No flavor at that temperature. Dessert was watery creme brulee covered...

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Japanese Festival Foods Presentation

I work at a federal prison for women when (when I'm not cooking!) and was asked to put on a cooking demonstration for the Asian Pacific Islander heritage month staff event. Since it took place in the prison I could not take photographs which is why I only have the cover sheet of the recipe handout to show you. Earlier in the week I went to the Grand Prairie personnel center and taught an origami class, so this has been a very hectic week.I have been very busy testing various version of the Japanese festival foods I enjoyed during my trip to Japan. Of course I have made all these dishes many times during my life but I never wrote down the actual...

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Food Adventures in Japan: Yakitori on the street

Yakitori Alley is what I called it. On the road under the raised railroad tracks was the alley full of little yakitori places. Businessmen in expensive suits sit around drinking beer and eating yakitori. At the little place we tried there was a man sitting on a table made from an old crate. We could not read a thing on the menu but managed to tell the woman cooking and waiting on tables that we wanted meat, not cartilage or gizzards. We got some really nice yakitori in the end and thoroughly enjoyed it in the open air alley. Oh, I managed to talk Steve into going to the little Gindaco stand that Minako pointed out to me the last day. It...

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Food Adventures in Japan: Midori Sushi

Steve spotted Midori Sushi when he was out walking earlier in the week. He noticed it because there was a long line of people waiting to get in for lunch. Our concierge confirmed that it was a great place. On our last day we decided to have our final sushi meal. We got there early enough but when we left it was packed. I ordered an assortment and Steve ordered his favorites along with their "Californian Roll". This was the only time we saw sushi rolls like the ones in America at a Japanese sushi place. Usually the only rolls are thin rolls with a single ingredient, like tuna or cucumber.The Californian Roll got a look from the woman sitting...

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Food Adventures in Japan: Hotel Granvia Kyoto

As we left Kyoto we had to stop at Hotel Granvia to use a special coupon Minako received for buying the bullet train tickets to Kyoto. The Hotel Granvia is a beautiful hotel right in the Kyoto train station, a place I would like to stay at on our next trip to Japan. Turns out the coupon was for a special bento lunch. As you can see, the bento box was lovely, with a section of chicken sukiyaki using the local chicken, a crispy fried shrimp and a scallop with tartar sauce, greens with a nice vinaigrette, a piece of grilled fish with miso sauce on a shiso leaf, pieces of chicken, picked cucumber, umeboshi (sour plum), and very fresh fruit. Thanks...

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Food Adventures in Japan: Part 8: Soba in Kyoto

After several hours of touring Kyoto it was time for lunch. I suggested soba and Steve wasn't too enthusiastic, thinking soup would not satisfy his big appetite, but he went along with it. Minako spotted the restaurant and we stepped inside. Turns out this was a great choice. There was a man behind the counter we could see making fresh tempura for each order. I order the cold zaru soba lunch. Pictured below, it was perfectly cooked buckwheat noodles (soba), dipping sauce, a few pieces of crisp tempura, and scallions and diakon to add to the dipping sauce. I have never eaten such good soba before in my life. It was made fresh, no wonder. Now...

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Food Adventures in Japan: Part 7: Toraji Ebuisu Korean Diner

Steve spotted this Korean grill restaurant the day before when he was out walking and we decided to try it. The Japanese call Korean BBQ, "yakiniku" (yaki means grilled and niku means meat) and have special tables for grilling tableside. We selected an assorted of meats, a selection of kimchee and got to work grilling. The meat is sliced thinly and cooks quickly over the coals. There is a nice dipping sauce with a faint citrus flavor, like a ponzu sauce. The meat was marinated in a lighter than usual sauce (lighter than the one I use at home). The sizzling charred meat, dipped in the sauce, was absolutely delicious! I couldn't get over how good...

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Food Adventures in Japan: Part 6: Yasukuni Shrine street food of Japan

Beautiful cherry blossoms and the Japanese have "cherry blossom viewing picnics" in parks around Japan. This is also a time when the street vendors set up stands near Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. Fish (Ayu) on a stick. Good old fried chicken, but Japanese style (a little soy marinade)After our trip back from Atami we had lunch at McDonald's and I am not ashamed to say we enjoyed it. I knew Steve was being a good sport eating rice and fish a couple times a day so a burger and fries was a welcome break for him. McDonald's in Tokyo is so busy there is a special worker who keeps traffic flowing in the dining area. She shouts out when a seat is available...

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Food Adventures in Japan: Part 5: Atami

We took the train to Atami, a seaside city a couple hours south of Tokyo, known for natural mineral hot springs. I wanted Steve to experience a traditional Japanese inn, meaning sleep on the floor on tatami mats and have dinner and breakfast served in the room. We arrived in town and enjoyed browsing the little streets by the train station. It was much less crowded and different from the bustling environment we left in Tokyo.We found a little cafe serving a typical variety of dishes. Steve ordered katsudon and I ordered ramen. Both were decent, satisfying and filling.On to Hotel Suiyotei to check in. The hotel was interesting to say the least....

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Food Adventures in Japan: Part 4: Conveyor Belt Sushi

I had good memories of a particular sushi restaurant Helen and I went to during our 2007 trip. The restaurant , "Edomae Sushi", has a counter around the middle of the restaurant and sushi chefs are busy making different types of sushi and placing it on a conveyor belt which passes in front of the seated diners. You simply choose a plate of sushi as it passes by, stack your plates as you finish each dish and pay according to a color coding system. Each plate has a different color rim corresponding to a price list posted on the wall. There is also a spigot right there at each spot with hot water for tea and instant green tea powder to make your...

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Food Adventures in Japan: Part 3: Takoyaki!!

Takoyaki??I had seen an episode of Andrew Zimmern where he sampled takoyaki in Japan and made a note to try it if I happened to see any. Well, the day arrived when walking in the Harajuki area I spotted a big sign, Gindaco Takoyaki. I walked over to it and saw a photo of the little balls of batter with sauce on top, however the restaurant was not open yet. Later we came back and tried some.Was it good? Well, Andrew Zimmern didn't like it much, nor did Steve, but I fell in love with takoyaki. It was a very, very hot (temperature-wise) ball of fried batter filled with pieces of very fresh cut up octopus and red ginger, topped with savory sauce...

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Food Adventures in Japan: Part 2: Tsukiji Market

Tsukiji Fish Market Trip: We set the alarm for 4:45 AM (Tsukiji opens at 3:00 AM!) and got there around 6:00 AM. We went on a crazy walking tour of the entire inner market, dodging the many motorized vehicles and vendors with carts. The floor is wet and slippery and the activity is frenetic. Don't expect the feel welcomed in this area--it was about the only place in Japan where people didn't smile and act happy to see us. It's the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world with 900 wholesale dealers in the inner market and streets full of kitchen supplies and more seafood products outside the market. There are over 400 different types...

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