TABI

Remember way, way back when the Ninja first hit the screens? These super folks, covered in black from head to toes, were giving their Chinese kung-fu counterparts a run for their money. I bet you never quite look at their shoes, right, even if you did you would not know what they are. I have the answer for you, it is the Tabi ... I own a pair, and I am now an unofficial member of the outdoors labor community.

I never thought I would buy anymore clothing but when I see these, I wanted them. I was in Asakusa and noticed Tabis on the 'rickshaw pullers' as they cruise around, soliciting tourist business, looking very comfortable. Surprisingly, the structure to accommodate the toes, with the big toe in a separate compartment, actually gives a better grip when one walks. The buckles on the side can fit around one's ankle, like the leggings WW1 soldiers used to wear. The tightness contributes to the ease of walking so, all in all, an excellent design that can outbid Timberland any day. I started wearing them and almost instantly became attached to them. Yes, I get funny looks around Ginza but who cares.

The damage is Y3900 or HK$300 ... they come in black, dark blue and brown.

KAPPABASHI

This is the famous 'Kitchen Street' in Tokyo which is off the Tarawamachi Station (G18) on the Ginza Line, the penultimate stop before Asakusa, the terminus.

Being here for 2-weeks and with one more to go I now realize that not unlike her Asian neighbors, Japan is inhabited by one hell of a foodie population. So much is driven by eating and drinking one is totally immersed. A lion share of business and personal entertainment also revolves around food. I am glued to food programs on TV every evening just like when I am at home. My Japanese is non-existent.  Naively I thought I know how to order Sushi until I sat in front of a Sushi Chef here, who had no clue what I said so he asked me to pick from the pictures instead ... speaking of losing face. Cooking is a universal dialect, I sort of 'know' what is being said as I watch chefs and amateurs cook.

With that as a backdrop the birth of Kappabashi is only a natural happening. Whether you cook or not, I guarantee it is a fascinating 2-hour walk, up and down the 4-5 blocks of endless parade of anything to do with cooking and the kitchen, I mean anything and everything, almost literally. This is like 1000 times bigger than William Sonoma! Japanese ingenuity is shown time and again in gadgets you would not dream of, and God, do they love gadgets.

Go on a week day when everyone is open, some close on weekends and the mood is not the same.    

SAVOY PIZZA

Tugged away at the edge of Roppongi & Azabu Juban is a small pizza haven with only 12-seats around a gorgeous wood oven. Though sunny with blue skies, the temperature has dropped to the low teens so it felt really good to talk into Savoy today. It came with the highest accolades so I will start by saying ... first class, best pizza (including from Italy) and a must on your next trip. OK I said it!

Now for the details. They open 7-days a week but there are only 2 types of pizzas daily, the best one is the multiple cheese which, unfortunately was not on today and that left me no choice but to return.

I watched the friendly young chef in action ... nice dough kept in a wooden box, thick tomato sauce, dry herbs, garlic cloves thinly sliced with a serrated knife to release the juices (smart trick), fresh basil leaves whole, generous helping of olive oil, pinch of salt and into that oven. 5 minutes max, it was done, piping hot in front of me. I devoured it and really wanted another but controlled myself.  Good stuff should be rationed!

We found foreign restaurants, generally, are of high standards in Tokyo. This statement has no research back-up, it is rather a gut feel based on what we had in various countries. The national trait of being particular, and being attentive to details might be the first reason why food, more importantly tastes, can be duplicated so well here. Savoy is perfect testimony that 'best ingredients cooked in the simplest way' will always win.

Do not miss this, you will love it, I did and will return for more. I can taste it right now.

SAVOY PIZZA : 3-3-13 Azabu Juban, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0045 ... 03-3451-6699

JAPANESE BREAD

Do you know bread was introduced to Japan, via Kyushu in fact, when Portuguese ships were in port 500 years ago? I don't.  I have always enjoyed Japanese bakeries but did not realize that consumers draw a subtle line between a traditional Japanese bakery, verses a French bakery which sometimes carries a drastically difference product line. Generally speaking Sensei describes Japanese bread as more fluffy and slightly sweet as sweet dough is even used in salty bread. She showed me a few recipes and demonstrated skills from over 150-hours of bread making classes, and God knows how many loaves of practice over time afterwards. She has all the right moves with the dough, making the exercise really easy to watch, until I have things in my hands. Fillings are a 'must' and I picked two as they are closest to Hong Kong tastes.

*  Krimu-Pan : 'Krimu' is cream and 'Pan' is bread, in this case stuffed with patisserie creme
*  Kare-Pan : 'Kare' is curry, like curry puffs at home, except these are deep fried with Panko

To be honest, I fear bread making, not being a strong suite of mine, may be further down the priority list.

KYUSHU DAY

Day 10 - the focus is on Kyushu with towns like Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Oita and Kagoshima.  After 2-weeks I am getting a good overview on the rudiments of how food is prepared in Japanese homes. My camera copped out on me and I could not focus hence no accompanying pictures. Apologies!

Apparently fried foods of any persuasion are signature Kyushu favorites. Words like Nanban or Tempura have Portuguese origins when their ships reached Japanese shores.

* Chicken Nanban : fried chicken
* Sakana no Nanban-Duke : marinated fresh water smelts, deep fried
* Game-Ni : root veggies cooked with chicken
* Karashi Renkon : lotus roots stuffed with mustard filling
* Kashiwa-Meshi : chicken & veggie cooked in rice
* Hiya-Jiru : cold Miso soup

The last one is the one that caught my eye, it is different. Start with grilling a few pieces of horse-mackerel with Miso and sesame powder, add Dashi soup stock, mix and refrigerate. For garnish add thinly sliced cucumber, chiffonade of Shiso, and tofu pieces, again refrigerate. Serve the soup cold, with cold rice. It is a summer recipe, like a western cold soup with a Nippon twist.

KANSAI & SHIKOKU DAY

The key cities in the Kansai are are Kyoto, the old capital, plus Osaka & Nara. The Shikoku island is part of this geography as well. We spent a good part of the morning in Tsukiji but could still manage a few other representative dishes. To me the star, the undisputed winner, is shown here ... Katsuo no Tataki or Seared Bonito.

Needless to say one has to start with a piece of Sashimi quality Bonito. Apply salt skin side to absorb moisture, the sear both sides of the fish directly over an open flame until slightly cooked. Sensei used a tissue soaked in ice water to wipe both sides 'to stop the cooking', once done, cut into thick pieces. Then comes the 'wow' factors ... the dipping sauce and the garnish, a magic all-purpose combination that can be used in other recipes, for example, Beef Tataki.

Sauce : 4 table spoons of soya sauce - 4 table spoons of rice vinegar - 1 table spoon of sugar - 1 table spoon of lemon juice - 1/2 table spoon of sesame oil - 1 clove of garlic, grated ... let the sauce sit for at least an hour to soften the impact of the garlic

Garnish : 2 spring onions, chopped - 1 Myoga or Japanese ginger, chopped - 1 ginger, chopped - 4 to 5 Shiso or Orba leaves in chiffonade ... no oil, no vinegar, keep dry to maximize flavor

To plate spread the garnish generously, dip the Bonito in the sauce, and watch Heaven opens up!

The other Kansai specials on the menu were :

* Udon Noodles : the Kagawa method is dominant
* Okonomiyaki : a party dish, meaning 'favorites' or loosely 'anything you like'
* Miso Denggaku : grilled veggies in sweet Miso sauce
* Shijimi-jiru : soup with Basket Clams

MARKET DAY

Day 9 - I had the best field trip ever since I started my cooking sojourn 5 years ago. Sensie is tireless. She is at the Tsukiji Market before 7am on class days which means every day of the week since I arrived. I tagged along today. A big part of being a good home cook (or a chef for that matter which I am not) is the ability to spot the freshest ingredients, to design menus that capture seasonal flavors, to make the recipes work, and lastly to manage costs. I learned a lot, I mean 'a lot', from the 2-3 hours we spent at Tsukiji.

The cardinal rules, ones I adhere to at home, are essentially the same. You identify a vendor you have good experience with, you keep going back, you raise the game to a personal level, you give feedback on the good, the bad and the ugly, you ask for the best price, you do not nickel and dime to death, lastly you need to show you are a loyal customer first, and his loyalty will follow soon after. It works, at least for me it does in Wanchai, in Apleichau and even at the Parkview Park & Shop. Sensie did all of the above, she rules both the 'inner' and 'outer' markets, a darling to many vendors.

Knowing Apita in Taikooshing has the best imported Japanese groceries is one thing, testing brands with Sensei's seal or approval is the purpose of our market day. I will not bore you with details suffice to say that I now have quite an opening inventory of dried goods across the board, ones I was taught to use.

We bought a large chunk of Kaysuo (Bonito) from one of Sensei's sources for the Katsuo no Tataki dish. Check out the fresh Hokkaido crabs on display, even at Y10-25,000 or HK$750-1500 a piece they are still value-for-money. This whole scene brings our inner most smiles, it is just wonderful.

The saddest thing is ... Tsukiji now faces the last days of her existence since the end of WWII.  Moving her to another location means the end of a way of life, end of a chapter in history, and end of an entire generation, if not two, who grew up with the unique subculture. I have made a mental note to keep coming back, before she rides into the sunset which is a painful thought, even now.      

Yes, we cooked afterwards, menu to follow.

HAN-BAGU

I love these English sounding Japanese words. Would you have guessed, especially it is pronounced with an accent?  I doubt it.

Meat : 200gm ground meat (we used pork but it can be mixed) - 1 egg - 1 onion finely diced - 1/2 cup of Panko or Japanese bread crumbs - 2 table spoons of milk - 1 table spoon of ketchup - 1  table spoon of Worcestershire sauce - 50cc Sake = mix well into shape

All Purpose Sauce : 5-10cm of Daikon (as you like) grated - 1 leek or onion sliced - 2 table spoons of Sake - 2 table spoons of Mirin - 4 table spoons of soya sauce = can put on tuna, steak, chicken etc make it thicker by adding more ketchup & Worcestershire

Grill both sides of the Han-bagu until brown, pour in the Sake, cook with lid on for 5 minutes. Remove the meat, put sesame seed oil into the same pan to saute the leek or onion. Warm the sauce mixture until hot, then pour on the Han-bagu.  By the way, it is served with rice, not chips.  

TAMAGO-YAKI

Tamago is egg and Yaki means grill. The Japanese has a huge love affair with eggs as one can see in just about any form of their cuisine. In the Tokyo area nothing can challenge Tamago-yaki, the ultimate comfort food for all ages. To the Chinese palate this is a tad on the sweet side, as a savory course and not meant to be a dessert. A Japanese friend told me some food critics look at how chefs make Tamago-sushi in sushi restaurants (!!!) as 'an indication of how good he is'.  Hard to believe, really. What has that got to do with the price of eggs, if you will forgive the pun. Anyway, this is Sensei's simple home recipe that you can try.

* 3 eggs & 1 table spoon of sugar (more if you have a sweet tooth)
* 1 tea spoon of soya sauce & a pinch pf salt to tip the balance
* 80cc of Dashi the 'mother soup base' of Konbu & Bonito flakes

Combine the ingredients, spread 1/4 of the mixture in a Tamago-yaki pan over medium heat. Learn to manage the mixture which is on the watery side. Cook until half done then roll the egg from top to bottom of a slanted pan. Move this finished part to one end, fill with another 1/4 of the mixture and repeat the process. Do this back and forth, fold and refold until the eggs are cooked, forming a 'rectangular box'.

   

WEIGHT WATCH DINNER

I lost weight since 10 days ago. My diet regimen : breakfast is 2 tangerines in season + a carton of full cream milk; lunch is my main meal, Sensei and I feast on the elaborate tasting menu, and dinner has been 'accidental' between food court salads, a bowl of Ramen, a few pieces of Kara-age, or just a quiet bite while I blog, with the NHK news channel on as backdrop, in Japanese, of course. Did you know today is the birthday of Caroline Kennedy, the new Ambassador to Japan?

What you see is a shredded cabbage salad, the kind you can have as much as you want in a Tonkatsu joint back home. It tastes much better here, even without dressing as the veggies are naturally sweet. The Japanese diet does not involve too much 'greens' and my system tells me I need the supplement so I buy this from Lawson, the convenience store chain daily. Today I splurged and topped it with beautifully marinated & smoked Kaki or baby oysters from Sapporo. Costs : salad Y105 - oysters Y300 - roast tea Y120 = Y525 or $40 .... you cannot beat that, and I love it!  

KANTO DAY

Day 8 - Kanto is in the middle section of Honshu, the main island. It is where Tokyo and other prefectures sich as Chiba, Kanagawa, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama and Ibaraki are located. Half jokingly Sensei said Kanto and neighboring cuisine have a unique characteristic ... most of the dishes can be prepared quickly. Why? It is because 'people in and around Tokyo has no patience to wait for anything, including and especially their food'.  Believe it, or not?

*  Oyaki from Nagano : panfried & steamed dough with veggie fillings
*  Kenchin-jiru : Miso soup with pork from Kamakurra
*  Buri Daikon : Japanesse amberjack fish braised with Daikon
*  Soboro Natto : soya bean & dried Daikon salad
*  Han-bagu : Japanese hamburger in Daikon sauce a Yoshoku dish
*  Tamago-yaki : rolled omelettes, a classic, an all time nationwide favorite
*  Fukagawa-meshi : rice in Miso soup with Asari (clams)

It was another delightful collection that can be duplicated at home. Sensei has spent an inordinate amount of time to custom-tailor these recipes ... code word for experimenting with them time after time ... so we can actually copy not just the dish, but the authentic tastes as long as we have access to proper ingredients, or viable alternatives.

I will elaborate on the Han-bagu & Tamago-yaki treats, they are wonderful 'comfort foods' indeed.

MISO-YAKI ONIGIRI

To start, you need Japanese rice, when cooked make round rice balls ie Onigiri. The sauce mixture is; 4 table spoons of brown Miso, 4 table spoons of Mirin and 2 table spoons of sugar. Sprinkle sesame oil on a piece of baking paper, put the rice balls on top, spread with the sauce and grill. Turn them over and repeat the process, yes, top and bottom as well. Sensei prefers to grill them only slightly. I would leave them in a bit longer to maximize the 'grill' flavor, I might even 'burn' them a little to make the rice surface crispy. Experiment time!

IMO-NI

Satoimo & Gobo or taro & burdock root in English, are seldom used in Chinese soups so I like to introduce readers to this new taste, called Imo-ni, or Japanese Taro Soup, with beef.

Ingredients : 500gm Satoimo, 300gm sliced lean beef, 1 stick of Gobo, 1 stick of leek, 1 sheet of Konnyaku, 1 pack Shimeji mushrooms and 1 litre of water. Seasoning : 70cc soya sauce, 70cc sake, 3 table spoons sugar.

Peel the taro, cut into bite sizes, cook in 1 litre of water. When the taro is soft, add the Konnyaku, thinly shaved Gobo, mushrooms, sliced beef and the seasoning mixture. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until the Gobo is soft, and remember to skim the impurities. The leek, vertically cut, should go in last minute and just briefly before serving.

An exciting new taste, add a bowl of rice, and Japanese pickles it becomes a meal!  

TOHOKU DAY

Day 7 - is dedicated to recipes from Tohoku or the northeastern part of the country, below Hokkaido. Iwate, Akita (where the famous canine breed inherits its name) Aomori, Miyagi ... to name a few of the prefectures. Japan is a long island and even though there is water on both sides, some regional cuisines are much less seafood oriented. Tohoku, the nation's 'rice field' is an example. After sushi, meats, new year feasts and so on, I found today's menu most homely and soothing, in no small part because 3 soups were introduced which made my day, as a soup aficionado.

*  2 soups at the front : Imo-ni (taro) & Natto (fermented soya bean) Soup
*  Korokke or Japanese croquettes : Kani Kuri-mu (crab cream) & potatoes
*  Miso-yaki Onigiri or grilled rice ball with Miso sauce
*  Damako Nabe ie rice ball hotpot, also Kiritanpo or rice sticks

The technique of using Panko or Japanese breadcrumbs, as supposed to Tempura mix, was discussed at length. I will need to try out brands when I return home as there are so many to choose from. Chef Satoru from SushiKuu said the best retail outlet for imported Japanese grocery is Apita (formerly UNY) at Taikooshing and I already made my initial list .... Konbu, Bonito, Miso, Panko and Tohoku Rice.

I cannot wait to be back at TKT and start to practice, and keep practicing over and again, which is the only sure way to reinforce what has been taught. Oyasumi Nasai!

UNI ... ALL TIME FAVORITE

Before and after I arrived in Tokyo I have been given 'friendly advice' on what I should eat. Knowing I will exercise my freedom to the hilt my family has issued reminders from .... you need to watch your cholesterol, to concerns about residual radioactivity in Japanese waters, to please be mindful of protecting the future of the ocean and seafood, give fish a chance. What does all this mean, really? Is this the time to take the high ground and be a step closer to sainthood? I am afraid not.

I have dinner service with Sensei today so I took a morning walk along the shores that ended at the Tsukiji Market. My legs went soft on me when I passed this mom & pop eatery, usually with a queue outside but it was only 11am so there was no lines. I relented, sat down and ordered what seemed to be the house special, the Uni Set. It was delicious, the taste and texture could only come from absolute freshness. The damage was Y1500 or HK$115, the most (twice as much in fact) I have paid for my main meal in the past 10-days, under my street foods budget. It was a steal though as one can never get anything that is even remotely close at home. The owner's wife took this picture and gave me a thumbs up. I was not sure it was her approval of my lunch, or was it my good looks?

TOKYO STATION

Grand Central in New York City, Paddington in London, Orchard in Singapore, Central in Hong Kong ... Tokyo Station is one of the Grand Dames in this universe. I still remember her from the late 70s & early 80s, before she was surrounded by high rise office buildings. Real estate will always have the final say in CBDs (Central Business Districts) globally and turning part of the station into a business hotel has just about says it all. The North & South entrances are spic-and-span in typical Nippon style but something is amiss. Ah ... I know what it is, warmth and possibly, personality. I was nostalgic, I kept missing the old girl and her old glory.  It is just not the same.

Let me lament the past, let me play out my age, let me ventilate .. do not take me seriously OK?

PRC TOURISTS

With the opening of the floodgate and the power of the RMB Chinese tourists have become a main source of revenues to nations that count tourism as a contributor. Japan is no exception, despite the tension between her and China due to the latter's declaration, only 2 days ago, of the ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone). The territorial disputes over the Diaoyu Islands, known as Senkakas here is the bedrock and it does not seem the issues are going away anytime soon.

I saw this awkward display in front of a telecom company at Ikebukuro. 'We have Chinese staff' in Chinese but translated as 'We have sales clerk who speaks English'. I do not think it bodes well with what the Hong Kong community labels as 'compatriots from our strong nation' which, with a certain unfairness, typifies them as loud, arrogant, and rude in the worst possible nouveau-riche ways. We seem to have forgotten that back in the 80s and even early 90s when Hong Kong was at a high our behavior was probably viewed in more or less the same context in China those days. I ran into Chinese tourists here, Putonghua speaking and loaded with wads of Yens, but I did not see the same behavior. They must know their place. They seem less loud, less arrogant, and less in-your-face in part due to language, but more so because they are no longer in Hong Kong, I think. Tokyo, as capital of Japan, is not the same as us, a minor player, an ex-Colony that used to, and still, behave like a spoiled brat despite the change of sovereignty. To be honest, we asked for it, our compatriots should not take all the blame.        

YOUNG GAI-JINS

It seems more young Gai-jins are living and working here in Tokyo. I saw blondes, red heads and Afros around key stations selling in perfect Japanese, be it English language courses or tour plans, or whatever. They seem to have traded places with the Mormon youths some years ago, in crew cuts, white buttoned-down shirts, and narrow striped ties.  I saw Indians handing out discount coupons to curry houses (wonder if they dare sell the real thing) but when I saw Damien and his Donna Kebab van at Ikebukuro Square, I had to stop. The Y500 or HK$38 'Middle Eastern Te Maki' is not cheap considering a noodle & rice set nearby costs less.  The Kebab was well done though, with juicy sliced chicken in what the locals love most ... mayonnaise, in this case, cumin and ketchup mayo. Yoshoku, right?

Damien made Tokyo home almost 5 years ago, after 3 years in Singapore doing the same thing. Hailed from Istanbul he has a no nonsense attitude to life and does not consider being a Gai-jin here he is a second class citizen. I guess like the word Gwei-lo we use in Hong Kong, Gai-jin is no longer derogatory, it is just another word to describe a foreigner. Am I naive?

Business must be doing well, his partner now sells drinks and ice cream next to him. I set at that table with my Kebab, ordered an iced black coffee, closed my eyes ... I was right on the waterfront of the Bosphorus.    

MARUNOUCHI LINE

Ogikubo on the western perimeter of the city is the starting point of this Line, with 25 stops in almost a full loop before it ends.  It is, without question, a residential suburb with its own life style. I found a quaint French bakery Gourmand bis Nos Ancetres de Demain, next to an Italian osteria, Peperoncino, that specializes in Sicilian specialties. High Tea at the bakery is Y800 or HK$61 which is what one pays for a Men (noodle) or Don (rice bowl) lunch near Ginza. Shinjuku is the next major exchange. As a playground for older folks, it is not as crazy as Shibuya but nonetheless daunting, even for a city chap like me. The prima donna on this Line is, of course, Tokyo which stands alone like Tsukiji with no links with other lines. Sitting on a prime-prime piece of real estate it is surrounded by office, hence less charismatic. Not unlike the other lines, there are a half a dozen unrecognizable stops before the terminus Ikebukuro. Home to the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre it has a large square where people congregate, creating a fine sense of community and calm. I found out later that it is a 'Ramen Hub' which regrettably I was not aware. I did run into the ear-therapy advertisement around here though.  

NUTA

Nuta ... short  for Maguro-to-Wakegi-no-Nuta or, tuna on scallions with a vinegared Miso sauce. It is another popular side dish of Hokkaido origins. Instead of tuna, we can use octopus, scallops, squids or even fried tofu. The Wakegi family includes what we separately label as scallion, green onion, and leek but I am told the Japanese translation does not differentiate. In this recipe scallion is used, definitely.

1) Wakegi cut into 3cm pieces, dip in boiling water for 1 minute
2) 200gm of Maguro cut into bite size dices
3) 2 teaspoons of sake, 4 teaspoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of Miso
4) mix and heat up for 1-2 minutes, let it settle
5) add 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, 1 tea spoon of Japanese mustard, mix well
6) tuna, scallion in a bowl, add pinch of salt & 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar, Miso on top

Fresh, clean, with all the classic Nippon flavors your palate remembers ... this is a real winner!


    

YOSHOKU

'Yoshoku' means dishes that are influenced by western cooking methods, but developed in Japan. From the records Yoshoku first appeared in the Meiji era when Japan opened her doors to foreign culture which was 140 years ago. It has picked up quite a following since, and it is now a key segment of mainstream Japanese food culture. There are many eateries around the country that only serve such dishes, know as Yoshoku-ya, usually providing both chopsticks and cutlery on the table.

Omu-rice is a leading Yoshoku classic of rice with chicken, carrots and onion cooked in ketchup and wrapped by an omelette. The finished product is usually decorated, with a ketchup squeeze bottle. What is shown here was done by Sensei, and not my ego at play.

Other well known Yoshoku dishes are; Spaghetti Napolitan, Ebi (prawns) Fry, Kaki (oysters), Tonkatsu (pork cutlets), Korokke (croquettes), Hambagu (burgers) and last but certainly not the least, to the absolute horror of indigenous Indians, the thick stew-like sweet Japanese curry which is perfect with steamed rice, and it must be Japanese rice, the sticky variety and definitely not Basmati.

Who said the Japanese are inflexible with their food again?

IMO-MOCHI

First thing first, let us get the terms right. 'Imo' is the generic reference to potatoes but to be more specific Jaga-imo is potato, Sato-imo is taro and Satsuma-imo sweet potato.

(1) 200gm of potatoes, skinned, boiled, meshed, add 5 table spoons of potato starch to make it smooth and make round cakes.
(2) prepare the sauce : 4 table spoons of sugar, 2 table spoons of soya sauce, 2 table spoons of sake.
(3)  pan fry the potato cakes until nice and brown, but soft inside
(4)  remove excess oil, pour the sauce around the cakes until hot

The taste resembles terriyaki and the texture just right. Sensei's has tested and improved her recipe so anyone can produce this. This side dish is easy, quick but above all it is plain delicious.  

HOKKAIDO DAY

Day 6 - from today onward, until the end of the week, Sensie will give me a tour of regional cuisines in Japan. She picked Hokkaido as a starter because it is where she inherits her ancestry. While people will immediately associate this northern cuisine with mostly seafood in its raw form, Hokkaido home style cooking is actually an unsung hero, a different story altogether. What you see is what I was taught. I am told Hokkaido food is not as popular in Tokyo, and certainly not as accessible compared to other cooking styles. This week will be 1-on-1 every day (had 1 or 2 fellow classmates last week) and the feasting at the end, for just the two of us, is something to behold. From the left the tasting menu is as follows :

*  Sake no Chanchan-yaki : salmon with Miso on sauteed veggies
*  Maguro to Wakegi no Nuta or simply Nuta : tuna in vinegar & Miso sauce
*  Omu-rice : omelette on ketchup flavored rice, a Yoshoku item
*  Buta-don : sliced pork rice bowl in an excellent but simple sauce
*  Ika-meshi : braised squid with sticky rice stuffing
*  Imo-mochi : unquestionably the best potato cakes there are
*  Sanpei-jiru : cured salmon soup

The dishes look and sound simple but each and every one of them has a uniqueness in taste, principally because of the way they are prepared and the different seasoning sauces that are integral to presentation.

EAR SEX?

I saw this advertisement board at one of the stops and I need to capture it. 30-minutes with a professional to take care of your ear canals for Y3000 or HK$230. While this service has always been on the menu in men-only bath houses in Taiwan & China ... the service staff is all male, no women allowed and no funny business ... the way this is billed caught my eyes. My Japanese friends will laugh out loud here but if one can only recognize the Chinese characters and paraphrase the meaning one gets the impression of 'orgasmic pleasures'. I kid you not. Have you ever had itchy ears? Have you ever used cotton swabs to calm it? It felt good, did it not? Too bad the face is covered, I would love to see that expression of joy, perhaps it can be better than sex after all.

PARENTS

What are parents made of? Their hearts are made of gold, their nerves from steel, their stamina from cast iron, and their emotions from marshmallows ... and if you have daughters who call you Dad, your meltdown can be worse than Fukushima if you are not careful.  Regardless of how we are treated by our children; be it love, indifference or even meanness, our natural tendency is to dig in, swallow hard, and continue to give unconditional love.

The picture on the left showed an extremely patient Dad with his disabled son on a wheelchair. He fed him, talked to him, cleaned him and I believe was encouraging him to enjoy the fountain which I think the boy was doing, judging from his body language. The one on the right was a Russian speaking couple inching their way in the crowd so their son can be blessed by the 'Holy Smoke' at Sensoji. All parents do this for their own flesh and blood, whom they brought into this world. The power of love is omnipotent, even though some may be unrequited.

I wonder if our 3 girls are reading this blog. If so I will say this one more time, we love you lots!        

MOS BURGER

In the face of competition, Mos Burger is churning to meet the Macdonald challenge. Not just one, but 3 new tasty burgers on their classic rice patties are launched, neck-to-neck against Big M but with even more choices. The 3 new babies on the block are :

*  Kaisen or mixed seafood
*  Renkon or lotus roots and veggie salad without meat
*  Saba in Miso sauce

I like their tastes and creativity but somehow they failed in Hong Kong, another victim to ridiculously high real estate costs. The rice patties give a crunchy feeling to the filing in the middle, which I think is a brilliant idea. Would it be Katsu on one side of the ring, or Kaisen-Renkon-Saba on the other? My vote is on Mos, why, because people like choices but more importantly, the risk of dried pork in a bun is very real.

Good luck Mos Burger or as they say in Japanese 'Step on the Gas' or Gan-bare!

GINZA LINE

Shibuya is a sociological goldmine, a huge research project on the psyche from young to old that may not yield answers as the city keeps reinventing itself with every new generation. The new joins while the old hangs on.  Look at the 'human tsunami' crossing from 4, even 8, direction when the horn beeps green. It can be scary, especially if you come from a 200-acre farm in Oklahoma, even though they play that Broadway tune in oldie bars. We used to stay in the Akasaka - Aoyama and like it a lot, they have style. Then comes Shimbashi, one of my favorites. It champions street foods without any question, my kind of place. Ginza is what it is, not Japan but Ginza, so what is there to say? Again, a few stops of obscurity before Ueno  where it meets the Hibiya Line. The next stop is a godsend to any aspiring chef, or wannabe home cook like me ... Tawaramachi, where the famous Kappabashi or Kitchen Avenue is ... sort of 'everything you wanted to equip your kitchen with, but are afraid to buy' type of a mad scene. The terminus is of course Asakusa, resplendent with the charisma of Sensoji, arguably one of the leading, if not the most visited temple in the country.

NO SMOKING

It is a global trend that has come to Tokyo. I do not know since when but apparently enforcement is serious. This is a 'Smoking Area' by the Ebisu Station, and it is within sight of the Police Station so the law is watching, literally. I stopped smoking, practically overnight, when I was preaching community health in Kwun Tong at the United Christian Hospital. That said, I still enjoy an occasional cigar and the only time I can do that at home is when we walk Kaya before bed. She can almost fetch her leash when I open the humidor. It may sound strange to you but I do find solace in that 30+ minutes. Dora wins the grand prize for stamina, she knows I will not just 'stop' but her sermon never stops and I respect her for that. Alright, guilty as charged, I am hopeless.

I brought cigars but I dare not smoke in broad daylight as I am told the Police actually comes up to stop you. I must say that aside from secondary smoke this habit does pollute in more ways than one. I saw cigarette butts all over the enclosed area, ashes piled up and emptied cans from drinks. I saw a guy smoking near the trays and his date frowning and holding her nose, and I bet that relationship would not go far.

Smokers have made their choices and if that is the way they must go, as adults, who are we to say no and where do we draw the line?    

HIBIYA LINE

Naka-meguro with a huge apartment block is more like a 'bedroom community' I did not see any efforts to make it commercial, not even around the station which is unusual. I guess being at the end of the Line it does not matter much. Ebisu is less sleepy, the tree lined main avenues help. Then there is Hiro-o which has been a favorite haunt of expatriate executives, hence the up-market shops, galleries, international dining outlets which all carry the smell of money, and why not.  Roppongi is where the action is, no ifs or buts. However the star on the Line is, to me, Tsukiji after Ginza & Higashi-Ginza and who would dare to contest that claim? Hibiya Line stops here, exclusively and it owns the traffic. It is a 'must' for tourists to experience, and locals to shop. The next few stops are less well known ... except Shintomicho where Sensei lives, which will soon be famous if the 'Likes' in TripAdvsior continues its trend. Ueno is being written up in travel books as a stop with good food, I guess it depends on how one defines good food, but Ueno?

Now comes the surprise, Kita-senju, dominated by the 0101 mall on the right. After Naka-meguro I was not hopeful when I arrived at this terminus, and I was so wrong. I spent almost 2-hours walking, talking (sign language mostly), sniffing ... I saw energy, helpful folks, shops opening late, restaurants with boisterous and happy clients that Ginza venues would die for. I even found a Robatayaki joint, run by a bunch of dedicated and good looking young man and women chefs, that I must take Dora when she visits next week. The ambiance reminds me of Inakaya at Roppongi which I blogged earlier. Kita-senju may seem to be at the edge of civilization but trust me, it has class and will rise to recognition one day.    

TOKYO METRO

The Tokyo Metro or subway system is essentially a network of 13 major lines from East to West, and North to South, connecting to railways such as JR Lines to bring people in and out of the city from 4-directions. If we use the term 'Metropolitan Tokyo' it will be drawn by a radius of major stations : Ikebukuro in the NW, Shinjuku in the W, Shibuya in the SW, Roppongi in the S, Aoyama - Otemachi - Tokyo in the middle, Ginza - Shimbashi in the SE, Tsukiji in the E and lastly, Ueno - Asakusa in the NE.

The trains are not state-of-the-art but the Metro is run efficiently, to the minute. Trains come through every 5+ minutes, while Platform Wardens marshal with vigor. I cannot say it is handicap-friendly on the whole but those on wheelchairs do get special attention. I watched how a disabled young man was brought on to the carriage (always the last one it seems) at one stop by a station staff , with a colleague waiting at the next station the passenger wanted to get off ... they made it a simple routine, without fuss, fanfare and certainly no delay for everyone else. I was most impressed.

Equipped with a 2-day 'All-You-Can-Ride' ticket for a meager Y980 or HK$75 (Y600 or HK$46 for 1-day) I decided to explore the Metro this past weekend.  Back in the 90's when I was a frequent business flyer on UA I used to love a Japanese series called 'Looking for the Best Ramen'. One segment was on the Metro, with the reporter stopping at every station to look for a shop worthy of the competition. I wanted that job badly then.  My venture was not about eating but a general recce of the system, going from one end to the other and I could only manage 3 over the past 2-days. I did this same exercise when I was at Wandee Cooking School but of course the BTS in Bangkok is a only a fraction of this complex machinery in Tokyo.

BTW do you remember a few weeks ago a MTR spokesman made the grand announcement that the company, after 11 years or something like that, will stop charging the public for the costs of installing safety doors on station platforms. Hello? He said it with such forthrightness as though he was expecting a big thank you from taxpayers, what a clown!  The kind of offer tourists, or for that matter locals, get here in Tokyo must be unimaginable in Hong Kong. The 'management' will, I am sure, find ways to oppose it as they cannot even give Senior Citizens a break, case closed.

HIBIYA LINE : from Naka-Meguro to Kita-Senju x 21 stops
GINZA LINE : from Shibuya to Asakusa x 19 stops
MARUNOUCHI LINE : from Ogikubo to Ikebukuro x 25 stops  

INAKAYA @ ROPPONGI

It was 1983 and we had no clue what Robatayaki was when we walked into Inakaya in Roppongi, a family style 'garden restuarant' as it was billed in the tourist brochure. The uniqueness was the paddle, as shown on the door. Diners gathered around a huge U-shape facing the chefs who sat crossed leg at the end, with everything and anything you will ever need for a grilled dinner. They have small pits with charcoal fires and quite amazingly, deliver finished items (including bottles of beer) to your face on a paddle with a long handle. It takes strength and lots of practice, and it is of course a big part of Inakaya's genre. What impressed us the most was the service team and the atmosphere that resembled a family dining around a table, it was magic and 30 years hence I can still remember that first exposure vividly. I popped my head in, satisfied that Inakaya is obviously alive and well. There are a couple in Hong Kong, the one we go infrequently is at the Hyatt in Whampoa. They tried hard but it is not the same as the wooded staff lack the fanfare, and the venue lack the feel of bon vivant.

Dora and I made little $ then, we saved diligently so we can make our annual, and only, overseas pilgrimage to Tokyo. It was always Tokyo and mostly for eating as we could ill afford to shop then. We did not have kids problems because we had none, no people issues at the office as being at the bottom we had no one to manage, no helper problems at home because we needed no help.  Life was not as comfortable as now but it was more memorable and we treasured every moment of it, a life style that will shock the living daylight out of our next generation ... a life of Self Reliance.  

KATSU MAC

I remember quite a few years ago the Macdonald's franchises in Tokyo launched a special burger with a slice of Dole pineapple in it. It was an effort, failed effort rather, to capitalize on the Japanese penchant for Hawaii as a holiday destination. The taste mix was just not right as the sweet and sour of the fruit took over the classic burger flavor, and the idea was dropped not too long afterwards.

I walked past one last night with a huge launch ad, a Katsu-Burger! This one might work as it falls in line with one of the nation's top food items, pork cutlets. A single burger is Y500 and for a set Y680 or HKS38-52. Not bad but if the alternative is a bowl of Ramen, at almost identical prices where would you put your $?  I know what I would do so, no, I did not try one.      

KABUKI

My first Kabuki experience must be at least 25 years ago, at this same theater in the Higashi-Ginza area.  I was too young and impatient then and did not like it so giving it another run this time was my intent.  To make a long story short, I still do not get it and I blame myself, not the art form.

The management is aware that not everyone can endure the lengthy show. One does not have to watch or pay for the whole 9-yards. I paid Y2000 or HK$154 or US$20 for the final 2-acts of Kanadehon Chushingura or The Treasury of Loyal Retainers. Guess what? There were only 2 rows for these last minute seats, the last 2 rows at the top of the balcony (as shown) which are quite a ways from the stage. In typical Japanese order we have to form a line according to the assigned number on our tickets, under the roar of a Hitlerian usher who 'kudasi-ed' everyone to death.

I watched with amusement the arrival of the rich and famous at the front door. We entered via the side door by the way. Older men with matronly Kimono-clad women who must be their wives, followed by other older men with stiletto propped glamorous young women who cannot possibly be their daughters ... this scene alone was worth Y2000.  These folks occupy the expensive seats, complete with Bento stands for the intermission.

Unlike Italian operas where the lyrics and the music form the crux of the action, Kabuki has lots of dialogue via which the best actors and actresses are revered. It is impossible to understand if you are not proficient in the language. The music was monotonous between a soloist who seemed to be clearing his throat most of the time, and a mandolin player with a repertoire of no more than a dozen notes. When the protagonist mumbled his lines in tremolo fortissimo the whole theater broke into frenzied applause, leaving peasants like me and other 'Gaijin' totally baffled. Then there was this Stage Hand, covered in black from head to toe, who ran up and down the stage picking up and replacing props.  I guess being in 'Ninja' attire, he or she was supposed to be invisible, or at least not to be 'seen' so whatever they do while others perform was not even relevant. Now, that was very funny! I kept smiling and the old lady next to me kept staring at me ... 'sorry mate, you smiled at the wrong place pal ...' she must be saying.        

2 hours, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I did not fall asleep like a few other patrons who collapsed in their chairs after they finished their Bentos. I asked Dora if I should wait for her but she asked me to go ahead on my own. She must know something I do not know. Until we become more attuned, or rather more educated with this unique Nippon art form, perhaps Kabuki is not a priority.

To my Japanese readers, I do not mean to be disrespectful. I am just not good enough for Kabuki, not 25 years ago and not 25 years later, at least not yet. I am so sorry.