Japan, Day Two

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On the eleven hour flight from San Francisco to Narita, I got deep into reading The Story of Sushi, a narrative of a sushi school in California interspersed with the science of fish and the history of sushi as it developed in Japan. A good deal of the book focuses on Tokyo’s famed Tsukiji fish market, the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. Ever since learning about the market on Anthony Bourdain’s “A Cook’s Tour,” I’d been wanting to visit.

Melody and I woke up at five in the morning to get on the train to Tsukiji, which was too late to view the daily tuna auction, but early enough that the jonai shijo, or inner market, was still bustling.

Tsukiji Fish Market

Tsukiji Fish Market

Tsukiji Fish Market

I remain convinced that every type of seafood on earth was on sale at this market. Vendors displayed gorgeous, deep red chunks of tuna, glistening black and orange caviar, all kinds of seaweed, and shellfish galore. Tsukiji spans the size of 43 football fields, and after a couple hours of exploring the market, we had only scratched the surface. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

Back on the train, I mapped out the best route to get to Senso-ji, an ancient Buddhist temple in Tokyo’s Asakusa district. Built in 645, it was destroyed in the air raids of World War II, like so many of Tokyo’s historical structures. It was later rebuilt and is now a symbol of rebirth and peace.

The temple’s entrance is the Kaminarimon or “Thunder Gate.” This imposing structure features a massive paper lantern dramatically painted in red and black to represent thunderclouds and lightning. Beyond the Kaminarimon is Nakamise-dori, a long street lined with shops, followed by the Hozomon, or “Treasure House Gate,” which is the entrance to the inner complex. Within that gate is a huge five-story pagoda and the main hall. It was easy to get lost here because of its sheer size.

Senso-ji

Senso-ji

Senso-ji

Senso-ji

Melody and I were famished after exploring Senso-ji, so we stopped at Ueno Station for a quick lunch of udon noodles. If there’s one thing I learned in Japan, it’s that Japanese train stations boast incredibly good dining options. If only we had the same in the United States.

The udon restaurant offered about twenty different kinds of udon soup, and I went for the fried tofu udon with a side of squash and shredded onion tempoura.

Fried Tofu Udon

Squash and Shredded Onion Tempura

Back in Shinjuku, we explored the huge Takashiyama Times Square, which to my delight, included a multi-story Kinokuniya store. So many Japanese cookbooks! Before heading back to our hotel, we picked up some gyoza and sushi from Takashiyama’s food court.

Sushi

Gyoza

The gyoza was crispy and full of oniony flavor, and the sushi was ridiculously fresh, especially the scallop nigiri.

Before calling it a night, Melody and I decided to visit a local izakaya, or Japanese-style bar. We settled on Ice, a tiny but busy izakaya where the hosts didn’t speak a word of English, the menus were entirely in Japanese, and we happily got by with a combination of pointing and pantomime. We devoured a spicy dish of konnyaku and bamboo shoots with our Asahi beers.

Spicy Konnyaku and Bamboo Shoots

I know a lot of people aren’t crazy about konnyaku for its textural feel, but this was one of the best konnyaku dishes I’ve ever had. Slightly browned on the outside, the chewy konnyaku had fully absorbed the dish’s spicy heat.

Back at our hotel, we packed our bags in preparation for the next leg of our trip: Kyoto. The next morning would be an early one, and we needed rest to catch our bullet train on time.

Japan, Day One

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I’m warning you now: this is going to be an epically long post. It hasn’t even been a month since I’ve returned from Japan but I’m already missing it. I spent a week between Tokyo and Kyoto with my sister Melody in December and only wish that I had a few extra weeks to spare. The food, the style, the ridiculously efficient transportation system – I loved it all.

We arrived at Narita International Airport on a Friday evening and after getting our bearings straight, hopped on the Narita Express train, which took us to Shinjuku Station in Tokyo in under two hours. In Shinjuku, we checked into Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku, which would be our home for the next three nights. I loved this hotel. Sure, the rooms are tiny, (what do you expect, it’s Tokyo!) but the service was impeccable and the details were perfect, right down to the freshly-starched pajamas and the high-tech toilets (more on Japanese toilets later). After getting settled in, we had a light dinner of onigiri and seaweed salad and called it a night.

The next morning, we had breakfast at Blegrace, one of Tokyo’s ubiquitous French-style bakeries. Melody had the green bean bread, while I had a hot dog bun covered with cheese and seaweed.

Hot Dog Bun

It doesn’t look very French, I know. And it’s not very breakfasty. But who cares, it was delicious.

Afterwards, we took the train to Harajuku to explore Meiji Jingu, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken. Built in 1920, the shrine is expansive and made up primarily of Japanese cypress and copper. The original building was destroyed during the Tokyo air raids of World War II and was rebuilt in the 1950s.

Meiji Jingu

Meiji Jingu

Meiji Jingu

Meiji Jingu

We left the quiet sanctuary of Meiji Jingu and next explored the neighborhood streets, people-watched and checked out the craziness that is Harajuku.

Harajuku

We soon got back on the train and took the Yamanote line to Shibuya, where we found Hachiko!

Hachiko!

What’s the story behind Hachiko? Read this. (Be forewarned, it’s a tear-jerker.)

We crossed the infamous Shibuya Crossing and took in the music-blaring, super-busy, advertisement-heavy neighborhood. Shibuya is full of huge advertisements, often featuring American celebrities, like this one:

Tommy Lee Jones for Suntory "Boss Coffee"

Why yes, that is Tommy Lee Jones for Suntory “Boss” Coffee.

After Shibuya, we got on the metro and took the subway to Ginza Station. Do you like shopping? Do you like fashion? Go to Ginza then, it will blow you away. Chock-full of department stores and boutiques that put their American counterparts to shame, Ginza was like walking into an alternate universe: droves and droves of perfectly-dressed people taking a weekend stroll. And I mean perfectly dressed. Ginza is, after all, arguably the most luxurious shopping district in the world.

Matsuya

But enough about the clothes, let’s talk about the food! American department stores, please take note: Japanese department stores have food courts. And I’m not talking about some paltry excuse for a sandwich shop or McDonald’s. Japanese department stores typically have one or two of the basement floors dedicated entirely to gourmet food, from bento, to sushi, to pickles, to pastries, to tea, and the list goes on. I felt like I was in heaven wandering the food halls of Matsuya, Daimaru, Takashimaya and Mitsukoshi.

Mitsukoshi Food Garden

Daimaru Food Court

After a quick snack of gyoza at Mitsukoshi’s food court, and a walk around Ginza, we headed back to Shinjuku for dinner.

Ginza

In Shinjuku, we had dinner at Santouku, a busy ramen joint just a few blocks from our hotel. I opted for the shoyu ramen.

Shoyu Ramen

The ramen broth was super rich and the noodles had a fresh, firm texture to them that I’ve never had in California. Dinner was hearty, and Melody and I decided to walk it off by exploring the side streets of Shinjuku.

Shinjuku

We covered a lot of ground for our first day in Japan (and a jet lagged one at that). Exhausted, we headed back to our hotel for a good night’s rest so that we could be ready for an early start the next morning.

Myung Dong Tofu Cabin

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At any given time, I’m probably craving Korean food. It’s just one of those cuisines that I can’t get enough of. Unfortunately, Korean food is hard to come by if you happen to be outside of the East Bay or San Francisco. All of my favorite Korean restaurants are in Oakland, but when I recently found myself in San Mateo with an insatiable craving for Korean food, I decided to try Myung Dong Tofu Cabin.

Myung Dong Tofu Cabin is located in one of San Mateo’s countless strip malls, and as the name suggests, they excel at tofu soup and stew.

Upon being seated, I was brought a tray of banchan, the delicious cold and crunchy small dishes of food that are served with every Korean meal.

Banchan!

Most restaurants bring at least ten plates of banchan, but here, I was served seven. That’s okay though, because I needed to save room for my tofu stew.

Next came my cauldron of hae mool soon doo boo, or seafood tofu stew.

Hae Mool Soon Doo Boo

As is standard, I cracked a raw egg into the bubbling vat of stew and gave it a good stir. It’s a good thing I added the egg too, because the stew would have probably been too spicy for me to bear without it. Eaten with a bowl of purple rice, this spicy, briny dish is the ultimate cold weather comfort food.

The prices at Myung Dong Tofu Cabin are very reasonable and the service is friendly. And while they really do excel at their tofu stews, I’ve made the mistake of ordering dishes like bulgogi here and was disappointed as the beef was dry and tough. Stick to what they do well though, and you’ll walk out more than satisfied.

Flavor Bistro

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I’m probably going to get a lot of flack for saying this, but Flavor Bistro is overrated. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good, but too many people in Sonoma County talk about Flavor Bistro as if it is the only restaurant serving good-quality, local fare. When it opened in Santa Rosa a few years ago, it was an instant hit and has stayed consistently busy ever since.

I should start by saying the food is usually good. On my last visit, I ordered the butternut squash ravioli.

Butternut Squash Ravioli

These ravioli were fresh-tasting and the pasta was cooked well, albeit a little too sweet for my taste.

The serving sizes at Flavor Bistro tend to be small. (Why yes, those three ravioli are considered an “entree.”) And sometimes, what you order can be a complete miss, like the duck ravioli I ordered several months ago. There was little duck to speak of.

Perhaps it’s just me, after all, Flavor Bistro’s business is testament to its popularity. And the ambiance is pleasant – a quintessential Wine Country restaurant in the heart of downtown Santa Rosa. I know I’ll be back soon enough and next time, maybe I’ll order a sandwich instead.

Tuk Tuk Restaurant

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I generally stick to reviewing restaurants in the Bay Area, but Tuk Tuk Restaurant is one of my favorite places to eat in Sacramento so I’m making an exception. Besides, Sacramento is close enough to the Bay Area, so it sort of counts, right?

The first thing that stands out about Tuk Tuk is its elegant interior. Located in a newish strip mall in the Natomas area, a trendy dining ambiance is not the first thing one would expect when walking in. But the restaurant is stylishly designed with dark wood furniture, colorful pillows and dusky lighting.

The menu has all the usual Thai classics, plus a few dishes less commonly seen on Thai restaurant menus. My dining companions and I shared three entrees, starting with the pad makur.

Pad Makur

The pad makur, or stir-fried Japanese eggplant, is extremely spicy. Like, tongue-numbing, sweat-inducing spicy. Stir-fried with loads of basil and chili peppers, the eggplant is tossed with browned ground beef before being served.

We also ordered the pra ram beef, or beef with spicy peanut sauce.

Pra Ram Beef

Served on top of a bed of steamed spinach, this is the go-to dish that I usually order at Thai restaurants if I’m not ordering noodles. I love peanut sauce, and Tuk Tuk’s version had a good coconut flavor to it as well.

Lastly, we sampled the rad nah, or soft rice noodles, fried noodles and chicken in a savory and spicy coconut sauce.

Rad Nah

Tuk-Tuk’s menu describes rad nah as a “soothing food. I guess it is the warm gravy and the soft noodles.” I don’t know about soothing, but the sauce, or gravy, is indeed delicious. This was my favorite dish out of three.

I’m not nearly as familiar with the restaurant scene in Sacramento as I am in the Bay Area, but if you ever find yourself in our state’s capital and are craving Southeast Asian cusine, Tuk Tuk Restaurant is a solid choice.