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Our Food Experience posted Monday, June 14, 2004
We thought you may be interested in the cuisine we've sampled since our arrival April 7th (has it already been two months?!)
Okonomiyaki (Official dish of Osaka)
The colloquial name is "Japanese Pizza"
The name literally means you grill the food with the ingredients of your choice.
It's a cabbage and flour base looking like a pancake with seafood, fish, pork, vegetables, chicken, green onions, fish flakes, literally anything you like on top. Then there is a brown sauce and lots of mayonaise. Mayo is hugely popular in Japan, but it certainly tastes different from Hellman's. Very rich. So Jonas is a big fan of Okonomiyaki. I am not. Too many flavours mixed in to one dish for me. One can purchase this dish at a street vendor, or a restaurant specializing in it. Most restaurants have a version of it.
Takoyaki (Osaka's staple snack)
It's a grilled flour batter (similar to the one used in Okonomiyaki) blended with stock and pieces of octopus in the middle. They look like little chicken balls, but don't be duped, they are indeed filled with octopus.
We tried these for the first time from one of many street vendors downtown. They are extraordinarily hot in the middle and more than one of us scalded our mouths. Like biting into a piece of pizza that's too hot. Anyway, Jonas liked his, but again, it was too fishy for me. So we haven't really had them since.
Udon (noodles)
Udon is a noodle dish with pork or usually fish stock and any number of ingredients added in. Some bowls come with tempura on top. Others with grilled tofu, and still more with pork cutlets, or fish. The key to eating this meal, which is a staple and there's an udon restaurant on every corner and some in between, is in the slurp. One holds the bowl up to his/her mouth, grabs a heap of noodles with chop sticks and slurps them up. It's fun to eat and the one Jonas and I tried came with corn, pork, and a nice broth with thick white noodles. It was yummy - finally a meal we can agree on. The great thing about these noodle stalls, is that if you go to a sit down place, it's more expensive. If you're on the go, you can go to one of the bar style ones, where you stand and slurp at the counter around the chef's kitchen and it's significantly cheaper.
Soba (buckwheat noodles)
Soba is one of my faves. They're thin light buckwheat noodles. In a restaurant they come cold with a bowl of soya mixed with fish stock. You take some noodles, dip them into the sauce, and slurp them up. It's a great meal, filling, but light. Yummy. They also come cooked in a package in the grocery stores and are very inexpensive. When we cook with them, we often make a stir fry of teryiaki chicken and veggies. SO delicious!!!
Teriyaki
This would appear to be a staple here since most of the Japanese restaurants at home offer Teriyaki something or other. Interestingly enough, we have yet to find a restaurant other than McDonald's that offers what we knew as a teriyaki dish.
So after some discussions with our new Japanese friend Rumika, she told us that you can't buy Teriyaki sauce in the grocery stores. You make it with soya sauce and sugar (and cooking Sake if you're so inclined - but we haven't ventured into that land yet).
Jonas has become an expert at making homemade Teriyaki, so we enjoy it many times a week for dinner! Yum!
Yakiniku (literally translated as grilled meat)
This was by far my favourite meal so far. Our first Yakiniku experience was brought to us by our good friend Judy W! A world of thanks to her for her support of our gastric delights in early days in Japan!!! This was the first restaurant meal that Jonas and I both LOVED!!! We liked it so much, we're going with a group of friends tomorrow. These restaurants are filled with tables that have little hibachi hot coal grills in the middle. You order individual plates of raw meat and veggies, and cook them right at your table as you like it. You can get fish, chicken, beef, and heaps of vegetables. It's so fun and social!
Some places have all you can eat for 2 hours! Each person gets a set of chopsticks and a dish with dipping sauce for the cooked meat, it's the most amazing thing. We even found a restaurant supply district which sells these tables. We have seriously considered buying one and shipping it home it's so fun!
Sushi
This is Jonas` favorite meal. There are many different types restaurants that serve Sushi. Our favorite is sushi by the plate (or merry-go-round sushi as we like to call it). This where a conveyor belt winds around the entire restaurant with differently priced plates of sushi! You sit at a booth close to the conveyor belt and grab which ever plate looks yummy. My favorite is sweet shrimp and crab (actually it is the only sushi I will eat). Jonas will shove just about anything into his mouth that is remotely recognizable. We've gone to two such restaurants now and what we really like is that ther are little faucet spouting hot water where you can make your own tea right at the booth or diner-style stool!
Yoshinoya (our favourite Japanese fast food!)
This is a chain all around Japan which is diner style seating serving various bowls of cooked meat (usually pork) over rice with a mild sauce. You can get curry or just simple soya based sauces. The nicest thing about it is that it's quick and easy and CHEAP! We frequent these places!
Gyoza (Chinese dumplings)
These are Dim Sum like dumplings that you buy fresh packaged in the grocery stores. They are cheap and the perfect after-work snack. They are filled with meat or veggies and are simple and easy to cook!
So that about covers it so far. I'm sure as more comes up we'll add to this list. Mainly though, we eat at home. We cook lots of rice and spaghetti, so often we feel right at home. It's all just part of the adventure. Happy gourmets that we are!
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 4 current comments...
Monika - 6/18/2004 HELLO!!!! JONAS AND LAURA :)
It's been interesting viewing your online journal... It's such a great way to keep in touch. Anyway. Your new entry looks awesome..... I want to read more about it later. I sent a Toronto postcard to your address posted on your webpage this week just to say hello! Hope it makes it there:) May be next time I send some mail to you both I can include a tin of Tim Horton's Coffee :) Anyway. Jerm might join the Army/Reserves to finish his his Paramedic schooling. Otherwise, he will do his remaining semesters at Humber. He will hopefully transfer, though to a different school since he isn't too crazy about the school nor is the distance practical. I'm still busy with my travel agent course among other things and am looking foward to a great summer of mini projects,trips, and enjoying the weather.... :) Keep in touch! Ciao for now! Salut! - Monika (and Jeremiah says hello, too:)
Sandra - 6/17/2004 I just wanted to let you know that im now up to date with all your adventures....WOW you are uniquely descriptive ...its almost like being there with you two. i enjoy immensly reading the comments that everyone leaves........and ........Jill ..... its spelled ZULU.... you know like the tribe in Africa... i busted a gut when i read zooloo ...any way had to share that. I am so glad that i am able to be part of your wondeful life....even from a distance...I love you both......ciao
Andree Mcc... - 6/14/2004 Dearest Jonas and Laura.
I am late coming to write to you. I am presently in Chicoutimi, at my
sister Gemma, being taken care of like a queen.... Really I came here
because we had some rather unusual happening in the Paquet family.
I know Laura that you have never met any of my aunts nor cousins, but the weekenthis
this weekend,we have lost my cousin Danielle on the 11th and my aunt
Yvonne Bourgeois Paquet on the 13th...who were both ill for quite a
long time, but eventhough aunt Yvonne was indeed quite old (92), it was
somewhat a shock for her daughter who was 53 years old JONAS , I know what you are saying:¨here she goes again...¨Well the
rest of us are or seem to feel fine...at least for tonight...just for tonight...
That's all what is important anyway... today, just for today,,,,
We have enjoyed looking at your sushi and treliaki.' pictures and recipes
I spoke to Sean and he seemed having had a great weekend in Akron...
And of course before I sing off,,,thank you so much for calling me on
June the second,,,,It was so nice to hear you voices,,,I love you both,,,,
Be young, be well , learn as much as you can while you can,,,,and nonas
get SKETCHING!!! Did I really dare sayiing that on the net? You bet,,,
à la prochaine,,, avec amour,,,moi.
Chris - 6/14/2004 Very cool guys! I've heard that North Americans have difficulties adjusting in the food area when travelling to Japanm but you guys seem to be doing fine. It all sounds so yummy! Sounds like the Mongolian Grill got the idea from the Japanese Yakiniku!
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