Japan Trip, Oct 2006 - Tsukiji Market (築地市場) Part 2 - More Food

The outer area of the Tsukiji Market is equally exciting.

The outer market is mainly for pickles and dried food. There were also merchants for Japanese handmade knives and tools.


Pickles


Very pricey fungi. I guess it's not as expensive as truffles but a small box of the very best stuff can easily cost more than a meal for 5!

Then, there are the shops and stalls selling food! (I'm loving this entry!!)

For two mornings, we joined the other tourists and have sushi for breakfast in the Inner Area of the market. We saw queues forming in front of two particular shops, so naturally we joined one of the queues. (We later found out that these two shops are recommended by LP so they are very popular). The shops offer set sushi menu with about 8 pieces of sushi. It was perfect for breakfast. The sushi is nicely made and very delicious. However, they weren't THAT special. The sushi was of the normal variety. It was kinda boring.


Breakfast at the tiny sushi shop!

After our first breakfast, we went to the outer market and found that there are many food stalls on the outer edge of the market. There were more queues and we joined the long queues again. We tried the ramen from one of the shop.


A production line for the noodles!


Eating noodles while standing on the side of a busy road!

Then we walked towards one end of the street and saw another long queue, so we had a beef rice don from this specialty shop.

Both were EXCELLENT! It also warms my stomach after the cold breakfast. It was satisfying indeed! I have to say, by the time I got to the end of the queue, I was hungry again. I could have just lined up, wait, eat, and then lined up again! This could have gone on forever! :)

Anyway, our self-control bought us to try something else for dinner that night (OKOK. We wanted to try some adventurous stuff, so we went into town to look for the biggest fish on the planet! Don't ask. and I hope Gr33n Peace won't find this site!)

OK. Back to the market. We went back there for breakfast again the next day. We thought we might just as well try to other shop, for a complete experience! hehehe. It was slightly better than the other one, but not significantly better.


One of the very popular sushi shop in the inner market.

I thought, why not go to the outer market and find some other food again? We ventured out and found a restaurant selling 'Japanese in-shore' tuna sushi and we just can't run away from the chance to try something local!

We entered the shop and was greeted by a sushi chef. We decided to order a la carte and we were given a menu with pictures of all the sushi that they have. There were around 30 choices!!! We ordered most of the 'special' sushi.

Here are a selection:


Boring stuff. But I like fish roe.


Some random white fish. I think it was the hirame (平目) flounder/bastard halibut


More random fish. But this particular one was really nice. Too bad I don't know what fish it is!


One of the special recommendation - Kanpachi (間八)

White trevally (しま鯵) sushi. This was one of the special recommendation and I really like this one too.


The best part of the meal was definitely the inshore otoro (大とろ), which is supposedly the fattiest part of the local bluefin tuna belly.

We also met a very funny chef at the restaurant. One of the guy speaks a little English, so he came around and asked us where we are visiting from. I told him 'England'.

And then I get this odd look from him. OK. I look Asian. But he looked very puzzled. Then, he asked again, 'You mean Beckham-England?' SP and I then just cracked out laughing. It seems that Mr Beckham has got his fair share of fans in Japan :)

For more information about sushi:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sushi_and_sashimi_ingredients_and_styles

Japan Trip, Oct 2006 - Tsukiji Market (築地市場) Part 1 - Tuna Auction

Enough about food, let's talk about the infamous Tsukiji FISH (!!) market :P

Those of you from Sydney, you might think that the sashimi from the Sydney Fish Market is great. Yes, it is good, but the fish at Tsukiji is even better!


Look at this giant tuna! It is about 5 times my weight!

A bit of background, Tsujiki market (築地市場) contains the largest wholesale fish market in the world. It also has one of the biggest wholesale food markets. Its name "Tsukiji" (築地), literally means "built land", was the product of a 18th Century landfill project. The market itself is located in central Tokyo and it supplies 90 percent of all fish consumed in the greater Tokyo area. There are a number of refrigeration rooms in the market and these rooms can hold enough fish to supply Tokyo for up to ten days! The market is also an important component of the economical and social fabric. Some forecasters even treat Tsukiji as an informal barometer for economic trends and consumer confidence (rather like Wall Street's hemline indices).

It is a major attraction on our must-do list (which read "must try the best sashimi"). Oops, this post is not directly about eating!

Although Tsujiki market is on every guide book that we came across, we came to know the market from a different source:

A few year ago, when SP and I was the regular customers of a particular fishmonger at the Sydney Fish Market, we befriended the 'sashimi guy'. One day, the 'sashimi guy' offered us a very special tray of tuna sashimi. It was from a blue-fin tuna and it was originally designated to go to Japan. Due to some unknown reasons, this particular fish didn't make it to Japan, and it was made available in the Sydney Fish Market. The 'sashimi guy' was nice enough to save us a piece and he charged us the price for standard yellow-fin tuna! At that time, we were told that the best fish, including all blue-fin tunas, are sent to Japan because they are willing to pay top prices. Naturally, the Tsukiji Fish Market attracts the best fish from around the world. Being a sashimi-addict, it is IMPORTANT that I visit the market! :)

We deliberately chose a hotel close to the market so that we can wake up in time and catch the infamous early-morning tuna auction. The first morning in Tokyo, we dragged ourselves out of bed and head towards the market. It was quiet in the streets but as we approached the market, we can hear lots of noise. The buildings themselves are pretty run-down and outdated. The buildings are no where near Sydney Fish Market's. There were rows of stalls in the inner buildings, which is similar to the layout of a traditional street market, only that there are approx. 1,700 stalls in this giant market. Workers were driving around these motorised carts in the narrow lane ways and we were almost run over in a few instances!

When we have finally arrived at the venue for one of the tuna auctions, we found ourselves to be one of the first visitors there! It was essentially a giant fridge with lots and lots of tuna fish (and humans too!) in it.


The fish were being prep for the auction.

People are still preparing for the auction. All the fish are lined up and ready to be inspected by the potential buyers. The tails of the tuna have been lopped off so that the prospective buyers can examine the flesh.


The workers looping off the tail of the tuna. Look at that blade!


The fish are numbered using red paint.

Some people would take bits of the meat in their hands and rub it to feel the texture and the amount of oil on the flesh. Their experience will tell them whether the fish will worth 40,000 yen/kg or 4,000 yen/kg.


A potential buyer inspecting the fish.

After about 45 minutes of inspection, the auction begins. The auctioneer would start chanting/"rapping" loudly to create an atmosphere to encourage offers. To participate in the auctions, a buyer would need a license from the Tokyo metropolitan government. The license is displayed as a small plastic plate attached to a baseball cap. Without the license on the cap, one cannot bid in any of the auctions.

The buyers make their offers using secret hand signals. The auctioneer recognises the offer through the context of the bid. It is interesting to note that the buyers would try to keep their signal as discreet as possible, so that others can't tell how excited they are for each fish. 


An auction in progress.

One particular fish that we saw was sold for ¥6,000,000 (approx £25,000; US$50,000; AUD$45,000), enough to buy a very good Japanese car locally!


After the auction, the buyer's name is painted on the fish so that there are no confusion.


This fish is then wheeled away.


The quality of the fish is confirmed when they are chopped up for sale. The people in the shop had very straight faces and they were very serious about their purchase.


Some of the fish is sold in the market. Though I don't think that's the best part of the fish.

Japan Trip, Oct 2006 - Chanko Nabe (ちゃんこ鍋 )

OK. Now, let's talk about our dinner in Osaka.

We've already eaten so much good food during our time in Osaka. I thought it would be hard to think of anything novel for us to eat for dinner.

Then, the lovely Ms YI thought of Chanko-nabe (ちゃんこ鍋 ), famous for its health and stamina benefits. What is Chanko-nabe? you may ask.

Well, it is a hearty stew-like soup made from chicken stock and containing chicken, pork slices, meatballs, mushrooms, vegetables and tofu. It is the staple dish of sumo wrestlers because the dish is very easy to digest and it is considered as the primary source of energy for sumo wrestlers. As a result, it has earned its rank as yokozuna (横綱), or grand champion, of Japanese foods.


Here are the ingredients that go into the pot!

The dashi (stock) in which the food is cooked varies from stable to stable, but is usually flavored with soy sauce, miso, and/or sake. As sumotori tire of eating the same meal every day, the ingredients vary considerably. Some wrestlers grow to like the culinary duties more than the training itself and give up wrestling to become the chanko-cho, or chief chanko chef, of the Stable ("heya"/部屋).

In recent year, some more enterprising wrestler started opening their own restaurants. There are many such restaurants in and around Ryogoku (両国), where the Tokyo sumo stadium is located.

The restaurant that we visited in Osaka was opened by the 66th Grand Champion of sumo wrestling Wakanohana Masaru (若乃花 勝/born 花田 勝). Wakanohana belonged to the Futagoyama Stable (二子山部屋), which produced two Grand Champions. According to the restaurant's website, some of the former wrestlers of the Futagoyama Stable also work in the kitchen to prepare some of the dishes.

As for our meal, the food was excellent. The quality of the ingredients is not doubt the best and it was a very enjoyable meal. The service was also very good!


Here is the waiter serving up the meat balls, which were molded into their round shapes on the spot.

In particular, the Chanko Pot Dish that we had was very very delicious. The soup base was made from six original blended miso, and even Ms YI said it was very very good quality. As you know, we had been eating all afternoon but we wouldn't dare wasting such wonderful food. We even drank most of the soup in the end!

In addition to the meal, we also ordered some salad and beef tataki (牛肉のタタキ).


The beef was lightly seasoned and it was very tender and tasty. I really wanted an extra portion but I was just too full!!

As for drinks, Ms YI recommended that we have the meal with shochu (焼酎) instead of sake (酒). Shochu tastes a bit more nutty and much less fruity than sake. We ordered a mixture of shochu which was served in different ways: (1) 'on the rocks', (2) diluted with hot water and (3) diluted with cold water. Because the drinks are diluted, it feels much less alcoholic than sake so we can drink more of it! Good theory, right? :P


It was a great meal, so I decide to take a photo in front of the restaurant! First time I've done that in my many great meals in Japan.

Japan Trip, Oct 2006 - Snacking in Osaka City(大阪市)

Here I am, still trying to get through the Japan trip in 2006. Pathetic, I know. So I've decided to quickly go through the Japan trip by grouping some of our culinary experiences.

The following is a summary of the snacks that we've had in Osaka City(大阪市):

(1) Tako-yaki (たこ焼き)

One of the first snack we've had in Osaka is Tako-yaki (たこ焼き).

Tako-yaki is "a popular Japanese dumpling made of batter, diced octopus, tempura scraps (tenkasu/天かす), pickled ginger, konnyaku (蒟蒻), and green onion, topped with okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) sauce, green laver (aonori), mayonnaise, and fish shavings (katsuobushi/鰹節)" (Source: wiki.org)

We walked past a stall with lots of people buying the snack, so we assume it would be good. Luckily, that tactic worked. The diced octopus was chunky and the dumpling were very tasty indeed.

(2) Okonomi-yaki (お好み焼き)

Ms YI also took us to an Okonomi-yaki (お好み焼き) place in Osaka. Okonomi-yaki is said to be orginated in Osaka. However, there are lots of regional variation of Okonomi-yaki. Literally, "Okonomi" means "what you like" and "yaki" means "grilled" or "cooked". So Okonomi-yaki put together would mean "cook what you like, the way you like it". (Source: wiki.org)

When we were looking through the menu, we were offered many choices. We could pick our ingredients (like create your own pizza) or pick a set 'design'. We decided to share so we picked a few random things from the menu. In Osaka, Okonomi-yaki are pan-fried batter cake. The basic batter is made of flour, grated yam, dashi, shredded cabbage and egg. You can also add things like seafood, cheese, onion and other vegetables. Just like a pizza, the 'cake' is topped with a sauce. It is very much like the Worchestershire sauce. I personally am not a big fan of the sauce, so I ask them to put very little sauce. It wasn't too bad in the end and it was certainly better than what I have tasted in Australia before. We ordered three portions but in the end we can only stretch ourselves to finishing two and a half portion. It is actually quite filling!

(3) Ramen (中華麺)

After we had the Tako-yaki, we turned around and saw an outdoor ramen shop. It looks quite good so we tried it as well!

Here is the person serving up a batch of ramen:




Ms YI and I having ramen

The ramen is very yummy. They call this the 'Chinese style ramen' (中華麺), but I must say there is nothing Chinese about the taste of it.

(4) Tofu-ryori (豆腐料理)

We visited a specialist tofu restaurant for 'afternoon tea'. It was a restaurant with a contemporary style. They served up a degustation menu, which contained many little dishes made with tofu.

We didn't take much photos, because it's difficult to get good photos of tofu anyway. Here is our only photo of the food:



There were a few special dishes though. One of them is a tofu jelly which is made with top quality soya bean in the 'real way'. It was really delicious!

(5) Blowfish/Fugu (河豚), horse sashimi (馬刺し) and random sashimi platter

OK. This is the special one.



There are a few things which we really want to try while we are in Japan. One of them was blowfish.

Blowfish, or pufferfish, is highly toxic and there is no antidote for the toxin. But it is considered a delicacy in Japan. Ms YI needed to do some furniture shopping so she wasn't with us at the very moment we tried the delicacy. We did get some comfort from her when she confirmed that she has tried it before. Apparently, it is something that she has eaten a fair few times before. I was told that most of the death associated with eating the fish usually involves unlicensed chef preparing the fish in the wrong way.

(For those who don't know, blowfish contains lethal amounts of the poison 'tetrodotoxin' in the internal organs, the skin and the testicles. In Japan, only licensed chefs can legally prepare and serve the fish to the public.)

So, SP and I, brave as we always are, ordered the fugu (blowfish) sashimi because it seems to be most adventurous. The fish is deliberately sliced very thinly so that the pattern of the serving plate can be seen through. It was chewy but it was essentially tasteless. SP thinks that it is an expensive tasteless bubblegum. To me, the fish wasn't that special but it's good that I've tried it now and that I have survived! :)

Another special dish that we ordered was the horse sashimi. It wasn't something on our must-try list, but we saw it on the menu, and decided to give it a go as well. The horse sashimi looks very much like beef sashimi, except it is served with ground ginger, fried garlic slices, some type of dried flower and soy source. That was actually the star dish of the meal. I guess both SP and I like meaty dishes and the horse sashimi was very tender. It is highly recommended!

We ordered the mixed sashimi platter to overcome my sashimi cravings. Having lived in London for the previous 6 months, I was totally deprived of good quality sashimi. The sashimi in Japan is definitely of top quality and the sashimi are sliced rather thickly. The added thickness increase the texture of the fish. Together with proper wasabi and sashimi soy sauce, it was perfect.

More on raw fish later. Now, I have to get the post out!

 

Japan Trip, Oct 2006 - A pilgrimage to Mount Koya (高野山)

YI was kind enough to spend her 'honeymoon' with us. We met up 2 days after the wedding and spend some time in Osaka (more on that later).

After meeting my other friend in Osaka for tea and having our lunch, we headed to a remote monastery (or should I say monasteries?) on a lonely mountain south of Osaka.

After a 2 hours train-ride, we arrived at half-way point of the mountain (Gokurakubashi station/極楽橋駅). The train ride itself was also quite amazing as the area is really quite remote and the train was constantly moving upwards. We weren't able to see the peak of the mountain from where we were, and I knew I wasn't hiking up the mountain! Luckily, there is a funicular train that takes you up to the top. It was rainy outside, but the ride was rather nice. The scenery will be very beautiful if there were autumn leaves.

Nevermind that, we have arrived! Almost. When we got out from the station, we had to find our accommodation for the night. What's different about this night is that we were going to do some temple lodging (Shukubo/宿坊). Mt Koya is a mountain filled with monastries/temples and some of them are opened to visitors/pilgrams. 

A bit of history about the place:

It was first settled in 819 by a monk called Kukai/空海 (aka Kobo Daishi/弘法大師) and it is the headquarters of the Shingon (真言) sect of Japanese Buddium. There are over 100 temples on the mountains, and also a university dedicated to religious studies! According to the history books, there used to be around 1,000 temples on the mountain during the Edo (江戸) period.

A point worth mentioning is that Mount Koya usually serves as the first stop or the final stop on the 88 Temple Pilgrimage (八十八ヶ所巡り) on the island of Shikoku (四国). This Pilgrimage is Japan's most famous pilgrimage route. The circuit loops around the entire island of Shikoku through 88 temples plus an optional 20 temples, which were said to be founded or restored by the Kukai/空海.

Staying in one of the temples wasn't cheap exactly. In fact, it is around double of what we usually pay. Ms YI was concerned that I may not be accustomed to the regular rooms so we opted for the rooms on the 'middle' category. We waited for a bus and after a 10-minute ride, we finally arrived at Shojoshin-in (清浄心院).

Ms YI told me that the booker mentioned that it is very popular with westerners because it is more pretty.

We were impressed by the front yard. The Japanese garden was really pretty.

We entered and checked-in. The lady took us to our room. It was a total luxury! Imagine staying in a room painted with REAL gold and silver. The tatami (畳) was of superb quality. There were old paintings and calligraphy hanging on the wall. It could easier be the room of a wealthy man! Furthermore, there was all the modern convenience: a heater, hot water boiler and even a TV! We were impressed.

A bit of info on tatami:

Apparently, tatami are made in standard size, usually of 90cm by 180cm. Half mats (90cm by 90cm) are also made. (The 'standard' occasionally varies between the major regions.) However, the size of a room is usually measured by the number of tatami mats. So, the dimensions of the rooms in Japanese home are usually of multiples of 90cm. Usually, the rooms in Japan can fit at least four and a half tatami mats.

There are also rules concerning how the tatami mats should be laid. An inauspicious layout is said to bring bad fortune. According to Wiki, 'In homes, the mats must not be laid in a grid pattern, and in any layout there is never a point where the corners of three or four mats intersect.'

Anyway, back to business:

Ms YI and I in the living section of our room. Walls painted in real gold.

The bedroom section of the room. Walls painted in real gold. Three EXCELLENT futons (布団). All three of us had a really good sleep that night.

The meals are included in the price of the accommodation. This is a temple so the food is naturally vegetarian (shojin ryori/精進料理). Now... I was never that keen on vegetarian food. For those of you who know my eating preference, most of the things that I don't like eating are vegetables. So the hit rate is quite high. I was getting worried.

Nevertheless, dinner was served. Dinner was held in the room next to our bedroom, which in turn, is next to the living room. (So in fact, we had 3 rooms to ourselves!)

No gold or silver walls this time. Just some ancient paintings and some good food.


Photo with the food!



Above is a picture of our meal. It was exquisite and beautifully arranged. The meal was served green tea but we also ordered some 'trappist' sake.

The local speciality of Mt Koya is the Koya-dofu (高野豆腐) and Goma-dofu (胡麻豆腐). 

Koya-dofu is prepared by freeze-drying and then reconstituting tofu. The tofu has a long shelf life and it provides access to tofu during the harsh winter months.

Goma-dofu is not really tofu. It is made from white sesame seeds, water and potato starch. It was very smooth. It is served with a bit of soy and a tiny dab of wasabi. It was so smooth that it was even 'silkier' than drinking soy milk.

Apart from the tofu dishes, there were also a hot pot, soup, some konbu (昆布), tempura, beans, and many other vegetables which I don't remember anymore. In the end, I ate everything except the cucumber-like pickle! The food was so good and it was such a pleasant surprise!

After dinner, we thought we will give calligraphy a go. Even SP gave it a go! We were writing a very famous Buddish prayer (般若波羅密多心經) and was hoping to offer it to the Budda the next morning. I haven't written with a brush since primary school and my writing turned out rather badly. I hope the Budda won't mind. It's the thought that counts! :)


Ms YI is much better trained in this area. Here is the pro at work!


The result was beautiful writing!

We had to wake up at around 5:30am to prepare for the morning service the next morning so we called it an early night.

The morning services was attended by mainly Western visitors and it seemed to prove what the accommodation booker said (this temple is popular with Westerners). No one knew what to do. As we walked in, they thought we are Japanese and their eyes were fixed on us, trying to see what we do. We decided to sit (rather than kneel) on the bench with them. Then the monks start chanting mantras. The whole thing took about 30 minutes. We stayed behind and offered some incense.

Then, breakfast was served (sorry, no photos this time. The photographer was too sleepy, I think! hahaha). After the meal, the photographer went crazy and took lots of photos of the place:













We then packed up and signed-out of the temple. While we were waiting for the next bus back to the station, we took a walk around the mass cemetery. There are hundreds of thousands of graves on this mountain, which dates back to around 1,000 year ago! Some of the graves that we saw were finely built and decorated. I read that some members of the royal household were also buried here. One interesting aspect of the cemetery in Koyasan is that many Japanese companies set up 'corporate graves sites' here. In Japan, one's company is pretty much like a family and when an employee dies, he/she may be interred at the company's grave site.

The part of graveyard that we saw was on the entrance to the forest and it was ancient, probably containing some of the older graves.

Before we knew it, it was time to get to the bus stop and return to Osaka. It was a very memorable trip and I would definitely recommend you to do the trip. Both SP and I would like to return there should we get the chance to visit Japan again.

Japan Trip, Oct 2006 - Noodles in Kyoto (京都)

According to my knowledge, there are three major kinds of noodles in Japan: ramen (らーめん), soba (蕎麦) and udon (うどん).

When we were in Kyoto (京都), we had lots of ramen. I blame the LP guide :P

Day One, we went and looked for a noodle joint near the train station. As we were staying at around 10 minutes walk from the station. It seemed like a good idea. When we got there, we found that there were two noodle places side-by-side and they were equally popular! We went to the one we intended to visit.

The menu was very basic and we decided to order the following food:




The soup appears to be soy-based. The noodles was slightly thicker than normal. It is quite heavy but it makes a good hearty meal.

Photo at the shop front

Next morning, we decided to have some food before we leave Kyoto. The other noodle shop sprung to mind.

It was rather early for lunch and there were only a few older people having food and chatting.

We ordered the following:



The soup was salt-based, I believe. It has very strong pork flavour and it was very tasty. The noodles were slightly chewier.


I really enjoyed the food here. The gyoza was also good.


Photo at the shop front.

Something that we didn't get to try in Kyoto is their Tofu-based Ryori, such as yudofu (湯豆腐). The dishes are usually not very fancy, simply dressed with soy sauce and a couple of garnishes (e.g. chopped spring onions and grated ginger). This ensures that the tofu of excellent quality doesn't get 'spoiled' by strong flvaours.

Kyoto is famous for its tofu for a few reasons:
(1) Kyoto has a lot of underground springs and this soft water is particularly good for making tofu
(2) There are a lot of good quality soybeans grown across Kyoto. (Tofu is a soy-based product)
(3) There many great temples in Kyoto. Since the priests of the temples are generally vegeterian, they obtain their protein from tofu. As a result, they have mastered the making of tofu.

This sounds too good! I guess this gives me a reason to return to Japan for another trip! hahaha