The 50-hour Adventure: Sequence 2 aka Muffintopping in Nagano

 For its size (you can walk in it in full in about 2 hours) I was surprised at how many local specialties were found in Kamiyamada.  This area is famous their soba noodles and well-known for garlic tonkatsu, miso and tofu (and let me tell you, I am not a tofu fan, but this stuff was fantastic!), apples, a special type of Udon (Oshibori), Oyaki dumplings, and believe it or not- wine.  You can also go strawberry picking in a greenhouse, filling up little baskets of strawberries to take home.

As soon as we had the map laid out on the table, I noticed the name of a local restaurant in town:  Daikokuya.  We decided to eat lunch at Daikokuya, or rather, I decided demanded.  I pushed for this because I frequent the best ramen place ever in LA and its called Daikokiya. 

Outside of Daikokuya in Kamiyamada

 
In Nagano, it is a SMALL place famous for their garlic tonkatsu (fried pork).  Carrie ordered the specialty of the house.  Naturally, I chose ramen.  


To be fair, the Daikokuya's have completely different types of ramen. The ramen at this place had a very thin, salty broth that was VERY oily.  Which is a big contrast to the thick, almost creamy feel of the Daikokuya in LA.

To be unfair, the Daikokuya in LA still reigns as ramen champion.  Completely undefeated.

Garlic Tonkatsu set (rice, soup, salad, daikon)

Ramen from Daikokuya in Nagano

Trying to be polite, I nervously slurped my noodles.  Or attempted to anyway.  Its hard to do after being conditioned to eat quietly your whole life.  Throw chopsticks into the mix and it's a lost cause for little ol' me.


  All I know is that its really bad form to break a noodle.  Maybe it's akin to breaking a mirror.  7 years bad whatever.   Here's me failing at slurping, but winning at looking like a pig.

The place was so small, sitting only about 12 people total on 3 four-tops.  We shared a table with a Japanese man and I tried not to touch his knees under the table.  It seemed family owned, with only a middle-aged woman taking orders and her presumed other half shuffling in the small two burner kitchen.

Kitchen at Daikokuya in Kamiyamada

Wooden box full of delicious ramen noodles

When I asked for chili powder (like I always do), the man pushed for the old woman to give me something besides the usual.  I suspected it was the "chili powder for gaijin" and would end up being about as spicy as girl scout on a first date.  Turns out it had a nice flavor and was a regional specialty.  You know how I found this out?  Ok, fine, I'll tell you.  The container of chili powder was a small, red cylinder tin with a big yellow pepper on it that had a blue stalk.  While perusing an omiyage shop I once again saw this design.  Where? On the packaging for a regionally created Kit-Kat!

Chili Chocolate Kit Kat!

If you remember the Aloe Yogurt flavored Kit Kats I posted before, it should be becoming obvious that Kit-Kats are not oppressed to appear in just a few flavors like in the States.  I have literally seen about 10 different flavors here (my favorite is Ginger Ale).   Not to be outdone, another regional Naganese food, the apple, also found its way into a Kit-Kat! I bought them and will be sending samples to a few lucky friends. 

Apple Chocolate Kit-Kat!

Because our travel plans were made with such haste, we were unable to take part in any sort of cooking classes where you can make your own omiyaki, miso or soba.  But being a big fan of Udon, I wanted to try the Oshibori Udon I had been hearing so much about.  What was I hearing?

Fire pit or human torture device?

Mainly that is was intensely spicy, but not in a pepper way, more in a sinus-clearing wasabi way.  After the drag show we stopped by a place known to have good Oshibori Udon. 

We stumbled in, not even hungry, sat at the bar, wondered what the big table pits were and ordered the house specialty. 






 The Udon came out in a iron kettle of hot water with a wooden ladel and primitive wooden noodle grabber.  We had small side dishes of onions, miso, ginger, bonito flakes and daikon, as well as a bowl of radish juice to spice it up. 

You add each thing to taste in the big pot and serve yourself from this.

Unfortunately, the soup wasn't spicy to me, nor did it have an amazing taste.  I like daikon, but I don't need a watered-down soup broth made from it to be happy in this world.  But nonetheless, I was glad to try it!



We tried one more native dish from this area, but it wasn't until after we had left.  We tried in vain to find fresh, homemade oyaki dumplings while in Nagano, but no luck.  Carrie scooped some frozen ones up at the train station and we gave them the ol' nom nom at her place back in Nagoya.  They were fantastic and I don't understand why they aren't sold in other parts of Japan.  The closest thing I can think of to it is a sort of Hot Pocket, but this is healthier, and more Asiany. 

Its made by using fermented buckwheat dough, and filled with veggies, bean pastes and meats. 


And it turns out the big pits at the Udon place in Nagano are used for cooking oyaki!

Click to learn more about Oyaki