Some interesting Japanese dishes for you and the tapeworm inside you.

Eating in a foreign country is always more than half the fun of going.  It's always amazing, educational and challenging to eat local foods, most likely made from different ingredients than what you are used to.  I always get a kick out of asking my students their favorite food.  I have little kids saying their favorite food is sushi, or octopus balls, or nato (a fermented soybean product)!  It's also interesting for me to see how food is viewed differently in different places- what is taboo, what tastes "pair well" together, etc.

NIKUZUSHI
I was recently reading the news and I came across an article about a new restaurant in Tokyo called Nikuzushi, which literally means "meat sushi".  Instead of fish, the place serves up slices of raw meat served atop sushi rice.  The sushi rice has balsamic vinegar instead of rice vinegar in order to compliment the meat taste.   This would never be ok in the United States because we are terrified of bacteria in raw foods.  Which is actually stupid because animals eat raw meat all the time.  Fresh raw meat is ok.  Well, most of it.  This place serves raw beef, ox, chicken, pork and horse (a delicacy in Japan).  And it is so popular that within 6 months, they have opened up 5 more establishments.  The average diners are women in their 30s. 

Takoyaki (Grilled Octopus Balls) 

Originally from Osaka, Takoyaki could easily be the equivalent of hot dogs in the US.  This is because it's the most common street food that I've seen.  Its cheap (I got 3 balls for ¥100 today), cooks fast and is pretty much junkfood.  Its basically like an undercooked hushpuppy-pancake with chopped octopus pieces inside.  It's served with a sweet brown sauce and Japanese mayo and usually comes with the option of some green herbs, seaweed strips, and of course, katsuobushi- the famous dancing fish flakes.

Homemade Takoyaki-pa @ Kali's!

Step 1: Pour batter and drop in octopus pieces

Step 2: Wait a few minutes and add dissolving fat flakes

Step 3: Add green onion/cabbage

Next, is the hard part. 

Step: 4 You have to turn these half-spheres into balls.  How do you do this? By flipping them with chopsticks.  The truly trained can use only on chopstick to flip flip flip!

please ignore the stupid conversation going on while the flipping is taking place.

Step 5: top with sauce, mayo and katsuobushi!

  
Chicken Intestines w/ Spicy Sauce

 All over Asia, intestines are all the rage.  And with all the crazy shit I've eaten, I don't think I'd ever eaten intestines.
In Japan, chicken intestine is usually skewered and then grilled as yakitori, but in the dish to the right, you can see that its just cooked with a chili sauce on top and I think sprinkled with sesame seeds.  Surprisingly good.  A little chewy, but very pleasant, I definitely went back for 14ths.












Different Drinks. 

What is rare cheese anyway?

Japan has a lot more of a selection when it comes to drinks, and to be honest, I usually agree more with the drinks in Japan.  Who wouldn't want a great tasting veggie/fruit drink with 35 different fruits or veggies? Or hot ginger milk tea on a cold day? Or even Calpis (a somewhat carbonated sweet milk drink)?  Some of the more questionable ones are things like bean juice, or salad juice.  Or you know, ORANGE JUICE WITH CHEESE.

Convenient built-in straw stopper!

Shit-tons of Instant Ramen

I've mentioned this before, there are crates and crates of different flavored instant ramen.  While people in the United States are stuck with your average flavors like "Chicken" or the more exotic "Chicken and Vegetables", Japan hogs the fun.  When I was here two years ago they had "Seafood", "Seafood Light", "Italian Seafood" and "French Seafood".  Even though I almost threw up when I saw it, I knew I had to have "Milk Seafood" at first discovery.  Originally too scared to try it (even though its obviously some creamy seafood chowder like thing, and not MILK), I bought it to send home to a friend.  Well, hungry struck and my cupboard was empty, so I went for it.  It was SO good.  And if you are wondering, the seafood is octopus, fish cake, shrimp and crab.

Screwed-up Sandwiches For some reaeson, the Japanese cannot grasp the art of sandwich making.  Although I guess you could call their sandwich art Abstract.  Its always SO CLOSE, but maybe there is like corn and pickled radishes hanging out with the tuna salad.  Something is usually slightly off, to make it unappetizing.  Oh and they don't believe in wheat bread, its all wonder all the time.

 This is by far the weirdest sandwich I've seen so far: strawberries, presumably a sweet cream, or maybe cream cheese?, and then a slice of American cheese. FTW.

And a special performance by The Dancing Fish Flakes!