Japan was a whole new world in myriad ways. We enjoyed many fine meals and snacks. Spencer tried every single bite, and I will say that I tried most offerings. Here is a peek at some memorable moments.
Dotonbori
We stayed in Osaka for 6 nights. Luckily we were very near the Dotonbori area. This is a bumping place that offers many, many, many food choices. It also has the best restaurant signs I have ever seen and the Glico running man.
I learned the term kuidaore, meaning to eat until you drop!
Konbini
We heard a lot about the ubiquitous big three convenience stores in Japan: 7-Eleven, Family Mart, and Lawson. They lived up to the hype. I ate more egg sandwiches than I care to admit, and they were out of this world. My favorite thing to do when we had five minutes of down time was to eat Consomme chips and watch the Sumo tournament.
As an added bonus, there are endless delicious teas, snacks, cocktails, souvenirs, and MAKE UP!!! I enjoyed every single minute I spent in these little very affordable pockets of heaven.
Sweets
We learned that the country of Japan loves their sweets just as much as Spencer! I enjoyed that you could buy one little bite at many food stalls. Wagashi is the term for traditional sweets and we also dipped into the modern era a few times.
Noodles
We were nearing our final days and I realized we had yet to eat any ramen. I had a small foodie-panic and did some internet research whilst on the bullet train. There is a magical place near Tokyo Station called Tokyo Ramen Street. The lines are long, the service is efficient, and the food is to die for. We arrived at Rokurinsha around 10 in the morning; we only had to wait about 20 minutes. (This place had the longest line; always a good sign that the food is worth it.) Also, check out their website if you have time, it is a delight.
To order, you step up to a machine, put your cash in, order drinks (beer only, ha!) and choose your dish. This place is famous for tsukemen (ramen dish in Japanese cuisine consisting of noodles that are eaten after being dipped in a separate bowl of soup). We sat in a very Paris-like booth (hey neighbor) handed our tickets from the machine to a waitress, and then enjoyed the last few moments of the time before eating a life changing dish.
Best noodle dish I have ever had, no question about it. The total bill was under $30, a fact that still boggles my mind. In Japan it is polite to slurp the noods to show appreciation for a delicious dish such as this. I can neither confirm or deny if there is video evidence of our slurping attempts out there; but I can say that I left this restaurant in a state of bliss, wearing a good amount of broth on my shirt.
Do you have an adventurous palate? What is a favorite travel/food memory for you?
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