Japan, one delicious dish at a time
Tiffany Dunk jumps on board the sushi train to discover the many culinary delights and healthy side dishes of culture Japan has to offer.
For many dreaming of heading to Japan, it is images of blooming cherry blossoms, neatly cut bonsai gardens, traditional temples, glorious geisha and the hustle and bustle of Tokyo’s shopping district that pop into their heads. But for this writer, the lure of steaming bowls of ramen, glistening arrays of freshly cut sashimi, displays of neatly packed bento boxes and the unmistakable scent of sizzling okonomiyaki dictated my travel timetable without ever having to miss a cultural beat.
No matter the hour, people are dining in Tokyo so despite arriving late at night, I made my way to a local izakaya. These casual bar/restaurants abound in Japan: you sit at the bar, a high table or use a traditional tatami mat and low table to drink local sake (return customers buy huge bottles which remain until their next visit), beers or whisky while sampling tapas-style treats. Some have English menus, others not.
I did a lot of pointing and miming before an array of delights were skilfully prepared right in front of me. Crunchy, piping hot octopus karaage sat alongside just blanched, salty edamame, sashimi so fresh it was almost flapping and a salad topped with shaved mountain yam. Food comes as it is ready, but this is a type of venue to spend relaxed time in with friends, so order sparingly and often. This was the perfect start to the trip.
Tokyo residents are eager to help out hapless tourists, be it by pointing you the right way on the subway, or offering local tips on where to go and what to do, and definitely on which dish to order. So not only did I discover where to sightsee in the following days, but wandering the streets in a variety of Tokyo’s 23 wards unearthed plenty more potential dining spots which, one by one, I determinedly munched my way through.
Strolling through Harajuku, awash with colourful Lolita-style characters, vintage stores, cat, owl and even hedgehog cafés and brightly lit sweet shops, I got my first slurp of noodles at Oreryu Ramen, drawn in by the long queue of locals eagerly ordering via vending machine. While every restaurant and region has its own take on the dish, there are four main types dictated by the broth; shio (salt), shoyu (soy sauce), miso and tonkotsu (pork). Over the course of my trip I devoured at least one of each variety with zero disappointments.
Over in Ginza, a district awash with high-fashion stores, I sampled my first proper sushi train, run – like everything in Japan – with incredible precision and panache. Note: if a train is worth its salt, there will be a queue. But your wait will be rewarded. Tokyo is widely considered to be the birthplace of sushi and the quality has to be tasted to be believed.
A short bullet train ride from Tokyo, Kanazawa is picturesque and steeped in history. It avoided much of the destruction that hit Japan during World War II, so the original castle town remains largely intact with many museums, both old and new. But, most famously, it’s home to what is arguably the most beautiful landscaped garden in Japan, Kenrokuen.
After the frenetic pace of Tokyo, it’s a relief to slow down and smell the flowers. Originally having belonged to the nearby Kanazawa Castle and set over 11 hectares, Kenrokuen means “Garden of the Six Sublimities”, referring to the Chinese landscape theory that spaciousness, seclusion, artificiality, antiquity, abundant water and broad views are the six components that make the perfect garden.
It would have been a crime not to visit the tea house teetering over Hisagoike pond, to partake in a traditional matcha ceremony. Stepping inside is almost other-worldly as you take your place by the open window and are handed your tea and wagashi sweets by a bowing hostess. The only sounds are my contented sipping and the tinkling of the waterfall below.
As Japan’s former imperial capital for more than a thousand years, Kyoto is filled with an incredible array of classic Buddhist temples, colourful shrines and a thriving geisha culture.
Flanked by mountains, it’s also incredibly beautiful and has a rich and varied food scene.
I started my explorations by entering the famous orange gates of the Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine. Should you complete the entire 5km hike up the nearby holy mountain, you will work up a well-earned appetite. Grab a freshly baked rice cake (or any of the other treats both sweet and savoury) from the street vendors outside to keep hunger pangs at bay. You can easily spend the day here, but save room for dinner, back in the city centre.
Gion is Kyoto’s world-famous geisha district and is, for the most part, beautifully preserved. The bank of the Shirakawa River is not only a great place to spot geisha, but to sit with a drink in hand taking in the ambience of the city while deciding where to dine.
Nearby Teramachi Street has many options, both high end and modest – and in the daytime another place you should definitely visit is the Nishiki
Market for fresh sushi and sashimi – but as you wander the paved streets you’re bound to stumble across a local gem that takes your fancy. That night I feasted on an incredible array of yakitori skewers, cooked in front of me as I sipped a local beer.
The next day, I headed west to the base of the Arashiyama Mountains to enter the eerily peaceful bamboo forest. You may be thronged by crowds, but surrounded by the rustle
Clockwise from above: Maiko (apprentice geisha) in Kyoto; kobe beef on the grill; a succulent sashimi platter; Kyoto’s picturesque Higashiyama district.
of soaring stalks, you feel like a lone visitor in another world. I kept the peaceful vibe going by visiting Tenryu-ji Temple, looking out at the Zen gardens and mountain views.
Having lunched sparingly, I decided to end my Kyoto trip with a bang by visiting one of the city’s many steakhouses. Wafer-thin strips of kobe and wagyu beef arrive alongside a mix of vegetables ready to daub with fat and cook on the grill set in the middle of the table.
It was an expensive but memorable end to what was a magical trip.