And we finally found a slice of Americana here in Tokyo. Chili cheeseburger for me, bacon burger for Raju. A San Diego micro brew, Tribe Called Quest, the War, Waylon Jennings, and Bruce Springsteen on the radio, and art of the American South on the walls. In a place named after a Jewish grandmother, Bubby’s. Hit the spot.
When I think wine, and I think Japan, the two don’t necessarily go together in my head. Of course, there’s plum wine and sake, but this trip I’ve been able to sample some really nice wines made in a European style. The first was Villange de Bessho, from the area of Nagano we were staying in, Bessho Onsen. This red wine was made in a traditional Bordeaux style (or, at least, that’s what it tasted like) and was served rather cold. The chill of the wine killed the flavors on the front end of tasting, but on the back you definitely began to get the full experience of the some. As it warmed up it just got better and better. The second wine I discovered in a wine bar in Tokyo. It too was from Nagano, this time a chardonnay, but I’ll have to do a bit more digging to learn the name. Interesting, this wine smelled very sweet, but came away with a slightly tart flavor upon drinking. If I happen upon another chance to visit Japan, I think a wine tour of the Nagano region is in high order.
It has been a few days since I’ve posted any of my daily meals, and that’s partially because I’ve been stuffing myself silly with kaiseki meals. Kaiseki meals are 7 courses of local, seasonal cuisine. I never manage to get a full documentation of the meal because somewhere along the way I stop taking photos, enjoying the food way too much. Last night I persisted, though, and managed to document our entire meal beginning to end (above). Our server was kind enough to translate the menu for us, so we had a bit more of a sense of what we were eating.
The best part came at dessert. Matcha pudding garnished with fresh fruits, and since it was Christmas Eve, they had made a tiny Santa Claus out of a strawberry and whipped cream. I have a feeling it will be one of our most memorable moments from Japan.
Merry Christmas!!
The best platter of skewered gizzards, livers, cocktail weenies, and unidentified bits of tasty fat I’ve ever had. Plus some shishito peppers and shitake.
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