Choya - Japanese Green Plum

One of the desserts I missed a lot from Japan is the Japanese green plum dessert - also known as the Auome.  Found in most confectionery or cake shop in Japan - these are just exquisite.  Made from Japanese green plum of course - it’s very tasty and not too sweet nor sourish.

I was actually introduced to these Japanese green plum thru’ these choya drinks and fell in love with it.  If I ever go back to Japan for a vacation - I would buy a dozen of these  to share with people here.

Dango

I do not recommend the dango if you have caps or fillings in your teeth - because they can be so chewy and hard at times - your caps or fillings may come off while trying to chew it.   Dango is made of flour and it can be sweet or savory - so you can choose which type you want to pick and try.  Dango comes in different colors too - and they are like candies to the kids - till they try it.

Soba Bread

I’ve had soba bread (sobapan) with red beans and sometimes with veggies or squash in them.  Where can you find it?  - in a little town known for Soba food - Jindai - ji - in Tokyo.  Jindaiji - has some of the oldest temple and gardens.    I’ve always like Jindaiji - not only because it’s very closed to Tokyo - and a quite getaway for the day - one can find very good soba and soba related food here.  Plus there are touristy streets that you can walk safely and not worry about getting rip off here. I have a thing for soba cold noodles and there are quite a few soba restaurants in Jindaiji - while I’ve heard that in the olden days - they used the spring water to cook the noodles and prepare the sauces - these days - they are only for decoration purpose.

Favorite Food In Japan

Okonomiyaki is my favorite in Kyoto.

Cookie Boy In Japan

Cookie as an art in Japan is not new - in fact everyone loves this place so much and when I was there - I go there everyday because I needed some sweets.  But Japanese do make their food so much more interesting - that I sometimes feel bad eating them.  Nevertheless, when one is in Japan - I’m sure we would just about eat anything and everything.  Even the street food looks so good - and I can’t get enough of them.  So the best ways to suppress your appetite when in Japan is bringing your supplement along else you will end up like me - coming home with at least and extra baggage of 5Kg - I kid you not.

Yabaton In Nagoya

Some said this will caused a cardiac arrest - hahah! but I still had to try it.   A huge pork cutlet with miso sauce with rice at the bottom of the bowl and it was super cheap too.  The miso sauce isn’t as thick but was still good but just be prepared to wait for 15 mins for your seat - I’m just happy that the friend I was with knows the owner and we got in immediately.

1000 Yen @ Mac’s Japan

So summer just ended in Japan as well last week but in Japan - they had a set menu for 3 for 1000 Yen and 1000 Yen is like 10 bucks here and this campaign lasted the entire summer.  For 1000 Yen - 3 person can expect a Big Mac, a teriyaki burger, a cheeseburger, 3 fries and 3 drinks - not bad for $10 in Japan if you asked me - wished I had known about this earlier - so that I could tell my readers.

Strange Food In Japan

Japan has many wonderful eateries but there are some food combination that i cannot fathom myself - but when you are living in Japan, you kinda gotta try the food at least once right ?  after all, my girlfriends were all slurping them down like they were the most interesting thing they’ve ever come across.  This is one with red bean paste at the bottom of some green tea spaghetti with whipped cream and some fruits - tell me that’s not a strange combination for you? How did it taste?  pretty sweet if you asked me  - and pretty expensive too!   It wasn’t bad but I don’t think I would like a sweet spaghetti anytime soon.

Living In Japan

Houses may be small in Japan - and most people only lived in cubicle houses or apartments - but the Japanese living is by far the most innovative - because they have all sorts of gadgets to make living easier and so much more pleasant.  One would think you cannot entertain in such a small place - but it’s far from the truth - because the Japanese uses the electric grill to BBQ and entertain so much - just like us in the west.   They also have this tako machine that I wished I had bought one back from japan - and they make this yummy tako and have tako parties.  The Japanese loved grilling everything and anything they can lay their hands on - and entertaining whether family or friends is second nature to them.

Shakey’s Pizza In Japan

When you have a pizza in Japan - be prepared to be surprised - don’t expect to find the regular pepperoni and cheese pizza or even bacon bits - but yes - they do have it - but just not very common in Japan. Pizzas are shakey’s are more like a dessert - with chocolate and marshmallows or bananas.

There were eggs for pizza toppings - too funny right?