Spending a little time in Japan with my wife’s family; helping Grandpa around the house, taking long walks under the cherry trees and eating some GREAT food (amid the nearly daily earthquakes!) A few pics to get you in the mood (for the blossoms and food that is…)
A lovely morning walk to a nearby temple, a few hours working on the house and then a short walk to a neighborhood ramen restaurant (Sachiko’s son has the car, he’s setting up temporary housing up north for the earthquake and tsunami victims). Japanese Ramen (see a previous blog) is a ‘must-have’ dish when you visit – too delicious to describe, and basically not available in Denver (ya, ya, I know there are a couple places with ramen on the menu – but since Ototo Den quit making Ramen, nothing I’ve tried in the Denver area can even come close – waaaah!
This was something new – Char Siu Ramen, the first time I’ve ever seen it! Rich pork bone stock with spicy pork and tofu sauce over tender noodles. I had mine with negi (a major veggie here, basically a tender leek with a mild flavor – you can get a version at H-Mart, they call it Tokyo Big Green Onion), bean sprouts and wakame (sea veggies). Sorry, I was starving and started eating before shooting pics…
Gyoza – darn good, but my wife makes the best! And darn-it – I got another one of those defective beers – dang thing must have had a leak, there is no way I could have drank it so fast!
A hard workin’ fella in the kitchen – service is an art well understood in Japan – the servers at this shop ran everywhere, were there within seconds of raising a hand, and served our piping-hot ramen with a smile in less than 5 minutes. Spicy ramen, a cold beer and an afternoon nap – unlike the folks up north, I’m feeling like a very lucky guy today!
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