We are eating our hearts out in Japan and enjoying every minute. Yesterday, we enjoyed Kyoto style ramen noodles which consisted of egg noodles in a thick miso broth, with vegetables and roasted pork. The broth was very different from the broth in the ramen noodles we had in Tokyo.
Tonight, we ate at Tankumakita, the Kyoto style restaurant at the Righa Royal hotel where we are staying for a few days. Most of us ordered the six- or seven-course meals that included miso soup, tempura, roasted vegetables, sashimi, tofu, crab, roe, and pickles. CJ asked (yes, he asked) for tempura and tuna, so that's what he had (no kidding, his dinner was more than twice more expensive than my dinner). Kevin ordered saba (mackerel) sushi and tuna sashimi. The tuna sashimi we've had over the past couple of days has been most excellent. We were too tired to leave the hotel and the restaurant turned out to be a good choice. We had a private, tatami room and the sake and beer were excellent.
BTW, we were told that the best sake is always enjoyed cold, never hot, that the less expensive sake is heated up to make up for lack of flavor. After hearing that advice at a bar in Tokyo, we've been ordering only cold sake.
At the flea market this morning, we got some yakisoba (Japanese noodles), okono-miyaki (omelette with vegetables) and various red bean paste sweets. The flea market was amazing. There were hundreds of vendors selling everything from used kimono to antique scrolls, roasted mochi, dried chrysanthemums (for eating), chestnuts, ceramics, designer clothing, bags and other accessories. We were in luck to be in town on the one day a month (the 21st) that the flea market is open.
Nearly every day, I have o nigiri, or rice ball. It's not actually a rice ball, but a triangle-shaped rice thingie made with the finest rice, wrapped in seaweed and often including salmon, spicy roe or pickled plum. I love these things and pack one with me everywhere we go.
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