To be honest, I became enamored with zaru soba even before I got my first taste of it in Japan. I had seen the Hokkaido episode of No Reservations and became mesmerized watching that soba master make the buckwheat noodles from scratch. It was beautiful to watch and had me yearning for authentic soba ever since.
Hitsubamushi is an eel specialty dish of Nagoya in Aichi prefecture. It’s served in a bowl over rice with a side of yakumi (condiments) and dashi (soup stock).
Yumerindo is a ryokan in Kurokawa Onsen, a quaint hot spring town high up in the mountains of Kumamoto. Set in a forested valley with a river running through it, Kurokawa Onsen is known for being one of Japan’s most attractive onsen towns.
According to one reviewer on TripAdvisor, Warokuya Restaurant allegedly has a sign saying that if you’ve ever tasted better fried chicken, then the owner will close down. Challenge accepted!
Open since 1866, Yossou is credited as being the very first chawanmushi specialty restaurant in Japan. They make their signature chawanmushi with nine specific ingredients – white fish, chicken, shiitake mushrooms, kikurage mushrooms, bamboo shoots, ginkgo, kamaboko (fish paste), wheat powder, and anago (grilled conger eel).
Nagasaki’s diverse cuisine is regarded as one of the most unique in Japan. It offers plenty of interesting dishes, perhaps none more famous than this Chinese-Japanese noodle soup called champon.
A specialty of Fukuoka prefecture, motsunabe is a hot pot stew made with beef or pork offal. Innards like beef intestines and tripe are allowed to simmer in a soup base seasoned with soy sauce, garlic, and chili pepper. If you’re visiting Fukuoka and like offal, then you need to try this dish.
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, an izakaya is a type of gastropub in Japan. It’s the Japanese equivalent of an American bar (like Cheers) or an Irish pub. They’re informal and unpretentious establishments where office workers would go to loosen their ties and get a quick drink after work.
It’s interesting to learn that the Sapporo Snow Festival began as a one-day event way back in 1950 when six local high school students built six snow statues in Odori Park. Today, it’s become an annual event attracting over 2 million visitors every year.
Otaru is lovely. Spend a few hours there and you’ll understand its appeal. Unlike Sapporo which is a busy metropolis, Otaru is a small port city known for its well-preserved canal and heritage buildings.