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| Pizza |
We are totally in love with izakaya and our favorite chain is Wara Wara. An izakaya is a casual Japanese pub where you can relax and eat and drink pretty much as long into the night as you like. Different chains have different hours, of course, but most don't open until 5pm. The menus are large and have dozens upon dozens of choices, and plenty of liquor and beer. The portions are on the smaller side because the whole idea is to order several different things and nibble and drink with friends for hours after a long day at work. One of our favorite things about Wara Wara is that the tables are sectioned into private rooms so you and your friends can chat and laugh it up. The sections have wooden doors that slide open, and the table is near the floor. The seats are on the floor, however there is open space down below the table so your legs dangle and you don't have to sit cross-legged. It's always an adventure (for foreigners anyway) to eat at these places because of the huge selection of dishes to try. They have ordinary items like pizza, fried chicken, french fries, edamame, etc, but they also have more exotic items like spicy beef entrails, raw chicken, raw horse, grilled fish entrails, beef tendon stew, grilled chicken tails, just to name a few! I'll try anything except the raw chicken - I don't think our western guts can handle that! My all time favorite dish at Wara Wara are the yakitori (grilled) chicken tails with wasabi and Jonathan's absolute favorite dish is the fried chicken with a sort of remoulade sauce. It's great to try new things, and since the portions are small and the prices are cheap, you don't feel regretful if you don't like something.
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| Yakitori chicken tails in the back, grilled fish in the front |
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| Beef tendon and tofu stew |
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| Prosciutto |
I've always heard of yellow watermelon, but I'd never seen it before until just last week. Found some at our local grocery store and decided to give it a go. It tastes exactly like the red kind, but I'm glad we were able to try it. I just have to say again how much I love that Japanese watermelon comes with a little packet of salt taped to it. Thank you, Japan, you're the best!
Surely long before now I've mentioned the wonders of Japanese vending machines, but I don't think I've ever included pictures. Drink machines here vend both cold and hot drinks. Ice cold water, tea, sport drinks, iced coffee, energy drinks, juices, and hot tea, hot cocoa, hot coffee. It's wonderful! When you're traveling the trains during the winter and you grab a hot drink from a machine to warm your insides and your hands, it's so marvelous.
About a 15 minute walk from our house is an egg machine. I think this is the coolest thing ever! You put your money in, push the button next to the door of your choice, and it'll pop open! Reach in and grab your carton of fresh eggs, and close the door back. I LOVE it! Someone comes daily and fills it as needed. They are a bit pricey, but they are fresh local eggs, and I had to do it at least once! And for anyone who is worried, fresh eggs do NOT need refrigerated. Most of the world does not refrigerate their eggs, and as long as you don't wash them they will last for weeks on the counter, perfectly fresh. If you need them to last even longer, then keeping them in the fridge will help. These were delicious!
Yakiniku (meaning "grilled meat") restaurants are all over the place in Japan. They range from casual eats to high end dining. In a general yakiniku restaurant, the table will have a built in griddle or grill in the center, and everyone gets a pair of tongs. You then order whatever meat, veggies, or tofu you like, along with an array of dipping sauces from sweet and garlicky to spicy. Some popular meats you'll see are beef ribs, chicken, several kinds of liver, beef tongue, pork belly, pork intestine, thin slices of prime beef cuts, and ox tail, just to name a few. The server will start the fire on your table, and you get to grill your own food to your liking! It's a lot of fun, and a great experience. We went to a yakiniku joint that's just a 10 minute walk from our house one evening. Everything was delicious, and I'm sure we'll be returning!
