Finishing up Japan pictures-Tokyo

Matthew and I thought we were eating well during the first two weeks of our trip to Japan, but it turns out all of that was just in preparation for the last week which was spent gorging ourselves silly in Tokyo. Naturally, we wanted to make sure we didn't miss a thing and of course that isn't possible in a country like Japan that has so, so much to offer, especially in regards to delicious delicacies.

Ramen in Yokohama- the broth was thick enough to stand a spoon up in it; not my favorite but interesting for the experience

The mixed Katsu plate- so perfectly fried- the best I've eaten

The Macaron Off!! This was just too much fun, buying so many gorgeous macarons in one day and deciding that the best course of action would be to use the excuse of comparing them to justify such an indulgence.

Still in their boxes- didn't want them to start fighting

Pierre Herme vs. Laduree: Matthew and I both loved all the macarons but felt that the macarons from Pierre Herme had an edge over the macarons from Laduree. They were more intensely flavored, possibly due to having more filling between the cookies and while the colors of the cookies were not quite as vibrant as those of the macarons from Laduree, the complexity of the flavors was more interesting in the macarons from Pierre Herme. My final judgement: I don't really care whose are better, just let me eat macarons!! =)

A beautiful selection from Pierre Herme

A charming selection from Laduree

pour over coffee from Shozo coffee stand, located in 246common

A perfect lunch to keep us happy while doing laundry - The Five E's Burger from Parrot Kitchen

I mistakenly ordered the tsuke-men ramen at Matthew's favorite ramen shop in Akihabara but I still enjoyed this warming dish- despite the fact that I don't prefer this style of ramen

Matthew's favorite ramen- tonkotsu broth with roasted garlic oil poured over the top

Since we were in Akihabara having a bowl of ramen, we went ahead and got a drink at the Gundam cafe- I had the strawberry latte 

A fantastic little lunch in sweet little cafe- I loved having two tiny sandwiches instead of one big one cut in half

amazing sashimi in Kanda

Eating Salmon eggs with a wooden spoon- my new favorite way to eat Ikura

I loved the barely seared edge of salmon that gave this piece of sushi a smokey flavor- delicious!

Finishing up Japan pictures- Shibamata

 
During our last week in Tokyo, Matthew and I made a quick trip out to a suburb of Tokyo to the area of Shibamata. Matthew has long wanted to visit the old fashioned neighborhood used to film scenes for the Tora-san movies.

 
We spent only an hour or so checking it out and did buy a few tasty treats, some freshly made Karinto and some peanut brittle. All in all, worth the trip out for the beautiful views of the river, alone.

Finishing up Japan pictures- Nara

Well, I guess I kinda got off the blog posting band wagon that I had going for the first half of our visit to Japan, and now that I'm home and life is on it's way back to being normal, I'll finish up posting a few photos from the remainder of our time there.

After our big, fun day in Osaka, we took a quick trip out to beautiful Nara to see the crazy crazy deer they have just roaming the parks and streets. I think these deer must have a keeper because they are all very tame. Of course, they have thousands of people a day feeding them little deer cookies, so that might have something to do with it =)

you can see the hardened look of a back streets cookie thief in his eye

they acted just like goats- it was just a little odd

this little deer was ready to bolt-totally not into petting, only cookies!!!

Taken two seconds before the deer bit Matthew's tummy(yes it was completely hilarious)

Taken two seconds after the deer bit Matthew's tummy

Osaka- a surprisingly delightful day

Matthew and I returned to Osaka because we didn't feel that the one evening we spent there was enough to give us a good feel for the city. Turns out, we were right! During the two night and one day we spent there, upon our return, we ate more amazing okonomiyaki, more takoyaki, delicious crepes, incredible local beer and the most elegant and delicious "bar food" (no photo of the pork belly in red ale because we gobbled it up too fast). We also visited the rebuilt Osaka castle which is now a very interesting museum, the Osaka aquarium, and a giant Ferris wheel. All in all, I'd say our day in Osaka was just loads of fun.

Too many cities to visit, not enough time

Matthew and I have been bopping around Japan for the past week. It has been absolutely fantastic to get out of Tokyo and see that there is just so much more to Japan and so many beautiful places in this amazing country.

We have been eating our weight in delicious meals and snacks for days, and it has been absolutely wonderful. Especially wonderful, was eating the lovely home cooked meals prepared by our lovely hostess in Nagasaki.

More delicious food

We have spent the last two days traveling with a friend who is very interested in food. This means that we have been eating amazing foods that we would never have had the opportunity to try otherwise. It has been incredible!

Soba noodles eaten at Enryaku-ji (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enryaku-ji), Osakan okonomiyaki, takoyaki eaten "Osaka style" with dashi soup instead of sauce and mayonnaise, delicious sashimi and some truly delicious sake.