When someone asks me about our trip to Japan the first thing that comes to mind is the food. Everything was delicious and fresh. We looked forward to our meals as much as any other part of our sight seeing day. That is very indicative of our family's nature. We like to cook; we like to eat; and we like to discover local fare wherever we travel. Several of our meals were served "family style" or were simply designed to be shared. We loved eating this way, because it's an added bonus to being with Uncle Mike and Aunt Robin who don't live near us.
Okana-minyaki dinner. A specialty in Hiroshima. We called it "the fried pancake" dinner. It was so much better than that sounds, because the only thing that makes it a pancake is the shape. Think stir fry cooked in one piece on a hibachi grill. We shared three: veggie, seafood, and pork. Though it is prepared in the kitchen, it is served off a hot grill table. This small restaurant on a side street was recommended in the Lonely Planet travel guide. We might have passed it by otherwise. (Yes, we left our name and date on the wall, too.)
Our Shabu Shabu dinner in Tokyo. It is similar to fondue. Two broths are served over a flame. Plates of thinly sliced beef and pork are brought to the table, and we helped ourselves to the salad bar to bring our choice of vegetables to cook at the table, too. What makes this different from a fondue restaurant in the U.S.? You select the amount of time you plan to eat, either 90 minutes or two hours, and they keep bringing the food. (Great shot of the girls with Uncle Mike, Aunt Robin, and the food.)
Happy Birthday, Uncle Mike. We wish we could take you out for Shabu Shabu.
