Eating in Japan

People don't know what to expect when eating in Japan. When you eat Japanese foods, the experience is usually tremendous. The sushi - the first thing folks think of - is incredible and can be had at lower prices than the states. The noodle shops are what really "wow me". Cold soba and udon in the summer and hot soba and udon in the winter. Nothing better!

However, sometimes...oftentimes...Japanese restaurants and eating areas try to emulate Western names and foods. That experience is often funny at best, although I will say the MacDonalds' is far better here than in the U.S.

This weekend we went to a western-flavor mall. Western-flavor malls have lots of stores and restaurants with U.S. names and/or U.S.-sounding names. Naturally, the sizing is still Asian so larger folk can't buy much.

Here's the food court at the mall. I was looking for wax figures of Julia Childs and other folks who had served us so well and gone to the great kitchen in the sky.

A bit nervous we entered and found some excellent Japanese restaurants, the obligatory KFC, and Taco Derio. Taco Bell doesn't exist outside of the bases in Japan (that I know of) but who needs them with Taco Derio. Look at the photo carefully - I apologize for the poor shot but it I only had my cell phone.

The burrito pictured on the right has a weiner in it. Clearly, the tranlation "little donkey" had some role in the design. We ate at a noodle shop. Somehow I doubt the authenticity of this offering.

As always, if you're seeing this somewhere without the photos, go to http://snowboardingjapan.blogspot.com/ to view the...er...whole enchilada.