The Bitten Word

Pork Tonkatsu

Food & Wine (May 2016) 

One of the best things about traveling is discovering new foods and then trying to recreate them in your kitchen back home. (Like when we came back from Argentina and started barreling our own Malbec. Just kidding.)

On our recent trip to Japan, one of the meals we didn't tell you about was tonkatsu, Japanese breaded pork cutlets. We had these a couple times in Tokyo, most memorably at a restaurant that's famous for its tonkatsu, Maisen.  

The tonkatsu at Maisen was really tasty: Crispy-fried golden-brown strips of sweet, juicy pork, served with hot mustard and a lip-smacking Japanese barbecue sauce.

When we got home and saw this Andrew Zimmern recipe for tonkatsu in the May issue of Food & Wine, we knew we wanted to try it for ourselves.

Photos and Recommendations from Japan: Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima

We're ending our coverage of our recent trip to Tokyo with a few more photos and stories, along with a more comprehensive listing of where we ate, where we stayed, and what we saw during our time there.  Later this week: a recipe. (We promise!) 

 

 

First up, Shibuya Crossing. You've probably seen shots of this in movies before -- it's the insanely crowded pedestrian crossing in the middle of Tokyo's Shibuya neighborhood. We stayed right next to here, and we could have watched this scene for hours a day -- it was mesmerizing.

10 Best Japanese Snacks (and 1 We Couldn’t Eat): Noshing Our Way Through Japan

Japan, it turns out, is the most amazing place to snack.

We didn't know that about the country when we planned our trip. (Otherwise, hello, we would have gone years ago.)

Sure, we had great meals while we were there, with Yakitori, Oysters, and Pastries, and the Ramen, Sushi, and unexpected pancakes. But Japan is just the best for between-meal grazing -- whether it's elevenses, tea time or fourthmeal.       

Snacks are everywhere in Japan. In larger cities, department store basements are almost universally full of amazing food halls with all sorts of delicious items. In train stations, the grab-and-go cuisine is legitimately great. Even at convenience stores -- actually, especially at convenience stores. Japanese convenience chains, including Lawson, Family Mart and 7-Eleven (which is so much nicer than in the U.S. -- trust us), all offer surprisingly delicious treats and fresh foods. 

Here are 10 snacks we either especially enjoyed, or thought were crazy interesting -- along with a bonus one that we just couldn’t bring ourselves to eat.

 

1. Omelet on a stick

Japan doesn't have a street-food culture the same way that, say, Singapore or Thailand does. But one exception to that is the Outer Market at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market, where you'll find small stalls selling all sorts of edible takeaways. We saw a lot of Japanese tourists lined up to by these omelets on sticks. We’re not honestly sure what’s on top – it tasted like some kind of sweet-onion sauce. But it was a delicious little bite with savory egg and a hint of sweetness.

The Best Things We Ate in Japan, Part 2: Yakitori, Oysters, Wagyu and More Pastries Than You Can Possibly Count

Ohayo Gozaimasu, everyone!

We're back to talk more about some of our favorite foods we encountered on our recent two-week trip to Japan.

For more, check out Part 1: Sushi, Ramen and Adventures in Pancakes.

 

Yakitori

Yakitori, as you may already know, simply refers to grilled chicken on skewers. We had two yakitori experiences in Tokyo -- about as different from each other as could be -- and we loved both of them. 

Grilled meat on a stick -- what's not to love?

The first was in Omoide Yokocho, which, as we mentioned in our previous post, is this very cool Tokyo alleyway filled -- filled! -- with all these yakitori grill restaurants. These restaurants are tiny: Each one seats maybe 6 to 8 people.

The Best Things We Ate in Japan, Part 1: Sushi, Ramen and Adventures in Pancakes

Konnichiwa, Bittens!

If we've been a little quiet on the blog recently, it's because we just returned from two weeks in Japan! It was an amazing trip: weird and beautiful and wonderful. From the futuristic cityscape and insane bustle of Tokyo, to the serenity of a 1,400-year-old mountaintop Shinto shrine in Kyoto, we loved exploring this endlessly interesting country.

If we had to sum up the two weeks in one word, though, it would be "delicious."

The food we ate throughout Japan was almost universally excellent, like the whole country is just cooking on a higher level, with better ingredients. (And actually it kinda is.) If your stereotype of Japanese cuisine is that it's exacting and made with precision and care, you're right. And it's evident everywhere you go, from hole-in-the-wall ramen shops to finer sushi bars.

We wanted to share with you some of our favorite food experiences from our trip.

So grab your chopsticks and dig in!

 

Sushi

7 a.m. sushi at the Tsukiji market

Yeah, yeah. This one's a no-brainer.

We love sushi, and we were so excited to try it in Japan! And Japan did not disappoint. We had sushi and sashimi a number of times, and every time it surpassed what we're used to in the U.S. (Also, contrary to our expectations, it was generally cheaper than sushi here at home. In fact, we found eating in Japan in general to be far more affordable than we'd been led to believe.)

Apple and Sweet-Onion Vinaigrette

adapted from Gourmet (May 2008) 

Novelists steal stories from their friends. Food bloggers steal recipes.

Not too long ago, we had dinner at the home of our friends Shane and Joe. Joe mixes phenomenal cocktails. Shane is an incredibly talented cook. Shane had made an array of Indian dishes, but to start the meal, he served an amazing salad featuring the most wonderfully balanced salad dressing. It was salty and sweet, with an unusual flavor we couldn't quite put our finger on. We loved it, so of course we asked for the recipe. Turns out it's one of Shane's favorite recipes, clipped from a 2008 issue of Gourmet (look it up, kids). Shane graciously shared the recipe with us. And now here we are, sharing it with you.

It's good timing: If you're following us on Instagram, you may know that we're freshly back from Japan (as in we landed a few hours ago, can't sleep, and are writing this post in the wee hours of the morning). And this recipe is based on a famous salad from Natori, a now-defunct Japanese restaurant in New York City's East Village. 

We have loads of things to share with you from Japan. (And so much great food!)

But right now, we're going to go make a batch of this dressing and have a much needed salad.