The Japan Chronicles - Part 3

If you enjoy trying new tastes and are at all adventurous, Japanese food is delightful.  Food experiences are highly valued here, and sharing meals with family and friends is a really important tradition.  We are so fortunate to have family here, which gives us a big advantage. When we eat with them, they are great about guiding us to things they know we'd like, but still offering us new things to try.

One of the traditional foods of Japan that I really enjoy is Okonomiyaki.  Kurt and Yuki took Mr. Brown Dog and me to lunch at an authentic, Hiroshima style, Okonomiyaki place on the first day we were in Fukuoka.  

It's a combination of a kind of crepe like pancake on the outside, filled with cooked noodles, cabbage, egg, onions, some kind of meat or seafood, and seasonings.  It's cooked on a flat grill, and finished with a wonderful sauce.

This time, shredded cheese was also an ingredient, not traditional, but really good!

It's served in a blazing hot metal dish.

With the sauce added,yum!  Ready to eat, with chopsticks and the special cutter that's provided.

We've also ventured out a bit on our own, and  walked to Fox Town Mall, near the baseball stadium.  Kurt had called ahead, and determined that there was one of the staff who spoke English, which was cheating a bit, but a big help.

Here is the lunch spot where we ate.  It offers udon, a type of noodle, which I have been wanting to try.

Replicas of each of the menu offerings are displayed in the window.

Here is Mr. Brown Dog's choice, noodles with dipping sauce and condiments, and a bowl with breaded and fried pork cutlet over rice.  Pork cutlets are a big favorite here.

Here's my choice, udon, with it's own pot of sauce, condiments, and a wonderful tempura shrimp.  I love the presentation, in pottery bowls and lacquer trays.  Really attractive and so earth friendly.

Here's the special Children's selection, which I couldn't help thinking of as a happy meal.  One of the children in a family near us was enjoying this, in it's bowl decorated with bunnies and chicks.

I have more to share - shopping, walking, sightseeing, more family, but I may need to wait a bit, since our visit ends tomorrow. Tonight we shared a wonderful family dinner, with home made goyza, which you may know as "Pot Stickers", and great Yaki soba,   Flying back to the U.S. tomorrow.  It's been a great trip, just never long enough.