Wow. As if the first home cooked meal on the day of arrival was not enough, the family pulled out all the stops for the grand clan gathering — sashimi, sukiyaki, and shabu-shabu. It was great to see Kai playing with his cousins — an event sure to be repeated. And while it was a bit old-school, it was relaxing to sit at one end of the table with all the fathers to have drink and food and try to translate English jokes to Japanese (in general, miserable failures but fun trying anyway).
Izakayas are local establishments where you go to unwind with a few beers and some light snacks or small meal. Beer is cold and fresh, food is hot and tasty, and the service is efficient and friendly.
While Kai intently watches us eating, he is still not ready for cheesesteaks or the like. But in Japan, there is a traditional eating ceremony or okuizome which symbolizes the hopes that Kai would never worry about food in future.
I can’t help feeling a bit jealous. At just barely over 2 months, Kai was getting his first massage. And by the smiles on his face, he enjoyed it.
To most Americans, ramen is the college students most economical sustenance — cheap starchy noodles and MSG packest which could could be made in a simple hotpot and sell as cheaply at 10 for a dollar (at least back in the 80’s when I was in school).
But on the other side of the world in Japan, Ramen is as passionate as any western form of simplely purveyed foods such as pizza, burgers, and tacos can be. Probably even more so. The recipes are fairly similar — noodles with various meat/vegetables served in a choice of broths (salt, miso, soy) — but the differences while subtle create the passion for the best. The broths cook in huge pots over the days and are the most heavily guarded secrets — even the staff aren’t told for fear they might go renegade with the recipes.
Today we went to Chika’s local shop, Kazuki. There are 100’s ramen shops, and probably just as many blogs just about Ramen, so I won’t go into the details of my novice experience, but this piece from the New York Times was quite good.
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you completed removed all religious connotations or context from Christmas? Then you should come to Japan.
Even the most bustling cities in the West, including Manhattan, come to a standstill (or at least a slow crawl) for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I fondly remember the days of walking into Nobu Next Door without a reservation on Christmas Eve and being directly seated without even a snippet of attitude.
Having encountered Shibuya (shopping and outing epicenter of Tokyo) on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, it was the completely different experience — the Commercial Christmas. A great excuse to buy special foods, go out on dates or with friends, shop for that last minute presents, etc. And everyone gets in on the game. Cakes for Christmas, champagne for Christmas, special bagels for Christmas, and even special KFC for Christmas (interesting post about that here.)
So if you are not going to be with the family drinking eggnog and singing carols, next time I’d recommend jumping on a plane and enjoy a decadent holiday of a different kind in Tokyo.
Kai’s first showing to the Tokyo crew @ Daylight Kitchen.
The first night in Tokyo we were treated to a cozy Christmas Eve dinner, with champagne and homemade strawberry shortcake (courtesy of Megumi). A perfect end to the journey.
As an surprise bonus, I also got to play Santa in the morning to present Kai with a new set of books. Amazingly, he seems to love to be read to.