Wanko Soba

Ever wanted to eat an unending assault of soba noodles? then look no further - 岩手県(Iwate Prefecture) is the place to go! Traveling to Iwate is only a few hours by bullet train, but being a poor salaryman, the overnight bus was the way to go. Upon arriving at Morioka, the largest city in Iwate, we found that there are far many Wanko soba places to choose from, so just take your pick and head inside!

The term wanko soba literally means "Little bowl of soba" in the local dialect. while the origins are unclear, it certainly is an entertaining way to have noodles. Upon selecting a desired "course" dictating which toppings and fixings come with you soba (we paid approximately 2500 yen), an attendant soon arrives and starts placing the little laquer bowls of soba noodles in front of you. The moment you dip the noodles in the sauce (dashi) and slurp the delectable serving down your gullet, another bowl immediately is set down in front of you. I should also mention that this happens very quickly and you are advised to keep a quick pace when eating Wanko soba.

Soon, it becomes a cruel joke as the attendant begins to taunt you with an endless flow of noodles. The only way to stop is to cover your bowl before they have a chance to place another bowl in front of you - more difficult than it sounds mind you! When at last you manage to cover your bowl in a state of semi-consciousness, about to pass out from the sheer amount of buckwheat you've consumed in the span of half an hour, you are rewarded with a little certificate noting how many bowls you had. I only managed 77 but the old man next to us managed a staggering 125 bowls. How many can you manage? Grab a friend and head over to Iwate prefecture to give Wanko soba a try!

Cold...so very cold.

Its so cold today, we've already had Japan's first snowfall up in Hokkaido - earlier than normal. Here in Tokyo, the temperature has dropped to 9celcius overnight. Looks like we wont have the Autumn season this year. Even the hot lunch isn't warming me up. Brrr!

Frijoles, the Chipotle of Japan

I recall fondly they gut bomb of my college days. I am speaking of "Chipotle", the burrito which probably in itself contained enough calories to feed a small village. Ah yes, the thick cut carnes topped with beans, cheese, lettuce, onions, salsa, rice and a healthy dollop of guacamole and sour cream. Of course, who could forget the refill drinks, the alcohol and the tray with endless tabasco sauces and lemon slices.
After coming to Toyko, I feared that this little slice of tex-mex guilt would be nothing more than a distant memory of my college days. How wrong I was...
While it certainly is less of a gut bomb and the flavors don pack as much of a punch as the one and only Chipotle, it does its job as a substitute for the day I can feast upon Chipotle once again. The restaurant I refer to is known as "Frijoles" located just a short walk from Azabu Juban. Everything is pretty much a carbon replica of my beloved Chipotle, down to the steely interiors and vibe. The same three selections of meats and salsa, in addition to real sour cream and guacamole - a real rarity here. However, it is important to know that spicy in Japan is nothing more than a mere tingle on my palate so you may need an extra dowsing of tabasco if you like it hot. I will mention however, the toilets here are much cleaner and high tech.

Pay them a visit at:

Frijoles Azabu Juban

2-3-5 Azabu-Juban, Minato-ku, Tokyo

iPad, iHad some sushi

For remarkably good revolving sushi (回転寿司,Kai-ten sushi) give the Ikebukuro Seibu department store branch of Umegaoka Sushi no Midori (梅丘寿司の美登利) a try. Located in the Seibu Department Store connected too Ikebukuro station, it is convenient indeed.
Most of the other Midori Sushi chains require ordering verbally but at the Ikebukoro branch of their restaurant, the ordering is simplified in two ways. First, it is kaiten, which means that all of the basic plates of sushi revolve along a long conveyor belt throughout the restaurant. Second, they've introduced an iPad on every table to place a la carte orders.
Now I can only imagine how much that cost to install but they are a popular enough chain to afford it. With the apple-fication complete, keep an eye on how much you order, it is easy to get carried away staring at a shiny new iPad!

Just something to keep in mind however, be prepared for a long line before you are seated. We went on a weeknight and it was still relatively busy. In total we may have waited around 20 minutes before we were seated.
While the sushi is fresh and is definitely worth the price, be prepared to spend anywhere from 2-3000 Yen per person without alcohol (not bad actually.)

For those feeling brave, I recommend the salmon row - not the usual gunkan presentation but literally 1/4 of an entire sack of salmon roe on top of rice.

Another option is their Shibuya branch which is located on the 4th floor of Mark City, just a few minutes from JR Shibuya Station.

Here is the address to the Ikebukuro branch:

梅丘寿司の美登利 回し寿司　池袋西武店
電話03-6914-1185
東京都豊島区南池袋1-28-1 西武池袋本店8階

Umegaoka Shushi no Midori (Ikebukuro Branch)

Seibu Ikebukuro Honten 8F

Toshima-ku Minami Ikebukuro 1-28-1

Tokyo,

Japan

Tel: 03-6914-1185

Yakult makes an appearance, nostalgia ensues

Yakult is something that is extremely nostalgic. Having spent a large amount of time in Southeast Asia during my childhood, it was not uncommon to see the Yakult lady on her bicycle delivering this sweet beverage every morning. With a syrupy-sweet, yogurt-like flavor, we used to freeze the little bottles in the freezer and consume it frozen - scraping the solidified yakult out of the bottle with little spoons, perfect for the long hot days.
Yakult is actually a Japanese invention, produced by fermenting skim milk with a strain of bacteria known as lactobacillus casei shirota, developed by Kyoto University Medical School graduate Minoru Shirota. The company is so big, that they even have their own baseball team here in Japan - The Yakult Swallows.

This afternoon, a Yakult lady stopped by the office to hand out samples of their new product. As you can see from the label, this version of Yakult has 30% less calories than the standard variety.
(It doesn't really taste that much different though, I just tried a bottle.)
Although I do remember the original being rather sweet, it was surprising to discover that it contained 18grams of sugar per 100ml. I suppose that is why they are always sold in those little 80ml bottles.

Pepsi Generation

It should come to no surprise that Japan has an array of quirky flavors when it comes to snacks and beverages. This is especially true for things such as kit-kats, lays potato chips and of course, soft drinks.
Today I came across this new flavor on my lunch break; a Mont Blanc flavor of Pepsi. Mont Blanc is usually a cake made of chestnut cream so imagining that as a beverage is ever so slightly disturbing. However, the slogan does insist that this new flavor is "a dessert like beverage"(...)

Parting ways

In Japan, there are 宴会(enkai) or drinking parties that revolve around almost every possible theme. One of them is called the 送別会(soubetsukai) or farewell party.
In my case, it was the farewell dinner which my scholarship foundation threw for me.
The party was held at a restaurant called韻松亭(Inshoutei) specializing in seasonal 懐石(Kaiseki) cuisine, which is Japanese Haute Cuisine. It was decided we would have the course of the local chicken (地鶏, jidori) served sukiyaki style. If you ever get the chance, it is a wonderful restaurant located at the heart of Ueno park - dimly lit with tatami floors and a beautifully planted exterior.
When attending such formal parties, it is always the responsibility of the guest of honor (me, in this case) to go around all the tables at least once to pour all the guests a drink from a big bottle (typically beer.)
In addition, several toasts and heavy drinking is something that is rather difficult to avoid. However, once the initial formalities are addressed, the atmosphere becomes much lighter and I become much less terrified at the prospect of doing something that could offend a roomful of people.
At these events, it is customary to present the departing party with a present - which is this lovely little Burberry name card carrier. Accept graciously and expect to be teased about not owning something of such customary value in Japan. (Name cards are a big thing)
Of course, entering the salaryman life meant that this was a extremely appropriate departing gift!

New apartment, Fresh start

After living in one room with no kitchen, no bathroom and no toilet for a few years, the time has finally come for me to move into a new residence.

In Japan, this apartment is known as a "1DK" which stands for "1 Dining Kitchen." What this means is that the apartment has one room(bedroom) and a dining/kitchen room. While many of the smaller apartments today have combined toilets and bathrooms. In this instance, the toilet is in a separate room from the bathroom - very nice indeed!

While cooking with one IH heater certainly was an enlightening experience, it is something I wont miss too much. On a positive note, the new apartment has three gas burners! certainly a wonderful thing to have; certainly many feasts to come.

Thus, the new adventures of Za Salaryman begins...lets see where its headed!

Za life of a salaryman begins

An American in Tokyo, I have entered the world of salaryman-dom.