A Tsukiji Kind of Anniversary

 

Two years ago, my hubby and I signed the paperwork that made us officially married.  Among the things that we bonded over years ago was our love for seafood – specifically crabs.  We realized this during a trip to San Francisco where we both busily scarfed down a whole dungeness crab each in 20 minutes flat, barely speaking to each other or our friends who only shared a clam chowder while staring at us in amazement like they were watching monkeys giving birth in the zoo.  For that, I still offer condolences to our friends whose view of us dramatically changed that day.  I offered them an award if they could find any meat left in those crab shells.  They didn’t take me up on that offer.  I think they were still in shock.

So this anniversary, we decided to hit Tsukiji and have a simple seafood feast at home.  And oooo was it worth it!  Tsukiji was packed on Saturday early afternoon, filled with locals, weekend browsers, restaurant goers, and a ton of tourists.  We pressed our way through the crowds searching for crabs and hit the jackpot!

For about 6000 yen, we picked up a half a dozen oysters, 2 live Japanese Zuwai crabs, and a dozen clams.  Before going home, we stopped to have a chirashi bowl (bowl of rice topped with sashimi – first photo).  This is my favorite thing to eat at Tsukiji.  Most tourists go to the sushi restaurants, but in my opinion, sushi in Tokyo is just as good.

 

Peeling and cracking crab over candle light isn’t as romantic as going to a restaurant, but I wouldn’t have traded in this meal for any other.  Here’s to decades more of happy, crab-filled life together, hubby!

Japanese Street Food: The Savory

In mid-April when we hit Yasukuni Shrine to stroll among the crowds watching the cherry blossoms, I was ecstatic to find one of the biggest gathering of festival booths I’ve ever seen in Japan.  There must have been 30 or more stands showcasing a splattering of the typical Japanese food and games you find at festivals, but a lot more of it!  With so many dishes to talk about, I’ll cover the savory today and the sweet tomorrow.

A very popular street food in Japan is okonomiyaki, which is kind of like a savory pan fried pancake made with cabbage, eggs, bonito flakes, dried shrimp, seaweed flakes, and Japanese mayo.  I can never get over the beautiful bright golden egg yolks here.

One of my favorite foods I’ve discovered since moving here is Japanese Ayu.  They skewer it and grill it over charcoal.  You can eat it right off of the stick, and it’s sweet and juicy and usually filled with tasty roe.

More popular foods – yakisoba and grilled squid, which are great accompaniments with beer, sake, or shochu.

Yakitori skewers and shells grilled directly on the hot plate, often adding flavor with soy sauce and butter.

A close up of the shells on the grill:

And lastly, corn on the cob:

And no festival is complete without a few games for the kids.  Typically, there’s a traditional game where goldfish are placed in a tank and kids use nets to try and catch the fish to take home, but I didn’t see that this time.  Instead, I saw a Japanese version of a shooting game for prizes.  The shelves spin around with prizes, and if you are able to shoot the prize, you win!

More about the desserts tomorrow! :)

Hangover Cure: Shijimi Clam Miso Soup

– Shijimi Clams (here) –

I have never been able to avoid getting nasty hangovers.  The Japanese have been dealing with this problem for centuries and have found a simple cure: shijimi clams.  Technically, the proper name for the part of shijimi clams that helps you get over a hangover is called ornithine.  Ornithine is an amino acid that is naturally made by the body and has shown to remove liver toxins and reduce the effects of cirrhosis of the liver and liver disfunction.  It also helps support muscle growth and fight the signs of aging.

– Shijimi Clam Miso Soup by Nagatani-en –

Nagatani-en’s Shijimi Miso Soup has 70 times the power of shijimi claims in one serving.  I’m not sure if this equates to 70 times the hangover-curing power, but I do know that it tastes great.  Plus there’s nothing like a warm bowl of soup (or pho for that matter.. but that’s another post) after a night out.  It was released in 2009 but has been popular ever since.  They have expanded to other flavors and mixes too.  There are other brands that also use shijimi clams, but this is the only one I know with the most potency and strongest shijimi flavor.  For about 120 yen a pack, what’s to lose?  You can buy it through Rakuten, Yahoo and their online store.

– Nagatani-en’s range of products –