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Hello,
I’m an expat stay at home Dad with more than enough time on his hands to learn a language. I’ve been a Japanophile / shinnichi for more than 2 decades, falling in love with their food (cooking and eating) and culture. In the last couple of years I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to Japan see the snow monkeys, experience the Sakura in Tokyo and spend hours in peaceful tranquility wandering around zen gardens. And the food! There is nothing quite like your first bowl of Ramen in Japan. My trips have deepened my appreciation of Japanese culture. My next visit is in five months, so I have a big incentive to get up and running. The kids are back at school, it’s time to get serious.
So why am I learning Japanese – to deepen my understanding and love of their food and culture.
(There’s also a large Japanese expat population in Singapore and I have access to some amazing food stores, but I can’t read the labels!)Welcome! Kinda envious you’re already planning another trip to Japan. I’ve been just the once, exactly six years ago as of last Monday.
What’s your favourite food? Tried some of the regional specialties? Where are you planning to visit in five months?
I do like ramen. One of the great tragedies of America is that over there, they believe that “ramen” means “instant noodles”.
P.S. Edward Norton?
Thanks Joel. I’m heading back to Nozawaonsen in Nagano and then to Tokyo where I have family. Living on the equator means no seasons, and I need some winter. It’s a great village with many Onsen (spa/baths) fed by hot water springs. The local food includes some pickled greens and an amazing winter salad made from root vegetables but chopped so finely it’s light and fresh. The first bowl of Ramen I ever ate in Japan was in a small roadside cafe in Nozawa. The place didn’t look special and it wasn’t known for it’s Ramen but I still remember it today and that light bulb moment – ‘So that’s what Ramen is supposed to taste like!’. The village has lots of small eating houses where there’s only room for six to ten people and only open for a couple of hours, but they’re the best. They will only have one food on the menu and often run by a retired husband and wife team, but decades of dedication mean the food will be amazing. BTW – we stay at a place run by an Aussie whose been there for twenty years and he’s made it real easy for anyone back home to get there. Just google nozawa holidays . . .
As for my favourites – too many! Currently I crave Onigiri. I sometimes make them but will more often by them in 7-11. Yep, that 7-11 and they’re surprisingly good. We always try and find somewhere making okonomiyaki because it’s almost impossible to make at home. We were recommended it by the guest house owner who described it as an upside down cabbage pancake with mayonnaise. I’ll try anything but the kids weren’t too happy, thinking it was just cabbage and pancake. Once they had it though, they were hooked. Their favourites include: Tonkatsu, Donburi, Yakitori, Tempura, Curry and Gyoza. Here’s a picture of my son and what I thought was the largest shrimp in the world.
Not that Edward Norton – this Edward Norton. Currently working through pictures from my last trip to Japan. My website is a little neglected. Here’s a couple of my favourites.
Snow Monkey
Lone Winter Tree
I hope you get to go back . . .-
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