Big in Osaka, where they were first introduced.
Takoyaki (たこ焼き or 蛸焼) (literally fried or grilled octopus) is a popular ball-shaped Japanese dumpling or more like a savory pancake made of batter and cooked in a special takoyaki pan (see below). It is typically filled with diced or whole baby octopus, tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger, and green onion. …
The performance making them is as important as the taste.
If you’ve been hosted in Japan, you know this story.
… starts with a few beer. Then Sushi and Sashimi.
Your host orders in Japanese, then asks you if you enjoyed the whale after you’ve tried it.
Whiskey is mandatory. A couple of kinds. And Shōchū, of course.
The evening inevitably ends like this.
THANKS A LOT, Shiro. 🙂
When Blythe got to Japan I’d already been there a week.
“Where are you eating“, she asked.
Sheepishly I replied: “Mostly 7-11. … But I’m planning on a dinner at Denny’s“, a popular chain also owned by 7-11.
In fact I did eat more at convenience stores than anywhere else in Japan. Day or night, if I got a pang it was sated by a piece of fried chicken and an ice-cream treat.
For some reason foreign bank cards do not work in Japanese ATMs. Yet they do in 7-11 ATMs, maximum 30,000 Yen in my case.
UPDATE from Blythe:
7-11 food was amazing in Japan! Rick’s advice was stellar — I snacked there every day and night for three weeks in Tokyo, and it was genuinely delicious.
However, I wouldn’t recommend taking money out of a 7-11 ATM. I did it once, and my bank charged a $20 fee for using an “international ATM.” At the post office, however, I was able to use the ATM and the transaction fee was only $0.60 per 10,000 yen withdrawn.
Read the latest from Kate Greatest – Canadian? Australian? What’s the difference?
For years I’ve occasionally followed a photo blog from northern, rural Japan.
An American guy with a wife and daughter trying to build a life in the Japan countryside – and share some of it along the way.
There’s much about food and family.
Here I am at Sugatami-ike in Daisetsuzan National Park, an impressive look-out over the fumaroles.
This volcano is LIVE.
From there the top of the volcano was shrouded. Myself and Kim from Belgium were the only hikers bold (stupid) enough to climb higher.
We might have made it to 1900m before being driven off the mountain by wind and freezing, horizontal rain. The summit is about 2200m.
Happily, there was a hot springs and gourmet dinner awaiting me below in Japan’s best and most expensive alpine hostel.
This ain’t the usual hostel grub.
more photos … or read my hiking trip report
If it’s raining in the morning, I’ll hop back on the train until I find better weather.
It’s been over 25yrs since I last saw one of my gymnastics mentors. (One of us is losing his hair.)
We finally got together last night in his home town, Osaka, to catch up on old times. Shiro took me to this famous and historic restaurant.
It looks old, but is actually located in a brand new and modern shopping centre. They’ve kept the same look and décor as decades ago.
I have a team of Geishas feeding me all day long at the World Gymnastics Championships.
Domo arigatou gozaimasu.
Dungeness crab, home town Dungeness, Washington.
That photo from one of the many co-op Delis I visited in the Pacific Northwest. My host, Doug Davis, is a bit of a fan of co-ops.
The fate of my immortal soul (and the Calgary Stampeders) hinged on this donut.
… Did we win?
Rick McCharles 