Sukiyaki, Akihabara, Tokyo

Beef Sukiyaki

Beef and vegetables cooked in a Japanese hot pot with a very thick and flavorful broth, then dipped in a beaten raw egg and slurped up.  Delish!

The name of the place? No idea

The location of the place?  No idea

Well, that's not altogether true.  We are near, about a 15 minute walk, from Akihabara, Tokyo.  Which direction?  I'm clueless.  I do know that the restaurant is about 140 years old, from what I was told.  It was a beautiful place built of stone and old wood with wandering pathways shaded by wispy trees and spotted with koi ponds.  A magical setting.

The meal was presented in stages, typically Japanese, and before we knew it we were eating and drinking and laughing our asses off. 

Here are a few photos

The first course was some sort of gently cook beef that was super tender and finely chopped

Taco salad

Hahaha!  (Octopus in Japanese is Taco.... for those of you that didn't get that...)

Standard sashimi

But really fresh and great

Yes, Sake please!

This stuff was SOOOOOO GOOOOOOD!!!!!!!

I think we had 6 bottles between the 4 of us.  Really great high-end sake.  Dry, smooth, fresh.

 Next was some kind of fish and ginger root. Also very delicious

 Now on to the sukiyaki

Here's the veg

Here's the meat

Yeah, pretty amazing

No comment from me on the next photo....

It all goes into the pot and cooks slowly in front of us.  

Ever turning and browning, carmelizing, reducing, 

My egg

Mix it up

Hot pot is done

Load a mouthful into the egg and slurp away

Everything is better when you're having fun.  We were clearly having fun

The first tray of beef is caput!

Out comes more.  So soft and tender and amazing.  Really an unbelievable meal

Washed down with more of this......mmmmmmmmm

Here's the last batch

And my favorite part of any meal in Japan, the rice course at the end.  Same as the previous night, rice and broth

Notice the small dab of wasabi placed on the underside of the lid.   I thought that was pretty cool.

The intent is to mix it into to the rice/soup if you so desire

A perfect slice of ripe mellon to finish off the night.

Sukiyaki?  Suki-yummy!

Eat good food.  Try something new.  Just get it in your mouth and go!

DVA

Dinner in Japan, ebi-no-hige, Niigata Prefecture

Yes, back in Japan and once again eating some great food, and drinking some really good sake.

As with past posts from Japan this one will be filled with photos, but very lacking in dialogue as I don't know where I am or what I'm eating, usually.  Where possible I'll tell you what I know, the rest, well just go with it....  And we're off!

I believe the name of this place is ebi-no-hige, which I also believe to mean "the shrimp with a mustache", or "the mustachioed shrimp", something to that effect.  The location is somewhere in the Niigata Prefeture, west coast of Japan. 

The entry-way of the restaurant

Upon arrival to our dinning room the table was set with a sashimi boat, charcoal grill, and shabu-shabu

Snail

Shrimp

Squid

After photo of the shrimp...

Cooked shrimp w bbq sauce

Some sort of slimy seaweed, pretty terrible 

Shabu-shabu

Soooo good

How bout a sake break???

No idea what kind this is.  Served and enjoyed in hand-made pottery, pretty awesome

Now lets BBQ!

Just sooo good

This was one of my favorites.  Shrimp croquettes and you squeeze lemon over and dip in a bit of salt.  I loved these things.

More sake?  Heck yeah!

Steamed oysters

My partners in crime

Salad, correct - very boring

Now the rice course

It comes to the table in the large pot that it was cooked in.  Portioned out and then broth is added to each serving.

Absolutely delicious

Shrimp carpacio

Red bean ice cream to finish off the meal.

Another great meal, I think I'm still full

Eat, drink, laugh, love

DVA