I just returned from a two week trip to Japan. Here's a look at what I ate!
![Soba Noodles from Ukiya Soba Noodles from Ukiya](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLvXDZLMfnsv35gr4VJFU30RsaOO11742vCPOfcy7CMKjQhp9nBWLXdOcfu3XyyjIB2AGqwM-XPqH_kU8FGyMwVeZLy6qOiRZYirX5Mn3OjZr2ks4oA-hKGJKo3OkuirC7iGV3tT1wFCw/s400/20160516_221253.JPG) |
Soba and tempura from Ukiya, outside the Nishiki Market |
![Soybean crackers at Nishiki Soybean crackers at Nishiki](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWepbD9-E2Usd2I8jV7KCB4I5H4iSHVAmcutwowLO8zHUBBBgNEuRGfxbmlsnjP7PzRTbe5T_-ccFrnI_bpAu6BEnXbp5Gb6yA9cCHAYEymLjVUPXXH9HQjzXjb-WV7Df2HwP7dEM4vg/s400/20160516202401_1.JPG) |
Fresh soybean crackers at the Nishiki Market |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl55s4oFdXIKN9ViZI6iwGT0AUnVT1FdAcvhC17UdCXTb_QC9b4KQHENaS3-jymMBDbTIsw6LhJuoQK1tdldqjFI5ERd9Zay-xgwogUVQs3-Oq5lpdsfCLBtG4V6ImsT40i_P0ODD8p5E/s400/20160516_202410.JPG) |
Soymilk donuts, also at Nishiki |
![Ippudo Ramen traditional pork tonkotsu bowl Ippudo Ramen traditional pork tonkotsu bowl](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwuYND9aoomiCecRkqDZ8GDzAi4l7sgeTdH_yugh6cSq2Yu-sbkDgzonxQImLbJ5Fa_YmTgpmoABN4SsSMluMOgOIWagevZMxXiSR9VCFVCBz-ewCIgBnmcyZLqB7zDTu5OsVga3oXQo/s400/20160520_215343.JPG) |
Traditional pork tonkotsu bowl at Ippudo |
![Karu hot pot Karu hot pot](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0CL0X35r5f68GwSOmNPKkXD1NBXd7pnQdg4hXfmLrszDnzafaoYGVCjlC-WWF1sR7YM-dX47DjT8v3fSjJzhP_SY_ShrJYriE0-koLE74TmVduFDfUal0f5x7MYQoHeRvmjXQ5ZqG4fk/s400/20160518_060351.JPG) |
Hot pot place called Karu |
![Tofu and eggplant Tofu and eggplant](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wleX0EJpWRvQzpnEmJZB0U_EQPgcdAKzFPNOiH37UFFeWHyNtK1VBGefgGuvLgsa2DAgOD20tsiUvYTRDYCFF9Dy5FYNqsgdRrUGT5-uIcMwk9AkPxAScaC7T1YK4j95p8rwH26WBho/s400/20160520_003324.JPG) |
Tofu and eggplant at a teppanyaki place |
![Pork tonkatsu Pork tonkatsu](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qGZU-NHwyNNH-NLq299RYDkCeV3pJUSL08F3A7yj6XX_Wp9ve1PpvIqtSOmC6DLKxfBp7tOvyv_ITDFgR3DM-j02sYCJKiCMQDb2-GGH6sVAujIX1aDBY3zDLZpcfu_nd8GFmudRACU/s400/20160518_233240.JPG) |
Pork tonkatsu with miso soup |
![Foie gras at Motoi Foie gras at Motoi](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4rCDBaU9SMw4A0ApVHhVp57pMfudxg6BOMnrpyVcu5UuejdKRjZlqGFrTTPwyxdaTRBHcS0OvE-JzbehKg1fKVn6tmf_79geboI3I1PdRfrHY6ZKYYSEGfLfjKdwsRTXySdkAz0Fafg/s400/20160520_053227.JPG) |
Foie gras with mango at Motoi, a French one-star Michelin restaurant |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTN8XCC29ZXvIQHF1CoJtq6K-VJa1yjd42Ghn21shZVjouk06upsPsE0l4YJImxP11gGNB9KPG505XG8lMFvcmmkHF7HgOR8BKbCTLxf4Ceh6UQayFboEpJdLvnVoXPbNR0qgk3JI-gA/s400/20160520_063517.JPG) |
Wagyu beef with seven kinds of peas/beans (sugarsnap, snow, edamame, lima, fava, petit and I never figured out the last one!), also at Motoi |
![Unagi donburi (grilled eel) in Oyabe Unagi donburi (grilled eel) in Oyabe](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkk9qL5WiXJSJq4L1-vJ_v2zM8dav9g4QyZtavGrVJeBL83k03yn3Shs-7xJ1RtLkjKw3MB6ppo2Z1rUynga6wqQSYuxdZGwuqRMbUfAeS_XmrVcQyXMQ6A6WnKacSZJ9-q8C5fhyphenhyphenmzHo/s400/20160522_223834.JPG) |
Unagi donburi bowl (grilled eel over rice) in a rural town called Oyabe, near where my paternal great grandparents are from. This was one of my most favorite meals the entire trip. |
![Sashimi in Kanazawa Sashimi in Kanazawa](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUgGTROxLkLWeOvWPgYlgl0PUWAjAX4LyOIYycddjxurcCoXRfJUwmG8VKMzxfaHXSgvi867DS-LypdXS52Xu_x8fhPdqgjgxkNzjwMXwHqNX-Y51xfyG6c1Ay6XBHckkfuhQ6khzp7o/s400/20160523_052613.JPG) |
Gorgeous sashimi place at Kusunoki in Kanazawa |
![Eggplant with miso Eggplant with miso](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5H_dmRih3n_hLLjApFsbz5w5z3VdH2OTbTg7YwTOk659yJAvEZZlCMgDlLpQ4jwdzOJDHgjixQtjlc4iRBLEL9KQDVMA5Q4OTGEyDTPonZugfJePa-PJ2KdBpl1Ry25LDsYRnLEl0w_Y/s400/20160523_052947.JPG) |
Grilled eggplant with miso also at Kusunoki |
![Kanazawa-style ramen Kanazawa-style ramen](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuOVP4pkPX8GFIRV_bupINRjzuGHYzxFGAO-XcvTINSP_W8LEgcQHkGHd0WB3yW9Dl3Hb3vVvVSaLmLgoX_-2COnNww8OYSx70VPA4iOo6cyoMVK5Ca54jR8u-OsVJbV2PhGVtBvBEtc/s400/20160526211304.JPG) |
Kanazawa-style ramen (traditional pork broth cut with dashi to lighten it a bit) |
![Oysters at Omicho Market Oysters at Omicho Market](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwuITk8dowAcJTNlJAnvXycO27FEua3EOg89b-zlik4e7vbnKtQ7n3zezolxizRgs4POk-9Kifh_E0R8vgOR6yKXHHElDYAGGZX030t9myVU8Jz2Bb4-oG-3i0YM7Nd-KO4gM6yxHe4U/s400/20160524_193451.JPG) |
Oysters bigger than my hand at Omicho Market in Kanazawa
|
![Kuroman Market Osaka Kuroman Market Osaka](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbicz0qiuhbmCXwqmbC4IbMCXF_CffpSuezfXBL-fwTzHO-3oa82lguORG5QcoSCPUf561mO2Y5jhj0Ipyj7I1VvyzjVF6kp8iYqE3iQfLcFwK4akXyKtd6LAfRHtn2xs3kqAy0QOOWbM/s400/20160529_201244.JPG) |
Making oobanyaki and takoyaki at Kuroman Market in Osaka | | | |
|
|
![Tako pops Tako pops](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvelnfw_5pd7ZiU0JfIPpC2ZpcSHvxoiPJTVLaoFpu7gbxg7bQEF07YOlcEkF9HvfGbt-kl1F-erIAY-VwPGtwYxXgrcp0t1ZuzTDIzn1bK4-bkTclTeZA6LneOyXyZPHp0y-fwYRCzDI/s400/20160516_212916.JPG) |
Tako pops |
![Kabocha squash at Kuroman Market Kabocha squash at Kuroman Market](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1glihQPzUElmj_Xmjf3UfUmBBQMvCu_ZFPXa8KKvCDWrFX-CrgYHZnhw9QfowRz1MME2038at_6TwcplCInpzQ2lWQXx98ahTT9YgNqhBtdltDXalkRlgOBEn_vYyzl3o_ausNPSOr2w/s400/20160529_212829.JPG) |
Kabocha squash at Kuroman Market |
![Okonomiyaki in Osaka Okonomiyaki in Osaka](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9NkFDspVGiWkyQU3TfXt_umpJRwuYSfpm1AqlHBkGKaxgIek6g8UFnh64lqlpfmBd0lPEFdtYRRRglWozZ_sei67cejMi154H6c676PEIaPP3_fn00KOVzQxU5yXNEXu04mWjybpiRI/s400/20160529_054159.JPG) |
Okonomiyaki in Osaka | | | |
![Matcha Tea Matcha Tea](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPkvHu8PQ9hKi8rWpksh0nsN7jfikSYfN0iqZX4QXqp8NAGD8fUIzHn0ap6DFNS6_D4GRc-YKJB1PYl6lWfwsyLz9hgCSun_X1qpiA0BViK8cbkujFgmPShpm_q0IqJfZiBSmTjefEfg/s400/20160523200607_1.JPG) |
Matcha tea |