The Best Foods I Ate in Japan

I just returned from a two week trip to Japan. Here's a look at what I ate!

Soba and tempura from Ukiya, outside the Nishiki Market

Fresh soybean crackers at the Nishiki Market

Soymilk donuts, also at Nishiki

Spicy ramen bowl from Ippudo Ramen

Traditional pork tonkotsu bowl at Ippudo

Hot pot place called Karu

Tofu and eggplant at a teppanyaki place

Pork tonkatsu with miso soup

Foie gras with mango at Motoi, a French one-star Michelin restaurant

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 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.

Gorgeous sashimi place at Kusunoki in Kanazawa

Grilled eggplant with miso also at Kusunoki

Goma (sesame) tofu at Natadera Temple

Kanazawa-style ramen (traditional pork broth cut with dashi to lighten it a bit)

Oysters bigger than my hand at Omicho Market in Kanazawa

Making oobanyaki and takoyaki at Kuroman Market in Osaka

Tako pops

Kabocha squash at Kuroman Market

Okonomiyaki in Osaka

Matcha tea

In and Around Kyoto

My previous post had pictures of the Heian Jingu shrine and the Ginkakuji shrine. There are TONS of shrines and temples here, one of the reasons Kyoto is famous, plus it is the old imperial capital.

We've also seen the Ryoan-ji Temple Rock Garden. The 15 rocks were placed so that you cannot see all of them at once (from ground level) unless you achieve enlightenment.

Fushimi Inari Shine.... I went by myself this morning, and lo and behold, ran into a fall festival on the grounds, so it was teeming with people. Loved the feel of the place though!

And the Moss Garden, also known as Saiho-ji. One of the most magical places I've seen! It was so serene. There are apparently 120 types of moss growing.

Today was a trip outside of Kyoto by a little more than an hour to the southeast to the IM Pei-designed Miho Museum.They literally cut away the mountain and built the museum into it, and then rebuilt the mountain. Over 90% of the complex is underground. You walk up a long path/tunnel to get to the main building. The architecture is really stunning.

 And a fabulous meal last night -- more on that later!