My Love of Japan

The gracious people and their impeccable politeness, the crazy teenagers and their whacked fashion on Takeshita-Dori in Harajuku, the insanely large palaces of European luxury on Omotesando and in Ginza, miniature gadgets we’ll never have at home in Akihabara, the gargantuan train stations where you always seem to be going against the herd, the endearing giggles one elicits when they mis-speak their Japanese - but most of all the amazingly complex and wonderful cuisine - keeps bringing me back to Japan. While the trip this week was all business, I did get to have a bit of fun and meet some wonderful new people in the process. I treasure every trip I get to make to Japan and those that know me know of my love for the country. But, back to the food...

I have several recommendations if you ever find yourself in Tokyo and, specifically, around the very hip neighborhood of Shibuya, here are some not to miss places:

• Gonpachi - great and diverse selection of yakitori in a jovial atmosphere; the beef short rib and duck marinated in wasabi yakitori are not to miss!
• Horaitei - on the top floor of the Tokyu Center department store you will find some of the best katsu ever; go for the katsu donburi at lunch - excellent!
• Paradise Macau - a tropically themed establishment that serves excellent Laotian and Indonesian dishes; they have a very good and inexpensive selection of Aussie wines by the glass
• Asahi Sushi - take-out sushi on the restaurant avenue level of the Shibuya Mark City office complex; great for a quick lunch with an impressively diverse selection of fresh fish, many of which you won’t recognize, so be adventurous
• Legato - swanky establishment on the floor above Gonpachi; floor to ceiling windows and a jazz pianist make this a great spot for dessert or an after dinner drink
• Keivi - a tiny little traditional gay bar just around the corner from Shibuya JR station; much better than average snacks included with your cover charge; tell Mama-san Toshi I said hello!

If you have not yet been to Tokyo, go - our dollar may be in the crapper, but their yen is persistently in the crapper so it is so much more affordable than going to Europe or even New York. There’s no other city in the world quite like it!

Recipe: Miso Poached Halibut

As I am sitting on United 837 somewhere over the Pacific on my way to Tokyo for the week, I thought I would share a Japanese-themed recipe that I made up a few weeks ago. It’s very simple, light, and tasty. I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted - school has worn me down over these last several weeks, unfortunately. In any case, if you do make this, let me know! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs. of halibut filets
1/2 cup of dark miso paste (if you can’t find dark, any miso paste you can find will do)
2 cups of low-sodium soy sauce
4 cups of water
1 1/2 cups of fresh green onions, finely chopped (green and white parts)
1 cup of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 tbsp. of rice vinegar
1/2 cup of sake
3 star anise bulbs
2 tbsp. of minced garlic
2 tbsp. of minced ginger

Directions:

In a large chef’s pan or dutch oven, combine all ingredients except for the halibut into the pan making sure to distribute the miso paste well among the liquid. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a low, cover the pan, and simmer for 45 minutes to one hour to let the flavors fully combine. Then, submerge the halibut filets into the liquid and re-cover the pan. Poach the filets for about 10 - 15 minutes. Remove and serve in a bowl with a bit of the broth from the pan poured over.

Makes 4 - 6 servings.