We tried to wake up as early as possible to make it to the infamous Tsukiji Fish Market! We ended up there around 8AM, and things were still happening, but I hear that more of the action actually takes place earlier. As soon as you get off the subway and walk the three blocks to the market, you see workers in tall rain boots and driving little pallet style trucks/carts. They zoom by super fast, you have to pay attention where you are walking! Aisles and aisles of fish mongers hawking all sorts of seafood that you can imagine. Of course, the main item that you see is tuna, which is called "maguro." Some of the tuna is HUGE, that you see the fish mongers butchering them down with a huge table saw.
Adding to my "disrespect to breakfast" as Neal would call it, we indulged with some sushi at 9AM at a nearby spot called Sushi Zanmai. We got lost trying to look for this place, but with the help of some friendly locals, we found it. One guy even busted out the GPS on his phone to map it out for us! We tried a lot of different fish; from tuna, sardine, halibut fin, octopus, amber jack, etc. I guess it's nothing that you can't really get in the states, but it was pretty darn tasty. I think my favorite was the sardine...which is a nice eco-friendly fish that I am mildly obsessed with lately.
OSAKA
Taking the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka is suuuuuuper easy. It is quite expensive though, costing about $130 for a 2.5 hour trip. The bullet train, called "shinkansen," is really fast going up to 300km/hr. It is really easy to figure out and is really clean. The ladies who fun the snack cart are the cutiest things ever too.
Upon arriving in Osaka, we eat up the town. We try "takoyaki," which are basically octopus balls. It's a piece of octopus in the middle of a ball that is made out of a batter. They're made almost like an ebelskiever....those danish donuts. Takoyaki is topped with a brown sweet/savory sauce and bonito flakes. Osaka appears to be the king of the vending machine also. Even restaurants use vending machines! For instance, we went to this ramen shop and the vending machine and menu is outside. You make you selection(s) and pay for it. It prints out a ticket for you, and you hand it to the server inside and then they make your order! It is cheap, and incredibly convenient. I find it very efficient and great for tourists who don't speak the language. Maybe I'll open my own noodle shop with the same idea! For dinner, we end up eating OKONOMIYAKI, which is a savory Japanese pancake. It can have a variety of toppings/fillings, but usually has some sort of meat or seafood and is typically topped with a fried egg, green onion, mayonaise, and sauce (brown/sweet/savory). Personally, I think the fried egg makes the dish. And, I kind of have to say, I really do like the mayonaise on it. I am not really a fan of the okonomiyaki sauce, which is a little to sweet for me. I usually ask for no sauce when they make it because they put a ton of it on it. They always give a side bottle of it so you can dip as little or as much of it as you want.
I got to meet up with Masa, who is a childhood friend of my friend Yuko. He and his family lived in the states for a little bit when he was a kid, but has lived in Osaka for most of his life. He's a business man, dealing in finance. Masa picked me up from my hotel in his buisness suit, even though it's 10PM. Japanese work very long hours. We went to his favorite restaurant in the Minami area of Osaka. It's a Balinese restaurant and it is beautiful. Ornate teak doors and furniture and a beautiful fountain outside. We order some tropical drinks and gorgeous small plates of food. His sister came a little later, and she was quite friendly and easy to talk to. Both of them speak English, but his sister speaks a little more, as she used to live in Orange County.
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