Xochitl10

Tokyo; Chiba Prefecture We only spent a few hours in Tokyo in February/March of this year. In Shibuya, Japanese friends took us to the Dogenzaka branch of Watami, an izakaya chain. I recall it being good, especially the sake and shochu -- they had a wide array of interesting things, rather than just lots of things. I had a black sugar shochu that I liked quite a lot. Watami does have regional specialties, which was great for those of us who hadn't had our kiritampo nabe (a specialty of Akita Prefecture) fix in almost three years. Address is Dogenzaka Center Fielder Building 5F, 2-29-8, Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0043. Oh, and how can you go wrong with Tokyo Banana (banana-shaped sponge cakes filled with banana pastry cream) in Tokyo Station? They're doing some major renovations at Tokyo Station, but you can still wander around and shop and eat to your heart's content. It's not at all useful, but the best food we had in that area on our trip was at a kaiten-zushi restaurant whose name I don't remember near our friends' place in Chiba Prefecture, just outside Tokyo. Miso soup was this giant bowl of thick, delicious broth with tons of vegetables, tofu, and generous pieces of fish. So perfect for early March in Japan. The best food, of course, was in Iwate Prefecture, our old stomping grounds. I'm happy to report that we had amazing sashimi in Miyako, including some from the Iwate coast, which was one of the cities affected by the tsunami.

Brown sugar/bourbon ice cream made with Woodford Reserve. Yum.

You're welcome! I'm glad you found and like it. Our affection for hitomebore is almost certainly influenced by it being the variety most commonly grown in the area of Japan we lived in, and therefore the kind we ate most often, but it is legitimately delicious.Incidentally, rinsing is standard practice for making rice in Japanese homes. It's not just reserved for making rice for sushi.

Yay! Please let me know how you like it.

In my experience, it depends. Sometimes it was fine, sometimes I'd had a long day or didn't feel well and just wanted to buy my nattou, okonomiyaki ingredients, and butter and be on my way. I part ways with saf on this point because I think people can ask whatever they want, but they need to be okay (and if they're not, that's on them) with my saying "I'm American. Excuse me, but I have to go" without answering every question they have. I'm a person, they're a person, and while it's okay to be interested in the obvious differences, my personhood should be respected as much as one of their countrymen. Here, it's more amusing than anything because I'm half-Mexican/half-Euromutt, but get taken as everything from Latina to Native American or East Indian. I can't speak from the perspective of being well-recognized, but I don't have any patience for this kind of stuff. You can explain it to me once, but if my requests aren't met, I'm not coming back. As you say, there were plenty of places in Japan that were willing to serve me whatever stereotypically non-foreigner-friendly food I wanted that I didn't need to bother with places that wouldn't.

qwertyy's question wasn't "what's so wrong with being seen as different," it was "what's wrong with 'other cultures' being treated as foreign and unusual." I think there's a difference. I lived in northeastern Japan for two years, in a small house in a regular neighborhood with my husband and dogs. Yes, I was treated differently; yes, I got questions about what I would or wouldn't eat; yes, I got needlessly complimented on everything from how well I used chopsticks to how well I spoke the language (okay, maybe that legitimately deserved praise over time ). Sometimes, it seemed that people only wanted to interact with us because we were "the foreigners." We could sense that and disliked it intensely, and often opted out of interacting with those people. There were enough people who wanted to hang with us because we had things in common and genuinely liked each other. I didn't consider it an affirmative obligation to educate my hosts about "what Americans are like," I simply lived my life as best I could and was as patient as I could be with the questions and the differential treatment. However, it was very clear that regardless of how fond our community was of me and my husband, we would never be fully embraced as one of them. It stung, but them's the breaks. Our town was also home to "American World," a rather cartoonish American-themed shopping and entertainment complex. American World was home to "American Books," which had approximately ten English-language books for sale at any given time; "American Sports," a game center with batting cages, half-courts, and air hockey; "American Wave," the music store/toy store/31 Flavors (again, I mention the Pop Rocks in the ice cream) conglomerate. . .and a Ferris wheel. I think it's fair to cite this as an example of viewing American culture as foreign and unusual, and not offensive. Is it accurate? Not entirely. But I don't think that's the point; I think the point is that cultures are different and that it's appropriate to see them that way (fetishization aside).

*perk* Nankotsu? Really? *is so there for the grilled cartilage*

Japanese food Sunday: Yudebuta to shiomominasu - sumiso dare: boiled pork shoulder with raw eggplant, vinegar-miso sauce Toumorokoshi genmai gohan: brown rice with fresh corn mixed in Hamaguri bata-yaki: butter-fried clams Kyuuri to wakame no sumomi: vinegared cucumbers and wakame seaweed. I don't think mine could actually be called sumomi because I used ponzu instead of a vinegar dressing. Miso soup with shiitake Iburigakko: smoked pickled daikon radish

Toasted turkey, cheddar, and wonderfully smoky green chile on Jewish rye.

Me, too.

Yup. Urban Taco is my choice as well when I'm stuck in Terminal C. I had the opportunity for lots of airport munchies on my trip to/from Phoenix last weekend. 360 Burrito in the B gates of the Las Vegas airport was decent and particularly good for giant cups of fresh fruit. Ocotillo Sun in Terminal 2 of the Phoenix airport yielded a tasty shredded beef burrito with a side of mediocre refried bean paste. I picked up a chicken burrito for the flight home from Jose Roux Taco Bar in the C gates of Terminal 4. The black beans and rice in the burrito were tasty, but the chicken itself was way, way too salty. And why the farm do places insist on putting rice in their burritos? Every single one I had had rice in it. Maybe it's because rice in burritos is not a New Mexican thing, but I'm kind of over it. I also managed to get a legitimately good (if still served in a pint glass over rocks) margarita from Ryan at Jose Roux Taco Bar. Way better than the one I had at Blue Mesa Taco & Tequila(!) Bar at DFW in January.DFW LAS PHX

I think I've seen Tamaki, at least, at Hinata in Bethesda. We use Shirakiku Hitomebore, which is also available at Hinata as well as at Maruichi in Rockville. Hitomebore is the variety that our organic rice supplier in Kitakami grew, and it's still our favorite. We'll buy Koshihikari in a pinch.

I'd be in if I didn't have four performances next week. Definitely in for May, though!

Tomato, provolone, and egg sandwich on toasted 7-grain bread Coffee Curtis Mayfield

As it does every year during the National Cherry Blossom Festival, the Willard Intercontinental Hotel is holding its "Cherry Blossom Tea:" afternoon tea with a cherry-themed menu. Tea is $39 per person ($49 with champagne), and is served daily from 1-4. This year's menu can be found here. Call (202) 637-7350 for reservations. The Washington Toho Koto Society provides the background music every day during tea service. The Koto Society is a local group of traditional Japanese zither players; click here for an example of koto music. I've been a member of the Society since I returned from Japan, and will personally be playing at the Willard on March 27, April 10, April 17, and April 24. Afternoon tea is one of my favorite events -- the atmosphere is very peaceful and calm. If you're looking to celebrate spring, either because of the blossoms or just because the weather's been so beautiful, consider checking out afternoon tea at the Willard (especially on Tuesdays!).

Leftovers from last night's rehearsal bento: steamed rice, pork shumai, tamagoyaki, ganmodoki (deep-fried tofu dumplings), and simmered bean sprouts in ponzu. I love performance season.

Okayu with umeboshi, aka rice porridge with pickled plums. We be illin'.

Homemade pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, spinach, mushrooms, and anchovies

Sandy Collins: blended Scotch, lemon juice, sugar, soda, garnished with an orange wheel and a maraschino cherry. Omuraisu: steamed rice mixed with chopped roast pork, zucchini, and salsa, topped with a thin omelet and more salsa. The Japanese use ketchup in the rice and on top, but we were out, so we used the salsa instead.

Sotol Generaciones, distilled in Chihuahua from the sereque plant. Sort of like tequila or mezcal. Like drinking chimney smoke. Damn, it's good.

To John. The music won't be the same without you.

Chicken, rosemary, parm, and mozzarella stuffed ravioli (Trader Joe's) with steamed asparagus in an olive oil/garlic/Riesling reduction (mine).

The rather blandly named Cheese and Coffee Cafe in Encantada Square (2679 Louisiana Blvd. NE) provided my much-needed first hit of green chile after I arrived in ABQ yesterday. I had the Chelsea (turkey breast, provolone, and green chile on grilled sourdough, minus the avocado it usually has), and it hit the spot: crispy, melty magic full of spicy (but not incendiary; must have been this year's mild), unadulterated green chile. Yum. I was at Encantada Square to pick up a couple of cupcakes at Cake Fetish, one of Albuquerque's surprisingly large number of cupcake shops. I got a Pucker Up! (lemon cake, lemon filling, lemon buttercream, and a candied lemon slice) and a Biscochito, which I don't remember the specific details of other than that it had crumbled biscochito (Mexican Christmas cookies flavored mostly with cinnamon and anise) on top. I am an ardent Georgetown Cupcake fan, but I have to say that I think I preferred Cake Fetish's buttercream. It was very light and had excellent lemon flavor. The cupcake itself was moist and buttery, and the combination was very lemony but not at all heavy.

Terminal D at DFW seems to have the best options for layover eats. My in-laws gave us a cocktail and bar food cookbook written by the founder of the Reata restaurants in the Dallas area, so I stopped by the Reata Grill in Terminal D. Tortilla soup was serviceable, tasting mostly of chicken stock with no spice to speak of. My half BLT was tasty, stacked with crisp applewood-smoked bacon and decent tomatoes. I accompanied these with a Cowboy Cosmopolitan (Grey Goose L'Orange, Cointreau, and fresh lime juice). Not bad airport food, but not worth the $22 I paid. I have another two-hour layover on my way back to DC; barring any delays, I'll check out one of the other Tex-Mex and booze joints. DFW

English(ish) breakfast for five: Red Snappers: gin, tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, s&p Baked beans, with or without mustard Turkey sausages Fried tomatoes Sauteed mushrooms with thyme Azami-made English muffins with jam or marmalade Eggs over-medium or over-easy Punk music soundtrack