buta kimchee-don & shinto beer

An easy dinner. Buta kim chee don(pork with kim chee bowl)--rice topped with some lettuce, slices of pork cooked with kim chee and then a scrambled egg poured over. This went well with the Shinto beer we bought in Toba. The beer is a pale ale (I think) and kind of fruity and went really nicely with the spicy pork kim chee bowl.

toba (food)

When you stay at a hotel or ryokan (Japanese inn), more than likely they will serve you a kaiseki dinner. Kaiseki is a meal that is served in many courses and in tiny portions. The thing I don't like about kaiseki is that there is always way too much food that is served. I was probably brought up to eat what was on my plate and that was it, no seconds. In Japan, everything comes in tiny dishes or plates and is kind of hard for me to pace myself and graze. Another thing I don't like about kaiseki is that if they don't give you a layout of what is being served, you don't really know what you're eating, which can be good at times.

If you have allergies, you should tell them when making your reservations, this way they can prepare a special meal for you.

This is what a kaiseki looks like before you start eating. When you start to eat, if there are more courses involved, then the nakai-san (like a maid & waitress combined) will come and bring more food (I think that is what the other table space to the right is for). So, this is what we had for dinner. Now, I'm not too sure about everything, so I will probably tell you what I can and let the photos tell the rest.

There was half a crab.


Do-bin mushi (asari (Japanese little necks) with maitake (hen of the woods) cooked in an earthen tea pot)

Awabi steak (Abalone steak)


Ise-ebi (spiny lobster) cooked with mayonnaise.

Sashimi (raw sliced fish) platter with sazae (horned turban), maguro (tuna), ise-ebi (spiny lobster), tai (sea bream).

Tai shabu shabu (sea bream and veggies that are swished in a konbu (kelp) stock) then eaten with a sesame dipping sauce).

Dessert was a little matcha mousse gelee with some type of citrus (I think it might have been grapefruit or the local tachibana( a type of orange) with a red fruity gelee on top.

Whew! (see we went onto the other table to the right)....

As for omiyage (souvenirs) there is

Akafuku--a mochi (rice cake) that is covered with koshian (smooth bean paste). You can actually buy this in Osaka, but it originated in Ise.

They give you this little wooden paddle to scoop it out.

Delicious!

Then there is Shinto Beer. Ise is an area that is known for their many Shinto shrines. This beer is said to have been started in the 1800's. We haven't tried this, but it sounded good.

And from Mikimoto, madeleines shaped like oysters. They are not your ordinary madeleines, they are made with a special calcium taken from pearls. This was buttery and delicious.

There are also many vacuum packed seafood items or fresh seafood items you can buy and have sent within Japan.

Did you enjoy this foodie travel adventure? I sure did. Have a great week.

toba (sights)

Toba is about 2 hours from Osaka on the Shimahanto (Shima peninsula). It is a very touristy area, mainly due to the pearls. This is where Mikimoto have their pearl farms, museum and shops.

Toba also has lots of seafood, awabi (abalone), ise ebi (a spiny lobster), sazae (horned turban). If you're not able to eat seafood or don't like seafood, this is definitely not the place to visit.

There are lots of areas in Toba that have been featured in a book by Mishima Yukio called "Shiosai" (I don't think I've read this book, so I'm not too familiar with it).

If pearls aren't your thing, there is also an aquarium and a cruise around the bay.

The cruise ship was supposed to resemble the characters in a folk lore "Urashima Taro" similar to "Rip van Winkle". Also, some of the scenery along the bay was used in the story "Urashima Taro". The boat actually reminded me more of a floating Chinese restaurant that used to operate in Hawaii a long time ago (Oceania? Is it still around?).

At the hotel we stayed at, there was a nice garden area with a pond.

Have you ever seen one of these? They are called kemushi (hairy worms). If they touch you or if you get too close to them, you can get a reaction and break out into hives.

At the aquarium, we came upon these kuwagata (a type of beetle). If you find these in the wild around Japan, you can sell them to the pet stores for big bucks!

At the Mikimoto Pearl Island, there was a diving show. Here ama (pearl divers) dive in the water without any scuba gear except a mask. Some going as far down as 6meters (about 19 feet)! They don't even wear wet suits!

I was surprised that they jumped in the water with all the kurage (jellyfish).

In the Mikimoto museum, there were many beautiful sculptures and jewelry from around the world, plus Mikimoto's special collections.

And of course, there was a beautiful sunrise.

My next post will be about...the food...stay tuned!