Kyoto Notes
Trip Start
Unknown
1
10
22
Trip End
Ongoing
Kyoto,
Japan
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Ryokan blues- disappointing smell of smoke and drains. Note that smoking in public places is not banned universally. Restaurants are likely to be smoking unless marked otherwise. Low seating and tatami mats. TV no sattelite. Ensuites were damp and unwelcoming. Good size though. View from window good.
Food Kaiseki- appearance almost as important if not more important than the food. Dishes carefully selected to complement foods served which are always seasonal. Many courses. Quite a lot of pickle. Other foods- Sukiyaki, Okonomiyaki,
Yakitori - Onishi small cozy, with english menus. Curiosity- Japanese version of Malaysian Satay which has gone global. Yakitori is an accompaniment to drink. The food is secondary. Place is small with 4 tables and a bar in front of 2 grills and a hotplate. Slow grill and fast grill. Skewers of food are slowly grilled then finished on a hot grill. Hotplate for certain dishes. Grilled fish, chicken and kyoto leeks, pork, stomach, chicken heart, curiously bone was also on the menu. They grilled rice balls and a whole medium potato. Most spectacular was a whole fish. Not sure what as couldn't get a good look at the head. It was split from the dorsum, through the head rather than the usual way which would be to gut the fish through the soft belly. The fish was laid open on the slow grill. We left before the grill chef finished it. Pork, chicken and leek and chicken hearts were superb. Will try to go back for the rice ball and bone.
Right next to the shopping district. Honey moments and spoon in the wrong tub.
Fanta grape- grape actually a real grape. Dispelled a myth.
Japanese TV- game shows, kareoke shows and daytime porn. 2 well endowed women rubbing up against each other in bikinis.
