for ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kindkit
This question could have a very boring answer, namely, "everything except whale," but I shall endeavor to be more interesting.
The single thing I love the most (and this is very ironic) is parfait. The Japanese have taken parfait to the limits of the art form and then beyond (I've had parfait served with dry ice here, for example) and it is all delicious. Most food in Japan is not very sweet, and in fact is much less sweet than most food in America, but to compensate desserts that are very sweet are readily available. Even a delicious monstrosity like the Hello Kitty Christmas Tree Parfait (the tree part is made of cotton candy) is never too sweet, though. The tumblr tag has many delicious pictures, but I should note that I particularly like the so called "wa-fuu" (i.e. Japanese style) parfaits, which have more traditional ingredients like mochi, red bean paste, and various kinds of jellies alongside the cornflakes and ice cream and which are sadly rather hard to find in Tokyo. When I go to Kyoto the first thing I'm doing is heading to Tofu Cafe Fujino for their parfait of the month. And then I will probably go back for their regular parfait the next day.
GDI now I want parfait even more than usual.
Ahem. Another Japanese food I like that's more difficult to find in the States is okonomiyaki and its various variations--as should surprise nobody, I like the Kansai style (in which all the ingredients are mixed together) much better than the Hiroshimayaki style, in which everything is layered, but I have a surprising soft spot for modanyaki, which is okonomiyaki with a layer of yakisoba. Nomz. I've also discovered monjayaki, which is a Tokyo variation in which they essentially gave up on the idea of making a pancake-type thing and you more or less eat a stir fry of ingredients right off the grill.
Other things that are delicious here and hard to find done well in the States are karaage (marinating the chicken in sake is key, and even in San Francisco, it's hard to find people who do that) and takoyaki. I used to stop and get takoyaki on my way home every so often the last time I lived in Kyoto, and while I always puncture them and wait a bit before eating to avoid the unfortunate "lava mouth" experience which people seem to favor in Osaka, they're so good, but always overcooked or just underflavored in the States.
I also love all the drinks you can never find anywhere but here like amazake, which is a sweet hot winter drink made from sake lees, and hiyashiame, which is an unusual Kansai drink that is essentially cold ginger juice and which is amazing.
Japan is also a great country for bread. This may be somewhat counterintuitive, but it's true; although I've yet to find a really great baguette, Japan has many amazing kinds of bakery bread and I totally believe that it's the second-best bread country behind France. Sadly my neighborhood bakery is small and not as adventurous as they could be, though their Earl Grey chocolate chip bread is delicious. I miss my giant grocery store in Kyoto which had a very large selection of delicious bakery bread and a bakery right next to it (because shopping mall).
Similarly--and this is something that Tokyo is good for--Japan is also really good at classy, Dean & DeLuca style Western food. There are any number of great cafes and such in the retail complexes here which serve fantastic lunch specials, and many cafes that do the same, all at wonderful prices.
Really, I like everything. EXCEPT WHALE.
kindkit This question could have a very boring answer, namely, "everything except whale," but I shall endeavor to be more interesting.
The single thing I love the most (and this is very ironic) is parfait. The Japanese have taken parfait to the limits of the art form and then beyond (I've had parfait served with dry ice here, for example) and it is all delicious. Most food in Japan is not very sweet, and in fact is much less sweet than most food in America, but to compensate desserts that are very sweet are readily available. Even a delicious monstrosity like the Hello Kitty Christmas Tree Parfait (the tree part is made of cotton candy) is never too sweet, though. The tumblr tag has many delicious pictures, but I should note that I particularly like the so called "wa-fuu" (i.e. Japanese style) parfaits, which have more traditional ingredients like mochi, red bean paste, and various kinds of jellies alongside the cornflakes and ice cream and which are sadly rather hard to find in Tokyo. When I go to Kyoto the first thing I'm doing is heading to Tofu Cafe Fujino for their parfait of the month. And then I will probably go back for their regular parfait the next day.
GDI now I want parfait even more than usual.
Ahem. Another Japanese food I like that's more difficult to find in the States is okonomiyaki and its various variations--as should surprise nobody, I like the Kansai style (in which all the ingredients are mixed together) much better than the Hiroshimayaki style, in which everything is layered, but I have a surprising soft spot for modanyaki, which is okonomiyaki with a layer of yakisoba. Nomz. I've also discovered monjayaki, which is a Tokyo variation in which they essentially gave up on the idea of making a pancake-type thing and you more or less eat a stir fry of ingredients right off the grill.
Other things that are delicious here and hard to find done well in the States are karaage (marinating the chicken in sake is key, and even in San Francisco, it's hard to find people who do that) and takoyaki. I used to stop and get takoyaki on my way home every so often the last time I lived in Kyoto, and while I always puncture them and wait a bit before eating to avoid the unfortunate "lava mouth" experience which people seem to favor in Osaka, they're so good, but always overcooked or just underflavored in the States.
I also love all the drinks you can never find anywhere but here like amazake, which is a sweet hot winter drink made from sake lees, and hiyashiame, which is an unusual Kansai drink that is essentially cold ginger juice and which is amazing.
Japan is also a great country for bread. This may be somewhat counterintuitive, but it's true; although I've yet to find a really great baguette, Japan has many amazing kinds of bakery bread and I totally believe that it's the second-best bread country behind France. Sadly my neighborhood bakery is small and not as adventurous as they could be, though their Earl Grey chocolate chip bread is delicious. I miss my giant grocery store in Kyoto which had a very large selection of delicious bakery bread and a bakery right next to it (because shopping mall).
Similarly--and this is something that Tokyo is good for--Japan is also really good at classy, Dean & DeLuca style Western food. There are any number of great cafes and such in the retail complexes here which serve fantastic lunch specials, and many cafes that do the same, all at wonderful prices.
Really, I like everything. EXCEPT WHALE.