The capital of the Umamisphere, Tokyo is a cluttered jungle of JUNK. Yoko reports.
After four years in Tokyo, Yoko recently relocated to the Bay Area. She loves dips, dashi and deals.
Tokyo JUNKtion
January 13, 2016
Tokyo JUNKtion: Oreno Dashi in Akasaka
For the past few years, I’ve been hoping to get into an Oreno restaurant in Tokyo. Established in 2011, their mission is two-fold: 1. Serve dishes prepared by Michelin-starred class chef, at one-third the price you would pay in a high-end restaurant; 2. Food costs make up 60% of expenses. To make up for the […]
March 17, 2014
Tokyo JUNKtion: Hosomaki Diaries
Trends in roll combinations in the States are rapid, with so many joints coming up with their own “house” rolls. Conversely, the combinations of rolls or makimono are very constant in Japan. In this post, I am specifically referring to hosomaki (or thin rolls). There are the staples: kappa (cucumber), oshinko (pickled radish) and kanpyo (dried […]
February 24, 2014
Tokyo JUNKtion: Jicca
Whenever I visit Tokyo, I look forward to meeting newborns… especially when I’ve followed the progression of their parents. No, I’m not talking about newborn babies. I’m talking about new places to eat. On our first full night in Tokyo, Kayoko and I visited Jicca, our friend Tori-chan’s place. She opened Jicca last August in […]
January 31, 2013
Tokyo JUNKtion: The B-Kyu Charm of Ramen
Ramen has always been big in Japan, and since the mid-2000’s it has exponentially grown in popularity and trendiness, with younger entrepenuers trying their hand at making the nation’s most beloved B-kyu (B-Class) food. B-kyu foods are defined as “comfort foods” like curry, ramen, gyudon (beef bowl) and yakisoba. In contrast, A-kyu (A-Class) foods are […]
August 16, 2012
Tokyo JUNKtion: Toraya (Roppongi Hills)
On the very special occasion that a visitor from Japan would bring Toraya to our home in Cupertino, I would actually be excited about eating. I was a very picky, skinny child, but whenever my mom busted out the Toraya I would eat blocks of yokan (red bean dessert) and stack as much anko into my […]
June 21, 2012
Tokyo JUNKtion: Matsunami Ramen
Matsunami Ramen was my first stop in Tokyo after a 9-day long trip of a lifetime to Darjeeling, India (more on that later). I was in Darjeeling and Tokyo on business but I was able to squeeze in a lot of culinary excitement into the trip. After eating spicy curries in India, and fresh herbs […]
May 24, 2012
Tokyo JUNKtion: The World Famous Awamori Wasabi-wari
I want Washio’s Awamori Wasabi-wari to be world famous, so I’ve gone ahead and named it “The World Famous Awamori Wasabi-wari.” It’s been out there on the WORLD wide web for over three years now, so I think it has earned its title. I caught the making of the world famous Awamori Wasabi-wari on tape […]
March 29, 2012
Tokyo JUNKtion: Ikko-an (Koshikawa)
After reading Moto’s post about making anko (sweet bean paste), I began to reminisce about my visit to a wagashi (traditional Japanese confectionary) shop in Koishikawa, Tokyo called Ikko-an. All of the wagashi are made by hand by the owner Chikara Mizukami, while his wife works in the storefront. He has made it a point […]