Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [51]
Although the danger of fugu poisoning is negligible, some Japanese joke that you should always let your dining companion try the first piece – if they are still talking after five minutes, you can consider it safe and have some yourself. If you need a shot of liquid courage in order to get you started, try a glass of hirezake (toasted fugu tail in hot sake) – the traditional accompaniment to a fugu dinner.
Fugu is a seasonal delicacy best eaten in winter. Fugu restaurants usually serve only fugu, and can be identified by a picture of a fugu on the sign out the front.
Fugu is the speciality of Western Honshū, and Shimonoseki is a good place to give it a try. Of course, you can also find fugu in other parts of Japan.
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In 1997 there were 44 cases of poisoning from eating improperly prepared fugu (globefish or pufferfish), resulting in three fatalities.
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Tonkatsu
Tonkatsu is a deep-fried breaded pork cutlet that is served with a special sauce, usually as part of a set meal (tonkatsu teishoku). Tonkatsu is served both at speciality restaurants and at shokudō. Naturally, the best tonkatsu is to be found at the speciality places, where a full set will cost ¥1500 to ¥2500. When ordering tonkatsu, you are able to choose between rōsu (a fatter cut of pork) and hire (a leaner cut).
Kushiage & Kushikatsu
This is the fried food to beat all fried foods. Kushiage and kushikatsu are deep-fried skewers of meat, seafood and vegetables eaten as an accompaniment to beer. Kushi means ‘skewer’ and if food can be fit on one, it’s probably on the menu. Cabbage is often eaten with the meal.
You order kushiage and kushikatsu by the skewer (one skewer is ippon, but you can always use your fingers to indicate how many you want). Like yakitori, this food is popular with the after-work crowd and students and is fairly inexpensive, though there are upmarket places. Expect to pay ¥2000 to ¥5000 for a full meal and a couple of beers. Not particularly distinctive in appearance, the best kushiage and kushikatsu places are found by asking a Japanese friend.
Okonomiyaki
The name means ‘cook what you like’, and an okonomiyaki restaurant provides you with an inexpensive opportunity to do just that. Sometimes described as Japanese pizza or pancake, the resemblance is in form only. At an okonomiyaki restaurant you sit around a teppan (iron hotplate), armed with a spatula and chopsticks to cook your choice of meat, seafood and vegetables in a cabbage and vegetable batter.
Some restaurants will do most of the cooking and bring the nearly finished product over to your hotplate for you to season with katsuo bushi (bonito flakes), shōyu, ao-nori (an ingredient similar to parsley), Japanese Worcestershire-style sauce and mayonnaise. Cheaper places, however, will simply hand you a bowl filled with the ingredients and expect you to cook it for yourself. If this happens, don’t panic. First, mix the batter and filling thoroughly, then place it on the hotplate, flattening it into a pancake shape. After five minutes or so, use the spatula to flip it and cook for another five minutes. Then dig in.
Most okonomiyaki places also serve yaki-soba (fried noodles with meat and vegetables) and yasai-itame (stir-fried vegetables). All of this is washed down with mugs of draught beer.
One final word: don’t worry too much about preparation of the food – as a foreigner you will be expected to be awkward, and the waiter will keep a sharp eye on you to make sure no real disasters occur.
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The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture recently created a team to assess the quality of Japanese restaurants abroad. The so-called ‘Sushi Police’ are intended to put a stop to third-rate restaurants serving poor imitations of real Japanese food. Does this spell the end of the California roll?
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Kaiseki
Kaiseki is the pinnacle of Japanese cuisine, where ingredients,