Leftover photos...
Lunch at a Korean restaurant in Ginza Mitsukoshi. I had Sundubu lunch set and it was superb.
Yay, Spicy Ja-ja men at Nyan Nyan in Kita-Urawa. Only 400 yen (about $5). So rustic and tasty.
Tororo (grated mountain yam) with multi-grain rice lunch in Urawa.
Kuri-mushi Yokan (steamed azuki bean paste jelly with chestnuts) from Iga! The chestnuts were cooked with their "shibu-kawa" (inner skin) on, so the flavor was so deep.
The trip to Taipei was so great that it made me want to eat more Chinese food after returning to Tokyo. The next day, we had Chinese lunch at a local restaurant. My seafood noodle soup was very nice.
Another noodle lunch. I had an unique beef ramen. The broth was made with the beef-bone stock. Over the medium-thick noodles, there were braised beef shank and roasted beef slices. Although it's obviously very different from the Taiwanese beef noodle soup which I fell in love with in Taipei, this beef ramen was pretty good. The broth was much cleaner and light taste than I thought.
Some of the wines I enjoyed drinking at home...
2004 Domaine Gaston & Pierre Ravaut, Ladoix...Especially after my last trip to Bourgogne, I feel more strongly that Ladoix is an under-rated appellation. This wine, to me, was a text-book with the lighter ruby and the very soft palate. Beautiful balance. I wanted to order more from the store but it was already sold-out when I tried.
2008 Domaine G. Roblot-Marchand et Fils, Chambolle-Musigny...by a young winemaker (still in his early 30's) Frederick Roblot, who learned after Burgundy's influential winemakers such as Christophe Roumier and Dominique le Guen (Hudelot-Baillet). Average 40-year-old vines. Aroma of rose, spice, and earth. Rich minerals on the palate. Long finish.
2004 Domaine Anne et Herve Sigaut, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru, "Les Charmes"...The first impression was the wine tasted very young and still tight. It opened up in the glass after 15-20 minutes with the floral aroma, blackberry, herb, and leather. Elegant and complex.
Whenever we had dinner at home in Urawa, we made rice with Kamado-san!
My 9-year-old nephew, Wataru, loves dessert. Chez Matsuo's vanilla cream puff was brilliant.
It was another great stay back in Japan.
