Off-Convoy: JAPAN!

We have taken a very long hiatus...partly because I went to JAPAN for TWO WEEKS!  I was fortunate to travel with my brothers and foodie friends who eat as much as, if not more than, I do.  Our goals: (1) eat at Sukiyabashi Jiro; (2) eat tons of ramen; and (3) eat everything else in sight.  Mission accomplished.  And now, a select photo series of our adventures...

First, we flew into Tokyo.  Potato mochi with mitarashi sauce @ Hokkaido, an izakaya chain.

Sea grapes! I'd never seen these before.  They tasted like teeny bubble wrap full of saltwater.  @ Tingara, an Okinawan izakaya.

Oh man, were we nervous to be at Sukiyabashi Jiro (the younger son's branch) of "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" fame.  An American tour group left as we were waiting, saying in hushed voices, "That was DIFFICULT," and "What was he SAYING?"  Apparently, they had been shooed out because a few of them had left sushi on their plates -- a terrible insult, duh.

I didn't take pictures of the sushi -- you can just watch the movie or Google image search for better photos than I could take.  But we had 21 delectable pieces of sushi each: hirame, ika, big scallops, akami, chu-toro, toro, uni, katsuo, anago, small scallops, akagai, kuruma-ebi, kani, clam, kohada, aji, shimesaba, shako, ikura, flounder fin, tamago.  After the fourth, our brains went to La La Land from all the deliciousness, so we couldn't remember the order of the tasting menu.  In particular, I recall how the fatty tuna and anago dissolved on the tongue -- it melted away faster than butter.

The chef was surly at first, but he warmed up to us.  In fact, he even followed us out and chatted for a long while about his work and life philosophy!

A trip to Japan is not complete without a visit to a maid cafe.  Even though it might leave your soul feeling a little the emptier, your parfait will be ridiculously cute.  Or kawaii.  Or whatever.

Lookit that GORGEOUS MARBLEDNESS.  Some of the best beef we've ever had! 

We ate the beef in sukiyaki and shabu shabu, prepared for us by attentive kimonoed ladies.  We were a long way from Swab World.

At the food stalls outside Tsukiji.  This tuna/salmon roe/fatty tuna+green onion bowl is 1200 yen (about $12) from  Tsujiki Donburi Ichiba.  I went back for this twice more.  We learned from Takashi the sushi master that you have to be very careful when you cut salmon roe from the sac -- if it's done poorly, bile seeps all over it and you have to cover up the taste with a lot of salt.  The salmon roe at Sukiyabashi and Tsukiji is not salty, and it doesn't leave a fishy taste in your mouth.

At Inoue, a ramen stall in Tsukiji.  This was our favorite ramen in Japan -- simple, straightforward, shoyu broth, 650 yen.

These are the Inoue ramen men.

Hand-cut noodles and niboshi broth distinguish Nagi's ramen.  The whole egg was sure delicious too.

You know what else Japanese people do well?  Pasta.  This was fresh spaghetti with bacon, mushrooms, soy sauce, and butter, topped with seaweed.  For 980 yen.  

Tonkotsu ramen at our cousin's favorite, Ippudo.  (Apparently, they opened a branch in NY that's not half as good.)

Out in the country in the little town of Shimoda.  These giant shrimp were still flailing their little legs about (my aunt is imitating them) as we ate the meat off of them.  We felt like barbarians, but the sashimi sure was sweet.

Shimoda is known for their kinmedai, a soft, white fish.  Mmm, lookit all that fat.

At the end of the meal, the giant shrimp comes back out, cooked in the miso soup.

This is chicken sashimi.  I decided to ignore all of my American-born fear of salmonella poisoning and ate it.  It was ultra-tasty.  Just like very good fish sashimi.  @ Bochi Bochi, an izakaya in Shimoda.

Yes, they're just sandwiches, but they were amazing!  The egg was so soft and fluffy, and the ham/tomato/cucumber had wasabi mayo on it.  @ Hiranoya, a traditional diner in Shimoda.

Our mom's hometown, Kawazu, has very clean rivers, which means they have the best unagi around.  Here is the menu at Manryo.  Three items: unagi over rice, rice between a double-layer of unagi, or rice with unagi on the side. 

And here it is: one of my favorite meals in Japan.  Eel usually tastes at least a teeny bit like mud to me, but not this!  It is crisp on the edges.  The skin melts in your mouth.  The meat is fresh and tender.

Japanese cakes are so adorable!

And now I can't eat at a Japanese restaurant in San Diego for a while. At least a month, maybe two.

Old Village

Mixed vegetables in the mountains, so romantic!

Panchan.

There were a LOT of dumplings in here.

Shrimp fried rice.

Bibimbap with bulgogi.

Hot stone pot with chicken.

Rating: Two thumbs up
Date: 5/5/13
Time in: 7:19 PM
Time out: 8:54 PM
Servers' recommendations: Bibimbap, stir-fried squid with spicy sauce, dumpling soup
What we ordered: Bibimbap with bulgogi (Miko), dumpling soup (Chelsie), hot stone pot with chicken (Jenne), shrimp fried rice (Sarah M.)
Number in our party: 4 (with Chelsie and Sarah M. as guest judges)
Final check amount: $49.63
Price per person: $16.54
 
Notes: 

• The bean sprouts panchan is flavorful!  (It often is the blandest of bland.)  The potato panchan is chewy.  Jenne likes it; I don't.
• I liked the dol sot better (because I didn't like all the lettuce with the bibimbap), but I prefer the beef.
• The dumpling soup is very comforting and warm.  I like the strong pepper flavor, and the egg in it is perfectly cooked.  
• They brought us more panchan before we even asked!
• The shrimp in the fried rice was overcooked and very chewy.  It was kind of bland -- the kind of fried rice that would be good for breakfast.
• Overall, an enjoyable experience. 

RESTAURANT INFORMATION 

Address: 4681 Convoy St, Ste B
Phone number: 858.277.8625  
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Shared lot that's pretty tiny, but there's decent turnover, so you can usually squeak into a spot that someone's pulling out of.
Ideal group size: 2-6
Available vegetarian options: Vegetable fried rice?  Veggie bibimbap?  They might have fish sauce in them, though.
Noise level: 2.5

MARU Lounge

These drinks sounded exciting but were pretty artificial-tasting.

Ooh, this katsu was perfectly cooked.  The sweet potato filling was delicious too!

Seafood pancake!  Look at those crisp edges! 
And it was very light, not like some that sit in your stomach all night.

Rating: Two thumbs up
Date: 4/23/13
Time in: 8:35 PM
Time out: 9:47 PM
Servers' recommendations: Sweet potato pork cutlet, fried chicken bowl, cream toppoki
What we ordered: Sweet potato pork cutlet, seafood pancake with no bell peppers
Number in our party: 2
Final check amount: $35.20
Price per person: $11.73
 
Notes:    

• The water is lightly flavored and tasty. 
• Surprising X-factor!  We imagined a stiff, trendy place, but due to the server's kindness and homey cushions, we felt like the restaurant wanted us to be comfortable.
• The lighting is also lovely, not too dark.  
• The music is too loud and the drinks have a strongly artificial flavor (the mojito tastes like powdered limeade) -- our only complaints. 
• They really know how to fry their food.  Everything is a crispy, delicious golden-brown.  That's rare on Convoy!  
• We loved the katsu with garlicky sweet potato.  
• Delicious seafood pancake. 

RESTAURANT INFORMATION 

Address: 4681 Convoy St, Ste A
Phone number: 858.279.8500
Website: https://www.facebook.com/maru.sandiego
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Shared lot that's pretty tiny, but there's decent turnover, so you can usually squeak into a spot that someone's pulling out of.
Ideal group size: 1-8
Available vegetarian options: Salads, fruit punch salad, fried tofu salad, sweet potato noodles with vegetables (we're not sure if these dishes actually are vegetarian, but they sound like it).
Noise level: 3.5 because of the music; otherwise, it would be a 1.

Tajima

Omu-yakisoba.

Mabo tofu ramen. 
Started out good but it grew...off...me?  Can you say that?

Karaage bowl.

Okonomiyaki.  Kind of lumpish and heavy.

A very pretty onigiri...well, except for that creepy-looking takuan.

Rating: Two thumbs down
Date: 3/19/13
Time in: 8:40 PM
Time out: 9:42 PM
Servers' recommendations: Karaage bowl, mabo tofu bowl, chicken katsu bowl, curry ramen, hayashi omu-rice, Japanese flavor steak
What we ordered: Omu-yakisoba (Miko), karaage bowl (Nick), mabo tofu ramen (Jenne), okonomiyaki (to share)
Number in our party: 3
Final check amount: $44.17
Price per person: $14.72/person
 
Notes: 

• Servers' recommendations were given with confidence!  We had two who waited on us, and they were both helpful and charming.  Unfortunately, I hated the omu-yakisoba that the girl recommended, but I felt like I had to eat a good amount of it so she wouldn't feel bad. 
• They revamped and are expanding.  They used to focus more on Japanese clientele, and now they're gearing toward yuppies.  Tajima used to be homey, and they had manga in the waiting area and Japanese signs.  Now, it's all fancy with a big bar.
• This restaurant was a go-to for me, especially for late-night dining.  Now, I would just go to Yakitori Yakyudori or Yokohama Yakitori Koubou.
• They have fountain soda!  This is very rare in an Asian restaurant, Nick notes with excitement.  (Jenne and I could not care less.)  

RESTAURANT INFORMATION 

Address: 4681 Convoy St, Ste 1
Phone number: 858.576.7244
Website: http://www.tajimasandiego.com 
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Shared lot that's pretty tiny, but there's decent turnover, so you can usually squeak into a spot that someone's pulling out of.
Ideal group size: 2-4
Available vegetarian options: Plum onigiri, salads, veggie tempura
Noise level: 3.5

Friend's House

I (Jenne) was just getting over a cold, and this was the most comforting thing I could imagine right then.

So many panchan!  I had trouble fitting them all in one picture.

A spinning wheel?

This was SO HOT it took me forever to eat but it was delicious.

Rating: Two thumbs up
Date: 2/23/13
Time in: 12:46 PM 
Servers' recommendations: #11 (Dol Sot Bibim Bap), #12 (Kim Chi Dol Sot Bibim Bap), #17 (Man Doo La Myun), #22 (Soon Do Boo), #27 (Gae Ji Jae) 
What we ordered: #11, #17 
Number in our party: 2
Final check amount: $20.50
Price per person: $10.25
Notes: 

•  It's very cozy inside.  They have X factor!  The place is full of the strangest assortment of knick-knacks, so it really does feel like you're at a friend's house -- a friend with a kooky grandmother who collects all kinds of junk at flea markets. There's an antique telephone where you walk in, and the stereo looks like a fake plastic rock.   
• The booths are private with high wooden walls, and the cushions on the benches are really homey and cute.
• The panchan is especially good here; they must make it themselves.  The potato panchan is delicious and still a little warm.  We asked for a second helping.  The jelly is better here than at other places.  It's usually so bland.  We don't get the lettuce with the Thousand Island dressing though -- ew.
• The ramen dish is very comforting and well-seasoned.  There are TONS of noodles (probably 3-4 packs of ramen noodles) that aren't overcooked.  It has scrambled egg (and we all know how I feel about egg on anything) and carrots in it, with furikake sprinkled on top.  It's just the right level of spicy.  And it has dumplings in it!  The dumplings might have been packaged, but they're flavorful.  This would be a great hangover/cold food.
• The bibim bap is also yummy.  The vegetables in it taste very fresh and are nicely cooked.  The dish is REALLY hot -- it sizzled for almost the entire meal.  That means there's a lot of good rice crust.
• The servers could check in a little more often with water refills, but they were really nice.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION 
Address: 4647 Convoy St, Ste 101A
Phone number: 858.292.0499
Website: http://friendshousekorean.menutoeat.com
Accepts credit cards? Yes, 25 cents for orders under $10
Parking: Shared lot, still crowded
Ideal group size: 1-4
Noise level: 2

The Fruit Shop

Dragonfruit are surprisingly bland (or should I say delicate?) -tasting considering what they look like.

These are what's inside the jackfruit.  They taste sort of like honey and gasoline-flavored cantaloupe, but in a good way.

Rating: Two thumbs up!
Date: 2/23/13
Time in: 12:38 PM
Time out: 12:43 PM  
Owner's recommendation: Mangosteens
What we bought: Mangosteens, papaya
Number in our party: 2 
Final check amount: $15.31 for a bag of a dozen or so mangosteens; $10 something for a smaller pack of mangosteens and a package of Hawaiian papaya
Notes: 

• The family who owns the place is SO nice.  They make you feel very welcome, and they shower you with samples.
• They like to tell you all about the fruit you're getting, but you might not understand a thing they say.
• They have a lot of fruit that's been cut up beautifully and packaged.  Thank God for that; we would have no idea how to cut into a jackfruit.  Have you seen how giant those things are?  They look like creatures out of "Monster's, Inc."
• I love getting a coconut juice there and taking it to Dumpling Inn.
• This is one of the few places we know that carries mangosteens, which are apparently very difficult to import.  If you've never had a mangosteen (and I hadn't until Jenne bought some from this shop), you should go buy some RIGHT NOW -- it is mangosteen season!  They taste like strawberry Starburst in fruit form. 
• They don't have the most reliable hours -- they told us that they close earlier in the winter because they're afraid to be there after dark.  Aww.
  

STORE INFORMATION
Address: 4619 Convoy St, Unit A3
Phone number: 858.268.0888
Website: https://www.facebook.com/TheFruitShop
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Crowded shared lot
Ideal group size: Any
Available vegetarian options: ALL!
Noise level: 2

Off-Convoy: Yamadaya

They have a nice patio, but it was a little too cold to sit there.

Note that the kara-age is fried BROWN! not pale beige.

Simple yet tasty salad.

Mabo-don.

Miko's tonkotsu shoyu ramen with GIANT piece of kakuni.

Plain tonkotsu.

My tonkotsu shoyu "Yamadaya" style, with both chashu and kakuni.  Get this one!

Rating: Two thumbs up, gold star potential (two thumbs up from Glennis and Laura too!)
Date: 2/15/13
Time in: 6:46 PM, sat down at 7:07 PM
Time out: 8:02 PM 
Servers' recommendations: Tonkotsu ramen
What we ordered: Yamadaya ramen (tonkotsu shoyu broth) with extra firm noodles with kara-age and salad (Jenne); kakuni ramen (tonkotsu shoyu broth) with mabo bowl and salad (Miko); tonkotsu ramen (Laura); tonkotsu ramen (Glennis)
Number in our party: 4 (Glennis and Laura as guest judges)
Final check amount: $48.81
Price per person: $12.20 average
Notes:

• The service was much friendlier than at Yakitori Yakyudori, but they weren't the most efficient.  The staff was always running to and fro and dropping things.  Seriously, we saw servers drop something at least 4 times during our visit.
• The ramen broth was flavorful and fatty.  We liked the tonkotsu shoyu better than the tonkotsu regular.
• Both the chashu and the kakuni were DELICIOUS. 
• The kakuni ramen had a GIGANTIC SLAB of pork belly on top, and I can't tell you how satisfying it was to take giant bites of it.  I daydreamed about it for days afterward.
• The marinated eggs were quite good.  I really can't do without the nicely marinated egg in my ramen anymore.
  
• I do prefer the eggier, curlier ramen noodles -- they had straighter white noodles here.  I wish I could get just the noodles from RakiRaki and have Yamadaya use them.
• I (Jenne) am a total princess and the pea about overcooked noodles, so I got mine extra-firm. Good call. They understand it better if you say you want "hard" noodles.
• The kara-age was the best we've had in town.  It is SO DIFFICULT to find chicken that's properly fried on Convoy.  Here, it was crispy and well seasoned.  We were annoyed when the chicken came out with no mayonnaise on the side, but then, we didn't even miss it!
• We liked that the salad was cabbage instead of lettuce, and the dressing was tasty! It was a nice break from the ramen and chicken, which can get heavy without a vegetable break.
  
• The mabodon was just okay.  The rice was dry and rather flavorless.  Stick to the ramen + kara-age + salad combo.
• Laura says that it was the closest she's had to the fabulous ramen she had in Yokohama on her Japan trip.
  
  

RESTAURANT INFORMATION 
Address: 4706 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
Phone number: 858.483.3431
Website: http://www.ramen-yamadaya.com
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: A shared lot that's GIANT but still doesn't seem to have enough spaces
Ideal group size: 1-4
Available vegetarian options: Edamame and rice...?
Who not to bring: Vegetarians
Noise level: 3.5