Eating Japan

I recently returned from a trip to Kobe, Japan, my mother's hometown. It was the first time I had been back to Japan in over 17 years. Of course our family reunions are always centered around big meals (whose aren't?), so we ended up eating at least five times a day.

I think it's only appropriate that I use my first blog post to show you some of the delicious cuisine--traditional and contemporary--that I sampled during my visit to Japan.

From top to bottom:
1) Okonomiyaki--a Japanese savory "pancake" filled with veggies, sauteed pork and squid. Topped with tonkatsu sauce and mayonaise.
2) Sushi--Can you believe the size of those pieces of fish? There's actually rice under there!
3) Kitsune udon and Sekihan set--delicious udon noodles in a hot bonito broth, accompanied by sticky red bean rice and pickled radish.
4) Yakitori--marinated grilled chicken skewers
5) Tonkatsu--Lightly panko-coated, deep-fried pork cutlet served with a mound of thinly sliced cabbage and miso-yuzu dressing.