Kaori Ya (香り屋)

The first really great food I had in Tokyo was at a place called Kaori-Ya.
They are known for their soba noodles and small dishes.
Chilled beer to start off.
Premium Malts is one of my favorite beers in Japan following Yebisu.

So crisp and the perfect bitterness.

We ordered small dishes to start with before the soba main course.

On the right are various Japanese spices.

Ginkgo nuts with fried string beans and soba noodles.
I hardly have any dislikes of food,
but one thing I would prefer not to eat was Ginkgo nuts.
But I was proven wrong at Kaori-Ya,
because these were fresh Ginkgo nuts,
they tasted like small chesnuts.
It was very flavorful and delicious!!

Chilled Sake.
I love the clay pottery container and cup set.

Some more small dishes, japanese style omelette and pork tempura.
Peanuts are there to hold your chop sticks.

Zaru Soba.

Egg yolk and grated daikon (japanese radish) in the background.
These are the both toppings for soba noodles.

Soba No Ki (そばの木)

The first great food that I had in Japan
was at そばの木 ('Soba no Ki'), meaning Soba Tree.
It is located in Fukuoka, in the southern Kyushu province.

Panorama views of the Japanese rice fields from your seat.
So peaceful and relaxing.

The kitchen.
Very small restaurant,
so the husband and wife run it together by themselves.

Handmade tea set.
Inside is freshly brewed Soba-cha,
which is Japanese tea made from roasted buckwheat.
Very healthy and contains no caffeine.

First course: Soba Zosui (Buckwheat Soup)

Second Course: Steamed Seasonal Vegetables

Main Course: Handmade Soba Noodles
Option to put freshly grated wasabi in your broth.

Left: Japanese cabbage rolls with rice inside
Right: Soba-yu in a handmade pot.
Soba-yu is the boiling water that was used to cook the soba noodles.
It is common to put soba-yu in your broth after you finish
eating your noodles and drink the mixture.
Soba-yu contains nutrients and minerals from the noodles
that dissolved into the water when cooking.
It even has preventative effects against modern day diseases
such as high blood pressure, decreased liver function and diabetes.

Dessert: 白玉ぜんざい
(Sweet Adzuki Beans with rice cake made from powdered glutinous rice)

Japan Food Tour

Just came back from a trip from Japan and already wanting to go back.
Tokyo is, in my opinion, the ultimate food capital of the world.
I've always thought so,
but this time around was a totally incomparable experience,
having a foodie sister who has been on a search for good eats while
living there this past year.

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