Wednesday, April 19, 2006

One down, one more to go...

Have you all been enjoying My Spicy Epicurean Debauchery as much as I have?! My big sister's the best!

I managed to squeeze out one prostate cancer grant proposal out the door, so I am taking it easy this week before Project: Breast Cancer begins this weekend...

I was going to blog tonight, but I am very, very, very sleepy and still trying to recover from the massive stress ball that prostate cancer proposal was, so I am just going to do a quick post... Besides, if I write too much, I might lose my most valuable co-writer!

So, instead of a big long post, I leave you tonight with pictures from my last visit to Japan... A stay at an onsen (hot spring) usually includes a dinner and a breakfast. While at Sendai-city, I had the pleasure of indulging at Saryou Souen, an exclusive onsen known for epicurean debauchery...

Here is an example of their exquisite attention to detail. The saying in Japan is that you eat with your eyes first...
soen1
The konbu seaweed that wrapped the fish tightly infused the fish with the most delicate yet distinctive umami flavor. I can still feel the konbu unravel in my mouth with dashi dripping umami onto my tongue...

The Japanese consider the careful selection of plates for each dish to be as critical as what is plated. Here's a great example....
soen2
Plating a scallop dish on a shell-shaped plate! How fun! And the contrasting textures of the soft scallop with the crunchy vegetables - ingenious!

There's more from this precious night. The height of Japanese cuisine continues tomorrow (unless Project: Breast Cancer gets a kick-start...) - stay tuned!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Eat with your eyes first, eh? How come when I do that (admiring the dish before I eat it), somebody _always_ says, "Chop chop?" :^)

Alice said...

Papa,

There is a balance between eating with your eyes and letting the few moments of divine deliciousness escape as you twidle your thumbs staring at the food!

Yamo,

Oishikatta yo~!