Memorable sushi and tonkatsu, and Japanese hospitality

IT WOULD have been easier to fly to Victoria Falls or take a road trip to Chilo Gorge, but two years after our daughter moved to Tokyo it was time to visit Japan, the mysterious and exotic land of the rising sun. We arrived at the beginning of April, when the cherry blossom was in bloom and Japanese families were celebrating the arrival of spring.

Elegant sushi platter in Meguro Tokyo

Hanami (flower viewing) was in full swing, with families picknicking under the cherry blossom trees. On the bridge across the Meguro river, one of the best places to see the blossom, we joined the partying crowds one evening. We sipped champagne under the light of paper lanterns hanging from the trees and later made our way to a nearby sushi restaurant. ‘Irrashaimase!’ (Welcome!) called out the three chefs as they deftly shaped rice balls prepared with rice vinegar and sugar, covering them with thin slices of fish. There are many types of sushi, and as few restaurateurs speak English and most menus are written in Japanese, eating out can be an adventure.
The platter we shared between two was a great success. The nigiri sushi was made with a slice of fresh salmon, melt-in-the-mouth tuna, squid and fragrant, smoky eel, each draped over a ball of seasoned sushi rice. Delicious maki were created from rice, fresh tuna,cucumber and daikon, wrapped in sheets of dried seaweed, known as nori.Visually exciting and delicious were plump and succulent giant prawns, coated in panko breadcrumbs and deep- fried. A miniature teapot containing soy sauce, and a small dish of fiery green wasabi paste completed the elegant presentation of this popular Japanese dish.
Getting around Tokyo is convenient and efficient on the Tokyo Metro system. The carriages are clean, and yellow lines on either side of opening doors corral travellers while passengers alight. No pushing and shoving! Loud classical music plays as the train doors start to close. Most stations have elevators for the elderly and infirm, and all stations have spotless toilets with heated toilet seats, automatic flushing, and constant supplies of loo paper.
Just around the corner from Toritsu-daigaku, the train station close to our house, was a small Japanese bar, its signage in Japanese, roughly translated as Shokujidokoro Toriharu. The owner/chef greeted us with a ceremonious bow, and served us a well-priced meal – pork stew with mushrooms, turnips and mirin (sweet rice wine) for George, and grilled mackerel for me. As is customary, the dish was accompanied by a bowl of rice, a dish of pickled turnips, and a bowl of miso soup. We communicated by sign language and bowing, and complimented the chef with the one Japanese word I had learned – oishi – meaning tasty. We sipped small glasses of sake (Japanese rice wine), as the five or six other patrons nodded and smiled, chatting all the while to us in Japanese. A gentleman seated next to George spent a fruitless half hour trying to show us how to use chop sticks. We felt that we had made new friends in a strange city, although none of us had understood a word the other had said.
One of the most popular dishes in Japan is tonkatsu, a crispy and crunchy pork cutlet. Made from either the loin or the fillet, the pork is dipped in egg and panko bread crumbs, before being deep-fried. Luxury, high-end pork is produced from Kurobuta pigs, descended from Black Berkshire pigs, imported from England three hundred years ago. Fed on a diet of peanuts, clover, corn, oats, milk and beer, the result is a type of pork tasting like no other, and rivalling Wagyu beef in popularity.In the trendy neighbourhood of Jiyugaoka, we came across Tonkatsu Gorico, a restaurant specialising in pork dishes. Our waitress was fluent in English, having spent a year in America. Impeccably groomed and smart in black and white uniform, she guided us through the menu and constantly replenished our sake glasses. The 100g tonkatsu (JPY1,800) was memorable. Crisply coated with panko bread crumbs, and tender and juicy within, it was delicious. Shredded cabbage, with a light vinaigrette dressing, sticky rice and pickles, and miso soup, were classic accompaniments.
Not only did the tonkatsu look good – it also tasted great. Many more adventures awaited us, but our culinary journey in Tokyo had just begun, and we were off to a good start.

Comments to: charlotte malakoff@gmail.com