Tokyo, Japan
One of the many perks of being in Tokyo is the
surplus of delicious restaurants to choose from. Like London in many ways,
Tokyo is a foodie’s heaven and one is spoilt for choice when deciding what to
eat. Having spent the morning exploring the charming little streets of
Harajuku, my friends and I popped in for a traditional Japanese lunch
at the much-recommended Sakura Tei restaurant. Specializing in Okonomiyaki (a
self prepared savoury pancake) the restaurant is situated in a traditional
Japanese house which was all the more surreal in Harajuku, which is
uniquely contemporary and avant-garde. The layout of the restaurant proved to
be quite confusing as it was organized in a maze-like arrangement with many
small corridors and dining areas located in separate rooms scattered all over.
Despite the confusion, we embraced the vibe and proceeded to ordering
momentarily after being seated. We naturally ordered the Okonomiyaki with
chicken and noodles, both preceded by the house salad. Minutes after
ordering, the grill we were sat around was lit up and our food started arriving.
The salad was sensational and delicious, its ingredients so fresh that it made
us order another portion. Garnished with capers and generous portions of salmon,
it opened up our appetites for the main dishes. The Okonomiyaki ingredients
arrived neatly arranged on side plates, and having carefully read the
instructions we tested our cooking skills by mixing the ingredients to make
the pancake (more like an omelette). Loaded with many vegetables, and drizzled
in teriyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise, it was spectacular, albeit quite
heavy! Shortly after, our noodle ingredients arrived and we exercised our wits
by cooking the noodles. Feeling unable to eat anymore, we braved to try the
noodles and after the first bite we had forgotten how full we were. For being
rookies in the kitchen, we managed to grill some yummy noodles, which were the
great conclusion to this grand meal.
