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At first, I didn't have the nerve. I
wandered Roppongi's early-morning
streets, tortured by the delicious smells
emanating from the many businessmen's
noodle shops, intimidated by the crowds.
Japanese salarymen sat cheek-to-jowl,
happily slurping down bowls of soba. I
didn't want to stare. I didn't want to
offend. I was acutely aware of how
freakish and un-Japanese I looked, with
my height, in my boots and leather jacket.
The prospect of pushing aside the banner
to one of these places, sliding back the
door, and stepping inside, then squeezing
on to a stool at a packed counter and
trying to figure out how and what to order
was a little frightening. One couldn't
enter a place, change one's mind and then
creep away. The prospect of being the
center of attention at this tender hour,
with the capillaries in my brain shriveled
from all the beers on the flight, and the
jet lag even worse than it had been the
day before - I just couldn't handle it. I
wandered the streets, gaping, my stomach
growling, looking for somewhere,
anywhere to sit down and have coffee,
something to eat. ... There was no way,
I told myself that I was gonna eat my first
Tokyo meal at Starbucks! ... Muttering
to myself, I found the narrowest, most
uninviting-looking street, pushed aside
the banner of the first soba shop I entered,
slid back the door and plopped myself
down on a stool. When greeted, I simply
pointed a thumb at the guy next to me
and said, `Dozo. I'll have what's he's
having.'"
- Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen
Confidential
have picture menus or trans-
lated menus; if you appear not
to be Japanese, like most of
the world, they will likely bring
this menu to you if they have it.
And you can always look at the
food of the people around you
and point at what they're
having.
food is available both as a
densely elegant simple presen-
tation of the freshest food to
cross your tongue, or as a
cheap chain-store alternative.
frequently, you'll find yourself
slurping down a lot of noodles.
You'll be surprised at how good
any hole in the wall noodle
shop can be in Tokyo.
fried bits in a styrofoam cup.
Ramen can refer to a large
steaming bowl of freshly spun
noodles soaking in rich smoky
pork juice, miso paste or soy/
salt broth. Typical toppings
include pork, egg, bamboo
shoots, sliced onion, seaweed.
It may not be healthy or subtle,
but it's often delicious and it's a
hot hand towels before your meal.
Besides offering a brief sensual
pleasure, these often serve as the only
napkin you'll receive for the meal.