Photographs from a small group of islands
Forget all that fancy stuff like sushi and sashimi, or tempura and tofu. If you want a no-nonsense cheap night out, how about a back to basics evening of pork and pints?
Perhaps not eh?
The display’s liberal use of cotton wool is a nice touch though. Unlike my inability to avoid the reflection of those bicycles. Or my legs in the background for that matter.
Regardless of how dangerous fugu (blowfish) is or isn’t, this restaurant can’t be accused of not serving the famous fish fresh.
I think I’ll go for one of the lazy little fellas resting on the bottom of the tank. Which one do you fancy?
Many restaurants in Japan have plastic food displayed outside, showing off the (supposedly) fabulous dishes available inside. And whilst in some ways it’s a slightly odd practice, I won’t knock it, as if a menu turns out to be incomprehensible, there remains the last resort of escorting the waiter/waitress outside and pointing at the desired dish.
Now don’t laugh. I’ve done it. And on more than one occasion too. Although as you can imagine, it’s a tad embarrassing.
What I didn’t realize though, was that apart from being a gaijin safety net, these plastic foodstuffs are part of a multi-million yen industry. Apparently it all started 80 years ago in Gifu Prefecture, and current fake food masters get plenty of orders (and money) for their hand-crafted delights.
These artisans can conjure up lettuce with just a bit of green-coloured wax softened in hot water. And with some cheese and tomato coloured paste on a plastic pizza base, topped with a bit of airbrushing magic, they can produce a mouth-watering pizza.
Or alternatively, instead of going through all that trouble, a few pieces of garishly red plastic can simply be slapped on a plate and passed off as beef.
Although it has to be said that the lettuce underneath is a nice touch.
Mixing beer and whisky is always asking for trouble. Well, it is in my books anyway. But it’s especially risky when the whisky is of such a cheap variety that it comes in a container not dissimilar to that of a ketchup bottle.
Yamagata farmer Kazuo Hanawa made the first shipment of his greenhouse-grown cherries yesterday. Now admittedly cherries don’t usually make the news, but they do when they sell for an incredible 1,000 yen (5 pound) a piece. Or an even heftier 40,000 yen (200 pound) for a 300 gram pack.
The fantastically priced fruit is apparently of the Sato Nishiki variety, which I must confess means nothing to me. Yet don’t for a minute think I’m adverse to the small spherical fruit. Not at all. In fact I’m quite partial to the odd cherry or two. But at 1,000 yen a go, I don’t think I’ll bother.
However that doesn’t mean to say I would deprive you dear reader of the opportunity of trying these choice cherries. You see quite miraculously I’ve managed to acquire a pack of this prized product, and I’m willing to sell it to the highest bidder.
Look pretty tasty don’t they?
So shall we start the bidding at, erm, 41,000 yen?