JAPAN

Beyond sushi, Japanese cuisine is multi-faceted and varies by region. Rice is the most important staple and the key ingredient. Anything accompanying the rice in a meal -- fish, meat, vegetables, soup, is considered a side dish. These "sides" serve to heighten and enhance the taste of the rice. The Japanese enjoy raw foods in their meals as well as cooked. Cooked food always involves one of four principal cooking methods: grilling, simmering, steaming and frying. Flavors are clean and well balanced.

"Everywhere in Japan I'm amazed by contrasts: the traditional side-by-side with the contemporary in lifestyle, fashion and food. Here I find the most harmonious co-existence of the old and the new of anywhere in the world. Walk on the streets in any major Japanese city and you will see a person wearing a kimono beside someone dressed in the latest fashion. You will find eateries with traditional menus next to the finest Italian restaurant or French bakery.

But the Japanese people, always on the run, most often grab a bowl of soup or noodles on the street for a quick but satisfying meal. Try this tasty menu and find out why."

Appetizers
Tea Flavored Noodles
Japanese Style Pickled Cucumber

Soup
Miso Soup

Entrees
Sesame Chicken Bowl with Spinach
Sesame Soba Noodles

Dessert
Ginger Walnut Cookies

Mirin

Soba Noodles

Marinating