That looks delicious @Bakersdozen ! I don't think I've ever eaten Japanese cuisine. Is it very different from Chinese?
15th
It is different. The flavor combinations are different. There are regional specialties, just like here in the US. Broth has so much more complex flavors than I ever dreamed. Probably because it is seafood based and I am not familiar with that growing up in Kansas. There are a lot of popular dishes in Japan that we never hear of here. Onigiri, Japanese rice balls; Omurice, Japanese eggs over rice; takoyaki, an Osaka area specialty of batter and octopus; Okonomiyaki, vegetable pancakes; karaage, Japanese fried chicken, uses thighs and potato starch with a lemon wedge on the side; Mochi, bean paste that is slightly sweet and there are restaurants that have entire menus based around Mochi; and tofu in more variations than you could imagine. There are also restaurants that serve an all tofu menu.
The rice doesn't compare to what is popular here. It's sticky and can be eaten with chopsticks. I heard somewhere that the stickier the rice, the more nutritious it is.
We all known Ramen. The cheap packages of ramen soup are everywhere. I think those packets contain a lot of sodium in place of flavorful ingredients.
7-11 stores rule in Japan. (they are hard to find in Kansas) You can get anything you want and they are everywhere. 7-11's have freshly cooked meals you can take home. It's common to see someone get off the train, walk in to 7-11 or Lawton's (similar store), and buy dinner to take home. Many people are exhausted after a 12+ hour day of work and commuting.
I understand that Korean cuisine is different and equally good as well. Broth is a key component. I would like to try that too. There are some documentaries on Netflix about Korean cuisine and broth that I would like to see.
