Japan Eats & Ikigai
Tiffany, Julian, and I are finally back in NYC after a long trip away from home. In all, we were gone for a little over 2 weeks with 8 days in Japan sandwiched between some time in Houston with the family.
While Japan was amazing (more below), I’m thankful to be home and back to the routine. For me, vacations can start to feel draining after a certain point. All the walking around, eating, changing hotels, etc. wears on you over time. Sometimes you just want to spread out and relax in the comfort of your home.
Not to mention, we were separated from the rest of our family - Julian and the pups. While Julian was having the time of his life with grandma and Mia in Houston, Brady was going through what can only be described as a highly traumatic experience with a dog boarder in Queens. Tiffany and I would wake up every morning to text messages updating us on Brady’s latest shenanigans.… As happy as we are to be home, there isn’t anyone happier than Brady who has been an absolute angel since we’ve been back. Sometimes you just need a healthy dose of hardship to remind you how good you have it!
Japan Eats
The number one activity Tiffany and I do when we travel (or in general) is eat. Our entire itinerary is planned around different restaurants and foods we want to try.
Japanese food has always been at the top of our culinary power rankings. The breadth of its offering is unmatched. There are so many different types of cuisines – sushi, ramen, Japanese BBQ, tempura, yakitori, kaiseki, shabu shabu, etc. each distinctly Japanese but also completely its own thing.
The flavor of Japanese food is rarely in your face like Szechuan or Thai cuisine. Its appeal comes from its subtlety and balance. Every dish contains a little bit of everything to make the perfect bite. Whether it’s the grated daikon that adds lightness to the tempura or a brush of soy sauce on nigiri to complement the umami of the fish and sweetness of the rice. Every piece of the dish has a purpose, exactly as the chef intended.
During our 8 days in Japan, we sampled from the entire spectrum of culinary options, ranging from higher-end Michelin / Omakase experiences down to skewers from street stalls and convenience store egg sandwiches. We weren’t disappointed by any of them.
Coming from New York, Tiffany and I are spoiled by the endless number of amazing restaurants in the city. Our taste buds aren’t easily impressed after spending a decade in the best food city in the world. While everything in Japan was excellent, but it’s hard to differentiate once you get to a certain level of quality. For every amazing bite in Japan, there is probably a similar one we could get in New York (for 2x the price…) Like great art, it just comes down to personal preference.
Where the Japanese food scene differentiates is the intimacy of the experience. New York restaurants are finely tuned machines with entire staffs designed to turn tables around as quickly as possible while providing a great customer experience. This interesting video shows that goes into running a 1 Michelin Star kitchen in New York.
Whereas many restaurants in Japan are quite cozy, maybe only able to seat ~10 people. The owner / head chef is the one making the food and serving you directly. You’re a guest in his home. Everything that goes into that meal – the design, preparation, plating, etc. is meticulously planned and executed. You can feel that care throughout the experience.
Ikigai
The Japanese have a concept called Ikigai. It’s the motivating force that gives one a sense of purpose in life. It’s the reason that you wake up every day. When you’ve found your Ikigai, work doesn’t feel like work, it’s just what you do.
One of the best meals we had during our trip was a 1 Michelin Star restaurant called Ode on New Years Day in Tokyo. Normally the chef has a team of 7-8 people helping him but given the holiday, it was only him and one server that evening. In two hours, we watched him prepare and plate over 100 dishes for 10 people by himself. It was one of the most impressive live performances I’ve ever watched in any forum. A true master at work.
Watching him work was inspiring. He was living out his Ikigai every day. Preparing food for others is his life’s work and he dedicated himself fully to that task. Maybe he could make more money by expanding or moving to another location, but that misses the point. Fulfillment and joy isn’t going to come from making more money, it can only come from a single-minded devotion to your craft and doing your best every day.
Recommendations
For anyone planning a trip to Japan in the future, here are some of our top recommendations (all these in Tokyo):
Gyukatsu Motomura – Serves only gyukatsu, a deep fried wagyu cutlet that you sear yourself over a hot stone plate. Well worth the wait in line. Get there early before the doors open.
Afuri – Known for their yuzu flavored ramen. So good we ate there twice. There are a few locations in the U.S. as well.
Pizza Studio Tamaki – One of the best pizzas we’ve ever had, especially if you like thin crust / Neapolitan style pizzas.
Unitora Nakadori - Small restaurant in Tsujiki market specializing in uni bowls. Must try if you love uni.
One last note… Avoid visiting Japan during the New Year holiday. New Year is a time to spend with family in Japan so a lot of spots are closed that week. These places came highly recommended by our friends but weren’t open when we were there: Yakiniku Jambo Hanare, Pizza Marumo, Savoy Pizza, Azuki to Kouri, Sumibi Yakiniku Nakahara.