Monday, July 28, 2014

Safe Travels in Japan - Numazu Uogashizushi and Matsuya Yakiniku Sute-ki



(website seems to be all in Japanese- we went to this location)

Jason here. On our first day in Japan, we talked with our hotel and they helped us set up a reservation at an upscale sushi place and confirmed they could accommodate my gluten allergy. I highly recommend you check with your hotel, and see if they offer a similar customer service. The restaurant our hotel helper found was Numazu Uogashizushi, which was conveniently located only a block or so away.

We arrived a bit early, but they accommodated us and confirmed we were the reservation that required a gluten free meal. Already we were off to a great start, because I could tell they would take extra care with my meal. We were seated at a bar like table, which surrounded the chef’s preparation area so we could watch them work their magic.
If the Yakiniku place was for me, then this was for Kayleigh as the English menu contained an uncountable variety of fish and seafood. We ordered a sushi set, which came with eel and tamagoyaki removed as they were not gluten free. The set came with fatty tuna, salmon, squid, prawn, scallop, regular tuna, and mackerel.

I quickly shuffled the prawn over to Kayleigh, as I had already learned it was not my favorite. I really enjoyed all of the raw fish. The texture and taste were nothing like a cooked white fish. Instead they reminded me more of a steak taste then a fish taste.

By far though, my favorite sushi was the fatty tuna. They were so sweet and succulent, they tasted like they were filled with a cream cheese. If you ever can’t the chance definitely order some fresh fattier tuna sushi.

Kayleigh here. There really is something to be said for well prepared, simply presented sushi. Typically, going to a sushi joint is not particularly high on my to-do list, and going to one while in Japan felt almost, well, weeaboo. But the choice cuts, lightly flavored rice, and unrushed atmosphere made it a fantastic dinner experience. My only regret is that I did not remember what the white fish was on the plate- it had the most astounding strong flavor to it. I would have been content just having a full meal of that one!

(website is in Japanese- cannot seem to find an english link)

Jason here. After striking out at our planned restaurant in the Gion district of Kyoto, we happened upon yet another yakiniku place. Still remembering fondly the last yakiniku place Gyu-Kaku, I practically begged Kayleigh to stop here. The restaurant was called Matsuya Yakiniku Sute-ki.

As we arrived just before last order and closing, we quickly placed an order of salted thickly cut beef tongue, Harashi beef with sesame sauce, and a seafood platter of prawn, salmon, and squid. They do have and English menu available, and our waiter spoke limited English. 

My favorite dish of the night was not what I expected. After Gyu-Kaku I was sure I was going to be favoring the beef tongue again. It was still delicious to be sure, but something about it being thickly cut just wasn’t the same. This night my favorite dish was the Harashi beef with sesame sauce. After eating at so many restaurants where I could not have sauces, this really stood out to me. The beef itself was very succulent, and I applied a good deal of sesame sauce to make it perfect to my liking.

Kayleigh here. I never get sick of seafood, so I knew the sampler platter of simply prepared cuts would be my first choice. As with many of the restaurants in Japan, we could start to pick and choose what we might be able to order via a display of plastic plates of food at the main entrance, even before we were committed to going in. We could tell what restaurants were more likely to have a gluten free option by the types of food on display.

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