A little authentic taste of Japan - Furusato

There's definitely an over-abundance of sushi restaurants in Montreal, ranging from the very bad to the very posh, but in comparison, the Japanese population here is teeny tiny. So, as you can imagine, actual Japanese-owned and run restaurants are relatively few as well. That isn't to say that non-Japanese operated sushi restaurants are bad, per se - in fact, some of the most popular Japanese restaurants in Montreal aren't run by Japanese people. But sometimes, you just want some no-frills, authentic Japanese cuisine. And where can you go for that? Why, Furusato, of course.

Japan Trip Day 6 - Nara and Osaka

Wow, so I never finished documenting on Japan trip. Day 6 was the last day we spent touring around Japan, since Day 7 consisted of a hectic running around, trying to get to the airport on time for our flight. But more on that later.

Japan Trip Day 5 - Kobe (beef) and Arima

Day 5 in Japan! We headed off to try their famous hot springs in the town of Arima, and then finished the day off with trying the legendary Japanese Kobe beef.

Japan Trip Day 4 - Kyoto

Waaah, midterms and projects are closing in! I'm sorry I haven't been updating as frequently as before...

Day 4 in Japan consisted of a lot of running around Kyoto. Kyoto is known for having many historical sites, such as the Shogun castle and one of the old imperial palaces. In terms of food, this was another one of those days where we hit up whatever we found. And luckily for us, we found an okonomiyaki joint!

Japan Trip Day 3 - Daiwa sushi and Akihabara

Day 3 in Japan, and we head over to Akihabara, also known as the otaku (geek) haven. This place is full of stores that sell anime and game-related merchandise, as well as electronics and duty-free goods. But before that, we stop by the Tsukiji fish market for some deliciously fresh sushi!

Japan Trip Day 2 - Nikko and Ginza

Day two was spent at Nikko, a small town in Japan with many historical and cultural sites, and then the evening was spent at Ginza, one of the best known commercial districts in Japan. We were moving around quite a bit that day, so we didn't have a chance to stop for actual meals, but we still had plenty of chances to stop for snacks!

Japan Trip Day 1 - Tokyo (Tsukiji fish market, Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku)

I know that this blog is traditionally used to blog about food, but I'm going to be including bits about my vacation and about my experience in Japan, too, as a reference for people planning on visiting Japan in the future, or people just interested in Japanese culture. Think of it as a mini travel journal, if you will. I didn't do any research on restaurants and such before going, because I knew we wouldn't have time to go looking for restaurants and would have to make do with what we came across. Also, we spoke minimal broken Japanese,  It made for a pretty interesting trip!

Without further ado, here's the first day of our week-long trip!

Ryu, I choose you! Tapas attack! It's super effective!

I'm pretty sure I've used the 'I choose you' joke already, but whatevs. Pokemon is classic, yo.

Ryu is a tapas-inspired Japanese fusion restaurant located in Outrement, conveniently situated on Laurier. Their menu consists mainly of small, appetizer-like dishes of both the hot and cold variety, as well as a selection of maki rolls. 

Takara - the treasure of Japanese restaurants?

Takara is upscale Japanese restaurant located on the upper floors of les Cours Mont-Royal shopping complex. It also has a more accessible entrance located on De la Montagne street. With a trained Japanese chef behind the sushi counter, Takara is recognized as one of the more authentic of the better-known Japanese restaurants in Montreal.

Ossu! Sushi Yasu!

So now that we've seen the trendy fusion-style sushi, let's check out the other side of the coin. Traditional sushi restaurants tend to be modest-looking restaurants with simple decoration and a humble old Japanese man behind the sushi bar, shouting an 'Irrashaimase!' to you as you walk in the door. That, my friends, is what Sushi Yasu is all about.

There, at Sata Sushi, sat a carousel horse.

With the introduction of sushi to the Western market came the inception of a new style of sushi, known as fusion-style sushi. In contrast to the humbler traditional-style sushi, chefs that make fusion sushi are constantly looking for ways to create bolder and more innovative sushi, often adding ingredients that normally aren't paired with raw fish, such as fruits. Such is the case with Sata sushi, a caucasian-run fusion sushi restaurant in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.

When slurping noodles, please ensure that you do not disturb the people in your surrounding area - Hakata Ramen

 Why, you may ask, is my title picture that of fried chicken slices if I'm reviewing a ramen restaurant? It is elementary, my dear Watson; I fail at taking pictures of ramen. And since the crispy chicken dish is one of the mainly featured ramen dishes at Hakata Ramen... Why not?

So picture this: it's a dreary October day, it's freezing outside, you're downtown and you have no idea what to eat because you're with the world's most indecisive people. Where do you go? What do you turn to? Pho! ... is what I'd like to say, but there aren't that many good pho places downtown. So what's the next best thing? Ramen!

The Ginza of AYCE sushi.

If Montreal's all-you-can-eat sushi restaurants were shopping districts in Japan, then Ginza would be... well... Ginza. Ginza is a very small and inconspicuous restaurant situated on the busy street of St-Denis. Despite its small stature, it is still relatively well-decorated, and serves some of the better AYCE sushi I've had to date. And believe me, I've had my share.

Imadake, suki desuuuu!1!!!one11!!!11!

Situated conveniently on Ste-Catherine's, right across from Place Alexis Nihon, Imadake is another Izakaya-styled restaurant, serving small plates of Japanese bar food and Sapporo draught/draft beer.

The restaurant is bustling with people, but the cooks and waiters never fail to yell an 'Irrashaimase' to anyone who enters its doors. The decor is simple and the staff seem fun and enthusastic (and Japanese, to boot), and the food, while kind of expensive, is quite good.

Luck is a come-a at Raku Izakaya! *runs away*

Raku Izakaya is a Japanese restaurant run by a Chinese man who worked in Japan as a chef situated on Taschereau in Brossard. The focus of the restaurant is actually more on the cooked 'bar' foods, and less on the sushi, but the restaurant still has a decent sushi menu to meet the needs of all the sushi-addicts out there.

Kazu, I choose you!

Restaurant Kazu is a small Izakaya (bar-styled) Japanese restaurant owned and run by Japanese people on Ste-Catherine's street. They specialize in cooked foods with added twists, making Kazu a unique and delicious dining experience. Because the restaurant is so small and popular, expect a long line-up at any given hour. It's totally worth the wait though.