Redemption

$6 Wedge of Melon ...

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... the cheapest musk melons we've seen anywhere were about $30 - we could never justify that, because an entire melon would be too much to consume, but $6 a wedge? We could do that! It was amazing, so juicy and fragrant, and sweet like honey - money well spent!

Snack Food Heaven ...

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... Asakusa was another pleasant surprise today - though we had heard about its tasty foods, we still didn't expect the breadth of what we encountered. These fried items were a bit like tonkatsu, breaded and fried, but instead of a chicken or pork cutlet inside, it was a mixture of ground meat and vegetables. So crispy on the outside, yet when you took a bite, juice would ooze out and run down your chin - it was a bit like a tonkatsu/shepherd's pie hybrid.

Matcha Soft Serve and Mochi ...

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... the Japanese are masters with all things green tea and mochi - this was a shining example of that. In typical Japanese fashion, the soft serve wasn't overly-sweet, allowing the matcha's natural flavours to shine through, in a creamy and luscious manner. The texture was pleasantly-unique - somewhere between a semi-freddo and soft serve.

Kagetudo's Melon Pan ...

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... the Japanese version of a Chinese pineapple bun, Kagetsudo's version is quite renowned, especially when served warm, and the shop always attracts a fairly long lineup. While it puts the Chinese version to shame, with a far crispier exterior and an impossibly feather-light interior, it's still too plain of a bun for our tastes.

Tiger Gyoza Hall ...

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... today was a designated junk food day, with us making a huge lunch out of street foods. Still, after all that, we couldn't pass up the opportunity for a joint specializing in gyoza. We were already quite full, but splitting a six pack of gyoza would be easily manageable - until we realized they were a house specialty called banana gyoza, which were at least twice the length of typical ones! Excellent gyoza, though the wrapper was a tad too thick and chewy.

Shoulda Stopped ...

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... of course, whether we had banana gyoza or regular gyoza, we definitely didn't need to order this boiled version that was served up in a light and refreshing ponzu sauce, and sprinkled with some sliced leeks. It was pretty awesome, but completely unnecessary.

Shuriken Grissini ...

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... the meal at Ninja Akasaka started out with a decent theme dish - black crackers and foie gras pate, both in the shape of a ninja throwing star. The cracker was a bit dry but crispy, and the foie gras pate was quite smooth and creamy.

Japanese Spin on Gazpacho ...

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... with chunks of egg, cucumber, and shrimp, hiding in the bottom of the bowl. Not bad, but a bit more ketchup than gazpacho, methinks.

Not Dog Poo ...

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... we ordered two different set menus to try as many items as possible, and one of them was the All Blacks, in keeping with the ninja theme for colour. This was a cream puff, and though it looked suspiciously like dog poo, it was actually stuffed with avocado and orange, and diced raw salmon. Surprisingly good, despite the overall unappealing appearance of the dish, and the fact that the cream puff was more like a soft bun in texture.

Sweet and Sour Pork ...

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... again following the black theme, this was not your average Western Chinese sweet and sour pork - encased in a delightfully-crispy batter, the pork was juicy, fatty, and tender, and the sauce not the sugary-sweet Western Chinese style. The veg selection wasn't half-bad, either, with some nice asparagus, and bell pepper.

Capellini with Japanese Tomato Sauce ...

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... a cold dish, served in a kind of tomato peso sauce, with thinly-sliced peppers. Not bad, but nothing special

Black Awesomeness ...

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... Chicken Fritter Ninja-Style - juicy delicious chunks of chicken, covered in some kind of crispy fried crumbs (panko, or perhaps something similar?). One of the best dishes of the night.

Even Less Visually Appealing Than the Dog Poo ...

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... was this Japanese curry dish. A ball of rice that was battered, deep-fried, and stuffed with beef, it was actually pretty awesome and a contender for best dish of the night. Japanese rice is the best there is, delightfully sticky, but fry it in batter and stuff it with beef, then smother it with thick, rich Japanese curry? Doesn't get any better than that! Too bad that we were extremely full at this point, and were just taking little nibbles of the dish. On the right is a battered and fried little onion that was rather forgettable.

Sushi Sampler ...

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... apparently, this was quite good, but I wouldn't know - I was too full to even take a bite!

Apple Mousse with Berry Compote ...

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... at least the desserts were relatively light!

Maple Mousse w/ Black Beans ...

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... a surprisingly-tasty dessert, sweetened with maple syrup. Usually, the use of beans in Asian desserts is rather off-putting to me, but somehow, this worked quite well.

Glow in the Dark Spiders Drawn on the Wall ...

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... weak ... it didn't seem like it was truly a ninja-themed restaurant, but at least the food was good!