Even Less Visually Appealing Than the Dog Poo ...
... 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.
In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure its power. For 250 years this policy enabled Japan to enjoy stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Fol... ... read more 
