More Beautifully-Simple Japanese Design ...

... just as we had finished our food and were pondering ordering some additional meat and seafood skewers, a big steaming bowl of houto appeared, a thick and hearty local noodle that resembled overcooked Italian pasta more than Japanese soup noodle. No need to order more food after this, a serving large enough for four people! More impressive than the houto was the ladle - it was forked on one side for grabbing onto the noodles, with the flip side hollowed out for scooping the soup. Brilliant!