octopus balls

Yesterday I started out the day with delicious homemade miso and a fried egg over rice. Our host mixed natto (fermented soy beans) with mustard and put it on his rice. I have read that you have to try a food seven times to get over an aversion, so I:m at try two on natto and I:m still not there yet. If you haven:t seen it, natto is the slimiest food ever. When L got up to throw away the package the slime strings went all the way from the table to the trash can.

When we were out in the Harjuku area I got the grilled octopus balls whose name escapes me. They were warm and spongy and a bit fishy and were topped with mayo, fish flakes, and some tonkatsu like sauce. A great snack. Then in the thick of the shopping area (and yes I saw a couple of Harjuku girls, one dressed as bo peep and one as a french maid) we got crepes and I got one with Japanese spicy curry and tuna fish. Amazingly good.

Later in the day, tucked amid the upscale shops like Chanel and Dior we spied a Shakeys pizza and thanks to Dave Smiths advice, we went in and I got the Sacramento drink. It was large and very sour. L got the San Francisco drink, which was like an alcoholic orange julius and was much better. L and A split a seafood pizza that had salmon, calamari and shrimp on it. A grew up here and said her dad used to take her to Shakeys.

More shopping (hello snoopy store) and then for dinner we went upstairs to a ramen shop and sat at super low tables facing the window. I got a spicy ramen that had an extremely rich broth, cod roe for more salty rich flavor, a hard boiled egg, a marbled cut of pork that had so much fat it looked like that piece of meat in a can of pork and beans, but the meaty parts had the texture of brisket and the fat melted in my mouth, and of course that all important noodles, whichwere thinner and firmer than i:m used to. It was delicious. L warned to resist the deliciousness of the broth and not drink it all because its so salty you:ll wake up all night craving more and more water.

Today were going to shibuya area, probably for more shopping and walkin around, and then tonight were going to see a band play. The shows here cost a lot of course, I paid ten bucks to see the Bananas and L said the night before they were twenty three! Worth every penny. My back is kinda jacked from so much walking and I am hoping to relax tomorrow by soaking in an onzen for an hour or so.