Day 3: Kyoto

Was planning to stop in Hakone, but pouring rain made that impractical, so bullet train to Kyoto it is.

Sobanomi Yoshimura

The first really good thing I’ve eaten this trip. This soba (buckwheat noodle) shop had a limited English menu, but thanks to google translate, I was able to order the koji-marinated duck soba.

The soup had a super rich dashi/soy broth with slices of duck breast and roasted green onions. The procedure (which the server helpfully mimed for me) was to mix in the wasabi, add some noodles, and the sprinkle the seasoning on top.

Halfway through she brought a kettle, an extra cup, and some red chili powder. I thought it was extra broth, but couldn't understand the explanation. Turned out to be, I think, some kind of koji… drink? soup? I never figured out exactly what I was supposed to do with it.

Daimaru Department Store

Many Japanese department stores have food courts on their basement level. This one was massive, like city block size. You could get anything — french pastries, sushi, a $52 cantaloupe, a $112 bunch of grapes…

I bought a $2 cream puff, which I would have just eaten, but had to be packed into its own fancy box with a built-in ice pack.

Curry & Tempura Koisus

The first two places I tried for dinner were closed, but the curry place was open. Japanese curry is actually not my favorite. It was tasty, but I want my curries to be spicy. The tempura was excellent.