Flavors around the world #1: Japan
About six or seven years ago, I attempted to learn Nihongo. There was an old Japanese man who gave us free lessons in the office, an hour a day. Two weeks into the lessons, I realized that Japanese is a very difficult language to learn. German was a breeze compared with Japanese, since the English language traces its roots to the old Germanic. But Japanese is really alien to us. I gave up learning it faster than you could say sukiyaki. This notwithstanding, my vocabulary is ever-expanding–thanks to Saisaki, Sugi, Teriyaki Boy, Karate Kid and Okuya, my favorite places to go in the metro whenever I need some sushi and sashimi fix. But in the Subic Freeport, there’s only one restaurant to go to for authentic Japanese food, and it is where my love of the cuisine all began: Sakura.
After eating a free appetizer, usually a small serving of delectable baby octopus or spicy squid (as shown in first photo), I always go for kani salad (P150) . I can actually wipe out this heaping bowl of the salad (is that any surprise to you?), but I usually share it so I can leave enough room for the main courses. This is the perfect kani salad for me because it uses finely shredded cabbage instead of cucumber, which is often the case in other Japanese restaurants. I don’t eat cucumber because I think it tastes like vomit (gross, yes?), but that’s just me. Anyway, this one has enough crabsticks (which, oddly enough, are indeed fish meat–which is why they call them "imitation" crabsticks), fish roe, and that delicious Japanese mayonnaise. I’m crazy about mayonnaise, but the Japanese kind is something else. I suspect that the kani salad they serve at Sakura also uses some kind of vinegar–balsamic or other. Ahhh…one of my absolute favorites! Oishi desu ne!
Alright, I may have to create a whole different entry on my favorite kinds of fish, but this much I’ll tell you: I love salmon! Raw, smoked, poached, grilled, baked and in sinigang–I lovelovelove it! Shake sashimi is a staple for me when dining in a Japanese restaurant and you can’t find fresher, more desirable chunks of salmon than in Sakura (P300). Aside from its delicious taste and very appealing color, its silky texture provides a wonderful sensation in the mouth that you simply cannot experience with tuna. Dipped in soy sauce, each slab is pure bliss.
A bento box (P450) is a practical choice for Japanese food lovers. Depending on which box you order, it’s like getting your favorite combo meal from McDo or Jollibee. Shown in the photo are a bowl of miso soup, some seaweeds, rice, a couple of pieces of ebi tempura (battered and deep-fried prawn), unagi (freshwater eel), and assorted sashimi. A glass of refreshing mugi cha (roasted barley tea) completes this square meal (literally). The green tea shake in Sakura is also one of the best! Oh, I can’t wait to eat there again. It’s where I learned how to use chopsticks. And for that, it will always be my sentimental favorite.
