Itadakimasu!

Japan. There it was. It came into view under the left wing as we descended below the cloud cover. A journey that I had been wanting to make for over ten years was now being made. It hadn’t been a planned event, but rather a spur of the moment decision when I found myself in a doldrums of a place in my life. My mind and health were not in a good place and hadn’t been for some time.

I had no reason that I could see not to go now. I contacted my friends in Japan and let them know I’d be there in just over a week. They, being the awesome people that they are, said ‘Come stay with us.’ And so I did.

I knew that I wanted to do three things when I got to Japan.

See my friends whom I haven’t seen for over a decade, get a sword, and eat noodles every day. I was spoilt because that’s exactly what happened for the first two. And as for eating noodles every day well… I hope that you can read a grin in my words.

I have only been to three countries in my life and Japan has the tastiest food to my mind. Only a few times have I ever felt home sick for a food option from home, and that usually passes as I reach for my nth bowl of noodles or have my umpteenth onigiri (rice ball).

My friends and their family are all amazing cooks. I got to eat restaurant quality food every day.

On my second day in Japan we headed out to get me a training sword. I had been unwell for a long time before coming to Japan and had hardly been eating. I would get a few small meals in every day, but I had nowhere near the appetite I used to. The night before I arrived, my friend who I was staying with had made a Japanese curry and I hadn’t had the heart to tell her that I’d unlikely be able to eat much of it. Especially as I’d just got off an 8-hour flight into a train ride to her house. Me and public transport did not do well with each other, and it always left me feeling worse. So I sit down at her house surrounded by her family. Her children being boisterous nearby and loving life and we start to eat. Miso Shiro and Japanese curry with rice was on the table. I can’t remember how much Miso I had, and I had at least two servings of the curry. Japanese food agreed with me it seemed, and there was a little ray of happiness in the misery that had been my health challenges of late.

I met up with more friends on day two and we found my first Japanese training sword. I was so happy. It was hard to contain my excitement, but the day kept getting better. I was being taken to my very first Japanese noodle house. Once again, I was unsure about my appetite. It was monsoon weather in Japan and the sun felt like it was going to crush me it felt so close. Tired and in pain I didn’t want to stop the adventure so onwards I went.

Now, I don’t know about your Japanese friends but mine love to take photos. Oh my goodness the photos. Every moment seems to be documented. I hadn’t grown up with this and it took some time getting used to it. But what it meant was that as I stood outside my first noodle shop, we had a photo. And inside…we’d have some more photos. I didn’t know it at the time, but this same shop was where I’d be bringing my fiancé in the not-too-distant future. The power of noodles.

A-frames out the front of the shop had pictures of what was available, and my friends were helping me decipher what I’d like. The portion sizes in Japan are amazing too by the way. Someone like me, who could at other times in his life eat like a horse, wouldn’t go hungry. We enter the shop and… well there are times when emotions and words tumble with each other, and one can’t express the other. That’s how I feel looking back on that first trip to that noodle shop.

As you enter on your left is the open kitchen. You can see Udon (noodles and my favourite kind) being handmade and in various stages of production. The path follows the open kitchen around, and a counter soon extends from it. You walk past the Udon preparation, and you can see it from start to finish to being cooked. There’s a menu again above the walkway and past the counter and cash register there is a seating area. They have booths like you might find in an western restaurant, tables and chairs and a section with the low Japanese tables on a raised platform.

I remember what I had all that time ago. It was a large bowl of Udon and Niku (Meat). There’s a selection of fried goodness and other tasty treats. I can’t remember what else I had that day, but I am pretty sure I had Inari which is rice wrapped in a sweet tofu.

I pay for my food, and we go and sit at one of the Japanese style tables.

The night before I had had an unplanned surprise for my friends, and that was my proficiency with chopsticks. I had taught myself to use them and honestly would choose them for any meal that I could. …trying to cut up a steak isn’t a skill I have with them I’ll admit to, and nor should they be used for that, he quickly adds.

The ability to use chopsticks became a talking point for a lot of the eateries that we went to and my other friends as we met up. I remember one noodle shop being surprised as they had had to buy western cutlery for foreigners who visited. I loved using chopsticks before going to Japan but since being there my use of them became more frequent. A little internal nod to my friends, their cuisine, and my wonderful time with them. Plus, they’re fun to use.

We sit down to eat, say ‘Itadakimasu’ and I have my first bowl of Japanese noodles in Japan, that were made here on premises. The thinly cut beef with the seasoning sat ready on top of a good-sized portion of Udon, simmering in a salty good clear soup. I dug in.

Travelling to Japan and getting to experience their noodle dishes really cemented with me my love of them. You can take something as simple sounding as noodles and turn it into any number of wonderful dishes. You can change the protein you have with it, the vegetables, the seasoning, the soup or curry or dry or cold and it just goes on. I’ll happily share that after writing this I’m going to enjoy some noodles for dinner tonight. And that’s the other thing. I’ve always enjoyed Japanese noodle dishes but it wasn’t really until I got back from Japan that I started to make them more frequently for myself. I’d frequent a local noodle shop here that was amazing but only have noodles now and then at home. Not after Japan. It became a weekly thing if not more so. I’ve even been able to introduce them to my wife and she loves them now as much as me.

It was on my second trip to Japan that my wife, fiancé at the time, and a friend of ours found ourselves wrapped up against the winter cold walking to the very same noodle shop that had been my first in Japan a few years before. They loved the place just as I did, and we’d go there several times during our short visit. Not only that but we’d try out other noodle shops along our travels and the result is that we’re eager to return. Both to visit my friends, now theirs too, and enjoy the wonderful food.

And when we eat noodles abroad or home, we still use our chopsticks and still say ‘Itadakimasu!’ before eating. As a nod to our friends and the wonderful times we’ve had and the awesome times we’ll have next visit.

Putting into words the impact of Japan, its people, and food had on me is hard I’ll admit. Imagine if you could, being in a bad place physically and mentally and bit by wonderful bit being drawn out by amazing people and extraordinarily as well their food. To go from no appetite to eating huge servings of delicious steamy Udon and Niku or Tantan Men or cold Soba noodles with dipping sauce… it was wonderous and something that’s stuck with me all this time.

I would love to share the recipes that I enjoyed at the noodle shops alas getting my hands on those isn’t something that I thought about during my time over there. I do however have a noodle dish that’s a fusion of different things that’s now become a favourite of my wife’s.

I call it: Lamb Udon (noodle) salad.

And I’d love to share it with you. If it makes someone in your life half as happy as it makes my wife when I cook it for her then it’ll be more than worth it.

It’s simple and beginner friendly too. Here I go:

Lamb Noodle Salad – serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2x serves of Udon.
• 400gm diced lamb
• 2x whole clove of garlic
• 3x whole cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbs spoon Cooking oil
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 Cup water
• Pinch of salt

Salad:

• Been sprouts
• Sprouted beans
• Alfalfa
• 2 tsp Baby capers

Method:

• Dice the lamb into small pieces and set it aside.
• Put a pot of water on to boil for the Udon and cook them according to the instructions on the package. When the noodles are cooked strain them and set them to the side.
• While the water for the Udon is boiling place a medium sized pan over a medium heat.
• Add cooking oil, turmeric, and cumin to the pan. Stir the seasoning into the oil for a minute as it gently heats up.
• Add the tomatoes and garlic cloves with the lamb.
• Sauté the lamb until it’s covered in the oil and seasoning. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.
• Cover and let cook for 15 minutes.
• Check the water level regularly. Keep the bottom of the pan covered in water and add water as you need to.
• When the lamb is cooked, ladle the lamb pieces and garlic clove into a separate bowl making sure to leave as much sauce in the pan as possible.
• Add the Udon to the pan with the sauce and stir them around to coat them.
• Serve the noodles into the bowls you’re eating from.
• Add the lamb pieces to the top.
• Add the alfalfa and bean sprouts around the edges. The sprouted beans and a tsp of baby capers to the top of the meat.

Enjoy :)