Today I had some Japanese food in our cafeteria. The food tasted good, but it really did not seem too Japanese. So, tonight I am thinking about some real Japanese food.

I am thinking of this meal I had in Osaka last year. I had okonomiyaki which are savory pancakes. These were really good. They are sprinkled with bonito flakes which are moved around by the steam coming off the pancakes. It was quite interesting.

I am also thinking of some Shabu-Shabu which I had during another trip to Tokyo. Shabu-Shabu is cooked in a hot pot filled with broth. Above you see the vegetables that will be cooked. There are several types of mushrooms, vegetables and noodles.

Here was a nice simple meal of udon noodles and tempura. A simple meal but beautifully presented.

How about some nice soup. The soba noodles are made with buckwheat flour. The noodles are high in thiamine so are a good preventative against beriberi.

I also remember a nice hot-pot we had for a class dinner in Osaka on one of my trips there.

Now I am hungry for some real Japanese food.

Steven