Japanese Food on the Sticks Part 2

Many of the Japanese style food will incorporate some sort of sweet sauce base such as teriyaki to give a mellow tasting approach. However with the seafood dishes this is kept to a minimum and some lovely aromas arise when grilling them with lighter marinades. Perhaps my most favourite skewered dish is the octopus. The skewers are often cooked on a grill that is called a robata. A great deal of preparation goes into cooking octopus skewers as the tentacles need to be properly cleaned and placed to ensure they don’t slip. The heat applied should then be a perfect temperature that the flesh doesn’t overcook otherwise the juicy flavours tend to become rubbery and bland. I have to say that this restaurant served this all up perfectly.

Aside from grilled food there were also helpings of sushi and sashimi. If one has not tried clam sashimi before it is a very refreshing bit of sashimi and worth trying. It’s almost like taking a dip in the ocean. Another one of my favourite dishes would be those that feature the spicy wasabi mayo, a tasty kick that really overpowers with delight.

Of course no meal is complete without a helping of Sake, and so we ordered a famous brand to celebrate the glorious evening that was held around a Japanese style garden. Kanpai!