After arriving at Narita, we took the shinkasen from Tokyo to Osaka, where we would spend two nights. Perhpas the 7 hour flight and 3.5 hour train ride had made me woozie as I kept telling myself, "I'm finally in Japan.. I'm finally in Japan".
A non-believer of pain, I forwent pinch-me routine and bought a bento instead. My first so-called meal in Japan wasn't an elaborate kaiseki dinner or pilgrimmage to Tsujiki Fish market (not yet) but a nondescript salaryman bento bought from Tokyo Station. There was a scene on A Cook's Tour where Anthony Bourdain tucked into a bento box while riding in a bullet train. Thin scraggly white man wordlessly tucking into his bento, scarcely concerned about the scenery or camera crew. That image stuck and it became one of my unexplainable must-dos to do so too.
Bento stores as ubiqutious as Britney Spears's bad moments, though they happen to be a lot more tasteful. Bento kiosks such as these can be found in most major train stations and the variety ranges from paltry to plentiful. On my way to Osaka, I had the unagi bento.
In the train, the stability made you forget how fast it was actually moving. A brief glance out of the window assured me otherwise: it was as if somebody had hit the Fast Forward button on the video recorder and the Japanese countryside whisked by, hardly pausing for breath. Just as well since I'm not into scenery anyway. Pre-packed and cold, it was probably the most uninspiring unagi don I've had but somehow, I find it hard to denounce this faux pas.
Fast food on fast train? Check.
A non-believer of pain, I forwent pinch-me routine and bought a bento instead. My first so-called meal in Japan wasn't an elaborate kaiseki dinner or pilgrimmage to Tsujiki Fish market (not yet) but a nondescript salaryman bento bought from Tokyo Station. There was a scene on A Cook's Tour where Anthony Bourdain tucked into a bento box while riding in a bullet train. Thin scraggly white man wordlessly tucking into his bento, scarcely concerned about the scenery or camera crew. That image stuck and it became one of my unexplainable must-dos to do so too.
Bento stores as ubiqutious as Britney Spears's bad moments, though they happen to be a lot more tasteful. Bento kiosks such as these can be found in most major train stations and the variety ranges from paltry to plentiful. On my way to Osaka, I had the unagi bento.
In the train, the stability made you forget how fast it was actually moving. A brief glance out of the window assured me otherwise: it was as if somebody had hit the Fast Forward button on the video recorder and the Japanese countryside whisked by, hardly pausing for breath. Just as well since I'm not into scenery anyway. Pre-packed and cold, it was probably the most uninspiring unagi don I've had but somehow, I find it hard to denounce this faux pas.
Fast food on fast train? Check.
3 comments:
check for me too!
I especially loved the rice with ikura.. maybe I should paste my pictures sometime soon yah..
forgot to ask you. did u try the belgian waffle stand at shinosaka station? And did you visit the Takashimaya basement at Namba?
i tried the pistachio waffle.. it was as good as most waffles out there.. YES the namba takashimaya was the first department store basement i went too.. was blown away by it! =)
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