These days I’m going to Tokyo on a regular schedule, about once every two months. I’ve got lots of friends there, there are plenty of places I want to try, and I get to catch the latest trends. This time too (though it was back in early September) I made a very short trip to Tokyo. I had so many appointments that the schedule was brutal, but somehow I pulled it off. A really meaningful trip, I’d say.
The ekiben I bought in Okayama on the way: Toto Saisai
A bento with three kinds of bo-zushi. I’d actually meant to buy the mamakari bento, an Okayama specialty, but it’s always popular and was sold out. Oh well, nothing to be done. So I settled for this one as a stand-in. From now on I’ll give up on buying anything in Okayama and bring an ekiben (or something to eat) with me in advance.
The one at the bottom is mamakari
Mamakari is apparently a small fish called sappa (Japanese sardinella), and unlike the mackerel bo-zushi it has a pleasantly firm, chewy bite that makes it a real treat. Not something I’d want all the time, but every now and then I think I’d really crave it. Then again, I’ve had it once now, so I probably don’t need it again anytime soon.
On the way back I ran like mad to Tokyo Station to finally get the Imahan bento I had been eyeing for so long.
Asakusa Imahan’s bento counter in the basement of Tokyo Station.
It was busy. Probably because so many people pass through there. That day I got there about 10 minutes before departure.
Here is the menu..
With no time to agonize, I grabbed the priciest pre-made one, the wagyu sukiyaki bento. It was a bit under 3,000 yen, I think..
They give you a bag like this
You can feel the 140 years of tradition..
Being a proper bento, it comes with chopsticks and a hand towel attached.
But since I’d arrived at a full sprint, I couldn’t eat right after boarding the Shinkansen. I had to cool down a bit before I could even think about food, so it was only after resting about 30 minutes that I could eat.
Here’s what it looks like opened..
The meat quality is really good. Just what you’d expect of wagyu sukiyaki. But since I ate it quite a while later, the food had gone completely cold. Maybe that’s why it felt a bit disappointing for the price. If it was going to be like this, I should’ve just eaten something cheap. To enjoy the taste you need some breathing room too, and I have no idea when I’ll ever have that. Not that I’m at the age for taking it easy yet, though..