Travel News

Slideshow: A Foodie’s Tour Through Kyoto, Japan

Peter Greenberg Worldwide
Locations in this article:  Los Angeles, CA Rome, Italy Tokyo, Japan

I head to Iyomata, who has ben serving sushi since 1696. The current owner, Matashige Toyota is the twentieth generation of his family to run the restaurant. Think about that. Twenty generations!  What an amazing commitment.

The sushi we eat in the U.S. is usually Tokyo style where the piece of fish is larger than the rice underneath. In Kyoto, the style is more formal. Lightly vinegared, the fish is molded onto the rice. Often the fish is pressed (oshizushi style) with the result that the sushi has the precise look of a Mondrian painting.

I order uni (sea urchin), salmon roe, sea bream, seaweed and pickles, tamago (egg) and shrimp, conger eel that has been pressed and looks like a mosaic and, Iyomata’s specialty, mackerel sushi.

I am instructed to put a small dab of freshly grated wasabi on the fish, not in the soy sauce as I usually do at home. Placed directly on the fish, the wasabi’s heat accentuates the vinegar’s edge, adding to the pleasure of each bite.

For more culinary and other adventures in Japan, check out:

Text and photos by David Latt for PeterGreenberg.com. Visit David on the Web at MenWhoLiketoCook.com.

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