The very first instant ramen invented by Momofuku Ando was called "Chikin Ramen" which didn't include a flavor pack because the flavorings were coating the dried noodles. His brilliance was making a concave indentation on the noodle "brick" so that it fits a raw egg that would stay in place while hot water was poured over the dried noodles. This is the standard way Japanese people have been eating it for a couple generations now. See the photo of the package in the following link.
http://www.spoon-tamago.com/2008/08/2...

As for the language issue, yes, there is still a dual language system. But that has much more to do with formal (keigo) and informal spoken Japanese. Women, usually considered subordinate in the status hierarchy, would use keigo to speak to elders or others higher in status. This applies in subordinate/senior relationships as well. While that rigid system has always been in place, one might argue that there are a few more variations to the language, complicating matters even more. There is a distinct "guys" language, as well as a "girl's" language ('exaggerated cuteness being de rigueur), as well as many offshoots depending on class, and regional variations.

My favorite noodle dish at Sripraphai is the Gai Kua noodles (with squid and chicken). I've tried it at several other Thai places in Queens, and the reason I go back to Sriprapahai is that is has the best "wok hay". YMMV.

Look no further than the banh mi, or perhaps even pho to find French influence in everyday Vietnamese cuisine.

Saturday, May 18 Hiroshima:
Lunch: You gotta try Hiroshima-yaki (Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki with noodles

Agree that you should try okonomiyaki in Hiroshima (but don't call it Hiroshima-yaki; no one around Hiroshima calls it that). It seems like a long way to go to Miyajima for one night from Osaka/Kyoto just to go back within 24 hours. I hope you get a chance to tour around Hiroshima a bit. Around Miyajima, look for anago-meshi as an option for lunch or even a bento. Ueno in Miyajima-guchi is the most famous place (http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/491480 ). You will find a ton of places baking momiji-manju around Miyajima, and many can be good, especially when they're still fresh and warm, but the most interesting version is the nama-momiji from Nishiki-do. You'll be able to find these at most train station gift areas and department stores in town.

As a general comment on the rest of your itinerary, it seems a bit micromanaged for you to make some interesting discoveries on your own. I think you'll eventually stray from it once you get accustomed to being in Japan.

Yup, Chen Kenichi specializes in Sichuan cooking. So the story goes, it was his father Chen Kenmin who introduced mabo tofu to Japan, and probably mabo nasu, and other Sichuan inspired dishes.
About Chinese restaurants in Japan, the one thing that you will probably never find is an authentic Chinese-Chinese fried rice, since all the rice used in Japan is Japanese (or Japanese style) rice. Any rice imported into Japan is hit with some exorbitant tariff. I do miss a good non-sticky fried rice.

If you're in a car in Queens during the day, stop at Patisserie Cannelle in Jackson Heights for their almond croissants. I also love almond croissants and stopped my search there since it fulfilled all my wishes. I learned my lesson when I dropped in and got an almond croissant at Ceci-Cela and thought it was pretty bad in comparison. The pastry chef at Cannelle was formerly the head patissiere at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, IIRC. Also, the croissants at Cannelle are about half or 2/3 the price of anywhere else, so they are an excellent value to grab a bunch.

For those of us misreading blimpybinge's posts, here's a synopsis from where it all went downhill. Tripeler and I bow to your righteousness.

"Medium boiled flavored eggs (hanjuku/ajitsuke tamago) are very common in japan, almost every shop I went to (that served ramen with eggs) had some form of it. I think out of all the shops i went, i could count the ones that had hard boiled eggs on one hand...To me, the lack of this is just laziness."

"Like I said in the other post, a flavored medium boiled egg is pretty standard in japan. Standard as in, that's the way it is at most shops. I'd rather have them stick with how it's supposed to be done than to bow down to customer demands and start changing their recipe left and right."

That too.

OK, maybe not a misconception, more like a mistaken assumption or extrapolation.

Sorry, but that's quite a misconception that hanjuku tamago is standard in Japan. It's not. It's true that the more "gourmet" places feature hanjuku tamago, but many (and I would think the majority of ramen shops in Japan) don't. I like hanjuku tamago as much as the posters here, but to harp on a ramen place for not making it misses the point, and it's not about laziness either. To me, is sounds like someone making negative comments about a steakhouse because the salmon was overcooked.

I think the OP's point is that fries that contain sodium acid pyrophosphate made fresh and not frozen, and made from "real" pyrophosphates, taste better.

But wait! All those preservatives and stuff in ketchup. Yuck! It's gotta be homemade ketchup or nothing. Right, Lemarais?

Re frozen fries: "Sure, it tastes good, but in reality, it's just AWFUL."
I see that we're finally getting to the heart of the matter here.
Using real potatoes: "It might not taste good, but they're GREAT." Did I paraphrase that correctly?

I'm not sure I've seen those. I'll look out for them.

I forgot to mention that the variety I'm talking about is only at the supermarkets. Going to a mid- or higher-end fruit shop seem to offer more choices, probably not in variety, but in quality.

By the way, I'm totally serious.

I'm seriously happy that there's a Bananas board because when I go to the supermarket here in Japan, I always wonder what the differences are in the 5-8 varieties of bananas in the produce/fruit section. There's always the regular "cheapie" bananas that cost around 98-128 yen (roughly $1.00-1.40) for a bunch of 4-5 (typically the Dole, Chiquita, Del Monte brand from the Philippines); then there are the varieties that go up from there, up to 400-500 yen for a bunch, usually packed a little more carefully. I've found the good middle-brow brand called Sumifuru that I can find on sale for 100 yen, but usually cost up to 200 yen for a bunch. The main difference I've found between these Sumifuru and the "cheapies" are that they keep their firmness and flavor well past the spotty brown mature stage. The cheapies become pasty and fall apart easily when past their primes.

I've experimented with the more "premium" bananas from Dole or Chiquita, but they just seem to be the same bananas as their cheapies, except maybe they are the "select" bunches handled with a little more care for the picky Japanese market. They still tasted better than their cheapie counterparts though.

Then there are the bananas that are packed for convenience stores (7-11, Family Mart, Lawsons), that are most likely some of the same brands as I've already mentioned, just packaged for these shops. But they seem to be in better shape then those in the supermarkets. I usually buy them at convenience stores only when I'm on my way to a sports event where I know I'll need the potassium during my downtime. But they still seem to taste better than the cheapie bananas that I now tend to avoid.

Making french fries from from fresh cut potatoes usually doesn't result in better tasting fries. There's a lot of science that goes into making the perfect crispy french fry, and you can't do that just by cutting up potatoes and dunking them in hot oil. See here: http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2...

Hey, wait a minute, Mr. Silverjay, if that's your real name. I might really look like my avatar. Luckily, on the internet, no one really knows if you're not a pudgy smiling orange elephant who stands upright.

I believe all their eel is wild caught throughout the year. And you should get it while you still can. The news of the last couple years is that many unagi restaurants throughout Japan have been shutting down because of the prohibitive cost of locally caught unagi, which the consumers are also avoiding. I checked out Tabelog's menu for Obana and saw that their unaju is priced at 4500-5500 yen (roughly $48-58). That's about double the price (probably more) that I remember paying when I went there several years ago.

Patacan Pisao http://www.pataconpisaonyc.com/
Kabab rolls from Kababish (Jackson Heights
)Cemitas from any number of Mexican places along Roosevelt Ave, especially Taquería Coatzingo or Tía Julia.
Freshly made sandwich rolls at Cedars Meat House in Astoria.
Merguez sandwich from LIttle Morocco in Astoria.
Lamb or Pork sandwiches from the Xi'an places in Flushing.
Nonna's special sandwich (or any of the daily special sandwiches) at Leo's Latticini in Corona.

The end of March is just when things are changing around seasonally around here. For a sample of down and dirty local eating, you should check out any of the Kakigoya (Oyster Huts) that are set up by the local oyster farmers. There's not a tradition of eating them raw on the halfshell in Japan, but they have a buy by the kilo (for a great value) and a grill setup for you to grill your own. These huts also offer a few other seafoods. I'm not as keen on the oyster places set up by the department stores, like on the rooftop of the Mitsukoshi. They offer a wider variety of preparations, but it's likely to be sitting in the heating tray for longer than it needs. I would say it is essential to try kaki-nabe when you're in town. Many of the places that offer it seasonally should still have it on the menu, but like I said, late March is when those items change around on the menus. My favorite is still at Kodani (see here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/267140 ). You should also try an okonomiyaki topped with oysters, or with oysters cooked in (depending on where you go, and if they're still being offered), or a side order of butter sauteed oysters.

You could also go to one of the grander Setouchi ryori places for their course dinners, which could include fugu. It's pretty reasonable around here. (see here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/692830 )

And when you're going to Miyajima, don't forget to stop and get some anago-meshi. (http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/491480

As for activities with kids, there's the Shimanami Kaido from Onomichi through the bridges connecting the islands to Shikoku that could be a good day activity. Or sea kayaking around Miyajima (though March could be pretty cold still). Or a trip to the samurai village in Iwakuni. Hiroshima castle might be good, but if you're visiting other castles, Hiroshima's might only offer the short end of the stick. I don't want to get too far off-topic, but if you want to contact me via email at the address on my profile page, I would be glad to make other recommendations.

When are you planning to be in Hiroshima? How many days are you planning to be around the area? What is your high-end budget or expectation for opportunities for high-end dining vs casual dining?

The same goes for Japan. Unless you dine in a higher-end French, Italian, or otherwise "western" restaurant with cloth napkins, it's likely that moistened oshibori are the norm. I wonder if the napkin on the lap is generally not an Asian thing?

FYI, after listening to this series of reports, I have concerns whether the information one might receive from restaurants or fishmongers may even be accurate in their assessment of sustainability.
http://www.npr.org/series/171717418/t...

Chifa Union is probably going to be slightly more depressing than Chifa on Northern. For Chinese influenced Peruvian, I like Peking BBQ (the roast chicken place) in Woodside, on Woodside Ave/58th St. I guess it's not considered a "chifa" place, but it probably embodies "chifa" as it's run by a family of Chinese-Peruvians. Besides the chicken, I tend to like their lomo saltado (arguably the chifa dish that's become a standard Peruvian dish).

If you're interested in Latino Chinese, you might want to try Mi Estrella (fka Grande Estrella) on Roosevelt/88th, a Colombian style Chino-Latino joint.

Not only is Costco opening in March 2013, Michelin is publishing their fourth guide in Japan, for the Hiroshima area. Who else is excited? I would have thought other larger cities would have been the next target, or even Fukuoka and Kyushu. They must be feeling diss'ed.

http://aws.japantimes.co.jp/news/2012...

The usage of the English word stamina in Japan isn't about sexual energy. It's used to describe the state of being energetic in everyday life. See the examples of how the term is used in this link.
http://www.websaru.info/stamina.html

That's right. They're not really Sichuan wontons. But still, I have to agree with Travels4Food. They lack flavor.

Echire butter, in an ideal world.
My usual is goldenrod honey.
Recently, I've had a lot of extra kinako (sweetened soy powder, usually served with mochi or glutenous rice balls), so I sprinkle it over buttered toast. It's a great combination.

That's the guy who opened such restaurants as Sakagura, Decibel, Sobaya, Cha-an, Robataya, maybe a couple others.