I second Plachutta

Dunno if this in fact suits your request, but the Kamiya Bar in Asakusa (www.timeout.jp/en/tokyo/venue/353/Kam...) still maintains a bit of the old. It's not really a bar, but rather a cafeteria with the original system of ordering and outfitted attendants still in place.

nibbleworthy,

how long will you be in Europe?
I would love to join you on any one of your culinary adventures.

where shall we start?

Agreed! Searching for Food Fight isn't very efficient either. Food Fight contributions are so much fun, I would love to see a page devoted to all the creative entries.

A few months ago, I found another small eats street near Yuyuan that was filled with dishes only the adventurous will try. Bustling with locals and storekeepers! It is an alley further down past the new shopping mall.

My menu that night was:
-鸭血汤 (Duck blood soup)
-臭豆腐 (Stinky Toufu)
-龙虾 (miniature lobsters)
-fried crackers
-mix and match your own stir-fry
-fried dumpling
-chinese version of crepe

It is only about a block long, but I bet this is the experience most tourists expect when they come to China.

Just got back from a ten-day trip in Xinjiang.
It was amazing. The culture, the scenery, the weather, everything was truly colorful.

But I am writing today to report on some of the best food I've had in China...
Polo (or 手抓饭）is a local pilaf cooked with a delicately crumbling boiled carrot, miniscule portions of onions, succulent lamp pieces, balanced perfectly with locally sourced raisins and/or pomegranate. Ate this for a full 8 days (as long as I had the freedom to choose). If I can find a good recipe for this, I will want to recreate it at home as a staple dish. (Anybody?)

This pilaf usually comes with a lamb soup (or 羊肉汤). Savoury yet light, the piece of mutton rib that comes with it is so good that I gnawed on the bone for more.

A rice sausage..did not get the name for this dish, which was truly amazing...don't let the appearance fool you. Depending on the place of purchase, it can range in taste from that such as a black bean burrito from chipotle in the US, to the taste of salami with a bouncy fruit trapped inside it. Weird explanation, I know, but the experience was out of my mind.

Naan, called Naang with a silent g in Chinese as well, were excellent in some places, but awful in others. Best places to get them were on the side of the street in small towns, as they may add more garlic or salt to the pieces, and generally took longer to harden. Whatever you do, don't get them at tourist attractions or at the airport!

There are a few more things I had that were worth mentioning, but since I don't recall the names of the dishes, I will leave it up to you to explore. Enjoy!

Bistro du Coin, Cafe Asia,?

i'll always recommend enoteca...
http://www.smartshanghai.com/blog/725...

i actually sautee apples with spinach or cabbage, and add raisins to make a warm salad. sometimes i add soy sauce to this sautee to make it less salady and more side-dishy.

i'm replying to you a full year and a half too late. but my guests always comment on how it was surprisingly good. perhaps you could experiment?

Thank you all for so many ideas!
I ended up making loose interpretations of the Peach Chipotle Salsa, Peach Chutney, and Peach fried steak (not mentioned here, but a variation of foie gras soaked in peach). In large doses.

By far, the chipotle salsa was the easiest to make and had the most satisfying result. that recipe is a keeper!

The rest of the peaches will be frozen, as recommended many times. I'll have to hold a peach party at home.

Thanks again for your kind recommendations!

yeah, i saw that Nathaniel's was gone, too. what a pity..hope for their revival.

sorry, i know this thread was for hamburger buns, but i couldn't resist.
Lemme just add that I would go to National to get it, as well...

and I recall seeing it in the organice supermarket in omotesando last year...

We recently received several boxes of peaches, and are looking to unload them to our friends and neighbours.

Even considering distribution, we are still likely to have 3 dozen peaches left.
Any ideas on recipes that use a lot of peaches at one-go? They are beginning to go soft.

Especially helpful would be recipes that do not include baking. Our oven is out of range for a while.

Looking forward to your tips!

In Ubud, there is a very popular restaurant (to tourists and locals alike) called the Suckling Pig. Actually, I don't even know if that is the official name. Ubud isn't so big. Ask anyone, and they will point you to the restaurant (across from temple).

You sit on the floor, not a lot of utensils--you use your hand to eat the roasted pig.

French Roast is always an option...it was for me when I was in college way back when...

My style: no fuss, sweet, and strong-
japanese cold sake
dash of peach liqueur

sometimes called the sakura-tini or peach blossom

You all obviously have not eaten in China yet. I mean local Chinese style. Nobody expects any service, and when we do, it hardly seems appreciated.

We all want to be serviced in life. Even the best food in the world can lose some of its charm when treated poorly, but not if we expect not to be treated poorly.

Which brings me back to ranting about leaving tips for not being serviced more than what we deserve. Obviously, when encountering great service, I feel more generous in my pocket and my palette. But an average service?

The packet must have had instructions on them, and probably would've followed something like this:

1. Boil water (100g/serving)
2. When boiled, slowly slide in noodles. Stir occasionally.
3. Timing is tricky. It should be about 3 minutes for fresh noodles, but depending on the manufacturer, sometimes it takes up to about 10 minutes. Did the packet have any suggestions? If not, try a string every 3 minutes (until it dances in the water), taste for al dente or a bit harder.
4. As soon as it is done, pour noodles into strainer with ice in it, run cold water over it.
5. When noodles are not cooking on its own anymore, take out the ice and pour it into your soup/broth.

In Tokyo, head to Kawakami-an (branches in Azabu and Aoyama). Excellent soba, excellent dipping sauce, excellent sake selection!! But better make reservations before going.
For information (in Japanese),
http://www.kawakamian.com/

There are a few "food streets" but not as vibrant and ghetto as you may expect. However, I have found a few local food streets that got me excited.

My favourite is on Lou Shan Kuan Lu, a block or two north of the LouShanKuanLu Station on the green line. Just a cluster of small shops close to the market, but had the best soup noodle here.

Also on Urumqi Lu, there is an area with many tiny stores and food vendors.

Yunnan Food Street is fun, they say Shaoxin restaurant is the best...its alright...i like the atmosphere of selling raw food on the streets.

Wujiang Food Street (Street down Shimen Yi Lu) is being invaded by tons of tourists/foreigners, but still has that bustling feeling you may be looking for.

Happy eatings!