Page 70 - WDT Winter 2018 japan

topped with a perfectly scrambled egg swimming in a rable meals in one-room restaurants a few tables and
rich sweet and savory brown sauce. stools at a bar in front of the kitchen. Sitting at one of
Even if you only have a few yen, you will never these bars is like being at a chef’s table – up close and
starve Japan. There are eateries every few feet in the personal with all the cooking action without the high
cities; sometimes they’re stacked one above the other cost you encounter in the US for the same privilege.
in urban high rises. Some dining spots are grand, but We found the noodle shops fascinating and fun.
many are tiny family affairs holding fewer than a dozen Here, hungry diners savor steaming bowls filled with
diners at a time. We enjoyed some of our most memo- rich broths, noodles (udon, soba, yakisoba, somen or

70 WDT MAGAZINE WINTER 2018