Ameyoko

One of the things I love most about traveling is visiting local markets.  Markets are not only great for buying souvenirs, but some of the best places to get a feel for what a city is all about.  You can always find something special, whether they are selling locally grown produce, arts and crafts, or antiques.  Yesterday, we finally made our way to Ameyoko, a well-known market in Ueno.  I had read about this market before, and I pictured it as a big outdoor flea market with vendors selling whatever they had that day.  In actuality, the area is more of a permanent structure.  It reminded me of the Italian Market in Philadelphia or Eastern Market in DC, but much bigger.

As with any market, you have lots of options for snacks as you walk around.  This market had several vendors selling everything from doner kebabs and soft serve ice cream to bubble tea and takoyaki.  This vendor caught our eye:

A machine makes sweet little pancakes

Leave it to the Japanese to use technology for everything.  We don't know what these little snacks were, but they were warm and yummy!  Imagine a puffy pancake filled with sweet bean (the yellow milder kind, not the stronger red bean).

Most little shops were selling dried foods or clothes.  Strangely enough, several shops sold American items also.  We saw lots of U.S. military gear mixed in with other apparel that I can only describe as "cowboy wear."  Many places made you really feel as though you were bargain hunting.  This came complete with giant bins of stuff all mixed in so you had to dig deep for a good find.

Happy hunting!

Mixed in amongst the bins of clothes and shoes were vendors selling fresh seafood from nearby Tsukiji market.  They would aggressively shout out their best items and prices.  It creates quite a festive atmosphere.  We saw lots of vendors who had "export quality" items also, like big jars of Hellmann's mayonnaise, Skippy peanut butter, and French's yellow mustard.  This stuff was really fun to see, but the coolest part of this market, was stumbled upon by accident.

Often in Tokyo, we find ourselves wandering off the main roads onto the smaller side streets.  This is usually where you find the best stuff- a bit away from the crowds.  As we were walking along a side street, I spotted a random escalator.  It didn't have a sign, but I could see a table of fresh seafood at the bottom, so down we went.  It was literally an underground market.  All kinds of amazing Asian food in one place!  Immediately we spotted green papaya and fresh cilantro (first cilantro sighting in Japan!).  Around the corner, we were overwhelmed with the amount of spices, sauces, and canned goods from all over Asia.

Filipino sauce packets, Indian spices, Thai juices- oh my!

It was great to find this little market.  We probably walked around the whole thing three times, just taking it all in.  "Look, black vinegar!"  "Oh my gosh, they have the red hot dogs!"  "Those turtles are still alive!"  We were totally unprepared for this mecca of goodness.  We actually only walked away with a small bag of chicarron (pork rinds) and a can of Thai iced tea.  Trust me- we will be back though, and soon!

After exhausting ourselves, we needed to sit down for some nourishment.  As always, a humble little izakaya pulled through.  The beer was cold and smooth, the chicken skewers charred and satisfying.  The surprise of the night though, came in the form of a simple scallop:

One fresh scallop: 3 parts

It is amazing how one little piece of seafood can taste so good.  I know I've talked about this before, but I can't help it.  The main flesh is sweet and tender.  The little abductor muscle is rich and buttery.  And those outer connective pieces?  Almost salty and crunchy!  Crazy good- I love me some scallops.  What will I do when I come back to the states, and the only way to eat scallops is boringly seared?  Trust me people- we are missing out on the other good parts.

One afternoon exploring a local market + one evening of good beer and food = another wonderful day in Tokyo.

Apparently, there was another small earthquake during the time we were out, but we didn't even feel it!