Tokyo, Japan

As I mentioned before, I lived in Japan as a foreign exchange student when I was 16 years old. I must admit that living thousands of miles away from family and friends was difficult, but after coming back to this incredible country I realize how wonderful it truly is....my positive perception may also be due to the fact that this time I had my best friend with me. Yep that's him below:)
Wow, he sure fits in with the locals. Look how they are hoisting him up for the parade.

Shortly after our arrival I asked Ben what he wanted to do. His response, “partake in the greatest Japanese contribution since Hello Kitty….Teppanyaki”. Ok maybe those weren’t his exact words, but he sure loves his Teppanyaki. When we first met and I told him I was a chef he said, “cool so that means you can cook like the guys at Benihanas?” When we were redoing our kitchen he even asked if putting a stainless steel griddle in would be practical. Needless to say, he was a happy camper.

I love this picture; we stood and watched these police men for 15 minutes measure and document which bikes were properly parked. And I thought Denver was bad.

While in Tokyo, we usually stay in the Ginza district. Ginza is known for its impressive shopping, entertainment and dining selections. My favorite part of Ginza is watching back alleyways and dead end roads transform into quaint streets filled with exciting restaurants.

Just a hop and a skip from the front of our hotel we found the best Tonkatsu I have ever had in a Katsu house....another thing I love about Japan....they have restaurants and chefs that specialize in one simple dish and spend their entire life making it perfect.

So, what is Tonkatsu you ask??? If you haven't tried it, it's a must. Tonkatsu is a scrumptious Japanese dish made from incredibly tender pork that is breaded in crispy panko breading and deep fried..... If you want the recipe, post a comment and I will upload one.

I loved all of these adorable saucers filled with different sauces. Sweet, sour, salty, and incredibly savory combinations that you can mix to create your own. My favorite was made by crushing sesame seeds with individual mortar and pestles (right) and adding spicy katsu-based sauce. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Ben and I have been so blessed to visit many of the beautiful LDS temples throughout Asia. Our visits are often the highlights of our trips. Here is a picture of the Tokyo temple.