Book Review: Rice Noodle Fish

A beautiful dish from the omakase meal (some elements of traditional kaiseki, but I don't think as formal) at
Sushi Kaji in Toronto (Spring 2013)

Rice Noodle Fish
Deep Travels Through Japan's Food Culture
Author: Matt Goulding

Written by the co-creator of the website/magazine Roads & Kingdoms, Rice Noodle Fish is their first book and is focused on Japan.  I was on their website and they were advertising the book so I thought I'd check it out.

Part guidebook, part travelogue, Goulding takes us to Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, and Noto.  I've only been to Tokyo and know a little bit about Osaka, Kyoto, and Hokkaido...and when I say little I mean I know a few of the foods I'd like to try there and that's about it. Given the list of cities highlighted, this not a complete guide to Japan's culinary culture but it is fairly extensive and reiterates some main points about the culture throughout; specialization and dedication to craft.  In the Tokyo chapter, he mentions the concept of shokunin, "an artisan deeply and singularly dedicated to his or her craft, is at the core of Japanese culture" (pg 6)..."Tokyo is the city of ten thousand shokunin.  If you come to Japan to eat, you come for them" (pg 7).

Actually, my first impression after the first couple of chapters was that it wasn't as appealing as I thought it would be, but eventually the later chapters drew me in more.  Don't get me wrong, there was new stuff to learn about each area but some parts were also a little, hmmm, long-winded?  It was definitely interesting to learn about the Osaka food scene; sounds like a lot of fun!  As well, who knew that there was such an art to yakitori?!  If you know a little bit about Japan or more specifically Japanese food, you know that they specialize in one area and to the nth degree.  A lot of times the restaurant is so tiny that there are only a few seats right in front of the chef so it's in a way a form of entertainment because you can see everything that is going on in the preparation of the dish/food.  I've read in Tokyo they've started to also plate your dessert in front of you here; providing that extra something for customers.

One part that I think was a bit too long was the Kyoto chapter.  He goes to Kyoto and has multiple kaiseki meals and searches for an understanding of kaiseki.  Whether he finds it or not is up to you to decide from his writing, but in the end he does highlight a father and son that appear to be bringing kaiseki to new heights.
Just before I finished writing this review, I came across a recent post from Toronto Life on Toronto's kaiseki scene, reviewing Miku but mentioning Sushi Kaji.  (I would show more pics of the oh soooo very good sushi and sashimi at Sushi Kaji several years ago, but this post is not really about Sushi Kaji.)

The chapter on Fukuoka starting to capture my attention a bit more.  In Fukuoka, he met with Toshiyuki Kamimura who eats 400 bowls of ramen a year.  He also referenced the Ramen book The Untold History of Ramen which I really liked and wrote a review about here.  Talked about Yatai culture (food stalls, I'm thinking they are like da pai dong in HK or night market street vendors in Taiwan).  Hiroshima focused on okinomyaki (the version with noodles) and Goulding discusses a little bit about his feelings associated with being an American and walking through Hiroshima, one of the places in Japan bombed by the Americans/Canadians/British during WWII.  Hokkaido, and Noto more interesting and I've highlighted them below.  Because I've only traveled to Tokyo, the other areas of the book were more interesting.


Best Parts IMO...

- Hokkaido was interesting because it gave an array of different things to experience in Hokkaido while still adding the personal stories.  In Hokkaido, Tatsuru makes soba from hand using 100% buckwheat grown in the area.  " 'The process is everything,' Tatsuru says, in what could be a four-word definition of Japan. The young man next to me, a spiky-haired pop star from Sapporo, nods his head in agreement. 'Once you eat here, it's hard to go back,' he says, in what could be a nine-word definition of Hokkaido."

- I've never heard of Noto and the moniker "Kingdom of Fermentation" but it really made me want to go there.  A lot is focused on preserving the culture; the culinary culture of the area.  It's definitely not easy to do as a lot if not all foods are made from what nature provides.  Today, we can buy dried kombu but they actually do the drying.  Making miso from scratch, pickling all sorts of things, making their own fish sauce....how easy is it for us to just go to the (Asian) supermarket and buy these things!

An excerpt:

"To make Noto cuisine is an act of patience and sacrifice, one that forgoes the ease of modern conveniences like supermarkets and industrial ingredients for a deeper commitment to land and legacy.  It means adapting your life to fit the fickle behavior of the seasons.  It means understanding tidal rhythms and weather patterns by how they translate to the table.  It means mottainai, "nothing goes to waste," a philosophy that resonates through every facet of Japanese food culture.  It's an ethos born not simply out of necessity or industriousness but out of the Shinto belief that objects have souls and should be honored accordingly." (pg 298)

Information is passed down from parent to child and only through years and years of experience does information get transferred.  Today, we search on the internet but there is only so much that can be conveyed.  I recently read a blog post on tea making and how the tea farmer will pass that info to son and grandson.  The grandson works in the tea garden/processing facility on the weekends to learn the family business while going to school during the weekdays.  Much of these "secrets" and experiences are only obtained through years and years of working at the same thing.


Not for you if...

- you want lots of recommendations for specific places and addresses.  e.g. the section on Noto really focuses on one family and their ryo-kan (the #1 bb/inn out of 16 on tripadvisor).  Goulding talks extensively with the family and although I really liked the in-depth look at the food culture in Noto and the individual story, this might not appeal to everyone.

- interested in a Tokyo guidebook, the Tokyo section is not very big or specific.  He highlights Jiro Ono for sushi, yakitori, coffee from Katsuji Daibo, and cocktail culture.


Overall...

I liked this book.  It appeals to those looking for personal stories of exceptional people making exceptional food, then again, that is the basis of the book, to look beyond the basic travel info.  It's about the experience...and right now people are looking for experiences, putting value on it more than ever these days as opposed to just material things.  Don't get me wrong, brand name items will always be cultivated, but to spend money on food experiences is at it's simplest, about happiness - food can do that.  Seeking out food experiences might also be about educating yourself on different foods that you didn't grow up with, new techniques or flavours or in some cases, just getting to know the true taste of something.  For example, freshly picked Ontario strawberries, so much more delicious!  It also gives people (including myself) more to talk about with others or is an easy enough topic to talk about in a social setting.  I'd like to think that seeking out food experiences is a positive thing but, in a not-so-positive light, for some people it could be another way of indicating social status which many people don't realize because it's not the intention of most people. Gosh, now I'm rambling, sorry for digressing, this could be a whole different discussion! I'll make one final comment about the book.  If anything, the book is another example of how Japanese culinary culture could be/is changing the way we eat and think about food.