Trip to Japan (1)

10月22日から31日まで一人で日本に里帰りしてきました。夫と Poirot 君はボストンでお留守番。 I went back to Japan from Oct. 22 to 31 by myself.  My husband and Poirot were staying home, waiting for my return!

いつものようにデルタ航空だったので機内食は全く期待できません。なのでデトロイト空港で乗り継ぎ待ちの間にしっかり食べておきます。今回は中東風サンドイッチ、 シシュカフタ(shish kafta) を注文。 As always, I used Delta Airline, which means no good food can be expected on the plane.  So I had a big meal while waiting for my connection flight at Detroit Airport (so that I didn't have to get starved on the plane).  This time, I had the shish kafta sandwich (not bad).

これは最初の機内食。ま・ず・い！サラダと海老だけ食べて後はパス。サラダも年々寂しくなってきて今回はレタスとトマトだけでした。昔はきゅうりやにんじん、赤キャベツなども入ってたのにな~。 This was the first meal served on the plane to Japan.  It was so bad that it made me sad (thankfully I was not hungry).

着陸直前に出される2回目の機内食。これは15年間変わらず焼飯 (か卵料理) です。ちなみに日本からアメリカへの便では焼飯ではなく焼きそばです。私がアメリカに来てから15年間、全く同じメニューです。 And this was the second meal served right before landing.  The second meal is always the fried rice (or the egg dish).  The menu hasn't changed for at least 15 years since I came to the US.  Unbelievable.

京都駅まで両親が迎えに来てくれて一緒に夕食を食べました。行ったのは駅にある鰻料理のお店、江戸川。このお店は私が小さいころからず~っとあるのですが、実は訪れるのは今回が始めて。両親は鰻丼や鰻巻の付いた定食。 My parents were waiting for me at Kyoto Station, then we went for dinner.  Since it was late, we just went to a restaurant inside the station building.  The restaurant is called "Edogawa" and serves eels only.  My parents ordered the set menu that comes with grilled eel over a bowl of rice and other small dishes.

私はひつまぶしにしてみました。 I ordered the dish called "hitsumabushi" - with mall pieces of grilled eel and seaweed on top of rice in a wooden container.

おひつにたっぷりのご飯と鰻が出てきます。まず最初はそのまま食べます。鰻がふわふわで柔らかく、とってもおいしい! This dish can be enjoyed in several different ways - first, you just eat it as it is.  Then you can add some toppings (scallions, wasabi, etc) that comes with this dish.

さらに葱などの薬味を乗せ、おだしをかけてお茶漬け風にして食べるとこれがまた、そのまま食べるよりもさっぱりしていていくらでも食べられます。あ～、日本に帰ってきたな~と実感します。 And at last, pour dashi soup (or tea, depending on restaurants).  It was very good - I don't rarely eat eels in Boston (except at a few Japanese restaurants I trust), which are very rubbery most of the times and I feel I am at home when I eat good eels (or anything tasty for that matter).