Bar hopping
There is a bar scene in Tokyo.
Hang on, mostly the right words, just in the wrong order. There was a scene in a bar in Tokyo. It’s what you get when 5 Australians, 2 Filipinos, an American, an Irishman and an Englishman herded by a Japanese man walk in to a pub. It’s no joke. It was very good fun though.
It was a guided tour around some Tokyo bars, trying different foods and drinks. We started in seafood place, had sashimi, four different cuts of tuna, some squid, and a white fish, it was eaten simply with a bit of wasabi and dipped in soya There was also grilled tuna jaw bone, picking the meat off, not unlike a ham shank. It was helped down with a molasses based spirit and a mixer, unique to the Tokyo area Hoppy an alcohol free beer.
Next bar was all pork based, we had grilled offal of various types including tripe. To help this down there was sake served in a glass that stood in a box, the glass was filled until overflowing and the box filled. Also a sweet potato based spirit, service ed neat over ice. The measures are huge and topped up regularly. These bars are tiny, probably less than 20 people, most are under the influence, it is raucous but very friendly, and very Japanese. We are welcomed warmly in all, except for one middle aged couple amongst all the babble and palaver wanted a quiet moment and a bit of finger wagging occurred.
Akira, our guide then took us to a ramen bar, just 14 seats in an L shape around the kitchen area. You picked your food from a ticket machine then presented this to the staff. I had pork noodles with egg it came with a dipping soup. It was excellent.
The food must have been a bit salty because everyone was a bit thirsty.
Our guide negotiated a deal with a bar, all you can drink, in the 40 minutes it was left open. ¥1000 about £7. I got very good value!
Trip to Japan 