Sunday

Posted on 2006/01/31 10:40:18 (January 2006).

[Sunday 29th January]
Not much to report. Chie went out to see a friend in the afternoon, while I stayed in for a bit of a rest. We met up in the early evening again to go for an Italian meal at a place near where we live, but it was pretty disappointing. In the same way we get Anglacised Italian/Chinese/Indian food back in the UK, they have the equivalent Japanicised (?!?) versions of things here, and they are often not to my taste. Of course, I hear you say! They are not adapted with my particular tastebuds in mind... but then Chie often finds this Japanese version of Italian to be pretty disappointing too. Maybe she has just spent too long abroad though!

AH! My induction to proper italian food, mixed with your parents great skills at making meals have spoiled this trip to restaurant...

To be honest I think it's a good sign, you are now ready to enter phase 2 of the training! :)

Posted by Lox at 2006/01/31 11:59:15.

Yes Lorenzo, it is hard to appreciate Italian food elsewhere in the world having been to so many great places with you in Italy...!

Sometimes I find Italian food in Japan can be pretty reasonable though. Bizarrely the "famiresu" chain Grazie Gardens is actually something of a favourite of mine. Given the whole ethos of the place it really ought to be downright terrible. It is a chain for a start, very plasticy looking, and senselessly cheap... and yet the pasta and pizza there, basic though they are, are actually pretty satisfying. Just my ignorant opinion though - clearly I wouldn't dare go to a place like that with someone of your status though Lox!

Posted by John at 2006/01/31 13:23:23.

I think it might have something to do with expectation management. So when I go to the famiresu type place, given that it is a bit like a fast food joint, my expectations are pretty much zero. As a result anything they manage at all ends up scoring quite favourably.

The place we went to on Sunday though was trying to be all pretentious and had lots of annoying fake Italian decor, I think that annoyed me to start with, so the bland food they eventually served up was just doomed from the word go.

Oh, and another thing, the menus were rediculously big - I don't mean there was a lot of choice, I mean the actual size of the bit of paper they were printed on was totally stupid. It was longer than our table. Rediculous. As it was a stupidly pokey place, with barely space to sit in between the tables, let alone walk through, the stupid sized menus was just plain irritating.

Posted by John at 2006/01/31 13:32:18.

I really thing that you picked up a huge stinker there... There are a lot of places like that scattered all around the globe unfortunately, and what is more unfortunate is that people really think that they are having top food (or scram)... Incidentally when they come to Pizzaland they complain that the food was not so good!!! You won't believe how many people told me that... Oh well, next time I'll take you to a top spaghetti restaurant in Tokyo, you will be amazed trust me, take it from an italian who DOESN'T LIKE spaghetti all that much (I prefer short pasta), but fell in love with that place.. (and it's cheap too!)

Posted by Lox at 2006/02/01 12:49:49.

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