Day 2: Still eating (Part 3)

Not surprisingly, after everything today, we wanted something a bit more simple and plain for dinner. After a few hours in the hotel, we went to the 11th floor of Isetan and found a restaurant known for their soba and udon. The above picture was their set soba dinner meal, which is worth blogging about for the item in the bottom left corner: Sabazushi.

Sabazushi, or mackerel sushi, is the regional sushi of Kyoto. Historically, because Kyoto is farther away from the sea than, say, Osaka, fish had to be cured or salted in order to be brought to the city. According to the Kyotofoodie.com website:

Sabazushi is made with saba that has been lightly pickled in salt, then filleted. The fillets are then pickled in sushi vinegar (rice vinegar and sugar) for a short time. Next the outer skin of the saba is carefully peeled away (retaining a delicate inner skin), remaining small bones are extracted with a tweezer-like device. The fillet is placed into a kigata (a wooden form) for making oshizishi (pressed sushi) which is filled with sushi rice. A very thinly sliced piece of pickled kombu (kelp) is placed atop the saba. It is then pressed in the wooden form.

Was it good? I think a good plate of regular hamachi nigiri is better. The kelp was thick, and the fish was a bit overpowering. The rest of the dinner was decent... pretty plain udon with tofu skin, a pretty nice grilled eggplant, and tsukemono (again, note the lack of leafy green vegetables in the meal). Oh, and warabimochi! (yay!)

In contrast, Karen was not very hungry, and ordered an udon with fishcakes.