February 2: Japanese Food Revisited

Oh I take it all back. I love Japanese food. Love it. Between yesterday's sushi and today's ramen, I am a very happy camper. I am sitting squeezed into a diner with red padded chairs and white formica tables. The whole place is smaller than my bedroom. I stood in line outside the shop in the snow waiting for a table -- they turn people over pretty quickly--and am now at a one person table in the back corner.

There is not a word of English in the place, my plan was just to point at someone else's food and order it, but thankfully the sweet young man who came to my table simply said:"noodles ok?" and when I said yes, he struggled for a moment, found the words, and raising three fingers he said: "Only three sizes: Large, standard, small." I ordered a standard. . . and oh, yum. Perfect firm noodles in brown broth, with a layer of duck slices and a mound of scallions on top. Best of all, no fish had ever passed near it.

I better go. . .there is still a line halfwaydown the block waiting for my table.