I'd noticed Juban for sometime at the street level of the Kinokuniya Building in San Francisco's Japantown. And on that shopping day, it seemed like the time to visit. I had some trepidations, having been newly reminded to eat simply and vegetarian by my Ayurvedic doctor...

However, there was something called a Tofu Sukiyaki Bento on the menu, and it looked pretty good! Slabs of fresh tofu with vegetables simmered in sukiyaki sauce smelled SO good and so it tasted. The clear soup with spinach and bean sprouts was also tasty, and I ate a little bit of the kim chee. Honestly this yakiniku house, ostensibly Japanese, had a decided Korean tinge. But I enjoy Korean too. It's clean, pleasant and the service is prompt as well.

Nijiya Market was full of tasty bento boxes this morning! I went to San Francisco to see Dr. Arya who is visiting from India. If you have any interest in seeing a REAL Ayurvedic doctor while he's in town (about one more week), please contact me and I'll put you in touch with him (anna AT annalou DOT com). My pulses have improved a lot since last fall, so no more special herbs, but I have to continue my vegetarian diet. So the above "Special Spring Selection", Spring Cherry Blossom Lunchbox, which was vegetarian, fit the bill for having after my session.

So after my teeth were declared quite fine, I meandered down past my old workplace walking through the green parkway of the Embarcadero Center and through Justin Herman Plaza. The building I spent more than 8 years in is building one, the one appearing smaller past the palm trees. My office was on the 2oth floor, facing the water towards the Golden Gate Bridge. While I was there, I rarely had time to enjoy the view.

And all the interesting activities constantly going on in the square right in front of me. On this day a happy man with all kinds of interesting pots and cans was 'sharing love' in an impromptu concert.

I grabbed a quick bite for lunch at Sushi Ran the other day. It can always be counted on for excellence. I tried their seafood soba and found it light and nutritious with lots of fresh seafood bits gently coddled in a light but flavorful broth. And we know how good soba is for you!

The spinach on top was freshly steeped in the broth and was both tender and colorful. This is a nice lunch I'll repeat again if it stays on the menu!

Previously reviewed:
July 2, 2007
May 10, 2007

Friendly earnestness. I found myself close to the heart of Mill Valley at lunchtime, and thought that it was time to revisit Amberjack Sushi. Amberjack is small, and attentive to details. Good food attracts traffic, and at 11:45, this place was already packed, so I pulled up at the sushi bar. It was a great spot as I had a bird's eye view of the kitchen as I waited, and I could see all the directed, careful and clean activity taking place. This place is serious about giving you a delicious and well-prepared dish! I started with miso soup, which was well flavored and had good depth.

Been dying to try. I found a good opening to try Sushi to Dai For in its new space, it's LARGE new space. It's huge and echoing and I can imagine it hopping with fun at night. So what if the rolls aren't very authentic. They are inventive and artistic, and the menu is huge.

I decided to try the Niagra roll, a special. Albacore tuna paired with something green, I've already forgotten - either avocado or cucumber, with green tea soba noodles, daikon radish spouts and a drizzle of jalepeno (hot!) ponzu over the top. I had my doubts about this combination, but it worked! I'd order the same again if it were to appear on the menu.

Marin Japanese Restaurant Scene. The Japanese restaurant scene has had quite a few changes in the last few months, so I thought it time to post an update, and expand it to some other Japanese restaurants visited.

I find it rather amazing that I've visited every Japanese restaurant in Marin save one. If I'm missing any, please let me know!

Japanese Restaurants and others serving "Japanese" food (and link to my review, if I wrote one, or other info)

Larkspur

Romantic ambiance. I'm often asked about romantic dining places in Marin, and with Valentine's Day coming up, I thought it would be good timing to update you on a place that would be my pick to spend a special romantic evening with that special someone. Dad & I visited Sushi 69 for dinner last night, and have nothing but good things to report.

We started with the Vegetables Miso Soup (Kenchin-jiru) which was beautifully served with a decorative, yet functional carved wooden spoon. It tasted as good as it looked and smelled and there were nice vegetable treasures underneath those floating tofu pieces.

Addicting Lunch. No wonder they call it Sushiholic. With a beautiful and modern interior, and an extensive menu, Sushiholic certainly has made a splash on the Marin Japanese restaurant scene. Jo-Ann and I met for lunch there one rainy day recently.

Hidden around a corner. Where Ming's used to be, Mikado Sushi has set up shop in the Northgate area of San Rafael. I stopped in a few days ago to try their offerings out.

The meal started with a very rich tasting miso soup. The soy sauce containers were so cute I had to get one in the photo too.

Japanese at the Mall. There's a bright clean place at Northgate Mall in San Rafael which proclaims "Freshly Cooked Right Before Your Eyes", and it's true! At Oedo Grill the grill is right up front, and you can watch your meal be deftly grilled as you wait.

Pleasant lunch. Dad has a new physical therapist just upstairs of the building attached to Robata Grill & Sushi, so after the first visit, it seemed like an opportune time to revisit the closest Japanese restaurant to me which continues to have a wide variety of delicious dishes. I reviewed this in July 2006, and then again in October 2006. I was surprised it had been so long since I'd written about this place.

Merry Christmas!

This is a traditional Japanese Christmas cake I picked up in Japantown in San Francisco on Christmas Eve. It's a surprise for Christmas tea at Jo-Ann & Jonathon's (with two children on Christmas, I'm sure they won't be reading this before I arrive with it!). It's interesting how different cultures interpret and adopt others traditions. It's popular in Japan to eat these special cakes on Christmas day.

Transplant. And it's taking. Fukusuke was an old favorite in Sausalito some time ago, and the restaurant disappeared from its long established neighborhood, reportedly, because of an unreasonable rent increase. (I think the space is still unoccupied after a couple years now?) It's reopened in Larkspur, in a tiny space, but the same family is there making all guests feel welcome. Dad and I arrived at 5:45, and there was already a wait to be seated!

And what do you suppose this is? I couldn't resist it when I was in Japantown last. I've wanted one for some time, but there was always the question of whether I would use it... well I did. This is a Japanese pickle maker particularly for shio-zuke (salt pickles). The screwlid is to put pressure on the vegetables you are pickling.

Not your ordinary breakfast. But yet, it came out of a box, and not a cereal box. It's basically a savory pancake which is particularly popular in the Kansai area of Japan. This version is an Osaka-style okonomiyaki where all the ingredients are mixed together, rather than the crepe like Hiroshima version where ingredients are layered, which was my first exposure to this dish. It's one of my favorite Japanese dishes. Any number of my Japanese friends of the male gender have told me that in Japan it's considered 'women's' food, or snack food.

Surfer Dude Sushi Master. I found that Umi Sushi & Grill had quietly opened, without signage or fanfare, so dropped in for lunch yesterday. Umi means ocean, and Yoshi, the owner and sushi chef is a surfer! He and his family hail from the beautiful area of Nikko, Japan via Santa Cruz. This new restaurant occupies the old Akira space, and you can see the tasteful transformation of the dining area into a theme that matches its owner. Those of you familiar with Akira will notice the mountain now has ocean waves at its foot!