people, just like most modern countries, all enjoy different types of food. It has created a ton of choices for food.
Here there are several chains that we want to try out. One of the largest family restaurant chains in Japan has a sign that looks like this:
We had spent most of the morning swimming and playing. The kids were hungry, really hungry. We thought it would be a good chance to try out this chain.
There are several different varieties of this chain. We ended up testing out the 'Steak Gusto'. It may have been the 'western' theme that drew in this Southern girl.
For some reason, in the midst of the 'Western' decor, they put pictures of Bourbon Street and the San Francisco Bridge? I think both of those places would be offended to be considered 'Western', but hey, who I am to know?
The menu is heavy on hamburgers, chicken, pasta, and other western dishes, but they tend to be flavored to Japanese tastes. (Read bland here.)
There was a large menu, but some things aren't offered everyday. (I know we do that too, but I can read English. I can't read their menus, so when I get the kids settled on an item and then they don't offer it that day it is a moment of slight frustration.)
Similar to the States, there are 'add-ons' to most menu items. I
I forgot to tell you about the magic button on the table. (C calls it the 'easy button' after the Staples commercial. ) On most tables in Japan is something that looks similar to a garage door opener. We ignored it the first few times we went into restaurants. The kids were tempted to touch it, but were not brave enough to deal with whatever the button meant. We would simply wait for the waitress to see us sitting there and come to take our order.
One night we let hubby come to dinner with us. The kids and I explore when he is at work, so we have eaten several times without him.
Matt sat down at the table, looked at the menu and talked a second before he noticed the magic button. He pushed the button the minute he saw it! (The kids had not pushed it at three or four places, but bring the hubby in a public place and he couldn't help himself. I can't take that man anywhere!)
Low and behold, the waitress came after we pushed the magic button.
Insert face slap here. Oh, that's what the button is for!
The waitress stood by the table, smiled at us and looked ready to take our order. She didn't say a word. I hesitated and then she opened her mouth to speak. She stopped. She said, すみません which sounds like "Sumimasen". It means 'excuse me'.
She disappeared to the back of the restaurant. I thought she was looking for someone who spoke English. I was perfectly fine ordering without any English, but she clearly wanted to do something.
She returned with a cell phone. I thought she was going to 'phone a friend' who spoke English. Maybe?
She spent a few seconds finding something on her phone and then managed to speak, in perfectly good English. It sounded like she was reading her English class notes, but she was really reading off tidbits about the menu and restaurant. It was really cool. She was trying very hard to please her customers.
She explained how the add-ons work, what menu items were available and how the drink bar worked. I ordered for everyone, and added a salad bar to my item. I wasn't sure what the salad bar even looked like since we had not seen it coming in, still I ordered it. Our life here is an adventure. I am trying new things out constantly. I figured, 'how bad could a salad bar be?'.
She wanted to show me how the salad bar worked so I followed her out of our little area and rounded the corner to see this:
.JPG)
Now that is what I think of when I think salad bar! The salad bar was small by American standards, but it was jam packed with goodness. It has several types of lettuce, 6 dressings, noodles, toppings and veggies.
The salad bar also had fresh fruit, like pineapple and G's favorite- dragon fruit. There were different breads, and a toaster; a rice cooker with different seasoning options and a couple of soups. It was so worth the $3!
The waitress delivered our ordered food very quickly. The kids were excited already because I let them get drinks from the 'drink bar'. (Normally, we stick with the free water because the drink are so expensive. The drink bar here was $1 when you ordered a kid's meal and $2 with an adult meal. I'm good with that.)
The food was typically Japanese in presentation. They love to make a good show.
The burger patty, small hot dog and chicken was paired with rice and fries. It also had three small 'jello cups'. Theses are the size of a typical creamer packet in the US. We have seen them at several places. There are different flavors and are often added to the kids menu.
The white 'wipe' you see in the picture is Japan's answer to germs. (They also use the disposable masks, but I'll tell you about those later.)
At every restaurant we have been to, no matter if it was cheap or expensive, they hand out individually wrapped anti-bacterial wipes. You are supposed to clean your hands when the food arrives so you don't eat with dirty hands.
The wipe practice is great and makes good sense. What doesn't make sense is that there are not napkins at most places. But, it is often considered offensive if you use this wipe as a napkin.
So, we clean our hands to eat but then let the food stay on our chins or land in our laps because we do not have napkins? OK, I can be a slob if everyone else is being a slob.
We just had to get an extra order of fries for the boys, since swimming had 'taking so much out of them'.
When the fries came I was not shocked to see the ketchup and the mayonnaise mixed.
Since I have lived in Europe before I know that mayo is what they pair with fries.
She lost a little bit of faith in Europeans today ;)
The kids were enjoying their food. They were loving the drink bar. Then, the waitress came. She looked concerned. I quickly went over my mental check list:
Were the kids being too loud?
No.
Were they using their cleaning wipe as a napkin?
No.
Were the offending someone somehow?
Not that I could see.
Then, why is the sweet waitress trying to tell me something so passionately?
Finally, she asked me to follow her.
Oh no, am I go to the manager's office already?
I haven't even been in the country a month and already I am in trouble.
What did I do?
Is she sure it wasn't the kids?
I am usually pretty well behaved unless you trash my Aggies and then all the rules are off the table.
She took me to the salad bar.
Huh? You already showed me this.
She took several bowls and walked me back to our table.
What???
She told the kids to stand up and gave them a bowl. She walked them back to the salad bar.
Apparently, if you purchase a kid's meal the salad bar is included.
The kids were excited that more food was currently theirs for the taking. Score!
The grand total for our meal was $54. That sounds bad, but here that is pretty good for 6 people.
Another bonus, there no tipping allowed in Japan. If you try to tip, they will follow you out to you car to return the money.
We want to return to 'Gusto' to eat breakfast one day. There were pancakes on the menu, but they are only served during breakfast hours.
A successful trip to a pretty good restaurant.
Yes, our standards have lowered quite a bit from when we were in the US. I have never been a foodie, or felt like I had to eat at expensive resturants. I know most people would not be excited by eating at a Bob's Big Boy type place. But, traveling as much as we do it is nice to find a place that gives us small tastes of home.
And, they had Coke Zero.
I'm in!
Share the Love & Pass the Ketchup,
~Aggie Amy
No comments:
Post a Comment