Fukushima Restaurants (part 4)

Continuing our blog posts covering our favorite Fukushima restaurants, here is part four . . . . .

To see our previous Fukushima restaurant posts, click the following links:
Kauri's Kitchen
Gusto
Genki Sushi

Big Boy

That's right.  You thought the Michigan-based Midwest hamburger restaurant chain only existed in America. Maybe you also thought that Big Boy was losing the battle in the competitive restaurant market (seriously, does anyone even see Big Boy restaurants in the USA anymore?) . . . not so in Japan!  Big Boy is alive and kicking!  And so is their hamburger.

Beef - it's what's for dinner!

"If you want 100% beef, go to Big Boy."  That's our motto here in Fukushima.  Pork and fish are more popular and far less expensive in Japan than beef.  If you do find hamburger on the menu, it's probably a less-expensive pork/beef mix.  At Big Boy, 100% American beef is what's for dinner!  Hmmm, there's nothing like cheap, subsidized, feed-lot raised, corn-fed USDA hamburger when you're feeling a hankering for something authentically American.  That being said, don't expect to find anything too familiar about the food at a Japanese Big Boy.  They don't serve the Original Double Decker that Big Boy became famous for (let alone any hamburgers or cheeseburgers at all!).  The all-you-can-eat salad bar (viking - バイキング - baikingu) comes complete with shredded cabbage, seaweed, cold okura, green beans, sesame dressing, and pitaya (dragon fruit).  The soup bar is Indian curry (Japanese style) and the famous corn soup.  They DO have a lot of cola products available at the Drink Bar that an American might recognize, and they serve plenty of steak and ハンバーグ (plain, oval-shaped hamburgers without a bun), but even the way the beef is served and eaten is a little different. . . and a lot of fun!

Here's the "hambagu" on the menu.

I said before that the hamburger is alive and kicking!  That's because each oblong, oval-shaped piece of ground beef is served medium-rare:  grilled on the outside and pink in the center.  It comes to your table sizzling hot on a cast-iron surface with a grilling "stone".  The server even puts a paper shield around your beef to prevent the spattering grease from landing on the table (or worse, on your face!).

Experience the sizzle captured on video!

After a minute or two it's safe to remove the paper shield and enjoy your food.  You may choose to cut pieces off the hamburger, dip them into a garlic or onion flavored glaze, and sear them on the grilling stone until it's cooked to your exact preference.  Or you can just enjoy the semi-raw hamburger that you'd never get in an American restaurant.  Either way, it's an experience!

The well-decorated viking salad bar!

Salad bar (part 1): hmmm, cabbage, okura, corn, and seaweed!

Salad bar (part 2):  notice the dragon fruit on top!

Curry anyone?

Time to begin the first course.

Patiently waiting for the arrival of the beef . . . .

Thank goodness for the paper shield!

Searing the beef on the cooking stone.

Coca Cola - now there's a familiar sight.

Don't get me wrong, I prefer sushi to hamburger.  But every once in a while I have a craving for pure, unadulterated beef.  And I know where to get it . . .

Thanksgiving! (well, actually Kinrō Kansha no Hi)

Thanksgiving is obviously an American holiday, but that doesn't mean that we aren't able to keep the tradition going while living here in Japan.  November 23rd is an annual holiday here in Japan called 勤労感謝の日(Kinrō Kansha no Hi) that roughly translates to: "Labor Thanksgiving Day".  None of my English students were able to give me a good explanation about what is special about this particular day, other than it's a day off from work!  Joel and I were very thankful for that, as Saturday is hands down our busiest day of the week at ECC.  Since this Nov. 23rd holiday falls less than a week away from when all of our friends and family will be celebrating Thanksgiving in the USA, we decided it was the perfect opportunity for the six of us American missionaries (Cindy, Joel, Pamela, Nathan, Haidee, and me) to gather together and feast!

We had a lot of fun preparing some of the food.  Haidee and I bought a couple frozen chickens (very tiny, Cornish hen-sized birds) that just barely fit into our tiny oven, potatoes, and かぼちゃ(kabocha - Japanese squash) which turned out to be a lot more dense than the American varieties that I'm used to.  Pamela, Joel, and Cindy also brought some yummy food including:  pies, jello, spinach salad, green bean casserole and stuffing (with homemade sourdough bread!).  We truly were lacking nothing!

During our conversation after the meal the six of us went around the table and shared some of the things we're thankful for.  In no specific order, here are some of our answers:

• Successful completion of the GRE
• A relaxing summer vacation that allowed for time to explore Japan
• Plenty of household objects to chew on
• A job with wonderful students and co-workers
• Nathan (and being a mother, father, aunt, uncle, Godmother)
• Family celebrating traditions together
• Bible Study Fellowship
• God's continual presence with us at all times

The LORD was with us that day as we all enjoyed ourselves spending time in fellowship, feasting, sharing joys and sorrows, resting, and playing games.  We are blessed.

Enough said.  Here are the pictures:

Eric, baking the kabocha in our tiny oven, (the same oven that we baked the 2 chickens in the next morning) while simultaneously warming his feet!

The bird(s)!  If you look closely you will notice the extra legs and breasts. . . .

Delicious Food picture number 2!

Delicious Food picture number 3!

Nathan enjoying a little pre-meal ride in his cardboard box car

Nathan rolling around on the floor with Dad

The ladies (and Nathan) having an after-dinner chat over caramel-sweetened coffee.

Joel very carefully cutting his homemade pumpkin Bavarian cream tart

Nathan getting double-teamed by Mom and Aunt Haidee during the post-dinner diaper change

Haidee enjoying an after-dinner stretch.  Nathan enjoying an after-dinner plastic bottle chew.

Nathan "helped" his mom during the Spot It game.