S: So if you want to experience a little bit of old-school Japan
S: Allow me to introduce you to harmonica alleyway and Kiichi-Joji, which at first opened up as a black market slash flea market
S: But now it's full of a whole bunch of nice little cute and trendy delicious shops
M: It's really like the kind of place that you can get lost in you just gotta come here and explore the streets
M: Today we're gonna take you guys on a food adventure down the alleyways and see what kind of food they have to offer us in harmonica alleyway
S: So we are right now going for some show long-ball also known as Xiao long bao
S: But this is a different style than what we're used to because it's a lot thicker dough at the bottom
S: It's baked to be really crunchy but, it's still got a soup base in it. You'd be a fool
S: You'll be a pure fool to bite into this right away
S: You have to poke it, and I know some people in Taiwan are gonna say only hooligans poke it
S: Don't listen to them only people with suicidal tendencies wanna bite into this once because, you will die it is way too
S: freakin hot. First thing you gotta do is make a little hole, and you can see all the juiciness right there
S: So you can see this is really good because when you stick your wood in the holes get really juicy
S: That was a *bleep* good one wasn't it. That was a good one!
S: You know that was a good one.
S: Now that you poked your hole in you got a sip out the soup
*Slurping*
Ahhhh
S: That is...
S: You don't even need to eat the dumpling just eating the soup itself. It's so satisfying
*slurps*
S: Slowly, though you got a sip it get a lot of air in there to cool it down so you don't burn yourself
S: It's a nice
S: Creamy pork broth on the inside. I think I got it all, I'm ready to have my first bite
S: Please don't criticize me too hard on my technique. I know there are other steps
S: I should do. I need to make a sacrifice to the water God, so I don't hurt myself
S: I forgot that step but, here we go
Mmmmmm
S: We got a nice half inch or so of thick crispy dough on top nice and soft and steamed
S: The bottom is fried, the top the steamed and, the inside juicy succulent pork with nice little toasted sesame seeds on top
Mmm
S: This is a delicious way to start your night
S: On to the next place!
M: Now it can be quite overwhelming to find a place when you're in Harmonica Alley
M: Because everyplace looks amazing! S: Yep!
M: I will tell you that the place we are in right now has
M: The biggest and has two floors, even though you can't tell there is an upstairs here
M: and so you're more likely to get a seat here. Or, to be able to stand outside than you are some of the other places
S: I think so. This place also has a really cool aesthetic. It looks like it's all carved out of ice
S: It's much cooler if you can sit at the bar
S: But we came here a bit too late so they only have the tables here. But, if you get a chance to definitely sit around the bar
S: Cuz it just got such a cool vibe to it
M: I hope you're small because its a very packed place
S: Or you can just be affectionate with strangers. M: Which you can't because
M: if they have food, and they try to eat your food you're gonna have to kill them then you're a murderer
S: Do you want that on your conscience? M: Don't you eat my food Rick Bobby!
M: Now the food they serve here is yaki-tori which is little tiny grilled sticks of meat.
M: If you guys don't read Japanese, just come here
M: And just choose a bunch of them like be on an adventure and find out what you're gonna get
M: you might get tomatoes and we might get chicken thigh, but everything is quite good
M: In our opinion though
M: The most unique thing at this place is their lamb. They do lamb and they do a lamb chop
M: And it does take a little longer to come out, but it is worth the wait
M: So today we are gonna be showing you guys
M: freshly grilled lamb chops
S: Because of lamb chops takes so long to make we're gonna fill our time with drinking some alcohol
M: So I'm drinking an Oolong-Hai
M: It sounded disgusting to me when I first moved to Japan it is essentially black tea and
M: Shochu which is not to be mistaken for sake. I thought the idea of alcohol and tea sounded like the most revolting thing ever
M: But, somehow it works
S: Now we mentioned in previous video before, High Balls, but some of you don't know what it is
S: Basically It's just soda water and Japanese whiskey. It's just Japan's own version of whiskey
S: Here we go! M: Kanpai
M: Kanpaiiii~
M: I mis-poured my ratio of Sochu S: I was about to ask you I think he poured far too much shochu in yours
M: It's fine
S: I think you got the balance wrong. Or are you just trying to get right to the embarrassing part of the night?
S: That's up to you
M: Umm that would be if I ordered shots, alright?
S: The lamb-chops came a lot quicker than
S: Usual, and I think it's because it's only a Thursday night and on a Saturday night and not completely crazy
M: Ah, yeah, look at how juicy and wonderful that looks S: Little baby lamb chops and this guy
S: Look how small the little lamb chops are!
M: At first we like putting on the hot pepper that come with it, I just kinda dip it in
*Romantic music starts*
S: Considering how quickly this was made it, just so juicy you could really mess up lamb and make it super tough. M: Yep!
S: They maintained all the moisture got a nice crisp on the outside
M: It's a beautiful medium, not a medium rare. The outside a nice crisp and it's got a really nice seasoning
M: of salt and pepper on it
S: This is rare we have been to many Yuzakaia's and I haven't seen lamb chops regularly
S: This is just phenomenal lamb chop!
S: This is the pay system. So, they give you like little tabby's right here
S: And everything you ordered they give you more of these and in the end you bring these to the check out and each of these has a different value
S: Shoot
M: Aww Simon
S: That didn't work! That didn't work... M: Aww Simon
S: Dan can you get that for me?
Dan: *laughing*
*Fun upbeat music playing*
S: So even though you can come to Harmonica Alley for like some traditional style food
S: You can also go to a standing bar that serves bottles of wine which I don't really know how many sanding bars that serves wine
S: So we're gonna take you to one right now. Let's go!
*music continues*
M: A delicious margarita pizza, we're enjoying a wonderful
M: Sparkling red, we've made some new friends next door to us
M: Enjoy a good conversation, and now let's enjoy some pizza hand baked. Let's see what it is like.
M: OoooO
M: Very crispy. Oh, that's nice though, right
M: Wow! This is cheeessyy
M: Basil, tomato and, mozzarella
M: Mmmmm
M: That's nice!
* music continues*
S: So I'm not sure if you're noticing but, Martina is very talkative and sociable
S: But, you get me with food. I'm not really that good at talking
S: I'm good at eating my food. I'm good at dancing with my food, but talking with the people when I'm eating, not so much.
*music*
'Min Min'
M: We are at Min Min ramen it is a staple of Kichijumi
S: You must eat here!
M: its been here for years
S: Yes
M: Older than me.
M: It's incredible homemade wanton and gyoza. You can get it in ramen format. You can get it straight up fried
M: You can take it out from the window.
S: Mmmm! This is actually really special to us because,
S: This was one of the first
S: Ramen places (M: yeah) that we ate at when we came to Japan. We couldn't read a single thing
M: And, now we can actually order from the menu.
S: Yes M: So it's really exciting.
S: Also. Let me just say, in the last place we went to, we had a lot more wine than expected
*upbeat groovy music starts*
S: So, I'm also getting the fried rice because they find fried rice helps prevent hangover
M: Surprise wine!
S: Whoooah those people were really generous to share their wine.
*groovy music continues*
S: The wontons here are homemade and fresh and not what you're thinking of when we think of Chinese ramen. They're quite floppy.
S: Yeah, Yeah
M: The description I'd have for them. It's more like a noodle with a small amount of meat on the inside
M: But it has well made the noodle is great and, the meat filling is fantastic
S: We haven't had this since we first came to Japan. Come on lets try it M: Oh my god
M: That's sesame oil. The sweetness of the meat.
M: Woah
S: I actually like this more now than when I did back then. -- M: You can appreciate it more right?
S: These noodles, they are really... solid, eggy...
M: Eggy! Is the word I was going to say as well.
S: Very eggy. -- M: There are so many different kinds of ramen you can't just have one
M: You need to try so many kinds! This one has more of a bouncy eggy taste to it.
M: A little bit firmer while other places are quite thin
M: So you need to really like give it a chance and try different shops
M: The base here is more of a shoyu—like a soy sauce base. But, it goes really well with the wantons.
M: Ahh man!
S: And you notice how I finish my noodles right away because the number one to sin when it comes to eating ramen
S: is letting it sit in your bowl so that the noodles absorb more and more broth and become soggy
S: You want to eat them right away, so you can get them at the ideal texture
M: The traumatizing life of a food blogger
M: How do we explain it to you while not ruining our noodles?
M: Hey ducky?-- S: mm?
Umai!! (yummy)
S: mmm-- M: Oishi!! (Yummy)
S: Oh man, this is so much better now than before M: mmm
S: I've become a little bit of a gyoza snob since we went some really famous
S: Amazing gyoza places in Ikebukero. Oh, let me see how this one tastes compared to the rest.
S: This looks like a solid gyoza. Cuz these are handmade right?
M: mmm (in agreement)
S: Here we go!
M: They are famous for a reason right?
S: The problem with getting a good gyoza. You want to get the bottom crispy
S: But if you get them too crispy you dry up the inside
S: And if you let the insides get too moist and you don't get enough crisp at the bottom. This is just...
S: The perfectly fried gyoza
M: The flavours on the inside with the cabbage with the pork
M: Ungh!
S: Those green onions in there, are so sweet.
M: I mean if you can't make it to anything else. Come on down for the dumplings here
M: Oh my gosh!
S: Harmonica Alleyway has so many tiny little restaurants (M: Yeah)
S: But, so many of them are so
S: Profoundly delicious they really master their craft
S: And there's so much variety of food here. Oh my god! Oh my god! This is great
M: So I hope this video has encouraged you to come to Kichi-Joji and explore the alleyways
M: There are so many shops to visit!
S: We've only done a few them. There a bunch that we love that were closed that we couldn't go to right now.
M: Right! And other places that were just packed
M: But the key is if you speak Japanese if you don't speak Japanese. Come on out to this area
M: Just explore hop in pick off the menu make new friends you guys are gonna have an amazing time
S: So many nice people here! You're gonna love it
M: I mean I'm still a bit hungry.
S: Are you? -- M: Yeah -- S: Girl you ate too much.
M: I think I'm gonna go eat some more food.
(Talking over each-other) S: There is a spot over there! lets go figure out what that is. -- M: Lets go get some more food. What that over there?
*jazzy music outro*