Japanese Russian
For the geographically challenged among you (like me) the very northern tip of Hokkaido is very very close to Russia. The biggest town up there is called Wakanai and is the brunt of a whole lot of jokes but the thing it is most famous for is being heavily influenced by its Russian neighbours. Up there road signs are written in Russian and Japanese and all sorts of labels and instructions favour Russian over English. As a result we bumped into a wonderful little Russian restaurant (the first I have ever been to)that served up apparently authentic cuisine. The biggest problem that I had was trying to decipher the menu. I can sort of muddle through in a bit of Japanese and English-turned into Japanese (Katakana style) but when it is Katakana Russian words that I have never heard before I am totally lost. As a result I ended up with a set menu that consisted of soup, salad, bread and beef. And so the love affair begins. I am so up for travelling to Russia based on just this one meal.
Interesting….I’m half Japanese and have never heard of the Russian counterpart! I’m up for trying the Russian influence in Japanese cuisine but can I get it anywhere in America?
i’m russian and russian cuisine is the everyday basis for me (obviously) i’ve tried japanese food, but i have a doubt how realistic the restaurants are here, always wanted to go to japan to try the real thing. If you travel to russia, the food will differ depending where you travel, its a huge multicultural country, isnt there a russian restaurant in Tokyo?