Nakameguro lunch grind. Taken with InstaCRT for iOS.
Yesterday the Tokyo Paella boss served up that black rice paella.
The Best Paella in the World is Made in Tokyo
Last summer I had a chance to dine at the restaurant in Valencia, Spain that is famous for allegedly inventing paella hundreds of years ago. The place was packed with tourists and the collection of ceramic plates on the walls told the story of the restaurant through the years. The resulting paella that resulted from all of this hoopla was what could be described as ordinary. Let’s just say the dominant taste was salt, and more than half of the substance of the dish seemed to be permanently melded into the hundred year layer of black crust on the cast iron skillet.
Flash to a non-descript parking lot on the Meguro river in Nakameguro, Tokyo. Inside a stylish black van is where the best paella I’ve ever tasted comes from. The van is labeled ‘Tokyo Paella,’ and the chef behind the wheel is a true master. The dish is alive with the flavors of his uniquely spiced chicken and vegetables. There is salt there, but the main take away is of buttery and moist rice, of the kind you’ll want to seek out every grain with your spork. The meal comes with salad and a tapas, usually some pork concoction.
The dramatic difference between the levels in quality between the original paella and Tokyo’s outstanding version, is an example of the well documented ‘Japan Effect.’ Namely, import the world’s best, pay attention to every detail of how it’s made, and then improve that process and the overall product as a result. This happens in technology, in fashion, in the culinary arts, and this time, specifically in paella. What I had in Nakameguro is a better engineered paella. The chefs in the paella restaurant in Valencia, I’m sure feel entitled that they must deliver the world’s best paella. Surely it is the most authentic, and surely no one without Spanish blood could achieve mastery of the dish. Or simply, perhaps they don’t feel a need to impress the tourists and save the good stuff for home. Whatever the reason, the Valencian chefs were clearly phoning this one in. And for my yen, there is no better paella in the world than from the esteemed master of the details who parks his cart along the Meguro river every Wednesday lunch time.
See you in line.
When the career cycle of an American celebrity has run its course in the States, there is always hope on the other side of the Pacific that you can leverage your popularity from the 1990s and spin it into a turbo charged post-career sponsorship deal with Suntory Beverages. Bill Murray’s Lost In Translation was not far off the mark in how even the unenthusiasm of a former Western star can still sell drinks on the island of Japan.
Runners In Japan
In America, runners come in many varieties. You have the wanna-be marathoners, the thrift store clad hipsters, the ironic runners, the fun runners, the carry weights around as you go runners, the spandex crowd, the giant headphone wearers, etc. In Japan, you have only one kind of runner. The stoic runner. These fit but silent types wear the latest running fashion, all the way down to the seasonally sanctioned tights. There is no fun in their run. You can see them running with backpacks around the imperial palace, or running in well color coordinated packs around Yoyogi Park. They signal their turns and shout serious warnings when they come up behind you. I wish the types of runners in Japan were as diverse as some of the other sub-cultures. But for now, these stoic warriors rule the city, with dreams of Ekiden glory in their heads all the year round.
Anti-Nuke street art in Tokyo.
Quentin’s favorite joint when he comes to Tokyo.
Yu Darvish Versus the Blue Jays
After his dominating start against the Blue Jays, Yu Darvish stands at 4-0 with an ERA hovering around 2. It’s only a sample from the first month, but those numbers seem a lot like his numbers in Japan.
It’s true that Darvish has improved in each one of his starts so far. Against the Blue Jays, he had even more swagger than he had against the Yankees. He is starting to realize that when he has his best stuff, there is no one in the world that can hit him. When the ball floats up and he misses his spots, he is as hittable as anyone. They key for Darvish and for any pitcher is to minimize mistakes up in the zone.
Watching the condensed version of Darvish’s performance against the Jays, Darvish put on a display of pinpoint accuracy. It actually reminded me of watching a sped up version of Greg Maddux. When the catcher set up on the outside corner, Darvish assaulted the target with balls that zeroes from above, as well as curving left and right. There was a wide variety of motion on the pitches to the same spot. This is the recipe for unhittability.
What’s really impressing me is that Darvish has started to throw a change-up on a regular basis. He already has one of the league’s nastiest slider and curveball. So to add something that changes pace on top of lethal breaking balls is utterly unfair to opposing batters.
If Darvish stays as consistent with his pitch location as he did against Toronto, there is no reason he can’t go 4-0 next month as well.
Cowboy hats off to the AL Rookie of the month. Yu Darvish.
