rediscover.dusseldorf

although we visit dusseldorf quite often (well, three times in 2010) but there are still enough new discoveries even in japanese town area. since we discovered the japanse town, our eats at dusseldorf always full of yummy japanese food. the german pork knuckle, roasted chicken, sauerkau sausage are no longer on the list!
the day starts with a bowl of hot ramen for lunch...

nothing else more japanese then sitting at the counter near to the kitchen while eating your ramen. i dislike the stench when i walk out from the restaurant after the meal, but i enjoyed the action packed kitchen and how systematically each chef performs their part of procedure in making a bowl of ramen. what a shop floor system...

the kimchi is delicious - not too salty, not too spicy but just full of flavors. my ramen is okay - no wow factor besides the soup base for me and his taste very differently even though both bowls are miso based ramen. i am not a big fan of this ramen restaurant anyway, i prefer the other restaurant more... it's very personal when comes to one's favorite ramen. for me, the other restaurant has a more authentic taste and better noodles.

soba (buckwheat) for dinner...
the restaurant is almost empty when we arrived. if not because i have got a recommendation from the japanese hair dresser about this restaurant, we properly won't step in at all. it's rather empty and quiet by the time we arrived.

when the last customers paid and stepped out, we have the restaurant all for ourselves. some deep fried buckwheat crackers on the house.

our starters come in giant size. my miso glazed grill aubergine and his supersize tamago-yaki (japenese rolled egg) both are delicious and filling...
pouring of warm sake.


warm sake is the jolly drink in the winter, we need the warmth to walk back to our hotel after dinner.
the tempura don is heavenly, those shrimps and vegs are just so tempting...

my warm soba with tempura. same tempura as his, super fresh, crunchy and light! a real delight!
on the next day, just before we leave for home, he is suddenly craving for cold sashimi....

so we didn't go for my favorite ramen store but opt for this. he has a kaisen-jyu, basically some rice top with assorted seafood sashimi. i ask for a simple down to earth tempura don but having tested the freshest tempura from soba-an a night before, these tempuras are great disappoint, they are not bad, but just not fresh due to the oil i guess... but despite of that we are full and are ready to braise the snow to go home for christmas.
another discovery which is not on the food, but on some interior decoratin. i saw this light display at one of the interior shop and fall in love with it...

i can already imagine how i want to use these lights at our home, but the reality is we didn't buy this, so some regrets on retail therapy has no harm. we will try to find this in lowland, if not perhaps just another trip back to dusseldorf...