osaka - eat until you drop
Osaka drifts into sight, we are both up and wildly giddy! Trevor has foraged the ship bringing back muffins and coffee. We bundle up and head out on our veranda as we sail into our first port. Suddenly, the sound of a taiko drum cuts the morning silence, we scan the harbor for its origin. A red dot with flailing arms is spotted, an Osaka welcome, greeting our floating tribe.
Everyone is summoned down to the belly of the ship to disembark. With great patience we are repeatedly reminded to ‘bring your passport.’ We locate coach 12 bound for our selected adventure, the SALT experience where we will indulge in umami.
Osaka is the city of food. There is a word, kuidaore, specific to this region which translates to: ‘eat until you drop.’
Our coach winds through tiny streets and we are informed that we will be visiting a few local artisans before our delicious meal. First is the studio of a knife forger, Enami Tadashi.
Sakai City in Osaka is known worldwide for knives that are hand-forged with pride. The studio is intimate and has been here for over 5 generations. I feel like I have fallen back in time as everything is hand-operated. A small oven that reaches temperatures up to 1000 degrees is used to fuse iron and carbon steel.
After a stunning demonstration of skill, we are offered the chance to hammer out a knife with the assistance of Mr Tadashi. I am second in line and might have overdone the hammering as I am told, ‘Okay, stop now.’ The power of this hammering machine is intoxicating!
Next is a kombu processing plant that resembles a tiny stacked warren. Kombu, we learn, is one of 19 species of kelp in the world. This hand-shaven ingredient is prized for its flavor and is softened with rice vinegar that is 77 years old. The thick smell permeates across time! We are told this is a dying art as we watch masters hand shave kombu with pride. The room has the volume of a library.
Now we are ready for a feast and our lunch awaits in Osaka’s north downtown district, Nishiku. Food havens are hiding everywhere and this one is located like a secret waiting to be found. Our eager group is seated around a long table like a holiday family dinner and an 8-course meal that follows the season of winter unfolds over the afternoon.
During our meal, we learn how to place our chopsticks correctly in Japan, horizontally on the table. Trevor has placed his vertically and is told that is the Chinese way. Our host proceeds to change this for him.
Sake, beer, and wine flow freely and conversations animate. Stories from fellow world adventurers open up as these drinks relax us all. The gentleman sitting to my right is luxuriously elegant and kindly spoken. His sense of humor and stories are delightful, I make a mental note to share coffee and stories.
With full bellies and lots of laughs, we fall rosey-cheeked into our coach to be returned to our home - Silver Dawn.
Content and relaxed, Trevor catches up with the footie and I head off for a pick me up with my current tombe of a book. The sun sets red over the Osaka harbor and is a treat to watch from here.
Dinner tonight is in the SALT Kitchen where the menu changes with every new destination. This is the perfect full circle to our day in Osaka. A small mix-up with wine almost had us drinking someone’s private reserve brought on board for this journey.
Trevor is currently scheming on how to get into those reserves for a sip or two!
