While in Tokyo, my brother and I decided to visit an underground food market, located in the basement of a department store. It struck me as being quite similar to high-end markets we have in Paris, like the Grande Épicerie or Printemps du Gout, though the offerings were quite different.
I loved checking out all of the different fish and seafood on offer.
And the fruit was absolutely gorgeous. This was something I had read about before visiting Japan – perfect specimens of fruit, calibrated and sold as gifts. But it’s one thing to read about it; it’s another to actually see a mango wrapped in a bow and sold for 140 dollars.
And of course, I had to check out the mochi, which was being made by hand (behind glass) in the market.
For this mochi, a single seasonal strawberry was wrapped first in red bean paste and then in a thin layer of mochi.
And yes, it was delicious.