When: August 24, Late
Where: Somewhere in Kyoto
My buddies Poncho and Izzy came to Kyoto last year in December. Somewhere in the heart of Kyoto they found a bar, and in that bar is a picture Izzy drew of the bar tender. I was sent on a quest to find this bar, photograph that picture, and add a paper crane to the mix. But, the instructions on how to get there were kind of fuzzy. Route 113, near the Kyoto Tower and a big temple, a two story place with lots of visible bamboo.
After wandering around for a couple of hours (and somehow getting involved in a group portrait with a bunch of drunken salary men), I finally found a place that fit the description. I slid open the door, ducked inside, and was ushered in to a seat next to the open kitchen. It was a small place with ten seats on the bar and a small table tucked into the corner, decorated with bamboo and dark wood, and their specialty was … beef tongue.
This was a mixed result. I’m pretty sure Poncho would have mentioned tongue if it were a fixture on the menu, and there was no picture to be seen. However, I love tongue. No doubt about it. It’s very flavorful and tender, and prepared correctly, an amazing experience. So, I sat, ate tongue, and drank beer.
Thirty minutes passed while I relaxed, watching the chefs prepare and serve food. It’s pretty fascinating to watch a Japanese kitchen at work. The basics are still the same, but the techniques and tools kept me thoroughly entertained … until a man walked over, and in broken english, invited me to sit with him and his friend.
Their english was good enough for us to have a lengthy conversation about traveling, beer, traveling, sake, traveling, soju, traveling, and whisky. Apparently, words lost in translation are easily replaced with alcohol amongst friends. I’ll have a place to stay next time I come to Kyoto, and they would always be welcome at our place if they came to Portland. Friends in far away places are a great thing to have.
It was a good night, with good people. These are the sorts of things that make travel worth while.
The Japan Times has confirmed that I’m not just whining about the heat — I’m one of the lucky survivors of this year’s heat stroke season, which has claimed 62 lives this month alone. It’s brutal out there. We’ve spent our times taking longer subway rides then necessary, trying to ward off the heat.