Cooking in Japan--Lunch

Okay--lunch is probably the hardest meal of the day for me. We are usually out playing and then come in hungry and ready for a quick meal. So, this is something I definitely need to work on. But, here's what we do so far:

Lunch

Udon--Okay, first of all, we live in the smallest prefecture in Japan, Kagawa, which is home to almost 700 udon shops. Can you believe that? Our prefecture is famous for its udon, and in our small city of Kanonji there are probably close to 50 shops. One right next door to us, in fact! Not all of the shops are good, though. Generally, the "dollar" shops are gross. A good way to find a good shop is to ask a local--they will tell you where to go. Usually the good ones are hidden away in a back alley and are always crowded.
The kids beg for Udon, the thick white noodles in a mild fish/soy broth served with green onions. We love kitsune udon, which is served with thin slices of sweetened, fried tofu. Yum! If you get it in a shop, you'll pay close to $4, but we buy the fresh noodles from the store and serve at home for around 50 cents a bowl. Udon can be found in American grocery stores sometimes, but you'll be paying almost $4 as well. Here is a good recipe for homemade udon if you are in the U.S.
When Cash was 7 months old, he could eat a whole bowl of udon, and his appetite for it has only grown. He asks for it almost every day!

Yakisoba-- Yakisoba is another good, cheap noodle dish. The noodles are stir-fried with cabbage, onions, and carrots. You can throw in whatever protein source you want, too. I love yakisoba! I have found it in several Utah grocery stores, so I wonder if it is carried in a lot of stores in the U.S.?

Sandwiches--of course! Grilled cheese, tuna, and peanut butter and honey are what we usually have. Peanut butter is expensive here, but you can order it from Costco or find it cheaper at restaurant supply stores.


Okonomiyaki--This is my favorite lunch ever, but my family is less than enthused about it! Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savory pancake that you can put whatever you want in. Most people put octopus, but I leave that out. I just do cabbage, shrimp, and green onions if I am doing it Osaka-style. I love Hiroshima-style, but it takes a while to prepare, as it has a big omelet on the top and yakisoba noodles sandwiched in between. Then, you spread mayo and okonomi sauce on top, and it is super yummy!

Chicken nuggets and fruit--Yep, I give my kids chicken nuggets. Ack! They are pretty cheap here, and the kids love them. A very quick lunch!

Quesadillas--You can easily make your own tortillas or order them from Costco. Japan doesn't really sell real cheese. Instead, it sells bags of white, mixed cheese, which I'm sure is just some form of processed cheese. It's good, though I can't read the ingredients!

Curry rice--This is a popular lunch and dinner. You buy blocks of curry-roux and simmer them with potatoes, carrots, onions, and whatever protein you want. We use chicken or tofu. The curry blocks can be super spicy or super mild. We always buy the apple and honey curry blocks and occasionally throw some diced apple into our curry. Very yummy! You can also mix leftover curry with udon to make curry udon, which is really good! You can find curry roux in any Asian section of a U.S. grocery store.

Macaroni and cheese--You can buy macaroni noodles here, so my genius hubby stowed away 24 packets of the cheese mix when we left (and left my mom with all the noodles from the boxes--sorry, Mom!). We are rationing our precious supply of cheese powder, since macaroni and cheese has to be ordered here and it's almost $3 a box!

Yep, I definitely need to work on my lunches! Yesterday, I had a plain bowl of rice and a cup of cooked edamame. Very rushed. Any good lunch ideas?