EXPLORING ANY ethnic cuisine can be intimidating. There are
challenges surrounding language, pronunciation, etiquette, and new,
interesting flavors. Taking an expedition into the flavors of another
culture can sometimes lead to disaster. At best, you’ll find a new
favorite dish; at worst, you’ll be forever haunted by textures and
tastes for which you were completely unprepared.

While sushi is arguably the most popular subset of Japanese cuisine
among Americans, the island has produced myriad unique dishes (and
taken the dishes of other cultures and made them indelibly their own).
So how does a sushi lover transition from California rolls to fish
kasuzuke (fish pickled in the leftovers of sake production, or
lees)? Simple: Find a guide.

Writer and NPR contributor Andy Raskin lost his gallbladder after
conquering a legendary, intensely fatty bowl of ramen at a tiny Tokyo
restaurant called Ramen Jiro (a brief escapade he chronicles in his
funny and brutally honest memoir The Ramen King and I).
That’s who you want for a guide. A survivor.

Sitting in the VIP lounge at Wordstock, the oxygen bar bubbling away
behind him, Raskin explained that in Japan there is much more
specificity when it comes to dining out. “There’s tempura restaurants
where the guy’s a total expert on tempura. That’s all they do, and it’s
all been passed down.” Ramen Jiro? Only ramen.

But in America, Raskin notes, Japanese restaurants have much more of
a mixture of foods. That makes it particularly easy to use sushi as a
kind of gateway drug.

Raskin suggests that the curious start out by looking beyond nigiri
and maki rolls. “A lot of sushi restaurants have a lot of cooked dishes
on the menu,” he says. “Try some of the appetizers that often in Japan
you’d never find in a sushi restaurant.”

In particular, he enjoys buta kakuni—pork belly that
has been simmered for a long time until it’s incredibly
soft—also, the aforementioned fish kazuke, which is often
grilled, resulting in what Raskin characterizes as an “incredible, sort
of slightly sake-ish, slightly sweet flavor.”

More familiar to the American palate, Raskin suggests, will be
yakitori dishes, a term that refers specifically to skewered grilled
chicken, but is used to encompass any manner of skewered, grilled
meats.

“There’s so many variations,” Raskin says. “The typical yakitori is
chicken and scallions, but then there are pork ones, bacon ones,
asparagus, all the vegetables, meatball ones… some restaurants get
very creative.”

Of course there’s also ramen. Unlike instant ramen (whose creator
Momofuku Ando inspired Raskin’s book), Raskin likens the real stuff to
pizza, whose devotees argue the merits of its individual ingredients,
like crust, sauce, and toppings. For ramen the magic lies in broth,
noodles, and, well, toppings.

Raskin believes good ramen hinges on broth. “My favorite kind of
ramen broth is tonkotsu,” he says, explaining that it’s made
from pig bones that have been boiled until the collagen is extracted,
making the broth slightly gelatinous. “Usually it has slices of pork on
top, and menma—which are slices of marinated
bamboo—and yuzu [a Japanese citrus fruit] shavings that
cut the broth.”

As you immerse yourself in Japanese food, your palate will likely
become more adventurous. The now well-versed Raskin craves
shiokara. “It’s squid fermented in its own gut sack,” he
explains. “It is fantastic.”

Go Eat Here:

Yuzu, 4130 SW 117th, Beaverton, 350-1801 Yuzu is a
great little place to get good ramen, sushi, and sashimi for cheap.
It’s a small dive and packed with regulars, so those in the know should
get reservations. Bonus: Yuzu is near Uwajimaya, the area’s best Asian
grocery store. DAVE BOW

Biwa, 215 SE 9th, 239-8830 Biwa has a nice
selection of no-frills, high-quality Japanese cuisine, including
delicious vegan and vegetarian alternatives for many of their dishes.
The atmosphere is slick and simple, and the noodles are made in house.
DB

Tanuki, 413 NW 21st, 241-7667 Tanuki is the rare Japanese bar that
offers much more than raw fish and rice. With pork belly, oysters,
fresh kimchee, and cheap, cheap sake, it’s like walking into a Tokyo
corner bar. Just replace the salary men with Portland’s young and hip.
DB

Yakuza Lounge, 5411 NE 30th, 450-0893 Treat yourself like a high-level
Japanese gangster and get some Kobe beef or lamb tsukune at
Yakuza. Just go easy on their famous seasonal produce before ordering
hits and starting a gang war you’ll regret. DB

Bamboo Sushi, 310 SE
28th, 232-5335 The food quality is great, but the real thing that makes
Bamboo headline worthy is their status as the first US sushi restaurant
to be certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. Love
fish, but hate unscrupulous fishing? This is your place. DB