Macy's can do better

The department stores in Japan are a treat for any foodie. A full floor is dedicated to a wide range of eateries, and they put a ton of effort into gorgeous presentations of fresh food. There's also gourmet groceries

On Sunday, K and I journeyed to the Shinjuku neighborhood, home of many department stores, including Isetan, our destination. We went a little crazy because of the deliciousness surrounding us, and ended up with a five course meal.

Above are two shots of the food as presented. We got some of the salads you see but didn't get any of the (gorgeous!) parfaits which were separated in their containers but which you pour into a single bowl. Incidentally, the salad place was RF1, which may or may not be related to Delica RF1 in the Ferry Buidling in San Francisco.

Wow - what excellent salads. Clockwise from top left:

Squid and red onion

Salmon, yellow bell pepper, and red onion

Prosciutto cotto with lemon and red onion

Mixed seaweed salad

The prosciutto salad was a revelation, with very thinly sliced lemon providing a perfect contrast to the cured meat.

Next was a nibbles course:

Lotus root with black sesame

Mixed gyoza and dumplings

Eggpplant and small spicy green chile

The lotus root was fantastic, slightly nutty and perfectly crunchy.

Sadly, the fried pork ball was too good to remain to be photographed. It was tasty and the size of a softball!

The first miss - this bento box was an odd mix of Japanese toppings over American lunch ingredients, with potato salad, cabbage, and pasta egg salad in the first, second, and fourth squares respectively. Better to stick with full-on Japanese items...

And, to finish, four assorted mochi (glutinous rice balls with filling). The second miss - these were bean heavy and just different colors, not flavors. We should have gotten a parfait...

So, all-in-all, an exquisite lunch eaten discreetly in a adjacent coffee shop (Segafredo). A delightful picnic option!