Sometimes simple is best

On my first day in Hiroshima, I awoke to steady drizzle of rain. With my trusty convenience-store-bought umbrella, I ventured out into this new city. I walked up, down, and around its pedestrian arcades. As I grew weary, I knew that I needed a nibble. Still bewildered by all the kanji and with only plastic food to guide me, I wandered into a storefront that looked pretty popular. Turns out it was for good reason: they had udon, and it was rich and delicious.

My particular variety was quite simple: udon, fresh leeks, and lightly fried tofu. It was also heartwarming and satisying. Somehow the fried tofu never got soggy, just a wonderful chewy. The broth was like homemade chicken soup, and the udon were plentiful and a tiny bit al dente. I cozied up to the counter, opened up my novel, and spent the better part of an hour savoring that bowl of soup.

As luck would have it, after a day of sight-seeing, I found myself venturing through the same streets, this time from the south and west. I saw some stairs up to what looked to be a little kitchen furnishings store. It opened up into a rustic second floor cafe, Cafe With Aida. All of their desserts were handcrafted and with so much apparent care. After much deliberation, I settled on a berry sandwich.

Oh man, was this a good berry sandwich. The bun was homemade, and both crunchy and chewy, with the essence of Paris inside. The berries were black and plentiful. And the white filling! A mix of yogurt and whipped cream that just oozed everywhere. Contented with this delightful sandwich and some chai tea, I again pulled out a book (this time my Japan travel guide) and frittered away the late afternoon satisfactorily.