Tom Douglas

Food in the News

If you missed last Sunday’s New York Times Travel section, you’ll want to read “One Noodle at a Time” by Matt Gross here. This delightful article explores Tokyo’s passion for ramen which is shared by Japanese and tourists alike.  How much do the Japanese love to slurp their noodles?  “Well, combine New Yorkers’ love of pizza, hot dogs, and hamburgers, throw in some Southern barbecue mania, and you’ve still only begun to approximate Tokyo’s obsession with ramen,” says Gross.  This is must reading if you’re interested in Japanese cuisine, or David Chang’s restaurants, or for anyone who’s recently watched the movie Tampopo for the first time. (Katie O, we’re talking to you!)

Last week, the Business section in the New York Times ran an article called “Beef Bowl Economics” which speculates that the price war going on between Japan’s biggest beef bowl restaurant chains may be the harbinger that another cycle of deflation is in store for the country.  This is sobering news because deflation “hampered Japan from the mid 1990’s, after the collapse of its bubble economy, to at least 2005.”  Everyone loves a bargain, but there’s also a dark side when prices are too cheap too much of the time.  As the influential economist, Noriko Hama, says “when you buy something cheap, you lower the value of your own life.”  Food for thought indeed!

On the topic of food and travel, today’s Dining section of the New York Times has an article called “If Meals Won Medals,” by the Times’ food reviewer, Sam Sifton, listing restaurant recommendations for Vancouver, BC, for those who will be traveling to the city for the 2010 Winter Games.  “Vancouver is among the best eating towns in the history of the Winter Games,” says Sifton, and we’re happy to see he Included some of our old faves like Vij’’s and Tojo’s on his list.

Posted by Shelley Lance, Blog Editor

February 3rd, 2010