Paper Nabe in Arashiyama, Kyoto

Have you tried paper nabe? If you are into vegetables and Japanese food, you should. It's very light and delicious. It's filling and very healthy!

I tried this paper nabe in Arashiyama, Kyoto. Arashiyama is a small region in Tokyo full of culinary delights and cute souvenir shops. I could've spent days visiting the shops and cafes. I would've. Alas, we only had some hours to explore.

They put a special kind of paper on top of a small stove, added some water (with mild vegetable broth/dashi), vegetables, tofu, shrimp on it and let it boil until it was done. Worried that the paper might catch fire? Don't! The fire will extinguish itself when the ingredients are ready to be eaten.

After a long walk in Arashiyama region (it was quite windy and chilly then, spring time!), eating paper nabe for lunch was perfect. Oh, and they let us sprinkle furikake (rice toppings) liberally into our plates. Free flowing ocha! Even now, closing my eyes, I can imagine how I felt back then. How the sweet, savory broth invaded my senses and hooked me to sip it, again and again. How crunchy and sweet the shrimp was. How unaware I was, munching the vegetables loudly and exclaiming how delicious it was, not really realizing (and caring) that other patrons were looking at me as if I were insane or something...