When it comes to food presentation, the Japanese do really have a niche. They make things so cute or beautiful in a simple way.

Wait, there are contrasts too.

A part of them have a knack of having an item for EVERYTHING. I mean it. They even have little plastic container specially designed to hold you vegetables upright in the fridge. Not to mention a hanger inside the fridge for all your little sachets. They also have a side of them that is of a minimalist nature that there modern and classic architecture have simplicity as their creed and mantra.

Now, imagine both of these contrasting mottos put in the same food culture.
Kind of makes you think huh?

The typical Japanese menu is anything but simple.
First of all, dishes and their presentation follows the season. If the cherry blossom are in bloom then expect to have that flower showcased somehow in their dishes, whether it be a blossom shaped rice and red bean dessert (mochi) or  the Chinaware used have cherry blossom patchwork on them.
The "cuteness of the meal" is definitely achieved through the shape of the rice (small sticky "tube-like" shapes divided into 3).

There are no such things as first or second course because meals are best served all together. How the food is displayed all together must be in harmony and that means the meals must complement each other in terms of taste and also of how they look. Colors must contrast in a harmonious way (don't know how else to explain that, confusing yes?)
It must look effortless but be anything but!

Newer or fad foods are always marketed as cute and very child-like. Sweets shaped as cartoon animals are roasted during the colder months and you will find a "Hello Kitty" kind of food everywhere.
It isn't enough that you have sliced or cooked vegetables in your dish but they would also be cut into shapes (carrots or radishes shapes into flowers or cartoons). Kid's meals would not only come in child like proportions but have plates and cups shapes as planes or toys integrated in them. Cute doesn't even begin to describe many of their food habits.

I feel like the more I eat their cuisine, the more I want to eat and know it. High or low brow dishes are all so well presented it is very difficult to decide what I would like to eat most of.

One thing I do agree on is that aside from white rice, Matcha (ground tea leaves) is the staple in every aspect of the word.
It really is considered an important part of the culture that not only do they make it into a formal ceremony (chaji) reserved for the most important occasions, it also makes appearances in their every day life.
This green heavenly powder can somehow be integrated into the main course (matcha mixed into the flour of the noodles), dessert (green tea mochi or ice cream) and even snacks (green tea chocolates)!
I love it so much I had to try everything I could that had even an ounce of green tea in it.
In short, I tried A LOT, and it was GOOD.

The taste if zatar is really quit difficult to explain. By terms or origin it is a middle eastern spice mix of dried oregano, sesame seeds and sumac. It has a very distinctive taste that I have yet to find anything close to it.

It's not really that salty and it also has a tang of sour at the end. Mostly, it has a light taste that can easily be overpowered by any strong flavor. Due to this it is best mixed or added to other lighter ingredients so as not to overpower the Zatar. Traditionally, it is added to flat bread or Ladneh (cheese from drained yoghurt).

This time though, I decided to add it to some chicken thighs. Pretty simple really. Just rub a little oil and salt on the thighs and then coat it with quite a lot of the Zatar. Pop it into a covered roasting pan and then into the oven for 30-40 min at 200 degrees celsius. After which, take the foil off and then let the skin crisp up for just 20 more minutes. It a really easy dish. For a dip on the side I also make a simple Zatar yoghurt with just a pinch of salt.

You can eat this with flat bread, some rice or couscous. I had it with flat bread and it was yummy. A way to tell if the dish is a success is whether or not there are any leftovers. None whatsoever.

Is there a good reason to have that much ribs? By the way it comes with fried onions and mashed up potatoes on the side....
Answer: yes! If and Only If it it yummy enough.

That would be worth it in South Africa's Meat Company. In it's hometown where the meat it fresh and grown in a place where the cow (or pig) had fresh air and a lot of space to run on. You just know that it had a happy life by tasting that good slab-o-meat.

I guess the cut had something to do with it to. Just from an Epicurean point of view, blood does contribute to the taste, flavor and texture of the meat.