I wanted to share some purely culinary finds and inspiration that may be of interest to you.

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I was inspired by the Japanese use of matcha tea. We had matcha sponge cake, tea – hot and cold, jelly, and of course there were matcha pastries. I thought how much a fun a whole menu based on green matcha would be – making green matcha noodles, and serving a coconut cream matcha sauce with seafood and perhaps even with the finest tofu cubed and tossed in very finely chopped fresh herbs. Or chicken for those who turn green at the thought of tofu. Matcha ice cream, meringues with matcha mascarpone…

I even had a burnt tea ice cream.

I discovered a sublime potato salad which had a mayo dressing and then clumps of something like ricotta stirred through and white radish shaved over the top. It was a vision of white on white and as delicious as it looks. I will most certainly be making it this summer. I can’t see any recipes online that look like it so I will have a play when I get home and send you the recipe when I come up with one that is a happy replica.

I think I counted 17 tiny individual dishes on the table at this meal.

I was interested that the Japanese make a very simple brown rice with curry and a few vegetables. I call it real people food. We were guided out of the city by Japanese friends and taken to lunch where this was served. We then went for tea (and lots of matcha goodies) in a traditional tea house with the beautiful service that seems to come with being Japanese.

This quite large and fabulous bowl of green-ness with exotic mushrooms came with a make-at-the-table broth for the diner to poach their own vegetables. The dish is called shabu shabu. The broth consisted of dried plums, soy beans, aromatics and seaweed.

I discovered the most glorious food hall in Tokyo, Isetan, which I would happily have been dropped off at and left to play in the entire time – only being collected to catch our departing plane. Sadly, staying in a hotel doesn’t allow for playing in the kitchen with new-found treasures. Note to self – opt for an apartment over a hotel if food markets or food halls are likely to be irresistible.

Thank you Japan.

And then to Paris but too many photos for one email, so the next one will be all things French – from the City of Light to the city that’s called La Ville Rose.