An Amazing Day In Shibata – Japan Road Trip 17 🎌

An Amazing Day In Shibata – Japan Road Trip 17 🎌

Good morning everyone. Morning. So we’re um in Nigata Prefecture and I think you’ll all be quite excited that we’re meeting a new friend. And this is his neighborhood. And it’s not far for Well, we’re back in the area where it’s rusty roads. Rusty Roads. Max. I won’t say just yet who it is because uh some of you may know already, but some of you may not. And I can ask our new friend about these rusty roads that are everywhere. It’s a lamp post in the middle of the road. Just lay down. This is traffic calming. Okay. So, we’re very close. Right. Then turn left. Would you say that right there? that right or further up that in a minute if it’s tight. Here we are. Hello. Welcome. Welcome. Oh, Maxi, how are you? How are you? We’re filming. Filming. Here he is. Look at this shirt. Yeah. Yeah. How are you, brother? Yeah. It’s nice. Thank you. Yeah. Come on in. Come on in. Yeah. Max, this is Max. Oh, yes. Hi. Hi, YouTube. Have a good camera. Look, Max’s got a kitchen. Proper pro kitchen here. Look at that. Cool. Come look at the little cat. He’s got his nin up. Welcome to Japan. Welcome to Japan. Thank you. Kai. Oh, lovely. Nice citrus. You know the yuzu koso? Yeah. This is a a particular uh paste but I’m just uh mixed up with mayonnaise and olive oil. Yes. And I’m just taking photograph. I’m just chopped of uh You can get you can buy the super. Yeah. It’s very easy very easy to buy it. So today is a very special day. It’s a Shibata city festival. Shibata Castle. It’s a samurai castle very close to here. We have uh just a walk today because uh fireworks party and the Japanese duram party tonight starting uh I think 7:00. Okay. Night. Yes. And fireworks starting 8:00. Okay. So beautiful. Many people visit there. Uh you can see the beautiful Japanese castle. Dark night and people sitting watching. Max is cooking the gua. Yeah, that’s right. Oh, look at this. Yeah, because uh this, you know, baking style has some use heating up like a plate and turn off the seat oil like that. And it’s a cast iron an iron plate. Yeah. Now I I’m just a you know little bit burn out of uh bottom side you know with nice and do you cover not now not now later. Yeah right I’m just show you now. Thank you. Thank you. I have to understand I imagine you have to to cook the past because each people has a different cooking style. This is my style because this is my kitchen and this is a hot boiling water already. Like I’m just again then down and oil in the salting each one and then each side it’s a white right right this is white this side little bit brown that’s why so make each is a like same color making so in this step right if you want to if you want to see the exact recipe to make this yo you can check out Max’s video. Yeah. So, this one is good. That one’s getting close. Yeah. And just I just t Oh, it’s okay. So, we’re going to put a little water in there now. Hot water must use it. Yes. So, you’re not getting a reaction with the cold water. Yeah. Some, you know, housewife is so dangerous like explosion. Then turn on the piper. Turn on. Yeah. Back on to hot. The kiosas are getting a good This is cooking the pastry or the the dumpling on top. So here you were doing soba noodles. Soba. A soba. Soba is a like a different noodle because uh it’s a buckwhe noodle powder. Have to make it. I’m I had a special technique of handmade soba. Okay. Your hand cut. Hand cut soba. Yeah. So I was doing over 20 years in this shop. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Almost end of part. Ah okay. Technique of like end of p. So right at the end Max is adding a little more sesame oil in the bottom of those giosa now will have a lovely golden color. Really beautiful. The water’s evaporated. The steam has cooked the guiosa on top. Did you sell a lot of giosa in uh restaurants? No, it’s kind of like my secret menu. This is your secret. Yeah, secret menu. We can’t tell you. We have to kill you. But the link to the how to make it. Yeah. No, it’s not because I’m just taking edge of the past little bit change color brown. Okay. So on just coming around the edge just you know. So you see just on the edge of the gya the the caramelization’s coming up the side. That’s letting Max know that the color is beautiful. The caramelization, that’s where the flavor is, right? I’m going to take this in. And okay, look at that. Little bit strong burning, but I No, no, no, no. That’s for me. That’s that’s the way. If I have a choice, I always prefer more cooked and less cooked. Yeah. Yeah. Max is saying little overcoo cooked in some of them but for me no this is this is perfect. I would be fighting for the overcooked smells delicious. So happy to be in the kitchen. Huh? Can you smell the guiosa? Smells good. Smells good. Uh so uh how can I say medicine company uh some basic so uh yoga sauce it’s a pond and vinegar and kong kong mean dried seaweed. Yeah dried seaweed and it’s lemon and lime. Yeah it’s a citrus citrus flavor. Right. And it’s a Japanese which is a this is Yeah. Pepper. Fish one pepper. Little bit. [Music] I can say the best gyosa I’ve had for sure. 100%. [Music] The best. Thank you. Really? Thank you, sir. Honestly, it’s a s bar. Wow. It’s huge, right? What wood do you know? What wood? I think some cedar or something wood. Yeah. Yeah. I’m going to ask. Look at the scale of them. It’s a meaning crown. Crown. Crown. Crown. Mark. Okay. Yeah. This is like Mangan guys. Norin. Norin. Yeah. You know that? Yeah, I know. The Nor This is a sake barrel. Oh, yeah. Is this a favorite sake of yours? Yeah. Uh in this area in Shibata has and Kikusu and Kasu. Three very famous bureau. So, what is this one? This is the premium one. Yeah. Usually enjoy is like rice outside is the shredded and inside keeping 50% making a good sake that good quality outside they polish the rice too. Yeah, that’s right. So we call Oh. Oh, that’s very fruity. Really? Cheers. Chinchin. You get like a fruit almost peachy sort of like a peachy. Yeah. So flavor. Very easy to drink. Thank you. I’m surprised how sweet they are. This one is much like peach. This one I get like peaches. So let’s see. So this is the the lower bit dry. Oh yeah. A lot drier. more um sharp, more uh the alcohol is a lot harsher on the tongue. Right. Which do you prefer? Well, I like Yeah, that’s that’s kind of easy, right? That’s easy. Same opinion. Yeah, I think it’s it’s it’s it’s it’s too easy though. Expensive, is it? Oh, okay. 4,000 40. Although this one is also very nice. Oh yeah. Can I try it? Yeah. I have a two. Okay. Okay. Yeah. You need to warm it in your mouth. That’s also quite sweet, but really like like apple, like apple fresh, you know. Oh yeah outside 60% 65% polish% is used. Ah so they polish off 65. So the heart the heart the core the heart of the rice different uh using the rice different a different rice also yeah it’s a very very different flavor culture is very deep and we had a big history each had some technique while making s it’s very thank you So very distinct differences between the the higher grades and the actual the award-winning one. They’re only using 35% of the core of the rice. So it’s lovely and sweet. Quite different to the to the to this one. Excuse me. To this one. So this is the entry level. This is much harsher. Oh, what is this? Uh so you can get the Gacha machine we call gacha machine. You you can you could you could have get those one as first prize second prize. Ah it’s like a expensive ball machine but you you win a bottle of saki. We we should the Beatles. Beatles. Yeah. That’s right. We have to go like this. Oh, there this side like this and wash your left hand and there and there like and spit spit the water and we have to like this clean up. Okay. For the next people. Okay. Then hold like this and bowl. Okay. That is a manner of like. So the right hand a little water wash then you you did with the left hand and change and right hand. Okay. Yeah. Clean up the Yeah, that’s nice. Okay. And bell and this is a toast ball like this then go to the So basically don’t enter the temple through the center stones. This is a donation people. Oh okay. Yeah. Many people donate in this temple and then you get your name on the That’s right. the plaque. Uhhuh. And they’re very old, aren’t they? Yeah. That’s right. So if they playing something they make wish right so this line is I think uh many uh young sportsman enter to some big game right so it’s for good luck this line is a safety driving okay yeah and this line is a like a safety family and no get sick or something like that each emma has a meaning it’s a snake you know and so people come and they again they give a donation and lighting so make this. Yeah. And this the this is interest me that yes this we call omi like a fortune teller paper right if they got pick up a good one then make this and sometime but you know notice you can leave it. Yeah. Um some people live here because remove over some butter. Okay. This is a chimea. Shimawa kind of like shimawa and ced mean like a thunder, you know, like a Yeah. Yeah. Lightning strike. Yeah. This is usually Japanese style playing style. Okay. I show you. And two ball. One, two. Slowly. And like this. Hold it like this. And and close your eye make wish. Uhhuh. And one bowl. This is a sua ginger. Yeah. Number one shining temple in this area. Oh, he’s a Yeah. main priest. So maybe has she is she having a blessing? Yeah. Special special pray that she paid it. Okay. Then mix up. Then pick up. Mix up. Not on English. Oh, big one. Big one. Big one. Very nice one. Big one. We call big. Is that good? The best one. She got the big one. Best one. She got the big one. Big one. How about you? I don’t know. You don’t know. Film me, Max. You don’t know? Yeah. Come figure. You got long ways. Oh, it’s a good luck. But uh she’s number one. You are third one. Third one. Third luck. Yeah. Anyway, stay with me. Yeah. Doesn’t matter. You guys all luck is good, right? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Big big lucky. Lucky. The best luck and lucky. Usually Japanese people doesn’t know how to do style. And we can Google it, but it’s not as clear. And this is this is beautiful. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. Anyway, thank you. Main gate of Shibata castle. Okay. This is a Shibata castle. I’ve lived in this city for more than 3 years, but I didn’t come inside. And you did not. This is the problem when you live in a place. Sometimes you just pass by. You don’t visit, do you? No. We are here. Okay. Yeah, we just have to go the main gate and we Yeah. Hello. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] my sing [Music] [Applause] for [Music] [Applause] All we need is a place to be and a few good friends for some company. If you’d like to stay, you don’t have to leave. We’ll leave the lights on and the door unlocked. If you drop on by, you don’t have to knock. We’re happy to share whatever we’ve got. [Music]

Join me in Niigata, Japan, where I meet up with my friend Max for a day of food, culture, and festivals! 🍜🥟In this episode, Max shows me his secret gyoza recipe—crispy bottoms, juicy insides, and a dipping sauce with a citrusy kick. We also taste some incredible local sake, explore the Shibata Castle festival, and learn shrine etiquette (including fortunes and prayer plaques).
It’s a mix of Japanese food, tradition, and good laughs—all captured on the road. If you love gyoza, sake, and Japanese culture, this one’s for you!

0:00 Morning in Niigata
1:27 Meeting Max
3:46 Cooking Gyoza
5:42 Crispy Perfection
7:31 Secret Dipping Sauce
9:10 Sake Tasting
13:12 Shrine Rituals
14:40 Shibata Castle Walk
19:43 Reflections & Good Friends

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