During my 15 hour layover in Narita. I had to have sushi…in Japan. I’ve had great sushi in the United States with Matsuhisa in Aspen being my favorite. But, there’s something about having cuisine from the country it originated from. Yes, it is better here.

Coming off a long flight from Denver, I wanted to eat a light dinner and go to bed. After checking into my room at Hilton Narita (my room was much bigger than I expected), I headed downstairs to Matsukaze restaurant.

Boiled vegetables with Japanese bouillon. It’s served cool. No idea what the mix of green veggies are or what the fluffy stuff on top is, but I really enjoyed the light bite to start my meal. Plus, I love the small bowl!

I decided on the cucumber roll and tuna sushi. I know – not exotic, but I want to try two of my sushi favs while in Japan. Wasabi and even the ginger are better here. With the wasabi, it’s probably because it’s less horseradish and more wasabi. I also liked that it’s not neon green like in the States. The cucumber sushi was light and fresh. The tuna sushi just melted in my mouth it was so fresh. I should have ordered two pieces!

Wanting to try something different, I ordered the fried avocado and cheese with ohba Japanese basil. It’s served piping hot with green tea sugar for dipping. It was really rich so I only ate two pieces, but enjoyed the different blend of flavors. The Japanese basil isn’t as pungent as American basil. It added just a hint of flavor to accent the avocado and cheese. The green tea sugar added a pinch of sweetness to offset the savory flavors.

I decided on a sweet treat to wrap up my meal. I had a tough time deciding between the ice cream and sorbet. I went for the matcha ice cream and the sweet woman waiting on me surprised me a small taste of the lemon sorbet so I could taste it. The sorbet was good, but the matcha was my favorite so I ordered well!

She also brought me a cup of hot green tea. There is something about a simple cup of green tea to top off a wonderful meal. In a meal I fell in love with Japan. I hope my next visit is longer than a 15 hour layover!