[Columbine]

Originally Posted by cranks

Of course, we are Japanese, we have everything :haughty face:
I've heard Vietnam has good western style bread though.
And judging from our local Vietnamese restaurant, that may be true.

Vietnam and Lao; both have a strong french influence in some parts, so lots of good baguettes.

Originally Posted by cranks

Table vinegar is usually for dumplings=餃子 or for Ramen noodles I think. Never used it on salad myself. But it is white vinegar and you never see malt vinegar. Even here in the states, I don't see it that often. mmm now I feel like fresh chips with a lot of malt vinegar on :drool:

:P We're just obsessed with malt. And beer-related products, and generally lots of things that horrify other nations. *marmite toast!nomnomnom*. Hmm, never put vinegar in ramen. Will have to try it whenever i make it to Japan next.

Originally Posted by GoNative

Yeah I find the bakeries in my area to be excellent. Some of the cakes are truly spectacular.
The range of breads generally on offer up here though are pretty limited.

I used to find excellent cake in Osaka too, and again, limited bread, although I never found a proper panya. Occasionally the bakery in Top World had fresh bread of the size and sort I'm used to in the UK. Once there was packaged whole-meal bread available, the poor cashiers were totally shocked when there was suddenly this mob of foreign students all in at once, buying the whole lot up! I didn't see much savory baking on sale in japan, although there was a lot of excellent patisserie goods. Curry pan, but that's not quite the same thing. Just not quite the eccentric range of pie and things like in the UK. Cold pie~ mmmm~