There's something on your noodles

Monday brought an official end to our vacation.  My family is still waking up quite early (5:30 am today, but we stayed in bed talking until 6), so my son talked me into doing science experiments before school.  My husband headed back to work, and my son went back to school today.  I took the day to weed the garden and get some work done at  home.  After school, my son and I headed to the park.  The park staff have turned on the seasonal fountain and the day was warm, so we met the park moms at the water feature and let the kids splash about.

It was just a typically day for us, living our life in Japan.  There were some chores, a couple errands, and a fair amount of playing.  While running my couple errands, I passed by a café with a selection of pasta lunches.  My husband laughs when I say Japanese people put weird things on pasta.  I don't typically use the term "weird", as I find it to be judgmental.  But I cannot get over some of the common pasta toppings I've spotted at restaurants.

Just to be clear - bolognaise is very common.  So, one doesn't have to choose these unique toppings if they don't want to.  However, it is often fun to try something new.

Spaghetti with asparagus and cabbage

(featuring Japanese bacon, which isn't smoked)

Spaghetti with soy sauce and red pepper oil with small shrimp and seasonal vegetables

(veggies include favas, bamboo shoots, and greens)

Spaghetti with clams, whitebait (tiny fish), and seasonal vegetables

(veggies include favas, greens, and bell pepper)

The question is... are you brave enough to try one of these?  I would classify them as "foreigner challenge foods!"