I'm not sure if you'd consider this poetic, but I did wonder why the usuzukuri of fugu is called Tessa ... until someone explained to me that if the chef isn't careful with the fish I'd be as dead as being shot by a teppou.
Names for certain meat stews - wild-boar stew is called botan (peony) nabe; horse stew is sakura (cherry blossom) nabe, and venison stew is momiji (maple) nabe.
"Crossing the bridge" or "over the bridge " noodles, from Yunnan, "guoqiao mixian"
I had this most delicious kind of soup once in Kunming.
I think the name was related to the longer setting time of all ingredients in a large pot, due to the distance it had to "travel" (or travel of the diners...)
Tanuki soba: In Japanese mythology, Tanuki are thought to be good at hiding and illusions. Tanuki soba is topped by deep fried tempura batter which looks big, but as soon as you try you realize that there is neither meat nor vegetable, i.e. kind of an illusion.
coincidentally bamse, regarding your first two examples, I just learned last night that oyakodon is also slang for when you find a mother & daughter attractive, e.g. a young mom with a college-age daughter might be oyakodon.
