Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 482

November 8, 2012: The return of The Weird Food Purchase of the Day! Gyoza Stadium! Ice Cream City! Nodaiwa!

Today, Akemi and I headed over to Ikebukuro’s Sunshine City Mall, home to Namco Namja Town’s Gyoza Stadium and Ice Cream City.  It’s been some five years since my last visit to Ice Cream City (I still flashback to the aftertaste of that squid ice cream) and I was looking forward to the return trip.  This would be Akemi’s first time and she was incredibly excited.

So, did it live up to the hype?  In two words: You bet!

We started off by hitting Gyoza Stadium, home to about a dozen stands specializing in about a dozen preparations of the Japanese-style dumplings.  It’s less a stadium and really more of a theme area, lantern light-lined narrow alleyways and faux watering holes harkening back to a 1920′s Shanghai.

Walking the alleyways of Gyoza Stadium.

Akemi discovers, of all things: Bar Akemi.  ova

We wound our way through the various gyoza stands, taking in the dizzying array of preparations.  In addition to the menu itemizing the various choices, a general rundown of each stand’s gyoza philosophy – thin vs. thicker wrapper, use of garlic, etc. – offered some help in the decision-making process.  All the same, it wasn’t easy.

I liked the look of these snowmen-looking gyoza.

Eventually, we settled on three stands and placed our orders.

Who’s hungry?

Round #1

From left to right: Garlic gyoza – tiny, but they packed a significant garlic kick.  Our favorite.    Beside them, a gyoza medley.  From bottom to top: regular pork, kimchee, and charcoal.  I liked them although Akemi found the wrapper too thick. And, finally, on the far right, mentaiko (cod roe)-mayo gyoza topped with lotus root. Great.

I contemplate my charcoal gyoza.

We were done – but not DONE.

Round #2

From left to right: Mapo tofu gyoza – I figured they would be stuffed with tofu but they were actually stuffed with pork.  And a lot of it.  It was topped with mapo tofu which is comprised of bean curd and a spicy chili sauce.  I liked it but thought it was a bit too meat heavy.  Next to it, the spicy gyoza that, after the mouth-blasting ramen I had at Ippudo the other day, tasted downright tame.

According to Akemi, both gyoza were “for men”:

We were pretty done.

Round #3

I couldn’t resist sampling Gyoza Stadium’s version of the Siu Long Bao.  More of a dumpling than a gyoza, I found the skin a little too thick.

We were stuffed.  We couldn’t eat another bite.

Of gyoza.  So we headed over to Ice Cream City to peruse the some 300 flavors available.

Just some of the selection at Ice Cream City.

Hmmmm. Decisions, decisions…

Because I know you guys would have been disappointed if I didn’t, I selected about a half-dozen weird flavors and sampled them with Akemi, recording the results for your amusement:

I sample eel ice cream:

Sea urchin ice cream:

Wasabi ice cream:

Akemi tries the wasabi ice cream:

Sake ice cream:

Squid ink ice cream:

Akemi hazards a taste:

You like chicken wings?  You like ice cream?

Kasu ice cream:

Finally, I wish I could have tried all of them but, with easily over 300+ ice creams to choose from, there’s no way I could have even come close.  Sadly, here are some of the more interesting flavors I’ll have to come back for…

Cow tongue

Shrimp

Chinese herbal medicine flavor! A Carl Binder favorite!

And viper. Yes, the snake and not the car.

We worked off gyoza and ice cream by taking a walk through Namco Namja Town’s meandering corridors, bizarre open courtyards, recessed alcoves, and dead-ends…

Akemi tests her skin age.  There were also machines that tested your “body age”, stress level, and blood pressure.  What fun!

Finally, on the way back to the subway station, we came across THIS tiny park frequented by a bunch of laid-back cats.

I assume they’re wild but they didn’t seem to mind human company in the least, either ignoring passersby or sauntering over for attention.

Tons o’ fun!  If any of you get to Ice Cream City before my return visit next year, please sample the snake ice cream and post the results.

Tagged: chicken wing ice cream, eel ice cream, Gyoza Stadium, Ice Cream City, Japan, Japan travel, kasu ice cream, Namco Namja Town, Nodaiwa, sake ice cream, sea urchin ice cream, squid ink ice cream, tebasaki ice cream, Tokyo, Tokyo food, Tokyo Restaurants, Tokyo travel, travel, Unagi ice cream, uni ice cream, wasabi ice cream, Weird Food Purchase of the Day, weird ice cream flavors

November 8, 2012: The Osaka wrap-up! Back in Tokyo! Family dinner! Honkogetsu! Killer ramen!

On our final night in Osaka, I was invited to join Akemi’s family for a grand kaiseki dinner at Honkogetsu.  It was a magnificent meal, due in large part to the food and company, but also in some small part because I made it through the meal without fumbling anything with my chopsticks or unwittingly saying something inappropriately hilarious.

The Aota clan

We were also joined by Akemi’s aunt and uncle, bringing our total number to eight. It was quite the dining party.

Harukhiko – Akemi’s younger brother works the phones.

Hiromi – Akemi’s big sister.  She took assiduous notes of every dish as we were presented so I’ll link to her blog at the end of this entry for all the details.  Hope you’ve been brushing up on your Japanese.

Akemi’s father is a lot of fun.

Akemi. Flashing gang signs?

Akemi’s mother is a tea ceremony teacher

A special thanks to Akemi’s sister, Hiromi, for sending me photos and accompanying explanations of the various dishes we enjoyed.  Most of the pictures I’ve posted compliments of her.

Special mention should be made of the serving dishes.  This one resembles a gift box.  Apparently it’s called ogento-musubi.  Gento is boar in Japanese and a symbol of happiness.

Inside: persimmon, daikon, carrots, nori, shredded lobster and ebi-miso jelly.

Mochi-wrapped karasumi (aka bottarga, aka salted mullet roe).  The roe is preserved in salt and sun-dried, then wrapped in the glutinous rice cake.

My favorite dish of the evening (matsuba-gani no wan mono): crab (with a texture akin to pudding), sea urchin and kani miso (guts) topped with yuzu in a seasonal broth.  The yuzu is sliced to resemble a matuba (pine needle).

Plate: Kounyu（弘入), 12th Raku Kichizaemon（樂　吉左衛門), 1857-1932.

An elegant sashimi duo of snapper and toro.

Plate: Rosanjin, Japanese artist, 1883-1959.  Painter, ceramic art, calligrapher, cook, etc.

Nobody was able to offer up the name of this fish in English but it was delicious, grilled and topped with shaved white leek.  It was reminiscent of a firmer, meatier seabass.  According to Hiromi, it’s called kue in Japanese.  The white leek is called shiraga negi.  Shiragi is white hair and symbolic of long life.

Kue no nikogori – a jellied reduction of the aforementioned kue fish.

Persimmon leaves give the dish a Fall feel.

Smoked scallop and oysters, deep fried gingko nuts, fresh ikura (salmon roe) with egg yolk and daikon, mushroom, tofu, mukago no natto, and sweet shrimp (ama-ebi) with “koji mold”.

Daikon served atop goma-dofu (sesame tofu) stuffed with fresh sea urchin.

Soba topped with mountain potato.

Thought we were done?  Not so fast.  Simmered Japanese root vegetable (shade-grown zuiki) and quail meatballs with sansho.

Snapper rice.

For dessert: fresh persimmon, pear and kiwi, calpico sorbet, and delightfully fizzy Mitsuya soda jelly.

Marron and millet in azuki soup.

I’m a big fan of matcha (green tea) so when Mr. Aota slid his bowl across the table, I couldn’t believe my good fortunate.  ”You’re not going to drink it?”I asked.  As it turns out, he just wanted me to take a photo.  I came THAT close to helping myself to his matcha.

An amazing meal.

For further details and more on Hiromi, head on over here to check out her blog: http://ameblo.jp/chado-kyutotsuan/.  How’s your Japanese?

We woke up early to pack, check out, leave our bags with the concierge, and then meet up with Akemi’s father for a final lunch before boarding the shinkansen back to Tokyo.  I had expressed an interest in ramen so Akemi’s suggested, Ippudo, a place near his office.  I was feeling daring so I decided to go with the spicy tonkotsu soup. I had a choice between 3, 5, and super spicy (3 or 5 what?) and selected the latter. After all, how hot could it be?  As it turned out, pretty damn hot.  The endorphin rush hit me so hard I feared I would pass out.  I wound up transferring my noodles to Mr. Aota’s unfinished soup base – and still could only manage to finish half of it. In retrospect, it was the wrong choice given the fact that we’d already checked out of the hotel and I had another two hours to kill before boarding a train for the two and a half hour trip back to Tokyo.  As it turned out, however, I felt great and experienced no ill effects of the molten ramen.

Until about 2:00 a.m.

Akemi and her dad.

Me and my beer.

The ramen that nearly killed me.

Thankfully, the return trip to Tokyo was uneventful.  We checked back into The Imperial Hotel, relaxed, then went out for some casual Korean at -

THIS place: Hatejiya.  Great!

Whew.  All caught up.  I leave you with a final few images of my trip to Osaka…

Recycle-Bear. Your plastic bottle caps go in his belly and suitcase.

Gimme a pitcher of dessert.

Glico

Tagged: Hantejiya, Honkogetsu, Ippudo, Japan, Japan travel, kaiseki, Osaka, Osaka restaurants, Osaka travel, ramen, Tokyo, Tokyo Restaurants, Tokyo travel

November 6, 2012: The Osaka Walking Tour: Part Deux!

Wow!  It’s been a whirlwind few days here in Osaka.  I’ve covered so much ground that I’ve decided to squeeze in an extra blog entry.  Let’s call it “November 6, 2012: The Quickening!”

We met up with Akemi’s parents on our first night in town.  The plan was to go to Sushi Koyoshi, a mom and pop restaurant I’d seen profiled on one of Anthony Bourdain’s shows.  It took us about twenty minutes to find the place – and discover it was closed.

Akemi and her parents. 

The initial disappointment gave way to single-minded resolve.  Determined that we WERE going to have sushi, Akemi’s mother  started off, up one alley, down another – the rest of us scurrying along, struggling to keep up.  Eventually, we ended up at Uosa where we enjoyed a great meal.  Some of the highlights:

Aji (spanish mackerel).  More thickly sliced than in Tokyo.  

The bones of the mackerel are deep-fried, salted, and served up.  I’m thinking of serving these instead of chips for my next football party.

You can’t get much fresher.  Or unsettling.

The melt-in-your-mouth toro.

An enormous, delicious bite of anago (sea eel).

Okay, it’s time for another walking tour.  This time, Akemi will be joining us.  Poor gal developed an eye infection last night and can’t wear contacts or make-up so she’s feeling a little camera-shy today.  So no pictures, please.

Before we head out, I’m going to hop in the shower.  For some mysterious reason, the tub is only half covered.  Try not to get the bathroom floor wet.

One of the things I love about Japan is the detail that goes into the various window displays, especially as Christmas approaches.

This fellow stops to talk to us about the over-30 rugby tournament taking place in Osaka.  Apparently, he’s a player.  At 75!

If there are two things Osaka is known for, it’s okonomiyaki and takoyaki.  Let’s cover both, shall we?

We grab a seat at one of the okonomiyaki booths.  The hot coming off the grill is oppressive.  That’ll teach you to rest your elbows on the table.

We order two okonomiyaki.  The server comes over, mixes together the batter and cabbage and sets it down on the grill.  She tops with bonito flakes that do a little dance as they cook.

After flipping it, she lets it cook a little longer, then tops with mayo, okonomiyaki sauce (that tastes suspiciously like tonkatsu sauce) and nori.

Akemi preferred the version with pork and seafood.  I liked the one pictured here with the beef gristle (that’s how it’s described on the menu), green onions and a raw egg.

Akemi gives this place two enthusiastic thumbs up:

Let’s head over to the lower level of one of the major department stores and check out the fresh fruit.  You’re not allowed to take pictures so let’s pretend we’re just checking for the updates on our respective fantasy football league teams:

Those melons are about $30 a head.

Very expensive but so much better than any of the fruit I’ve had anywhere else.  Still, it IS fruit…

Hanging whale art.

You don’t need an English menu when ordering.  Just point to the appropriate plastic replicas.

We stop for one of these matcha cream-filled mini-pancakes. Eat quickly because, if you don’t, Akemi WILL finish it.

Okay, we did the okonomiyaki.  Now it’s time for takoyaki.  Let’s take up position at the standing counter at Hana Dako and wait for them to complete our batch.

Firm on the outside and lava hot and goopy on the inside.  An acquired taste but strangely addictive.

For dessert, how about some sake cake?  You know what would go great with this?  Right.  Sake ice cream.

Let’s wash it down with a cool, bittersweet matcha latte

Tomorrow’s irregularly scheduled entry = The Osaka Wrap-up!

Tagged: fugetsu, Hana Dako, Japan, Japan travel, okonimiyaki, Osaka, Osaka food, Osaka sushi, Osaka takoyaki, Osaka tokonomiyaki, Osaka travel, sushi, takoyaki, Uosa, Uosa Sushi

November 6, 2012: A guided photo and video tour of Osaka! And a message from my sis!

What’s up with this woman? Find out at the end of this entry.

Hey, we’re in Osaka, Akemi’s hometown, and we’ve just checked into the hotel. Akemi is going to meet up with some friends and, rather than tag along, I thought we might have the day to ourselves checking out the city.  Ready?  Let’s go!

Okay, heading out of the Takashimaya department store. Let’s head toward Shinsaibashi.

When Akemi asked me to sum up the differences between Tokyo and Osaka, I had one word for her: “Louder!”.

It seems that, wherever you go in Osaka, there’s always someone shouting. This appears to be the standard form of communication.

I couldn’t help but notice that the disembodied platform voice that greeted us at Tokyo station was warm, calm, and female, while the one that assailed us at the Osaka station was bellicose, loud, and male.

Did you pick up your BK Pumpkin yet? It’s for a limited time only after which it will go the way of the McRib.

This is apparently shopping central.

A street vendor sells yaki imo, roasted sweet potatoes – very Japanese street food.

I’m in the mood for Japanese-style curry. Let’s stop for lunch.

Our friend chef, Rasal, speaks both Japanese and English. He gives us a warm welcome and hands us the menu. But we already know what we’re having, right? Katsu Kari – golden-fried pork cutlet on rice with Japanese style curry sauce.

We ask if the curry is mild. Rasal assures us it is and then, noting our reaction, offers to spice it up for us.

And voila. Japanese curry is unique in that its thicker than other curries, sweeter and, in this case, spicier! Oh, feel free to help yourself to the tsukemono (sweet pickles) and pickled garlic on the side.

Let’s stop for dessert. Hmmm, this looks intriguing.

Custard caramel choux creme served hot. It seemed like a good idea at the time – until you realize it’s next to impossible to walk and eat at the same time. Also, good luck finding a garbage can to toss out that sticky napkin and spoon when you’re done.

And the menu confirms it.

Let’s stop to take in a street performance.  We should hire these guys to play Carl Binder’s next birthday party.

This one’s for Robert Cooper.

They’re in their early 20′s but they dress like they’re in their early 40′s.

Note the location of the police station. Just in case.

Osaka’s famed takoyaki (batter-fried octopus balls).

More Japan fashion. I find this style works better.

Hey, it’s a cosplay gathering!

Name the anime. Christian Combat Maid?

Continuing our stroll.

Who’s up for some takoyaki?

Sushi?

Apparently, the creepy doll is more famous than the restaurant it represents. It’s an Osaka landmark.  I might hire it to provide some of the entertainment for Carl’s birthday party as well.

Not sure what’s he’s selling but I’ll take one.

Buy something or he’ll kick your ass.

Seriously.

He looks like a racoon who knows his food.

Let’s eat at the place with the big dragon out front.

I said the BIG dragon.

Better.

The giant crab – another famed Osaka landmark.

Something tells me those takoyaki balls are spicy.

Here, hold THIS.

Thanks for tagging along.  This concludes our walking tour of Osaka.  Let’s get some eats in tomorrow’s blog entry.  Who’s up for some takoyaki?

Oh, yeah.  And what was up with that woman at the top of the blog entry.  I’m sure most of you savvy scifiers already guessed.  She isn’t a woman.  She’s a robot:

Finally, I end this blog entry with a message from my little sister:

Today I am extremely grateful.

I am grateful for my supportive family members, who have helped guide me and support me over the past few extremely difficult weeks. You have been there for me when I felt I couldn’t move forward, and you have stood beside me at the most difficult times.

I am grateful for the kind words, well-wishes, and prayers bestowed on us by my friends, my colleagues, and my brother’s blog followers.

I am grateful for the most incredible vet in the world, who’s caring, compassion and expertise has helped many of my animals when nobody else could. She is like no other vet I have ever met.

I am grateful for Aspen’s extended family at his home-away-from-home for treating my baby as if he were their own, and for committing to continue to care for him, with all that entails.

I am grateful for little Karma the puggle and her Mom, whom I met at the vet today. Karma displayed such a love for life and charismatic energy despite her handicap. Karma’s continued zest for life is only made possible because her Mom who believed they could get through this, where others may have given up the fight.

Most of all, I am grateful for my big boy, Aspen. He has fought hard over the past few days, and has shown me the will he has to continue enjoying life. He is eating again, playing, running and jumping. His eyes are bright and full of mischief and he is active and loving once gain. Way to go boy… you are my hero.

Tagged: Japan, Japan travel, Osaka, Osaka travel

November 5, 2012: What day is it? Oh, let’s call it Osaka Day #1! And the tail end of Tokyo Day #7! L’Effervescence! And dogs eating ice cream!

Osaka

Today, we took the shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Osaka, riding (and eating) in comfort as the scenery whizzed by.

All aboard!

It was quite comfortable (surprisingly roomier than any airline I’ve ever flown), with reserve seating and food vendors who stroll up and down the various cars, offering up everything from ice cream and coffee to katsu (pork cutlet) sandwiches. 

The view from my seat.

I’m thinking that, in the future, this might be the way to see more of the country.  I could start in Hokkaido, Japan’s most northern area, and wind my way south by train, getting off to explore some of the cities along the way.  I could spend a couple of nights in Kyoto, Nara, Okinawa, Kobe, Kyushu…

Before boarding, we loaded up on supplies – in the form of snackables.  Since we arrived at Tokyo Station early, we had to wait some ten minutes for the shops to open.  And, at exactly 8:00 a.m., they did – right on schedule.  Check it out:

I picked up three of those mini pork burgers (they come in both lean and not-so-lean), a bento box, and some macarons for dessert:

My travel bento – a little bit of everything.

I also had some of the chocolates my friend Tomomi gifted me the previous night:

These wicked little morsels of chocolate decadence are highly addictive. They’re like super-dense/moist/rich brownies laced with just a touch of salt. They’re from a place called Chocolat Chic in Minato-ku

Speaking of Tomomi, I promised to provide the details of the incredible meal we enjoyed…

L’Effervesence

It was a spectacular dinner and the culinary highpoint of this trip so far.  The restaurant, L’Effervescence, is located in a quiet side street steps away from the Chokokuji Temple.  It has only been open about two years but has already earned itself a Michelin star thanks to its young, innovate Chef Shinobu Namae.

I arrived early (because I assumed I’d get lost – and did), and relaxed in the sleek lounge while I awaited my dining companion.  Tomomi arrived right on time, looking as gorgeous as ever, and we were escorted to our table, tucked away in a cozy, semi-private section.

In the mad scramble to pack for Osaka, I misplaced the menu, so bear with me as I attempt to tap my spotty memory and recall what, exactly, we ate:

First up were six imported olives.  Three were regular, and no less delicious, olives while another three had been laced with a hint of blood orange.

Their version of kinpira (burdock and carrot) with a touch of yuzu, topped with a foam confrere and accompanied by some yuzu ice.  Apparently, very natsukashii.

Next up was the apple pie which – hey, check it out! – looks a lot like the hot apple pie I used to get at McDonalds when I was a kid.  Chef Namae’s version is made with braised beef cheeks and Japanese sweet potato.  And, yes, kind of tasted like apple pie.

This dish was a masterful marriage of subtle flavors, highlighted by some beautiful Spanish mackerel.

The restaurant’s signature dish is a daikon (Japanese turnip) that has been slow-cooked for some four hours – yet, surprisingly, still retains its firmness and a certain crunch.  No idea how they pull it off but it’s damn impressive. 

The sea bass was perfectly cooked and easily the best I’ve had.  Our waiter described the arduous preparation process that involved switching the fish off from varied heated environments to achieve that perfect textural balance.

Foie gras with fresh chestnuts, chestnut puree, and black truffles.    The foie gras chestnut combination has been a revelation on this trip.

Interesting.  Sipped on the left, the oolong tea is cold.  Sipped on the right, it is piping hot.  Sipped from the middle and you are treated to a swirling combination of the two.  The most unique palate cleanser I’ve ever had. 

The main course was a perfectly prepared piece of pork (Yes, they can serve it pink in Japan because of the type of pork they source) accompanied by some outstanding mushrooms.

I had the cheese course but should have joined Tomomi on the salad instead – made up of 27 different vegetables (out of the 40 in season). 

A pear dessert featuring cauliflower ice cream.  Hmmmm.  Interesting, but I actually think the ice cream would have been far more successful as an added element to a savory course.

Chef Namae’s take on tiramisu.  We were instructed to eat the coffee capsule on the spoon first, then crack the crunchy chocolate top and scoop out the cream and cake to complete the experience. 

We ended our meal with various small sweet bites, among them some pop rock chocolate pops - 

And lemon curd in a tube.  We were also gifted a take-away treat that, frankly, I was to full to eat – which Akemi likened to an incredibly moist caramel pound cake.

Akemi’s breakfast.

Once we were done, Chef Namae came by to introduce himself.  I told him how much I enjoyed the meal and greatly appreciated, not only the execution of the various dishes in terms of the complexity of textures and tastes, but also the amount of creativity and hard work that no doubt gone into their conception.  At some point, Chef Namae had to come up with the inspired idea, then he had to figure out a way to achieve it on the plate, coming up with a game plan followed by a trial and error approach that eventually yielded the sought-after results.  And all I did was show up and eat it!

Highly recommended.

Whew.  Got the first full day of Osaka under my belt.  It’s, uh, quite the unique city. Tomorrow, I’ll take you all on the guided tour.  Make sure to wear your comfy shoes!

And, finally – a some heartening news from sis who has decided to hold off on the difficult decision.  Although he’s not going to get better, Aspen appears to have bounced back and is in much better spirits.  Great to hear!

Tagged: dogs eating ice cream, Japan, Japan travel, L'Effervescence, Osaka, Tokyo, Tokyo Restaurants, Tokyo travel

November 4, 2012: Tokyo Day #7! On the home front! L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon! Pieces of the Puzzle!

Here I’ve been wracking my brain, wondering how I could make a living if moved to Japan – when, suddenly, opportunity comes a-knocking: Japan suffers sumo wrestler shortage.  The way I’ve been eating of late, I figure I should be ready for action in about two months.

As much as I’m enjoying myself here in Tokyo, I do miss the dogs back home.  Fortunately, I’m receiving daily updates on the gang from our dog-sitter, Christine – daily updates in the form of email, texts, and, best of all, the occasional pictures…

Jelly. In there somewhere!  Apparently, she’ll head out, rain or shine – provided there are treats involved.

According to Christine, Lulu’s initial enthusiasm for walks has waned as the rain has gotten heavier.

Bubba is apparently just happy to tag along wherever they go.

Hanging out.

We’re slowly adjusting to Tokyo time here, sleeping through most of the night and waking up at a not ungodly hour.  One more week and we should be perfectly synced – just in time to head back home to Vancouver.  Anyway, we went for another morning walk through Ginza.  We had lunch reservations in Roppogni at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon (Akemi likes it for it’s “cost performance” – in other words, it’s a great deal) for noon.  Rather than walk around for two hours on an empty stomach, decided to pick up a little breakfast.  And by little, I do mean little – specifically a little katsu burger:

Taaasty! I could have eaten a dozen of these. Hey, I’ve still go time.

I picked it up in the basement of the Mitsukoshi department store.  If you’ve never been, you have got to check it out.  The entire floor is packed with sweet and savory ready-to-eat food items, from the casual aforementioned mini katsu burger to high-end pastries.  Just grab your take-out and head up to the ninth floor snacking area.  It’s incredibly child-friendly as well.  Kids even get their own bathroom:

We headed over to Roppongi Hills for another fabulous meal.  Some of the highlights:

My sea urchin gelee/panna cotta.

The sanma (Spanish mackerel) mille-feuille.

My salmon tartare. Akemi changed her mind and proclaimed THIS the best dish of the trip so far.

Foie and fig.

Akemi’s outstanding white fish and mushroom main.

Sea urchin spaghetti with egg yolk and cream.

Foie, double sea urchin, cream – Akemi expressed concern about my high cholesterol meal.  I explained that I actually suffer from low cholesterol and actually need to eat like this to stay healthy.

The chocolate souffle with mint ice cream (that nobody ate. It was so minty, I felt like I was brushing my teeth.)

This super-chocoatey chocolate dessert even outdid the soufflé!

Our lunch guest on this day, Akemi’s friend, Nihei, who graduated from University in Oklahoma.  Oklahoma?

As I familiarize myself with more areas of the city, the pieces of the puzzle slowly fall into place, giving me a fuller picture of Tokyo.  Last night, for instance, I accompanied Akemi to Daikanyama (I call it Dogkanyama because it seems to be pooch central) and happened across Tableaux, one of the very first restaurants I visited on my very first trip to Tokyo some five years ago.  Back then, I had no idea where the place was located – and neither did our cab driver who had to stop and consult a map.  As it turns out, it’s just a few blocks around the corner from the subway station.

A large part of the familiarization process requires me to walk everywhere.  And such was the case later in the night when, after dropping Akemi off for her dinner with the gals, I headed to Omotesando for dinner with my friend Tomomi.  She suggested I take a cab but I decided to hoof it instead, relying on the seemingly crystal clear directions offered up in a Japan Times review of the restaurant.  Use the B1 Exit out of Omotesando station and walk down Aoyama dori, then hang your first left at the lights on Kotti Dori and walk for ten minutes until you hit Roppongi dori.  Take a left at the Fuji Building then wind right down the side street and L’Effervesence will be on your right.  Great.  Except that, in Tokyo, you’ll be lucky to find a street sign, much less an actual address.  Which way was “down” Aoyama dori?  Was that first street actually Kotto dori?  Which street was Roppongi dori?  Miraculously, I managed alright (although, to be precise, the turn is “before” Fujifilm rather than the more nebulous “at”).  I soon found myself walking down a dark alley.  Headed toward me was a middle-aged woman pushing a baby stroller.  If I was writing the horror movie, she would approach me and ask me to help her baby.  Then, the second I approached, a small man who leap up out of the stroller and pierce my eye with a knitting needle.  End scene.

Fortunately, my night was much less harrowing.  I dare say, it was downright amazing.  But the details will have to wait as I’m off to catch the bullet train to Osaka.  Wonder what they’ll serve?

Finally, my sis makes the hard decision for her sweet dog, Aspen, soon.  Sending positive thoughts their way:

Tagged: Dogs, french bulldogs, Japan, Japan travel, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, pugs, Tokyo, Tokyo Restaurants, Tokyo travel

November 3, 2012: Tokyo Day #6! Pizza Seirinkan! The Molecular Tapas Bar!

I’d been thinking about it since my last trip here and, finally, yesterday, I finally got a chance to pay a return visit to Pizza Seirinkan.  Joining me this time were Akemi and her friend Yukina…

The place is surprisingly easy to find, a mere two minute walk from the Naka-Meguro subway station.  It opens at 11:3o but, on this day, we got in early at approximately 11:26 a.m.

Yukina (the strawberry princess) and Akemi.

We did the octopus starter.  Tasty but a tad chewy.  Mogu-mogu as Akemi put it.

There are only two types of pizza on the menu at Seirinkan.  But, really, you don’t need anymore.  Why mess with perfection?  The Margherita is my favorite.

While Akemi preferred the more garlicky Marinara.  It’s all in the dough.

After lunch, we headed over to Electric Town, Akihabara, so I could track down a new Evangelion iPhone case and, of course, one of my favorite desserts -

I had the matcha coming and the custard going.  They’re sweet, cream-filled pillows from heaven.

Akemi and I kept the subsequent snacking to a minimum because we had a 6:00 p.m. dinner reservation at The Molecular Tapas Bar.  This would make my fourth visit, but we really went because Akemi was dying to try it.  It’s always an experience…

The view from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel lounge. Akemi called it beautiful. I’d lean toward terrifying.

The Sparkling Muscat. Like eating sweet, carbonated jelly.

Autumn Forest Snacks

From left to right: A porcini puff, mushroom cappuccino, crispy gingko, truffled potato, hunting pig (a bacon biscuit), matsutake gohan (a matsutake mushroom rice cracker), and an apple-manchego cigar.

Please, don’t eat. The dry ice is just for show.

An incredibly aromatic shitake mushroom soup. Akemi says it was the best thing she’s eaten so far on this trip. Totemo natsukashii!

Passion fruit caviar.  They burst in your mouth like fruity salmon eggs.

On to the mains…

Smoke (and smokey) tuna.

Akemi usually isn’t a fan of smoked foods so I thought I’d get to finish hers off.  Unfortunately for me, she loved it.

Langoustine Suquet – scampi in a Catalan broth.

Braised Iberico pork cheek. Guess what the cauliflower-looking stuff is. If you guessed cauliflower, you’re right.

Siu long bao. Actually, a reverse take on the Chinese soup dumpling. The lamb chop holds a pocket of the hot broth that has been injected directly into the meat. You’re cautioned to eat it all in one bite at the risk of making a mess. Accompanying the chop is a yogurt dipping sauce and some baby peach.

Wagyu cooked sous-vide for six hours.

Dobinmushi. Their take on the class soup sees its main ingredients encapsulated in a translucent globule created by dropping the soup in calcium water.

And then it was on to dessert.  We started with the “puff”, liquid nitrogen-dipped meringues that literally puffed in your mouth when chewed, venting its smokey self out of the nose’s of unsuspecting diners.

Leaf Littered

An intricate and beautiful dish.  Those maple leaves are painstakingly constructed from wonton wrappers.  But the highlight for me was the acorn ice cream.

Clockwise from the top: Buttery-great popcorn cotton candy, a lemon-olive oil gummy, szechuan meringue, uber-tart raspberry soda (in wafer for), and chocolate pumice.

And we finished with the restaurant’s trademark miracle fruit closer.

We were instructed to sample the various fruit – sweet orange, tart lemon and lime – then told to pop the little red miracle fruit into our mouths.  We chewed the fruit around the stone, moved it around our mouths and then, when a minute was up, we spat out the stone and tasted the fruit again.  The lemon and limes were miraculously sweet.  How is this possible?  Oh, you can read all about it here: Miracle fruit – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I’ve got to find a source so I can throw my own miracle fruit party where I can serve lemon wedges and vinegar shots.

Another day in Tokyo, then hopping on the bullet train and heading over to Osaka for a couple of days.

What have you all been up to?

Tagged: Hattendo, Hattendo cream buns, Japan, Japan travel, Pizza Seiriinkan, The Molecular Tapas Bar, Tokyo, Tokyo Restaurants, Tokyo travel

November 2, 2012: Tokyo Day #5! Actually, Yokohama Day #1!

Yesterday, I ended up going to Yokohama for the day.  It was my first visit to the area and I was wowed.  It’s absolutely beautiful, alternately reminding me of New York in parts, Paris in others, and even San Diego at times.  My friend, Moro-san, was my tour guide for the day, taking me absolutely everywhere.  We walked all day, from the moment Akemi dropped me off (she insisted on accompanying me for the 40 minute trip from Tokyo because she didn’t trust my metro-switching abilities) to our climb up the steep street to our eventual dinner destination.  Yes, we stopped for lunch, but it was a short reprieve.

Moro-san calls Yokohama home as do many who make the aforementioned 40-minute commute to Tokyo for work every day.  According to Akemi, much of the Tokyo workforce prefer the less costly option of living in the outlying area surrounding the city proper, something that is  referred to as “donuts kagensho”, aka “the donut situation”.  And, I have to admit, was weighing this fantasy option during my stroll through Yokohama.  Over the course of my day, I picked out a potential apartment building, a local supermarket, a dry-cleaner – even a prospective doggy daycare.

Akemi and I arrived thirty minutes in advance of the appointed meeting time so we headed up (and up and up) and out and checked out Yokohama’s famed Chinatown.

The streets of Yokohama’s Chinatown district.

The area is Panda-crazy, with all sorts of Panda-related merchandise for sale, from panda hats and slippers to panda pyjamas and oven mitts.

The Panda Store. Unfortunately, the one thing they didn’t have was the one thing I was looking for = panda cufflinks.

Even Kitty-chan gets in on the panda action.

Street vendors abound selling various delicious-smelling dim sum items.  In addition, there’s a guy/gal hard-selling roasted chestnuts every three paces.

Cha siu! Get yer cha siu bao’s here!

Crackhead Panda says: “Pssst. Hey, buddy, wanna buy some pork buns?”

Akemi grabs some lunch to-go.

I accompanied Akemi back down to the station where I saw her off, then awaited Moro-san’s arrival.  While cooling my heels, I checked out some of the advertised activities the area had to offer…

Like this one, a foot spa of sorts that involves dipping your feet in a tank so that hundreds of little “doctor fish” can nibble away the dead skin.  Enh, I think I’ll stick with the  Swedish massage.

Finally, camera-shy Moro-san arrived and we headed up (and up and up) and out once again for the grand walking tour.

First stop, Yamashita Park:

My future dog park.

A far cry from the hustle and bustle of crowded Tokyo.

Then, we headed back to Chinatown for a more thorough walking tour of the district:

The Hotel Oriental – located in the heart of Chinatown offers quick access to dim sum, fortune tellers, and panda-related wares.  Maybe cheaper than The Imperial.

We stopped for a Halloween-themed snack. I gave Moro-san the choice between sweet or spicy. She chose spicy – and, boy, was it ever. So much so that she teared up and had to stop for a drink.

We moved on and into the shopping district:

A Santa-themed heist. “Nothing to see hear, folks. Just delivering presents. Ho ho ho!”

Ronny takes a load off.

We then proceeded though the quaint, winding backstreets of Moro-san’s neighborhood:

We stopped off at Sakura, a tiny neighborhood ocha-ya (tea cafe). The owner was incredibly warm, stopping by to chat and gifting me a bag of green tea and cookies on my way out.

We had lunch at an Italian restaurant called Rega.  As we settled in, I complained about how hot it was.  I mean, I was really burning up.  As it turned out, it wasn’t me, it was my phone.  It had remained on camera mode since my last photo and the damn thing was sizzle-hot!  I turned it off and set it down on the table, hoping that would forestall any imminent explosion.  Fortunately, it did.  Unfortunately, the battery was almost completely drained.

We continued our stroll and I continued snapping pics until my phone died…

Wait, is that…?

Yeah, thought so.

The Hotel Suica (watermelon), so-named because – well – it looks like a watermelon slice.

Visit the Hall of Confiscated Contraband!

And that’s about when my battery tapped out.  After a full day’s walk, we sat down to a wonderful kaiseki dinner at a place called Chatubo.  The chef went to great lengths to achieve the autumn theme, featuring seasonal ingredients and decorating each dish with fall leaves and a sprinkling of fresh water with the shake of a matcha whisk to approximate the look of rainfall.

By the time we were done, I was exhausted.  I checked my phone, discovered it had reacquired enough power for me to check and respond to Akemi’s email, assuring her she didn’t have to come all the way to Yokohama to pick me up.  I was competent enough to brave the Tokyo subway on my own.  And I was – with the exception of the moment I got off at the wrong station and had to wait for the next train.

An early night meant another early wake-up.  6:30 a.m. for me.  Plenty of time to upload this entry, set my line-up for this weekend’s fantasy football league match (My Snow Monkeys take on Tebow Sucks and I’ve been deliberating over whether to start Dwayne Bowe as my WR2), and indulge in some in-room dining:

The matcha cookies from Sakura had a wonderfully intense green tea flavor. The chocolate moon cake from Chinatown, on the other hand, was a dry disappointment.

Today, we head to Naka-Meguro for lunch at my favorite pizza place, Pizza Seirinkan, and later tonight to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for Akemi’s first visit to The Molecular Tapas Bar.

Finally, thanks to everyone who has left kind messages for my sis.  The prognosis for her husky, Aspen, is not good and it looks like she’ll have to make the most difficult decision this weekend.

Tagged: Japan, Japan food, Japan travel, Tokyo, Tokyo travel, travel, Yokohama, Yokohama Travel

November 1, 2012: Tokyo Day #4! Pierre Gagnaire!

Okay, I said late blog entry but I’ve got a window of opportunity here so it’ll be an early blog post instead.  Last night, I got together with my friend, Sachi, for dinner at Pierre Gagnaire in the ANA Continental Hotel.

Sachi

We spent much of the meal catching up on our respective lives.  Sachi is quite the adventurous traveler, having spent time in places all over the world – many of which I’d probably never dare visit in my lifetime.  Whenever we start talking about these various locations, my progression of questions is so predictable.  Question #1: “How was it?”  Question #2: “How was the food?”.  Since the last time I saw her, Sachi has settled down in Rome – which she likes just fine although it’s apparently lacking in ethnic cuisine.

Well, on this night, we were dining at Pierre Gagnaire and, while not exactly ethnic, it did offer a variety of plates she’d be hard-pressed to find back in Rome – or, frankly, anywhere for that matter.  The dinner was a succession of detailed dishes ranging from the breathtaking to the bizarre, the stylistically spectacular to the substantially short.  But, damnit, they were all very entertaining.

The amuse bouches.

Unfortunately, these weren’t listed on the menu so I can’t recall the details.  I do, however, remember being blown away by the chorizo chip that was bursting with intense, chorizo flavor.  If they sold these at my local 7-11, I’d be snacking on them all night.

Scallop roasted and marinated with Amontillado, NOLPI, sea urchin, and Brussel sprouts.

I have no idea what NOLPI is but I did like this dish as a fresh, savory and slightly sweet start to the meal.

Lobster with cepe mushrooms, pear, and grappa leaves topped with a caramel sheet.

This one was very interesting.  The lobster was excellent; the caramel sheet a curious textural addition.

Foie gras with anago fritta and pomengranates

Probably my least favorite dish of the night.  Perhaps due to its small size, the foie gras was a little overcooked.  Also overcooked – but intentionally so given the “fritta” designation – was the sea eel that lost any of its original flavor in the preparation and simply ended up tasting like a crispy fried thing.

Afonsino seized with brown butter, beetroot syrup, avocado brûlée, and sticky potato Alexia.

I’m amused by the description, the fish (aka Kinmedai) “seized” in brown butter.  It was a perfectly little piece of fish and that beetroot syrup was outstanding.  I felt a little let down by another description, the “avocado bruleee”, that turned out to be a few slices of slightly torched avocado.

Roasted rackof lamb, braised Jerusalem artichokes with saffron, fried squid and lemon paste mascarpone.

Lamb sweetbreads with almond, chestnut bursts.

A very good dish, especially that lemon paste mascarpone.  The squid were tiny but had a lot of flavor.

Normally, the cheese course wouldn’t excite me but I was delighted with Pierre Gagnaire’s version.

Roquefort cream, Banyuls reduction, slices of crispy bread.

Brillat Savarin-gren tea, milk jelly with cardamom.

And, not pictured: Brie de Meaux, persimmon and fresh pear.

I was pleasantly surprised by all three marvellous preparations.  A highlight of the night.

Speaking of highlights…

I had no idea what to expect when it came time for dessert.  All the menu said was: “Desserts inspired by traditional French pastries” and “Created using fruits, seasonal vegetables, low sugar confectionary and chocolate”.

So, what to expect?  Oh, anything and everything.  What follows are some snaps of the myriad of tiny sweets we were presented with:

Sachi asked for an alternate to chocolate and the kitchen presumably whipped up this substitute!

And this one!

All in all, a pretty remarkable meal.

By the time I got back to the hotel, I was exhausted and looking forward to a good night’s sleep.  Apparently, so was Akemi who had locked the door and drifted off.Unable to gain key access to the room, I knocked and rang and emailed – to no avail.  I ended up having to phone the room, rousing Akemi from her deep slumber. For a while there, I was entertaining the notion of just booking another room for the night.

As mentioned in yesterday’s entry, I’m off to Yokohama to meet up with my friend Moro-san.  No idea what she has in mind but I’m hoping it includes a trip to the famed Curry Museum – which will be a terrific substitute for the Mori Arts Museum which is closed during my visit.

Today’s breakfast/snack:

Lookit the says of dem grapes!

Today’s entry is dedicated to my sis, and her boy Aspen who, sadly, isn’t doing too well.

Tagged: Japan travel, Pierre Gagnaire, Tokyo, Tokyo Restaurants, Tokyo travel

October 31, 2012: Tokyo Day #3! Sawada! Shinjuku! Butagumi!

Last night, Akemi and I returned to our favorite sushi restaurant in Tokyo: Sawada. It’s always more than dinner, it’s a show, with Master Sawada-san presenting a feast of varied sushis and sashimis, from sweet Hokkaido uni to grilled sea eel, all expertly prepared and utterly delicious.  The restaurant itself is small, seating six at its modest counter, but this, says Sawada, is ideal as it allows him to give each diner his fullest attention.  The meal isn’t cheap, but it is always one of the culinary highlights of my year.

On this visit, we were seated beside a solo diner, Jeff, who was in town from London for two days of business.  We chatted film, television, and, of course, food.  The remaining counter seats were occupied by three 50-something Japanese women whose conversation grew more raucous, their laughter louder, as the evening progressed – no doubt owing to the amount of sake they knocked back.  At one point, one of them got up to use the bathroom, stumbled and almost ate tatami – but found much-needed support in the form of the opposing closet door that almost buckled under her weight.  Once our dinner had ended, I made sure they left first. The last thing I needed was an inebriated avalanche of drunken older women tumbling down the stairs toward me.

Anyway, no photos of the meal itself (Sawada-san enforces a strict no-photo policy – unless you get there early and there are no fellow diners to offend), but I did snap a pic of our new friend, Jeff with Akemi:

Today, we did a little shopping in Shinjuku…

The streets of Shinjuku

I touched and got “Make a mountain out of a molehill”.

Then to Nishi-Azabu for tonkatsu lunch…

Our walk from the metro station takes us by Aoyama Park.

Lunch at Butagumi with our friend, Masa.

The menu offers a wide variety of pork (breaded and fried to golden-tender perfection).

Let the pig-out begin!

This appetizer was the surprise star of the meal and probably the most delicious thing I’ve eaten all year. The pork is braised for eight hours, then cooked with garlic, green onions, soy, and shichimi (a Japanese spice made up of some seven other ingredients). I ended up ordering a second dish – and then a third. Unbelievably tasty.

We ordered three different tonkatsu’s. This one was the thickly sliced, medium-rich pork sirloin from Kagoshima prefecture.

This one was the Imo Buta from Chiba prefecture and was our favorite. Surprising since it was a filet and the leanest of the three.

The super rich Meishan-Ton from Ibakari prefecture. Akemi and I were expecting the marbling to be more evenly distributed. It was a tad queasifying. Is queasifying a word?

We worked off lunch with a walk down to Roppongi Midtown and stopped by Jean-Paul Hevin for macarons before heading back to Roppongi Hills – only to discover that the Mori Arts Museum is closed until mid-November.  WTF?!

Tonight, it’s dinner with my friend, Sachi, at Pierre Gagnaire and then tomorrow, it’s a LATE blog update as I spend the day (and early evening) with my friend, Moro-san, in Yokohama!

How are our friends on the east coast?  Hope you’ve all ridden out the storm and things are returning to normalcy.

Tagged: Butagumi, Japan, Japan travel, Sawada, Sawada sushi, sushi, Tokyo, Tokyo food, Tokyo Restaurants, Tokyo travel, tonkatsu