Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 334

September 23, 2016: Tokyo Day #9!

Today marks our last full day in Japan.  Tomorrow, we head back to Canada and I have very mixed feelings about that.

Yesterday, we met up with Akemi’s sister, Hiromi, at Tokyo Midtown.  While waiting for her to show, I ate one of the largest pistachio cream puffs I’ve ever encountered.

It was…indescribably good.  I was even thinking about ordering a second but Akemi suggested I just share with her sister.  Share?  SHARE?!!!  Upon her sister’s arrival, she elected to go with the pistachio cream puff as well but, as I’d hoped, insisted she couldn’t possibly eat the whole thing.

Then went ahead and ate the whole. thing.

September 22, 2016: Tokyo Day #8!

“Blow a gasket”.  I’d always heard that quaint turn of phrase but could never really envision it, or apply it to my life…until this morning when I woke up to an email that made me, well, “blow a gasket”.  I mean, holy shit.  Really?  REALLY???  I am presently seething and should progress to a nice little simmer by the time I return to Canada, then a full blown boil the week after.

Anyway…

Yesterday, we checked out the Dali, Venetian Renaissance Painters, and TeamLab exhibitions.  Today, our Tokyo museum tour continued with a visit to…

The sole satellite Snoopy museum outside of California.

Although my sister was the big Snoopy fan growing up (and still is), the Peanuts gang still holds a special place in my heart.  Not quite Flintstones and 1967 Spiderman cartoon level – but still.

The tickets were vintage comic strips from this day in Peanuts history.

The entry room featured video displays, photos of Charles M. Schulz, his family and various dogs, and this giant 3D art piece…

Actually made up of hundreds of comic strips.

From there, we were ushered into a second room to watch a four minute intro to the Peanuts comic strip and the museum.

Then, we moved onto another room featuring a history of the Peanuts comic strip.

The next room held hundreds of vintage Peanuts toys, sketches, and cells.  Boy, it took me back.

We finished off with a visit to the gift shop…

I dropped about $50 on strictly Snoopy-related merch.  My sis in for a treat!

The Men’s Room.

If you’re feeling munchy, there’s a Peanuts-themed eatery, The Blanket Cafe, as well as a Peanuts-themed food truck.

I’m on vacation.

On our walk back to the subway, I stop to take a photo of this giant silver crab.

And, on our work through Omotesando, snapped a photo of one of my favorite structures in Tokyo – the Prada Building.

I then headed off and met up with my friend Moro-san for lunch.  I was having a fine time…until they ran out of the dessert I requested.  Sensing my disappointment, Moro-san took me to a cafe in Ginza where she ordered one of the most hideous desserts I’ve ever seen.  Ingredients included beer jelly, black truffles, dill, and parsley.

Hey!  It’s my new favorite Japan character – Gudetama.  He’s an egg!

Dinner was at Teatrino Da Salo and featured an Italian multi-course extravaganza.

Consider me suitably wowed.

Sayanora to my friend Moro-san.  Farewell for another year.  Mata ashita!

Tagged: Snoopy Museum, Snoopy Museum Tokyo

September 21, 2016: Tokyo Day #7!

Typhoon Malakas rolled through Tokyo late last night and most of yesterday was one long wet preamble to the storm.  To be honest, I didn’t mind so much.  It cleared out the crowds, clearly dampening many Tokyoites enthusiasm for shopping, and also cooled things down a few degrees.  Also, hey, I’m from Vancouver.  I love the rain.

So, while most of Tokyo was indoors, battening down the hatches, Akemi and I braved the elements – hatches brazenly unbattened – and hit Akihabara, aka Electric Town, aka Electrical Town, aka Anime Central, aka Geek Heaven.  Our two hour tour in photos –

Lots and lots for discerning, and perhaps not so discerning, anime fan to check out.

A little something for your cosplay closet.

Home decor for everyone’s tastes!

Human-size pillows for those lonely nights.  I’d like mine in Olivia Wilde, please.

Creature-themed sake.  Monstrously good!

Original artwork.  

Neon Genesis Evangelion Gendo Ikari cookies.  Bittersweet, no doubt.

I’m not sure, but I have a feeling Das will take all three.

We take a break from the action.

While walking around looking for a lunch spot, I noticed this delicious looking pizza place.  What is that they’re serving up on that woman’s back?  Rosemary, cranberries, and fontina cheese?

Tonight, we had dinner at Sushi Tokami whose young chef has been wowing locals with his inventive, sometimes brazen ways.  Like offering paper thin sliced onions as a side dish.  Or serving uni two ways, raw and cooked, in the same bite.  And ending the meal with a unique take on the traditional tamago, served brûlée style.

Can I just say how much I love sake.  My good friend Ivon Bartok will vouch for this.  I’m not a wine guy, enjoy the rare beer, and even whisky is one (okay, maybe two) drink max.  But sake…  You know, what’s amazing?  How a mere two bottles can loosen up the storylines knotted in my head, allowing me to more effectively piece together the grand narrative puzzle I’ve designed.  As I’ve often said, I know where I’m going but, occasionally, figuring out how to get there is the challenge.  But, after last night, two big Holy Shit! character backstory elements snapped clearly into place.  But more of that in season 3.

Or, more specifically, Episodes 7 and 12.

September 20, 2016: Tokyo Day #6!

Well, I spent most of the day thinking and worrying about my french bulldog Lulu and how best to proceed with her soft palate surgery, then the other most of the day thinking and worrying about the show’s third season.  In the case of the latter – I mean, sure, I know where I want to go, have worked out all of the character and story progressions, but actually getting there is always the challenge as, invariably, you get these inevitable curveballs thrown your way.  It’s alway so unnecessarily complicated.  It shouldn’t be but, really, welcome to show business.

But I’ll save that little rant for another time.

Tokyo!  Day #5!  Another 22k_ steps!  We covered a lot of ground today!

Apparently, outside of Tsukiji Market, there’s not all that much to do in Tokyo early morning.  Rather than hang around our hotel room, Akemi and I decided to take a walk through Hibiya Park – a little oasis in the heart of the urban mayhem.

We’ve been missing our dogs so much that we’ve resorted to pestering local dog owners for some time with their pooches.  Pictured above – Akemi and her now pal.

We arrived early in Naka-Meguro, about an hour and a half before lunch, so we took a stroll through the neighborhood and came across this little dessert(ish) shop.  Akemi had apparently heard about it.  The shop’s owner incorporates vegetables into all her desserts in an effort to get kids to eat their veggies.  A few of the menu items on display…

Not so strawberry shortcake, in which the strawberries are replaced with Japanese tomatoes and greens.

Avocado cheesecake!

And the intriguing but daunting asparagus tiramisu.

I know, I know.  Perfect Weird Food Purchase of the Day potential.  But I didn’t want to ruin my lunch.

We ended up at my favorite pizza join in Tokyo – Pizza Seirinkan.  Your choices here are simple.  You can have the Margherita.  Or you can have the Marinara.

One of the cheapest meals of this trip and one of the best.

Akemi agrees.

For dessert, a stopover at Jean-Paul Hevin.  Despite the triple chocolate order, our waitress professed her faith in our ability to polish them off.  Her confidence in us proved well-founded.

I picked up this terrific Crayon Shin-Chan t-shirt at the T.V. Asahi store.  This way, there will no longer be any confusion when I visit set.

With the entire afternoon in front of us, we decided to broaden our artistic horizons by checking out some of the local exhibits.  First up: The Dali exhibition and a Venetian Renaissance Paintings exhibit at the National Art Center.

Then, we walked over to The Mori Art Museum for The Universe and Art, part of the TeamLab exhibitions Akemi was very eager to check out.  This one was more her speed.  Some of my highlights…

Part of artist Laurent Grasso’s Studies into the Past.

Artist Jia Aili’s “Hermit from Planet Dust”.

Jules de Balincourt: “Cosmic Chaos” and “Space Investors”.

Sorayama Hajime’s “Sexy Robot”.

Artist Neri Oxman’s “Saturn’s Wanderer”: “Saturn’s Wanderer is created to adapt to the vortex storms on Saturn. It has a large surface area that would contain bacteria that converts the planet’s hydrocarbons into edible matter.”  Love it!

A little something to add to Melissa O’Neil’s wardrobe in season 3?

SEArch/Clouds AO: “Mars Ice House” – 3D printed resin model with wood base, internal light.

And then there was an amazing, full room video experience from TeamLab.  A small excerpt:

With that done, we headed to Roppongi Hills for a little more walking.  And I happened to come across these DC comics-themed characters –

Hey, check it out!  It’s Jason Momoa!

Finally, for dinner, we went to L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon.

The sea urchin in lobster jelly with cauliflower cream to start.

And a chartreuse souffle with pistachio ice cream.

Today, we head to Akihabara – Electric Town – Anime Central – Geek Heaven.

Perhaps another Periscope coming your way?

September 19, 2016: Tokyo Day #5!

I love Tokyo at night.  The bright lights.  The flashing neon.  The sights.  The sounds.  Throw in the time difference, a touch of jet lag, and you have an almost surreal experience Anthony Bourdain once likened to the sensation of dropping acid.

After wandering about for half an hour, looking for somewhere to eat, Akemi and I finally ended up at a modest little Korean restaurant.  Pictured above: Akemi stares longingly at my hot plate.

Yatta!  Her salad has arrived!

x

I ordered a hunk of beef.  First, they rendered the fat, then they seared the outside of the meat.  Every two minutes or so, a different staff member would stroll by and give it a flip.  I left the cooking to the professionals.

And voila.  Served with two different dipping sauce – and the option to sear it up a little more for a well-done consistency.

Wait!  Don’t go in here!  We’re going to Daikanyama instead!

I love the Daikanyama neighborhood because, on any given day, you’re likely to encounter about a dozen dogs out and about.  Today was no different and, although we did run into another french bulldog, our trip so far has been disappointingly pug-free.

This little guy anxiously awaiting his mom.

After lunch at one of Sushi Sawada, we decided to check out Nakana Broadway.  It was billed as a one-stop-shop for all my anime needs (as opposed to the more dispersed Akihabara neighborhood) and, while I did appreciate the four floors of fun, I still prefer Electric Town!

Considering a career as a Mexican wrestler?  This place has you covered.

Gigantor?

Kinniku (Muscle) Man!

Don’t recognize this guy from anything, but he was my favorite.  Had a sort of rock ’em sock’ em robot feel.

Vintage astronaut?

Robotman.  Of course.

Wakarimasen.

Thor?  Is that you?

Randomness, a little help here identifying?

And then there were the oodles of creepy dolls…

It’s like the eyes follow you.

Following…

Still following…

Perfect for your haunted home.

The otaku Holy Grail – a mural art of over a hundred anime girls!

Finally, last night was dinner at Esquisse – another old favorite.

On the home front, sis reports that the dogs are doing fine but believes she has found the root of Lulu’s infrequent vomiting and gas.  What at first we took to be the symptoms of a bad stomach is, my sister believes, is the result of her soft palate issues that cause her to breathe in water when she’s drinking.  She recommends the surgery to address the issue.  It’s something I’ll have to look into asap.

My poor gal.

And old boy.

September 17, 2016: Tokyo Day #4!

So, that finale…

Yeah.

I’ll avoid commenting suffice it to say we are hard at work, providing answers to a few of the, uh, outstanding questions we were left with at episode’s end.  And, I guarantee you – BIG answers coming your way in season 3.

But, for now, I’m still enjoying Japan with Akemi.

Yesterday, we were super lazy, sleeping in (after our 40+ piece sushi extravaganza) and only getting out of a bed a little after 7 am.  Then, we headed to Tsukiji Market where I did a little Periscope session –

Tsukiji Market Periscope

Still getting the hang of these damn things.  At least I know to title them before starting.  Now, all I need to do is keep them to around 5 minutes – oh, and, uh, avoid saying “basically”, “actually”, and “uh” and they’ll be perfect.  Stay tuned!

So, after breakfast, Akemi and I went our separate ways.  Temporarily.  I headed off to a regular (annual) lunch favorite of mine, Butagumi, with my friend Moro-san.

This appetizer is unbelievable and, dare I say it, the best thing on the menu: crispy pork, garlic, green onions, soy and shichimi spice.  I always get a double-order.

Three types of pork – Iberico, natta-buta, and a third one I can’t remember…that was actually my favorite.

While I was at Butagumi, Akemi was in Shinjuku checking out the sights:

“There are a bunch of geek people taking pictures of this wall…”

We got together again in Omotesando where we paid another visit to La Maison de Chocolat.  Not pictured – my ice cream sundae.

An ad for what looks like a new yakuza cooking show.  Akemi suggests we could do our own version: “Cooking with THREE”.

Checking out the Belgian beer festival in Roppongi.  Akemi stops to admire the giant fries.

The city is dotted with “kobans”, police boxes (more like kiosks).  They update a daily count of the city’s injuries and fatalities.

A walk through a surprisingly quiet Harajuku yields this fabulous find: Transformer longboards.

Yesterday saw us shattering our previous step count record by racking up an impressive 25k+ steps

Tagged: #DarkMatter, #Joepan2016, Dark Matter, Tokyo

September 17, 2016: Tokyo Day #3! Oh, and that Dark Matter season finale!

Tonight, following the season premiere of Z Nation, it’s the season 2 finale of Dark Matter.

This episode changes everything.  Trust me.  Fans are going to be feeling passionate after this one.

And, while you’re all watching Dark Matter, I’ll be continuing my Tokyo travels.

Yesterday, we took the shinkansen from Osaka (arriving in a lightning 2.5 hours).  Check out the view outside the window…

Zippy, no?

We did a lot more walking, this time through Roppongi, before finally ending up at our very favorite sushi restaurant in the world: Sushisho Masa.  Now, the thing that differentiates Sushisho Masa from every other high end omakase sushi restaurant is the sheer inventiveness and variety of sushi.  All other places will serve a set number of pieces of nigiri, between 12 to 18, all usually top quality and fantastic. Masa, on the other hand, serves roughly 40 sushi bites, ranging from the grilled octopus shirako to melt-in-your-mouth tuna nigiri.  Last time we visited, Akemi could barely walk after her meal.  This time, she asked for the “josei portion” and, while she did leave the restaurant feeling full, she only insisted on an hour long post-meal walk.

Some of the highlights:

Masa-san does something I’m never seen any other sushi chef do.  Before serving o-toro, the prized, highly marbled top end tuna belly, he carefully trims the paper thing individual fat layers.  He claims this results in a much more pleasurable taste and textural experience.  I’d have to agree.

Masa-san and part of his team.  ’til next year!

Well, I’m off to the Tsukiji Market.  If I have time, be prepared for a live Periscope!

September 16, 2016: Goodbye, Osaka! Hello, Tokyo! Again!

I always found it interesting that, despite the crazy amount of food I would eat every time I visited Japan, I would return home actually lighter than when I left.  At first, I assumed it was because I’d lost heavier muscle mass and gained comparatively lighter body fat BUT when I started measuring said body fat after subsequent trips, I discovered that I was actually getting leaner.  How to explain it?  Well, it could be the quality of the food I’m eating.  Or a possible change in my metabolism triggered by the time zone change.  But, more than likely, it’s the walking.  Lots and lots of walking.  Consulting my handy iPhone health monitor, I noted that, back in Vancouver, my sedentary lifestyle had me walking about, oh, 2000 steps a day.  Since arriving in Japan, my average daily step count is closer to 17 000.  Poor Akemi, with her tiny little feet, has probably hit 100k since our arrival!

I’d like to say that all this exercise makes me feel great, but the truth is I feel really, really, REALLY sore. Fortunately, while in L.A. recently, I invested in an incredibly comfortable pair of Ermenegildo Zegna’s to replace the pair of mail order Stacy Adams that, literally, fell apart on me while walking down Beverly Blvd.  It could have been much, much worse.

So, for our last day in Osaka, Akemi and I met up for lunch with her mother, father, and brother.  This time, it was soba and udon…

I went with the cold soba set and tempura.  It’s accompanied by a dipping broth you season yourself with the daikon, wasabi and/or green onion.  By the way, can I just say how out of this world better tempura is in Japan compared to the heavy, greasy versions we’re usually served in North America?

Akemi’s dad, mom, and brother kindly treated us to lunch.  At one point, Mrs. Aota noted I was holding my chopsticks incorrectly.   I adjusted my hold and had my skills totally evaporate – to the point where Mr. Aota, clearly feeling sorry for me, suggested I go back to my original hand position and not worry about it.

After lunch, I did an impromptu Periscope (I think I may do a few more before trip’s end) and then, we walked.  And walked.  And walked.

Hey!  We discover a statue of what Akemi declared my “favorite god” because he’s surrounded by food.  Only, it turns out, he maybe isn’t a god at all but a street mascot.

We pass this clinic, it’s windows adorned with photos of hot young women.  When I asked Akemi about it, she informed me one visited this doctor “give more energy to your cincin”.  Ah.  That explained the photos.

Other assorted store and restaurant front mascots.  Osaka was full of them:

This guy looks like one angry S.O.B. Better eat his kushiage if you know what’s good for you.

Tako-yaki restaurant.

Fugu restaurant!

Deadly…but delicious! Or so they say. I find it kind of bland.

Here. Have some sushi.

Did I not tell you to try his kushiage?

According to Akemi, this giant crab is actually more famous than the restaurant it represents.

I know it’s nowhere near as elaborate as the other ones but, damn, I have a soft spot in my heart for this porcine waitress.

I love me some scallops.

Found this one a little weird. I dunno.

More tako-yaki.

Awwww.

It was all fun and games until the steer vomited on her.

Alas, no, this place does NOT serve dragon.

More Osaka sights:

The famed canal that runs through Osaka.  When the city’s beloved Hanshin Tigers won Japan’s version of The World Series, locals celebrated by jumping off the bridge and into the water.  Not recommended.

Osaka is known for many things – chiefest among them is takoyaki, battered octopus balls served molten hot.  Here, locals and tourists alike line up for the hometown delicacy.

They even do a dessert version, minus the octopus and plus the chocolate.

Oooh, that’s sharp!

Purple Deadpool says: “Let’s party!”

For our farewell dinner, it was another Osaka speciality: okinomiyaki (seafood pancake…sort of).

And that’s a wrap on Osaka.  Sayanora!  Until next year!

The view outside our room.  I could get used to this…

Hey, here’s another EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEEK CLIP from Friday night’s Dark Matter season finale.

Tagged: #Joepan2016, Japan, Osaka

September 15, 2016: Osaka Day #2!

Good morning!

The hotel (Intercontinental) upgraded us to a suite complete with kitchen so we took advantage by picking up some items at the local farmers’ market and shops and making breakfast.

Giant figs, two types of dried mushrooms, Okinawa sea salt, garlic & thyme olive oil, three types of dried pepper, local honey, local tomato juice, local orange jelly, local thread peppers, and local yuzu-kosho paste.

Akemi looking and feeling quite at home.

The peppers were very tasty – and not particularly hot.  EXCEPT for the one Akemi got.  :)

They were selling three types of eggs that differed by what the chickens ate.  The ones we picked up were pretty rich and delicious.

Last night, it was unagi dinner with Akemi’s family: her brother, father, and mother.  We went to their favorite local eel restaurants (and mine!) Uoi.  We actually visited for lunch last time we were in town – and got a little TOUR as well.

Appetizer: tempura shrimp paste wrapped in shiso and lotus root.

Shirayaki.  Light, crisp, and possessed of a sweet, subtle flavor.

Kabayaki dinner – This sauced version is darker, richer – and equally delicious.

On the way back to our hotel, I couldn’t resist stopping for my favorite Japanese dessert.  Not macarons at chocolatier Jean-Paul Hevin.  Not the airy light seasonal maron cakes at revered patissier Hidemo Sugino’s shop.  Not the hand-crafted chocolates at La Maison du Chocolat.  I”m talking about the $1.50 Hattendon cream buns available in many fine Japanese subway stations.   I got the matcha (green tea) and the custard.  As amazing as I remembered them!

Hey, check it out!  It’s a sneak peek scene from this Friday night’s Dark Matter season finale:

Tagged: #Joepan2016, Japan, Osaka

September 14, 2016: Osaka Day #1!

We got into Osaka a little after 6:30 p.m. last night, checked into our hotel, then headed out in time to watch the stores close.  We were so chocolated out that we skipped dinner.  I know, I know.  A rarity for me.

This morning, however, we were out bright and early.  As were many eager shoppers.  We passed a group of people congregated outside a department store.  “What are they waiting for?”I asked.  “They’re waiting for the department store to open,”Akemi informed me.  Waiting for the department store to open?  It was 9:30 a.m.!  What kind of crazed die-hard shoppers spend 30 minutes anxiously awaiting the opening of a department store?!

We decided on Japanese curry for lunch.  We were very early but elected to walk by the place, just to confirm its location and, whaddya know – it was already open! So we popped in.  I had the katsu-kari – golden fried pork on rice surrounded by the sweet and spicy version of curry served here in Japan.

Then, we walked off lunch by perusing some of the local offerings, strolling through this miles-long corridor of shops.

Artwork adorning the entranceways.

Akemi can’t resist a good cut-out.

We wandered by this temple.  Outside the entrance to the grounds was a statue of a portly fellow that Akemi proclaimed: “Your favorite god.”  “Why’s he my favorite,”I asked?  “Because he’s always eating and surrounded by food.”  Oh.

Artwork adoring the ceiling above the entranceway.  Chinese astrological signs.  I’m a snake.  Surprised?

We stop for a snack – ice cream sandwiched between two wafer-thin mochiko powder shells.  Akemi liked the shells.  I preferred the ice cream.  This is why we’ve been together for almost seven years.

One of the department stores was hosting a special Hokkaido-themed event, featuring products and specialities from Japan’s northernmost island – and, uh, this unique claw game.  Win your date a potato!

On our way back to the hotel, I pick up some of the biggest figs I’ve ever laid eyes on.  An oasis of healthy snacking in the eye of a crispy, crunchy, creamy culinary storm.

It rained this afternoon, but that didn’t dampen our enthusiasm to check out the modest little farmer’s market that set up shop close to our hotel.  A sample plate of spicy “thread” peppers caught my eye and, after trying one, I ended up purchasing a bag.  “You know what goes great with peppers?”said the pepper farmer.  “Mushrooms!”  And he motioned me over to the adjoining booth where I was presented with samples of two different mushrooms, one black and one white.  Delicious.  As I bought one of each, the mushroom farmer informed me that “The black ones fight cancer while the white ones are good for your skin.”  “Honey is also good for your skin!”piped up the honey farmer at the neighboring stand.  And he had samples too.  Good thing our hotel room has a kitchen.

Tonight, it’s unagi dinner with Akemi’s family!

Today’s entry is dedicated to blog regular Mike A.  Condolences on your loss, Mike.