Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 479

November 13, 2012: Dogs! Dogs! Dogs!

To be perfectly honest, there was only one thing I missed during my trip to Japan.  And it wasn’t the food or the television or the general comforts of home.  It was the dogs.  Even Akemi, who admittedly never “got” dogs before coming to Canada, could think of nothing but her dear Bubba those last few days in Tokyo.  It was nice to know that they were in great hands.  Our dog-sitter, Christine, stayed at the house with them, sending us daily updates and, occasionally, photos.

As I struggle to readjust back to Pacific Standard Time and scramble to tend to the 101 things that magically did not get done while I was away (This isn’t like Stargate where I could always rely on the infamous script elves), I thought it might be nice (and relaxing) to dedicate this entry to the gang – in pictures (most of them compliments of Christine):

Tagged: Dogs, french bulldogs, pugs

November 12, 2012: The Supermovie of the Week Club reconvenes! Cookie Monster reviews The Fantastic Four (2205)!

Okay, yes, dis be garbage movie but viewer have to keep in mind dat it made in 1994 by schlock producer Roger Corman for miniscule budget and film never meant to be released…Wait.  What?  Dis NOT de Roger Corman crapfest but de 2005 $100 million budget version?  Are you sure?

Hmmm.  Monster just checked and me already reviewed Corman movie so, yep, dis de new and improved (?) Fantastic Four.  Wit 100 times de budget of de first film, you would tink it be at least ten percent better.

Mr. Fantastic. Powers = Stretchiness, wooden acting, and mysterious greying sideburns.

Movie begin wit scientist Reed Richards, played by some aktor who would make a better waiter, pitching research project to super rich scientist Dr. Viktor Von Doom.  Really, wit a name like Von Doom, he destined for villainhood.  It like  Mr. and Mrs. Pumpkins naming their daughter Fluffy.  Poor kid never stood a chance.  Viktor give de okay to de projekt dat involve study of passing cosmik clouds on his space station.  Research crew made up of Reed, his right-hand goon Ben Grimm, beautiful scientist Sue Storm, and Sue’s douche bag brother, Johnny.

Projekt gets off to bad start when cosmic clouds show up early and end up irradiating everyone.  As a result, everyone end up wit strange powers.  Reed acquires body-stretching ability.  And greying sideburns. For some reason.  Sue acquire power of invisibility – which be pretty much useless throughout movie and only used for completely illogical reasons – and ability to manifest force shields.  Johnny acquire power to manifest flames and fly around.  Ben acquire super strength and super hard rocky exterior.  And Viktor start to slowly, kinda, turn into metal…but not really…and acquire ability to control elektricity.  Oh, and knack for falling in and out of British accent.

Invisible Girl. Powers = Invisibility and unnecessary stripping.

Ben all upset.  He leave hospital and call up his girlfriend who come down to de street to meet him.  In her lingerie.  She horrified by sight of him and run away.  For some reason, Ben surprized by dis and go hang out on bridge.  He try to save suicidal jumper and cause huge pile-up.  Reed, Sue, and Johnny, who JUST HAPPEN to be on de bridge and happen to see him, want to get to Ben but can’t get thru de crowd.  So how to get through?  Have Reed stretch his legs so he can carry Sue and Johnny over de people? Have Johnny use his flying powers to carry Sue and Reed over?  Nope, let’s have Sue turn invisible and push her way thru de crowd becuz, of course, people will move over for an invisible person more dan dey would for a regular person. Dis probably de single stoopidest moment in a movie filled wit stoopid moments and, really, only an excuse to get actress Jessica Alba in her bra and panties.  But Monster not complaining.

Dey reach Ben.  Save a fire truck racing toward de scene.  And become heroes.  Dey call demselves The Fantastic Four.  Reed = Mr. Fantastic. Sue = The Invisible Girl.  Johnny = The Human Torch.  Ben = The Thing.  But Ben very sad becuz his girlfriend JUST HAPPENS to be on de bridge and see him and takes off her engagement ring and leave it on the ground before walking away.

Movie plod along, filled wit lame sight gags and dialogue.  Reed tests Ben’s reflexes wit hammer.  He kick chair across de room!  Reed walk in on Sue getting out of de shower. She turn invisible (P.S. But Monster not complaining)!  Reed uses stretchy arm to reach out of bathroom for toilet paper!  Goofy music accompanies deir anticks! Hardy har har!

Dey become celebrities.  Sue mobbed by fans and, to eskape dem, strips off her clothes, turns invisible and runs away.  No.  Really.  P.S. Monster not complaining.

The Human Torch. Powers = Flaming, flying, and general douce-baggery.

Meanwhile, becuz of accident on space station, Viktor’s company in ruins.  Investors pull out.  He exakt revenge by killing dem all.  He convince Ben dat even though Reed promised to change dem back, he really just interested in spending time with Sue.  Which bring monster to super-weak romantik triangle involving Sue, Reed and Viktor. Seriously.  Superhot intelligent girl and best she can do is choice between milquetoast loser and asshole?  Dat’s it?!!

Viktor convince Thing to step into HIS cosmic accelerator dat will turn him back to normal.   And it work.  But it also give Viktor extra power he needs to get super strong!

The Thing. Powers = rocky exterior, super strength, and sulking.

Viktor try to off de rest of de Fantastic Four but unsuccessful.  Ben turn back into Thing (somehow) and fight Viktor who, by dis point, has donned snappy new costume and metal mask dat JUST HAPPENS to be on display at nearby exhibition.  FF used deir combined powerz to take down Doom and bring movie to a merciful end.

Dr. Doom. Powers = Metallic disfigurement, super strength, control of electricity, and cheesy villainous preening.

Movie end wit after-party.  Reed propose to Sue and she accept.  Ben get together wit blind woman who love him for who he be.  Meanwhile…

A frozen Doom shipped off in container to homeland of…Latveria!!!

Verdikt: Dog poop.

Rating: 2 chocolate chippee cookies.

Tagged: comic book movies, Comic Books, Comics, Cookie Monster, Cookie Monster reviews The Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four, superhero movies, superheroes, Supermovie of the, The Fantastic Four, The Fantastic Four (2005)

November 11, 2012: Best of the rest! Football Sunday/Ice Cream Resumes!

Some of the best of the rest photos of our Tokyo trip -

Akemi’s Hello Kitty bento lunch.

Akemi presents: The Quebec. Huh?

Akemi makes a new friend in Omotesando:

Akemi ready to head out in her new outfit.

Japanese cotton swabs come with one regular tip and one sharp tip for perforating ear drums when you unwittingly flip the to clean the other ear.

Weird stained glass bunny art at Shinjuku station.

“Protect our favorite town (presumably from Yakuza gangsters” campaign in Omotesando.

Ginza at night.

Even though I was on holiday, I wasn’t on vacation from fantasy football.  With my Snow Monkeys in the playoff hunt, I couldn’t afford to be.  And so, amid the sushi and shopping, I also made time for injury updates, waiver wire additions, and line-up changes.  As a result of my commitment, my Snow Monkeys have reeled off four straight wins, and now sit in second place with three weeks to go.  Today, we took our show on the road – over to Rob’s house to watch the various games with Ivon.

The sausage selection.

Ivon goes turkey.

Rob is all smiles because his Cowboys actually won. No. Really. They won.

And waiting for me upon my return, this weekend’s Sunday Morning Ice Cream delivery. This week’s flavor: Cap’n Crunch

For dessert, I picked up a dozen from Beta 5 on my way over along with some brownies and aerated chocolates.  After all, what says “football afternoon with the guys” better than sausages and cream puffs?

Goooo Snow Monkeys!

November 10, 2012: Sayanora Tokyo! Dai San Harumi!

There are a grand total of three possible sleeping positions on an airplane seat and I exhausted all three today.

I quite like the timing of the flights both to and from Tokyo.  On the way there, the flight departs in the mid-afternoon, giving you plenty of time to sleep in and do your last minute checks and cross-checks before jetting off. By the time you get in, you’re thoroughly exhausted so that, once you’ve touched down, completed the 90 minute ride from Narita airport, checked in, and had a late meal, you’ll be read for bed – at about 9:30 – 10:00 p.m. local time – which is about 4:00 a.m. or 5:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.  If you keep to this schedule, you’ll be waking up at 6:00 in the morning every day, ready for a sushi breakfast at Tsukiji Market, followed by a nice full day and early night.

The return flight is not quite as great.  It leaves at about 7:00 p.m. local time and, after about nine hours of flying, gets in to Vancouver at approximately 11:00 a.m. The game plan is to sleep through the flight as much as possible and then stay up as late as possible on the longest day back to force your body back into a sleep rhythm. Taking a couple of melatonin pills before bedtime helps but, all the same, you’re going to come up against certain nights (actually early mornings) where you’ll find yourself, wide awake, at 4:00 a.m., wrestling with a powerful craving for sushi.

Speaking of which – for our last meal in Japan, I thought it would only be appropriate to go out for sushi.  We ended up at Dai San Harumi, a tiny, friendly little place in Shinbashi.  Some of the highlights -

Welcome to Dai San Harumi

The bonito (tuna) is seared over an open flame so that its exterior attains a certain smokiness while its interior maintains that mouth-melting high-grade tuna texture.

According to our chef, the restaurant only sources the best of these very best fresh, organic Japanese tiger prawn – about 1% of each catch.

Saba (chub mackerel), lightly cured with salt and vinegar.

Plump anago (conger eel).

And, for dessert, the tamago.

Thanks for coming!

An excellent final meal that made me kind of sad as a reminder of exactly what I’d be missing.

After lunch, we stopped by Akemi’s old workplace, the Pierre Marcolini Cafe, so that she could say goodbye to her old friends and co-workers – oh, and grab a dessert while we were there.

A role reversal for Akemi who finds herself being waited on instead of the other way around.

I had a marron (chestnut) parfait while Akemi had this terrific new addition to the menu -

It’s described as a dark chocolate drink.  It’s cold, bittersweet, and so thick and rich you have to eat it with a spoon.

Afterwards, we made one final trip to the Mitsukoshi department store and picked up some Christmas gifts, then walked back along one of Ginza’s main streets that is always closed to traffic on weekends.  On the way, we were stopped by a camera crew and asked to identify a couple of mysterious dollar store items.  We failed miserably as both of my guesses, cucumber zester and dog hammock proved incorrect.

It seems like there’s a camera crew parked every ten feet down Ginza dori.  Last time I was in town with Ivon, we were stopped and interviewed about the grand Japanese tradition of the Christmas sock.

The return trip was uneventful.  And this is what greeted us upon our return:

It’s funny but, by the end of our time in Tokyo, Akemi told me that she was actually happy to be leaving and returning to Vancouver.  Surprisingly, there was little wistfulness at our departure, just happy memories of our trip, the hope to return for an equally short visit some time next year, and an overwhelming desire to see Bubba again.

Soooo tired.

Tagged: Dai San Harumi, Japan, Japan travel, sushi, Tokyo, Tokyo food, Tokyo Restaurants, Tokyo sushi, Tokyo travel

November 9, 2012: Last full day in Tokyo! Restaurant Esquisse! Chez Tomo!

The familiar face of Chef Lionel Beccat

My friend Moro-san suggested we go to lunch at Restaurant Esquisse, a relatively new addition to the Ginza dining scene.  It has only been open for about four months now and yet, in that short time, garnered some great word of mouth. Always up to trying something new, I booked us a table.

I arrived early and had just taken a seat at the table when I was greeted by a familiar smile.  It was none other than Chef Lionel Beccat, the culinary magician who had crafted one of the most memorable meals I’ve ever had the pleasure to sit down to in Tokyo – which also happened to be my very first date with Akemi (all the details in pictures here: November 30, 2009: Tokyo Travel Day $6 – Ginza La Tour, Michel Troisgros).  Back then he was at Cuisine Michel Troisgros.  Today, he heads the kitchen at Restaurant Esquisse and, judging by the meal we enjoyed, he is still firing on all creative cylinders.

Our set lunch course included…

Apple soufflé.  Incredibly delicate, airy, but with a lovely pronounced apple bite.

Lobster with caviar, mushrooms, lobster brain and mustard cream.  Like all Chef Beccat’s dishes, it balances delicacy with complexity of flavors.  

Mussels with trumpet mushrooms, apricot, and lemongrass foam.

Foie gras with grilled anago, mandarin orange, and maitake mushrooms.  Loved the creme brûlée preparation of the foie. 

The wild duck

Scallops with truffles and almond-hazelnut foam.I know some aren’t fans of foams but when done right (like in this dish) they had a whole other level of scent and flavor.

Monkfish prepped in konbu, then yogurt, wrapped in black olive and sepia accompanied by its spinach-wrapped liver with raisins.  A stronger, meatier fish that marries well to the black olive and squid ink.

Japanese oysters with apple and daikon horseradish emulsion topped with lemon caviar.  A refreshing palate cleanser to break up the robust flavors of the bracketing dishes.

The lemon caviar in its natural state.  They go for about $10 a pop.

Wild duck with a (not) celeriac puree, beet, white carrot, red radish, and Cyprus salt – accompanied by its date-covered leg.  Duck is tricky.  Undercooked, it’s chewy.  Overcooked, it’s inedible.  Here, the preparation is perfect, crispy-skinned and tender.

I say the duck was served with (not) celeriac puree above because, although that’s what I assumed it was, our helpful waiter explained it was actually cerfeuil.  And, when I expressed confusion, he popped back into the kitchen and returned with a sample.  Chervil!  Really?

Sorry.  By the time I finished it, I realized I’d forgotten to snap a pic.  I toyed with the idea of hanging around and getting a photo of our neighbor’s plate but ultimately decided to go with this.  What you missed: Grape sorbet from Kyojo with whipped grape champagne creme brulee and a confit Porto, topped with an anise treat.

Tarte tain with vanilla ice cream, creme anglaise, roast pear, rusk, and sugar caramel.  Another triumph of taste, temperature and textural contrasts – sweet, salty, sour, warm, cold, crispy, crunchy, soft, and chewy. 

Our guide on this culinary odyssey: Chiba Tadashi who painstakingly explained every dish and, whenever I expressed confusion, ducked back into the kitchen to retrieve the ingredients to hopefully help clarify.

Les mignardaises

Chef Beccat

A wonderful lunch.  Much thanks to Chiba-san for going above and beyond the call to make our lunch as informative as possible (even though, I’m sure, I’ve missed plenty of the details in attempting to jot them down, shorthand, on my iphone notepad).  And, of course, many thanks to Chef Beccat for yet another memorable meal.  I’ll definitely be back on my return visit to Tokyo.

Last night, we dined at Chez Tomo in Ginza with Akemi’s friend, Megumi.  Akemi was particularly looking forward to the restaurant’s signature vegetable plate.  I was dubious – but ended up pleasantly surprised.  You’ll see why in a moment…

If there are two things I’ve eaten A LOT of on this trip, it’s foie gras and sea urchin.  And that’s been perfectly fine by me.  In this dish, the sea urchin is served with lobster in a bisque-like preparation served in the uni’s shell.

Interesting.  Flounder-wrapped around Japanese pear accompanied by a Japanese pear ravioli, beets, seawater gelatin cubes, and black olive tapenade.  Quite a few acidic notes.

A mosaic of between 28-30 organic vegetables from Yamanashi.  This dish was a blast to eat, offering up an incredible variety of tastes and textures.

A soup duo: chilled chestnut on the left and a warm beet-laced vegetable medley on the right.

Roasted Hokkaido wild Yezo deer roast, patty and heart sauté, served with black pepper sauce.  The presentation left a little something to be desired but the dish was delicious nevertheless.  Surprisingly sweet and lacking in black pepper kick given the black pepper in the description.

Instead of trotting out finished desserts for us to select from, we were presented with the main ingredients that went into each of the four desserts of the day (ie. the fresh egg and vanilla beans that go into the creme brûlée).  We all decided to go with -

The chocolate trio.  A so-so cold chocolate drink accompanied by a delightfully dense chocolate ganache and bittersweet chocolate ice cream.

Homeward-bound today and Akemi and I are really looking forward to seeing the dogs.

See you in Van and thanks for tagging along!

Tagged: Chez Tomo, Japan, Japan travel, Restaurant Esquisse, Tokyo, Tokyo food, Tokyo Restaurants, Tokyo travel

November 9, 2012: Tokyo Day….? I’ve lost count! Star Bar! Nodaiwa! Nakajima! Quintessence!

When I travel to Tokyo, I usually stay at The Imperial Hotel.  The service is great, the rooms very comfy, and I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather spending my nights. With the exception of Star Bar, a truly awesome basement bar Ivon Bartok and I discovered on our trip here a couple of hears back.  Like The Imperial Hotel, the service is great and the room is comfy.  Also, the drinks are outstanding. Whenever I’m in town, I make it a point to drop by.  Master bartender Hisashi Kishi and his right-hand man, Yamasaki Tsuyoshi, are now like members of my extended family.  I’m always thrilled to see them and, conversely, sad to part ways with them whenever my trip comes to its inevitable end.

I stopped by twice on this visit and, as always, Master Kishi-san was always at his warm, jovial, and welcoming best, whipping up killer cocktails and Moscow Mules that I’ll dream about long after I return to Vancouver.

Master Kishi-san rocks the shaker:

Yamasaki-san follows suit:

Beefeater Gin with fresh muscat grape juice.  Deceptively smooth and delicious.

At the conclusion of my visit, I always leave Master Kishi-san with a little something – in this case a bottle and a selection of olive oils (because, in addition to being a great bartender, I hear he’s also a terrific cook).

And Master Kishi-san ended up surprising me by presenting me with my very own Star Bar copper (Moscow Mule) mug.  It was totally unexpected and greatly appreciated.  Oh, and much needed.

Star Bar Ginza, B1F Sankosha Building, 1-5-13 Ginza, Chuo-ku,Tokyo; (03) 3535-8005 

Night time view by the Pensinsula Hotel, Ginza.  Christmas is almost upon us!

Rooftop park on the 9th floor of the Shinjuku Isetan.

Unagi at Nodaiwa.

Iwasha (mackerel) sashimi at Nakajima.

Faux ice cream bar from Sebastien Bouillet.

Chiffon cake with sweet potato and maple butter cream (disguised as a soufflé).

Choux creme from Seijo Alpes

Last night, Akemi and I dined at Quintessence, a 3-star Michelin restaurant and, apparently, one of the top ten hardest places to book.  Dinner was outstanding. Unfortunately, because of the no-photo policy (it may annoy the other guests), I wasn’t able to snap any pics of the culinary highlights.  Fortunately, I was able to source some photos of the said culinary highlights from the internet:

Goat milk bavarois with lily root, olive oil, and rock salt (photo via http://www.qliweb.com/food/Quintessence).

Another instant where I’m uncertain of the English name of the fish, but it was perfectly prepared – crispy on the outside and rare at its center – accompanied by a duo of sauces.

The incredibly airy meringue ice cream.

After we were done and on our way out, the restaurant’s chef and owner, Shuzo Kishida, came out to meet us.  At 34, he’s already been awarded 3 Michelin stars (four years in a row) for his work at Quintessence.  We chatted, mostly in French, a language I assume he mastered while working in Paris at the 3 Michelin star l’Astrance.  Unfortunately, I spent little time in Paris and it’s been a while since I practiced my French in Montreal so I was a bit…oh, let’s call it rusty.  Still, I managed well enough to let him know what a spectacular it was – every dish brilliantly conceived and flawlessly executed – as great as our first visit/my second date with Akemi three years ago: (December 4, 2009: Tokyo Travel Day #10 – Quintessence, Monnalisa Marunouchi, I hit the wall – and I’ve still got 11 restaurants to go!)

Well, looks like our Tokyo Trip Late 2012 (not to be confused with Tokyo Trip Early 2012) is drawing to a close.  I can look forward to three final no-doubt-memorable meals (and maybe about a half dozen notable desserts) before I head off.  And I look forward to them.  But for now, I’m looking forward to a nice change of pace breakfast:

Plain oatmeal, sliced bananas, and a half a grapefruit.

Tagged: Japan, Japan travel, Nakajima, Quintessence, Star Bar, Tokyo, Tokyo travel

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