Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 509

February 2, 2012: Tokyo Day #7! Braving the cold! Kaiseki! Football Avenue! And it's all business! Sort of!

Woke up to an email from my friend, Sohaib, over at www.fictionalfrontiers.com informing me that the audio interview I did in support of my comic book series, Dark Matter, is up.  You can check it out here: http://bit.ly/yiGl0i.  We talk about making the transition from television to comic books, my years on Stargate, and the various mysteries (and clues!) that make up Dark Matter.  The second issue (Dark Matter #2 - what else?) hits store shelves February 8th.  Head on over to your local comic shop and reserve now to avoid disappointment!

In addition to Sohaib's email, I also received an update form my dog-sitter, Christine, informing me that the dogs are doing well.  Bubba and Lulu were thrilled to take a walk down to the local pet shop to stock up on treats while my old gal, Jelly, was equally thrilled to greet them (and the treats!) upon their return:

Bubba in "ready for walk" mode.

Lulu and Bubba check out their haul.

Jelly in her best "Do you realize what time it is? I've been worried sick. Nevermindjustgivemeatreat!" look.

Hey, I've been meaning to do a mini mailbag to answer a few questions, comment on your comments, and thank you all for taking the time to order Dark Matter.  Haven't had the time yet but maybe tonight!

As for what I did yesterday…

Akemi grew up in Osaka but spent four years living in Tokyo.  Despite this, there are some key areas of the city she has never visited – like, for instance, yesterday's mid-morning destination.  Akemi had a hankering for sukiyaki (more on that later) and had heard great things about the Ninyocho Imahan in – where else? – Ningyocho.

The streets of Ningyocho

It's an area full of old temples, so we thought we would get there early and stroll around a little before lunch.  On the surface, it seemed like a good idea but it turns out walking tours are a lot less pleasurable in -2 degree weather.  Especially when the wind picks up.

No, they don't serve bear.

Akemi seeks refuge in the warmth of a nearby bus shelter.

I'm pretty sure they aren't cabbage.

The Suitengu Shrine, visited by those seeking a safe childbirth or blessing on their children.

Apparently, visitors rub the dogs' heads for luck - which accounts for their discoloured patching.

According to Akemi, this is a Kappa an "alien or sneaky boy". By "alien", I believe she meant "spirit". She says she doesn't know much about them except for the fact "they live in the river (Have to be beautiful the river. Not a lot of garbage) and like cucumbers."

It got a little uncomfortably cold during our 2+ hour walk and, because most of the shops in the area didn't open until 11:00, we ended up wandering the aisles of the local conveniences stores to keep warm.  Finally, with 45 minutes still to go until our lunch reservation, Akemi got fed up and decided we should just show up and feign ignorance, pretend we'd simply assumed the reservation was for 11:30.  I was to follow her lead (keep my mouth shut and play the dumb gaijin who didn't speak Japanese).  Fortunately, we didn't need to resort to subterfuge because, soon after, we got lost and it took us almost 45 minutes to find the restaurant.

Ningyocho-Imahan. Found it!

The place resembles a restaurant of yore, lots of wood and narrow halls lined with private rooms behind sliding doors.  We were ushered into our private tatami room where we promptly ordered: the sukiyaki for Akemi and the kokaiseki for me.

Akemi looking decidedly warmer.

My kokaiseki meal apparently changes monthly, making use of fresh local ingredients to balance textures, colours and flavors in a multi-course meal that echoes a seasonal theme.  In my case, my meal seemed to offer hope for an early spring – something we could all get behind.

Anyway, I couldn't believe the amount of work that went into my lunch, both in terms of preparation and service.  This, for instance, was the menu which detailed the courses and their various ingredients.

!

The various dishes were works of art…

On the left mixed spring vegetables in dash topped with bonito. On the right, an anago mille-feuille (containing a layer of the sea eel in paste form), konnyaku, and more spring vegetables. At the center, cauliflower and natural gelatin shaped to resemble tofu.

The soup! The thinly sliced white daikon floating on top is meant to symbolize the ice that has formed over the various ponds and lakes. Beneath the surface floats a tiny radish and, nestled at the bottom, sits some perfectly poached snapper.

The sashimi plate consists of fresh tuna and snapper accompanied with daikon and shiso.

This heavenly tempura dish consisted of monkfish liver, bamboo shoot and a vegetable resembling broccolini, fried to a light crispy perfection and then served, sitting in dashi and topped with Japanese spices.

The grilled wagyu and meaty grilled mushroom. I picked up the carrot containing the yellow paste center and Akemi warned me not to eat it because it was Japanese mustard. "How hot could mustard be?"I asked before popping it in my mouth. Well, apparently, VERY HOT. My eyes started to tear and my throat and chest contracted and convulsed as I struggled to get it down. Warning: Japanese mustard bears NO resemblance to the western versions!

Akemi, meanwhile, loved her sukiyaki (as did I!):

The sukiyaki beef. Love that marbling!

The beef is simmered in a sweet sukiyaki broth.

Then served with a beaten egg.

The veggies are prepared in a similar manner.

While grazing on Akemi's lunch, I also received my next course…

Thinly sliced beef with mushroom and spring vegetable on rice.

And my dessert: vanilla ice cream and chocolate, sweet strawberry and orange canteen.

Akemi, sad the meal has ended.

On our way up to our tatami room, we removed our shoes which is the custom in many places in Japan (except, it turns out, the subway). We received this shoe check tag. Owing to some miscommunication on the way out, I ended up leaving with a pair of women's size 7 pumps.

After lunch, we headed over to Football Avenue where we visited with Akemi's uncle at the Japanese Football Museum.  He is a former player , a past member of Japan's 1985 World Cup team, coach of several J-League soccer teams, and is presently the Director of Youth Development for the Japan Football Association.

Gamba Osaka!

He gave us a tour of the museum which included a special screening room for soccer enthusiasts to watch the latest matches.  It contained the biggest indoor screen I've ever laid eyes on, roughly four times the size of the one in my home theater!  Before parting ways, he gifted us with a gift bag commemorating the recent World Cup win by the Japanese Women's team.  Among the items included was a bottle of special celebratory sake (Kanpai!) and this calendar:

According to Akemi's mother, this photo depicts the women receiving a "golden shower". That is, of course, when someone is showered with gold leaf and confetti. Don't believe me? Look it up!

I wanted to check out Akihabara (geek central!) but, instead, ended up joining Akemi and her mother for an exploration of the Tokyo Station surroundings.  Akemi was all sorts of excited to take me to a shop that made something called blizzards, frozen macarons, only to discover the shop had closed.  And she thought SHE was disappointed!  We settled for a stroll through Daimaru where I sampled some amazing purple yam dessert cakes.  I ended up buying a half-dozen and having two for breakfast this morning.

It's a cross between a pudding and cake! I'm going to have to stock up before I head back to Vancouver!

Last night, I had dinner at a place called Furu-ken.  It was a business meeting arranged by my friend Tomomi who, unfortunately, couldn't be there with us.  We drank beer, ate various small dishes -

...including this tasty fried fish...

- and talked television, food, and, most importantly, food television.  After dinner, my hosts, Soji and Toshi, took me to a unique little bar in Shibuya.  And I do mean "little"!

If you think this alley is narrow, wait until you get inside the bar.

Squeeze on in!

The Saya is about the size of my hotel bathroom, with seating for four along one narrow counter, and standing room for – on this night – five more.  It's a set-up that encourages conversation and, before long, I was knocking back sake and chatting away with the other customers, among them a Japanese clothing designer and three transplanted Brits.

The gang!

Koji-san braves the cold to show me around!

Toshi-san ready for our next stop on the late-night tour.

From there, we hopped a cab to Ebisu where we stopped in at Taverna Quale for a couple of glasses of wine and some terrific Italian food.  Yes, another meal!  We enjoyed tender baby octopus, margherita pizza, and a spectacular spaghetti aglio e olio.

Toshi-san kicks back.

Chef Kidoguchi!

It was sneaking toward 1:00 a.m. when I called it a night.  And what a night it was!

A huge thanks to both Koji-san and Toshi-san for being such terrific hosts.  Next up: yakitori?

Tagged: Furu-ken, Ninyocho-Imahan, Saya, Taverna Quale

February 2, 2012: Tokyo Day #6! Samurai Joe, Nodaiwa, Faro!

We started the day by checking out the surroundings – and it don't get any closer than the Imperial Hotel itself.  We strolled through the shops on the basement level where we happened across a place called Shokendo, a shop that sells and displays antique Japanese swords.  Mrs. Aota struck up a conversation with the sales associate and, before I knew it, we were getting a fascinating history lesson on the evolution of the Japanese sword.  It was like taking an informative museum tour without ever leaving your hotel.  I asked our affable host if it was okay to take a picture of the samurai armor on display.  Well, not only was it okay, but he insisted I actually get in the picture…samurai-style!

"Last Samurai!"he said as I posed for a snap.

I not only got to pose with the sword but, immediately after this photo was taken, also got to chase off some Yuan aggressors. In retrospect, they may have been a couple of other hotel guests.

Anyway, if you'd like to order your own Japanese sword (they deliver!), check out their website here: company:sokendo

For lunch, I paid a return visit to one of my favorite restaurants from my last trip: Nodaiwa, a 160 year old establishment known for its eel.  For the record, I don't think it was always located at the bottom of an office building.

Nodaiwa shares its basement digs with two other culinary heavy-hitters: Birdland (a yakitori place specializing in chicken that I also visited the last time I was in town) and the legendary Sukiyabashi Jiro (which I visited on my very first trip to Tokyo some six years ago).

So many times you make a return visit to a place you loved and it never lives up to the memories.  Well, my lunch at Nodaiwa was just as wonderful as the first time I went.  I suppose it helped to go in the company of two first-time diners (Akemi and her mother) who were expecting it to be good, but still had the meal surpass those already lofty expectations.

Check it out! Unagi chopstick rests!

All three of us went with the set menu as it allowed us to sample a variety of preparations accompanied with soup, pickles, rice, and various toppings (I'm a huge fan of the sansho (Japanese pepper) and slivered yuzu peel).  I also ordered a couple of appetizers to start…

Jellied eel up front and sansho (again, Japanese pepper) eel in back. Both were excellent.

Best eel ever!

After lunch, we strolled the streets of Ginza -

What the - ?!

I stopped at the ever-busy Manneken for what I call a "wafflu" but Akemi insists is pronounced "waffle".  Of course, she also claims that Sta-buckoo is actually pronounced "Starbucks".

Then, it was off to Shinjuku were Akemi and her mother stocked up on kitchen essentials at the local Isetan and Takashimaya: nori, spices, miso, and assorted other items I didn't recognize.  I lasted an incredible two hours before running out of steam and heading back to the hotel.  Akemi and her mother were worried about me taking the metro alone (seriously).  I assured them I'd be okay, asking them to point me in the right direction and then confirming I should remove my shoes before boarding the car.

On the way up to my hotel room, I stopped by the Gargantua shop in the lobby and picked up a little snack.

I'm a big fan of the Savarin but I found this one overly moist and sweet.

A wind-down, some photo uploading, and I was ready for dinner.  It was a return to another old Ginza favorite – Faro, on the tenth floor of the Shiseido Building…

Sea Urchin Royal Soup. Wow! Lots going on in this dish: from the uni foam topping the light, creamy soup to the flan nestled at the bottom of the bowl containing generous pieces of uni.

Spaghetti with king crab. Loved the crab but found the pasta a tad overcooked.

Fettuccine with porcini mushrooms. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the accompanying mushrooms, plump and tasty.

Black truffle risotto. If you like truffles, like I do, it's hard to do much better than this.

For dessert, we chose from the dozen selections on the rolling dessert cart.  I went with the chocolate-orange mousse cake.  And the house Mont Blanc.  Uh, and the Savarin (that was far superior to the one I'd eaten two hours earlier).  And, once we were done with dessert, we were served…dessert.

Double dessert!

Akemi modifies her cappuccino.

So, last night, more weird dreams.  I think it has less to do with the fact that I have more strange dreams while I'm here than it does with the fact that this bed in the Imperial Hotel is so uncomfortable, I keep waking up in the middle of the night – and remembering them.  For instance, last night I dreamt I was in a plane that went down over a busy expressway.  I could see the cars getting closer and closer and I was thinking "Okay, he's going to pull up.  He's going to pull up.  Okay.  He'll pull up.  No.  He's not going to pull up…" And then, waking up with a start.  So dream experts, need any reference material to figure that one out?

Tagged: Faro, Ginza, Nodaiwa, Tokyo Dining

February 1, 2012: Tokyo Day #6! Samurai Joe, Nodaiwa, Faro!

We started the day by checking out the surroundings – and it don't get any closer than the Imperial Hotel itself.  We strolled through the shops on the basement level where we happened across a place called Shokendo, a shop that sells and displays antique Japanese swords.  Mrs. Aota struck up a conversation with the sales associate and, before I knew it, we were getting a fascinating history lesson on the evolution of the Japanese sword.  It was like taking an informative museum tour without ever leaving your hotel.  I asked our affable host if it was okay to take a picture of the samurai armor on display.  Well, not only was it okay, but he insisted I actually get in the picture…samurai-style!

"Last Samurai!"he said as I posed for a snap.

I not only got to pose with the sword but, immediately after this photo was taken, also got to chase off some Yuan aggressors. In retrospect, they may have been a couple of other hotel guests.

Anyway, if you'd like to order your own Japanese sword (they deliver!), check out their website here: company:sokendo

For lunch, I paid a return visit to one of my favorite restaurants from my last trip: Nodaiwa, a 160 year old establishment known for its eel.  For the record, I don't think it was always located at the bottom of an office building.

Nodaiwa shares its basement digs with two other culinary heavy-hitters: Birdland (a yakitori place specializing in chicken that I also visited the last time I was in town) and the legendary Sukiyabashi Jiro (which I visited on my very first trip to Tokyo some six years ago).

So many times you make a return visit to a place you loved and it never lives up to the memories.  Well, my lunch at Nodaiwa was just as wonderful as the first time I went.  I suppose it helped to go in the company of two first-time diners (Akemi and her mother) who were expecting it to be good, but still had the meal surpass those already lofty expectations.

Check it out! Unagi chopstick rests!

All three of us went with the set menu as it allowed us to sample a variety of preparations accompanied with soup, pickles, rice, and various toppings (I'm a huge fan of the sansho (Japanese pepper) and slivered yuzu peel).  I also ordered a couple of appetizers to start…

Jellied eel up front and sansho (again, Japanese pepper) eel in back. Both were excellent.

Best eel ever!

After lunch, we strolled the streets of Ginza -

What the - ?!

I stopped at the ever-busy Manneken for what I call a "wafflu" but Akemi insists is pronounced "waffle".  Of course, she also claims that Sta-buckoo is actually pronounced "Starbucks".

Then, it was off to Shinjuku were Akemi and her mother stocked up on kitchen essentials at the local Isetan and Takashimaya: nori, spices, miso, and assorted other items I didn't recognize.  I lasted an incredible two hours before running out of steam and heading back to the hotel.  Akemi and her mother were worried about me taking the metro alone (seriously).  I assured them I'd be okay, asking them to point me in the right direction and then confirming I should remove my shoes before boarding the car.

On the way up to my hotel room, I stopped by the Gargantua shop in the lobby and picked up a little snack.

I'm a big fan of the Savarin but I found this one overly moist and sweet.

A wind-down, some photo uploading, and I was ready for dinner.  It was a return to another old Ginza favorite – Faro, on the tenth floor of the Shiseido Building…

Sea Urchin Royal Soup. Wow! Lots going on in this dish: from the uni foam topping the light, creamy soup to the flan nestled at the bottom of the bowl containing generous pieces of uni.

Spaghetti with king crab. Loved the crab but found the pasta a tad overcooked.

Fettuccine with porcini mushrooms. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the accompanying mushrooms, plump and tasty.

Black truffle risotto. If you like truffles, like I do, it's hard to do much better than this.

For dessert, we chose from the dozen selections on the rolling dessert cart.  I went with the chocolate-orange mousse cake.  And the house Mont Blanc.  Uh, and the Savarin (that was far superior to the one I'd eaten two hours earlier).  And, once we were done with dessert, we were served…dessert.

Double dessert!

Akemi modifies her cappuccino.

So, last night, more weird dreams.  I think it has less to do with the fact that I have more strange dreams while I'm here than it does with the fact that this bed in the Imperial Hotel is so uncomfortable, I keep waking up in the middle of the night – and remembering them.  For instance, last night I dreamt I was in a plane that went down over a busy expressway.  I could see the cars getting closer and closer and I was thinking "Okay, he's going to pull up.  He's going to pull up.  Okay.  He'll pull up.  No.  He's not going to pull up…" And then, waking up with a start.  So dream experts, need any reference material to figure that one out?

Tagged: Faro, Ginza, Nodaiwa, Tokyo Dining

February 1, 2012: Tokyo Day #5! Catching up with my old friends Joel Robuchon and Ishikawa-san,

The second issue of my comic book series, Dark Matter, hits the shelves soon (February 8th last I heard).  If you haven't picked up the first issue yet, I strongly urge you to do so as reports have it selling out.  This, of course, means it is a sought-after collectible no doubt destined to be worth A LOT some day.  Squirrel away a few copies under your mattress now and the lie back on your nest egg and prepare to enjoy your early retirement later!

In Dark Matter-related news…

My full podcast interview with SciFiTalk is up.  You can find it here: Joe Mallozzi | Sci-Fi Talk Podcast

Also up is an early, spoiler-free review of Dark Matter #2 here: Dark Matter #2 Spoiler Free Review by Ryan Porter – The Pop …

One of the main reasons we're here in Japan is so that Akemi can visit with her mother who has made the trip over from Osaka.  Yesterday, they had a girl's night out.  Today, all three of us hit Tokyo.  We had a big day ahead of us so we wasted no time gathering down in the lobby (after I'd finished updating my blog of course) and headed out to brave the blustery late January weather.  For a single block anyway after which we ducked into the entrance to the Hibiya subway station and made the underground walk over to the Peninsula Hotel where Akemi and her mother intended to pick up some treats.  Unfortunately, the shops wouldn't be open for another hour, so we had to settle for what may have been…

...being prepared right behind the big window. So near and yet so far.

I've been toying with the idea of making the move to Tokyo.  Of course, there are things to consider (ie. getting the dogs over and what the hell I'll actually be doing here beside browsing that big anime complex in Akihabara) before I pull the trigger.  First and foremost however – I'll have to decide where I want to live.  I've narrowed it down to Roppongi or Aoyama, but am leaning toward the latter because the former, while a beautiful neighborhood, is full of henna gaijin (translation: weird foreigners.  "Like you,"Akemi helpfully reminded me.).  Well, it just so happens that we were in Roppongi today, strolling the streets of my potential future hood.

The streets of Roppongi. My future neighbourhood?

I've been meaning to check out local chocolate shop Le Chocolate De H for a while now, always missing out on my previous visits.  Well, not this time.  We were there when the doors open, snapped up some outstanding yuzu macarons and a chocolate assortment.  Akemi was especially satisfied as she has been trying to track this place down since our arrival.

Akemi, the triumphant hunter.

The killer 16 piece assortment. The banana-dark chocolate was amazing, as was his yuzu and milk chocolate. Akemi feels these chocolates rival those of her long-time favorite La Maison du Chocolat.

For lunch, we headed over to Roppongi Hills for lunch at L'Atelier de Robuchon.  Akemi was a little leery after our last Robuchon experience – a stupendous feast comprised of 16 courses at the Joel Robuchon in Vegas (where we were joined by Golden Boy Martin Gero).  Yes, it was a lot and it's understandable that Akemi felt stuffed – especially when you consider that, upon our return to our hotel room at the Venetian, she also polished off the entire top of the complimentary pistachio cake we were gifted after our meal.

Anyway, I'm pleased to report that – for Akemi's sake – our lunch was comparatively modest…yet just as wonderful.  And the restaurant itself…absolutely gorgeous.

We were seated at the long counter that runs the length of the room…

The view to my right.

And the view to my left.

Mrs. Aota makes the trip from Osaka to spend quality time with me. And, I suppose, her daughter.

Cauliflower soup with Iberico pork chips. Akemi couldn't stop talking about it.

Poached egg, butter foam, and croutons atop cumin-scented eggplant.

Oooh. Delectably oozy!

Greenling (yes, a first for me too) is seared, then finished in a steamer, served atop poached leeks and topped with chives, parsley, mint, and crisp green onions. Fish is one of the many things they do very well here in Japan - even the cooked variety.

Duck foie gras on parmesan risotto. Rich, decadent, and all sorts of wonderful.

And to finish: Basil and lime sorbet top orange and grapefruit in syrup.

The lunch at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon is a terrific deal.  Head on over and try one of the set menus.

We skipped the dessert at Robuchon so we could head on over to the famed Toshi Yoroizuka instead.  In retrospect, I should have gone with Robuchon.

Toshi Yoroizuka

For some reason, they were only offering a scaled-down version of the dessert menu.  The varied cakes, normally on display, were not to be seen.  And so, we ordered from the menu.

The Mont Blanc. Good.

Strawberry millefeuille topped with home made pistachio ice cream. Also good.

Not bad.  Good.  But all I could think of was heading over to Jean-Paul Hevin and sampling about a half-dozen of their chocolate desserts.

Which, by the way, I fully intend to do before week's end.

Then, we were off for a little more strolling in another neighborhood…

The streets of Shinjuku

We stopped by the Isetan (sight of the Salon de Chocolat) where I picked up a couple of treats from the Sebastien Bouillet boutique: pistachio and cotton candy macarons for me, and a chocolate lipstick for Akemi.  Yes, you heard correctly.

Akemi applies some Sebastien Bouillet chocolate lipstick

We returned to the hotel for some R&R, then headed over to the big seven-floor toy store in Ginza where I tried, in vain, to locate a new Evangelion phone cover for my new 4S, and some anime t-shirts.  Maybe I'll have better success at Kiddyland.

We took the metro over to Kagurazaka and, for the third time in as many years, I enjoyed a memorable kaiseki dinner at Ishikawa…

This quaint Michelin 3-star restaurant is tucked away on a side street in Kagurazaka.

We had a private room.

Mrs. Aota feigns innocence. In reality, she is well into executing her master plan to pay the bill before I'm any the wiser.

Our nine course meal was designed to show off Japanese seasonal offerings, from fish and veggies to fresh fruit and herbs….

Cod milt and simmered Japanese mountain potato with steamed eggs and ginger-flavored sauce. Akemi and her mother declared themselves not fans of milt - until the arrival of this dish which turned out to be everyone's favorite of the evening.

Deep-fried pomfret and monkfish liver with lotus root garnished with baby turnip. Served with seaweed sea salt (another first for me) and a chive-ponzu dipping sauce you wanted to sip once you were done.

Turnip in white miso soup with whale skin. The broth struck a nice balance between sweet and savoury. As for the whale skin...not a fan of its pronounced fishiness.

Flounder sashimi garnished with fresh sea wood and Japanese herbs. The surprise of this dish was the nori. Why can't we get seaweed preparations like this in North America?

Young tuna mixed with minced kelp. The dark speckling is salt-cured seaweed.

Charcoal-grilled scabbard fish and shiitake mushroom. I've had this long, eel-like fish once before, in a Portugese restaurant in Toronto and loved it there too.

Freshly harvested bamboo shoots, wagyu, cucumber and spinach from Kyoto with Yuzu-scented sauce. The yuzu nicely complimented the well-marbled richness of the wagyum.

Grilled conger eel, komatsuna greens, white leeks, and tofu hot pot. A relatively simpler dish but nevertheless possessed of flavor complexities.

Steamed rice with Maitake mushrooms and diced white radish served with pickled vegetables and miso soup. I was stuffed but could have kept on eating. Redolent with the earthiness of the Maitake.

Strawberry and grapefruit with white wine jelly and sherry mousse. I'm usually not a fan of fruit-based desserts but, of course, fruits in Japan are nothing like the sour North American cousins.

We enjoyed two bottles of sake with our meal and Akemi was absolutely toasted by her second glass.  The service was top-notch – professional and pleasant.  No sooner did we finish one course than the door to our private room would slide open and our server would sweep in and clear away the dishes.  In less than a minute, she would return with our next course.  It was a nicely paced meal that covered a quick two and a half hours.

Ishikawa-san and Sugi-san bid us a fond farewell.

We returned to our hotel room where I uploaded by blog pictures and watched a tipsy Akemi struggle to dry her hair after her shower.

I received a call this morning informing me that Maximus's ashes were ready to be picked up.  Not a day goes by that I don't think about him and merely having him come up in conversation is enough to start me tearing up (as was the case at dinner last night when I had to use the "I've got something in my eyes – both of them" dodge).  While I appreciate everyone's support concerning my decision, I'll always have my doubts about certain things.

Last night, I dreamt that I was grocery shopping with my late father who bought me an enormous bag of ripe persimmons.  Okay all you dream analysts, what does it mean?

Tagged: Ishikawa, Joel Robuchon, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Le Chocolat De H, Sebastien Bouillet, Tokyo Dining, Toshi Yoroizuka

January 31, 2012: Tokyo Day #5! Catching up with my old friends Joel Robuchon and Ishikawa-san,

The second issue of my comic book series, Dark Matter, hits the shelves soon (February 8th last I heard).  If you haven't picked up the first issue yet, I strongly urge you to do so as reports have it selling out.  This, of course, means it is a sought-after collectible no doubt destined to be worth A LOT some day.  Squirrel away a few copies under your mattress now and the lie back on your nest egg and prepare to enjoy your early retirement later!

In Dark Matter-related news…

My full podcast interview with SciFiTalk is up.  You can find it here: Joe Mallozzi | Sci-Fi Talk Podcast

Also up is an early, spoiler-free review of Dark Matter #2 here: Dark Matter #2 Spoiler Free Review by Ryan Porter – The Pop …

One of the main reasons we're here in Japan is so that Akemi can visit with her mother who has made the trip over from Osaka.  Yesterday, they had a girl's night out.  Today, all three of us hit Tokyo.  We had a big day ahead of us so we wasted no time gathering down in the lobby (after I'd finished updating my blog of course) and headed out to brave the blustery late January weather.  For a single block anyway after which we ducked into the entrance to the Hibiya subway station and made the underground walk over to the Peninsula Hotel where Akemi and her mother intended to pick up some treats.  Unfortunately, the shops wouldn't be open for another hour, so we had to settle for what may have been…

...being prepared right behind the big window. So near and yet so far.

I've been toying with the idea of making the move to Tokyo.  Of course, there are things to consider (ie. getting the dogs over and what the hell I'll actually be doing here beside browsing that big anime complex in Akihabara) before I pull the trigger.  First and foremost however – I'll have to decide where I want to live.  I've narrowed it down to Roppongi or Aoyama, but am leaning toward the latter because the former, while a beautiful neighborhood, is full of henna gaijin (translation: weird foreigners.  "Like you,"Akemi helpfully reminded me.).  Well, it just so happens that we were in Roppongi today, strolling the streets of my potential future hood.

The streets of Roppongi. My future neighbourhood?

I've been meaning to check out local chocolate shop Le Chocolate De H for a while now, always missing out on my previous visits.  Well, not this time.  We were there when the doors open, snapped up some outstanding yuzu macarons and a chocolate assortment.  Akemi was especially satisfied as she has been trying to track this place down since our arrival.

Akemi, the triumphant hunter.

The killer 16 piece assortment. The banana-dark chocolate was amazing, as was his yuzu and milk chocolate. Akemi feels these chocolates rival those of her long-time favorite La Maison du Chocolat.

For lunch, we headed over to Roppongi Hills for lunch at L'Atelier de Robuchon.  Akemi was a little leery after our last Robuchon experience – a stupendous feast comprised of 16 courses at the Joel Robuchon in Vegas (where we were joined by Golden Boy Martin Gero).  Yes, it was a lot and it's understandable that Akemi felt stuffed – especially when you consider that, upon our return to our hotel room at the Venetian, she also polished off the entire top of the complimentary pistachio cake we were gifted after our meal.

Anyway, I'm pleased to report that – for Akemi's sake – our lunch was comparatively modest…yet just as wonderful.  And the restaurant itself…absolutely gorgeous.

We were seated at the long counter that runs the length of the room…

The view to my right.

And the view to my left.

Mrs. Aota makes the trip from Osaka to spend quality time with me. And, I suppose, her daughter.

Cauliflower soup with Iberico pork chips. Akemi couldn't stop talking about it.

Poached egg, butter foam, and croutons atop cumin-scented eggplant.

Oooh. Delectably oozy!

Greenling (yes, a first for me too) is seared, then finished in a steamer, served atop poached leeks and topped with chives, parsley, mint, and crisp green onions. Fish is one of the many things they do very well here in Japan - even the cooked variety.

Duck foie gras on parmesan risotto. Rich, decadent, and all sorts of wonderful.

And to finish: Basil and lime sorbet top orange and grapefruit in syrup.

The lunch at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon is a terrific deal.  Head on over and try one of the set menus.

We skipped the dessert at Robuchon so we could head on over to the famed Toshi Yoroizuka instead.  In retrospect, I should have gone with Robuchon.

Toshi Yoroizuka

For some reason, they were only offering a scaled-down version of the dessert menu.  The varied cakes, normally on display, were not to be seen.  And so, we ordered from the menu.

The Mont Blanc. Good.

Strawberry millefeuille topped with home made pistachio ice cream. Also good.

Not bad.  Good.  But all I could think of was heading over to Jean-Paul Hevin and sampling about a half-dozen of their chocolate desserts.

Which, by the way, I fully intend to do before week's end.

Then, we were off for a little more strolling in another neighborhood…

The streets of Shinjuku

We stopped by the Isetan (sight of the Salon de Chocolat) where I picked up a couple of treats from the Sebastien Bouillet boutique: pistachio and cotton candy macarons for me, and a chocolate lipstick for Akemi.  Yes, you heard correctly.

Akemi applies some Sebastien Bouillet chocolate lipstick

We returned to the hotel for some R&R, then headed over to the big seven-floor toy store in Ginza where I tried, in vain, to locate a new Evangelion phone cover for my new 4S, and some anime t-shirts.  Maybe I'll have better success at Kiddyland.

We took the metro over to Kagurazaka and, for the third time in as many years, I enjoyed a memorable kaiseki dinner at Ishikawa…

This quaint Michelin 3-star restaurant is tucked away on a side street in Kagurazaka.

We had a private room.

Mrs. Aota feigns innocence. In reality, she is well into executing her master plan to pay the bill before I'm any the wiser.

Our nine course meal was designed to show off Japanese seasonal offerings, from fish and veggies to fresh fruit and herbs….

Cod milt and simmered Japanese mountain potato with steamed eggs and ginger-flavored sauce. Akemi and her mother declared themselves not fans of milt - until the arrival of this dish which turned out to be everyone's favorite of the evening.

Deep-fried pomfret and monkfish liver with lotus root garnished with baby turnip. Served with seaweed sea salt (another first for me) and a chive-ponzu dipping sauce you wanted to sip once you were done.

Turnip in white miso soup with whale skin. The broth struck a nice balance between sweet and savoury. As for the whale skin...not a fan of its pronounced fishiness.

Flounder sashimi garnished with fresh sea wood and Japanese herbs. The surprise of this dish was the nori. Why can't we get seaweed preparations like this in North America?

Young tuna mixed with minced kelp. The dark speckling is salt-cured seaweed.

Charcoal-grilled scabbard fish and shiitake mushroom. I've had this long, eel-like fish once before, in a Portugese restaurant in Toronto and loved it there too.

Freshly harvested bamboo shoots, wagyu, cucumber and spinach from Kyoto with Yuzu-scented sauce. The yuzu nicely complimented the well-marbled richness of the wagyum.

Grilled conger eel, komatsuna greens, white leeks, and tofu hot pot. A relatively simpler dish but nevertheless possessed of flavor complexities.

Steamed rice with Maitake mushrooms and diced white radish served with pickled vegetables and miso soup. I was stuffed but could have kept on eating. Redolent with the earthiness of the Maitake.

Strawberry and grapefruit with white wine jelly and sherry mousse. I'm usually not a fan of fruit-based desserts but, of course, fruits in Japan are nothing like the sour North American cousins.

We enjoyed two bottles of sake with our meal and Akemi was absolutely toasted by her second glass.  The service was top-notch – professional and pleasant.  No sooner did we finish one course than the door to our private room would slide open and our server would sweep in and clear away the dishes.  In less than a minute, she would return with our next course.  It was a nicely paced meal that covered a quick two and a half hours.

Ishikawa-san and Sugi-san bid us a fond farewell.

We returned to our hotel room where I uploaded by blog pictures and watched a tipsy Akemi struggle to dry her hair after her shower.

I received a call this morning informing me that Maximus's ashes were ready to be picked up.  Not a day goes by that I don't think about him and merely having him come up in conversation is enough to start me tearing up (as was the case at dinner last night when I had to use the "I've got something in my eyes – both of them" dodge).  While I appreciate everyone's support concerning my decision, I'll always have my doubts about certain things.

Last night, I dreamt that I was grocery shopping with my late father who bought me an enormous bag of ripe persimmons.  Okay all you dream analysts, what does it mean?

Tagged: Ishikawa, Joel Robuchon, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Le Chocolat De H, Sebastien Bouillet, Tokyo Dining, Toshi Yoroizuka

January 31, 2012: Tokyo Day #4! I discover the world's greatest pizza, check out some ukiyo-e, partake in more desserts than most eat in an entire week, do some sushi, then cap the night off Star Bars style!

I woke up from my previous night's sleep well-rested, with ten hours of uninterrupted snoozing under my zzzzz belt, ready for a big day.  The  great thing about traveling to Asia is that jet lag actually works to your benefit provided you're not a night owl looking to party.  By the time 10:00 p.m. rolls around, you're utterly exhausted but when the sun comes up at 7:00 a.m., you're ready to go!  Or, in  my case, update my blog!  One of these days, I'm going to take the aryl morning stroll down to the Tsukiji Market for a sushi breakfast or actually hit the hotel gym for a rare vacation work-out or, at the very least, put on my running shoes and sweat pants and walk down to find out where the gym is located.

Anyway, yesterday, following a leisurely morning lounge, I met up with my good friend Moro-san, my guide on this day…

We headed to Naka-Meguro - a first for me.

It was my first time visiting the Naka-Meguro neighborhood which, I suppose, I would have enjoyed more had it not been so damn cold outside.  And windy!  Moro-san was surprised, assuming I'd be used to this sort of weather coming from Canada and all.  I informed her that, while certain parts of Canada are certainly much colder, Vancouver is actually much more pleasant – minus the rain.

Moro was calling the shots on the day and suggested we go have pizza for lunch.  I'd had pizza for dinner the previous night so I wasn't as enthusiastic as I could have been but, hey, I'm just a guest.  And so, we wound our way through Naka-Meguro to find the unassuming little Pizza Serinkan…

We were greeted by a gentleman - the owner I presumed - presiding over a pizza oven who directed us up the spiral staircase to the second floor...

Our menu choices were simply: Margherita or Marinara.

Although the menu offered  host of starters, when it came down to the star of the show – the pizzas – there were only two choices: Margherita and/or Marinara.  No "pepperoni and cheese" or "well-dressed" or "with corn and mayonnaise", the topping I've heard the Japanese enjoy but that every Japanese person I've ever mentioned it to denies having ever eaten.  I needed some convincing…

Moro-san - also notoriously camera shy.

The Margherita

The Marinara

And boy, was I ever convinced.  I guess simple is best because the pizza at Pizza Serinkan was the best pizza I've ever had.  Fresh tomatoes, cheese, garlic, basil and olive oil topping an astoundingly tasty pizza dough.  It was all about that delicious, slightly chewy dough!  These pizzas were nothing short of revelatory and I vowed I'd be back!  Provided I could find the place again!

Chef and Owner Kakinuma Susumu

We headed downstairs to thank Chef and Owner Kakinuma Susumu.  I waited patiently while he manned the oven, carefully turning a pizza, eyeing it's progress, before pulling it out and depositing it onto a plate – then moving onto the next one.  He took a break to say hello.  On my second day in Tokyo, my French came in handy as most of the chefs I ended up speaking to – including Le Bourguignon's Japanese head chef – spoke French.  In this case, thank goodness for my Italian as Kakinuma-san had evidently spent some time in Italy and we were able to communicate just fine.

Anyway, there you have it: the greatest pizza in the world.  And it's in Tokyo.  You're job is to find it.  I leave you this clue: 聖林館 (せいりんかん)

After lunch, we ventured out into the Tokyo cold for dessert at Cacahouette, a tiny little patisserie on a side street in Naka-Meguro.

I didn't know the next time I'd be in the Naka-Meguro area so (as I often do when I'm on vacation) I made the most of our visit, ordering us two desserts each and a yuzu hot chocolate (which, in retrospect, sounded a lot better than it tasted. And it tasted VERY sour!). Unfortunately, I can't provide a thorough rundown of what we ate as none of the descriptions were in English - nevertheless "delicious" transcends many languages.On the left, a deconstructed/reconstructed Paris Brest and, on the right, a delicate, multilayered chocolate dessert with a praline base. Both of these were outstanding, especially the latter.

My chocolate cube filled with maple cream (left) and the Baba au Rhum (right). Both were very good - although I think Moro-san's selections were superior. That little plastic thing behind the strawberry actually contained a shot of rum. Once squeezed, the rum was released, injected into the cake and giving it a rum wallop!

We worked off our meal and dessert by grabbing the metro to Roppongi where we checked out a ukiyo-e (Japanese wood-block prints and paintings) collection by Utawa Kuniyoshi.

The place was packed!  We wound our was through the gallery, taking in the 420+ works on display.  A truly impressive body of work.

One of my favorite Tokyo landmarks: the Roppongi Spider!

Having worked up an appetite walking around the exhibit, we headed over to Tokyo Midtown for a quick pick-me-up at Sadaharu Aoki…

The Bamboo has long been my favorite Tokyo dessert. I loved it so much on my very first visit to Midtown that I actually considered buying a cake and transporting it back with me to Canada. Had customs stopped me, I would have happily sat down and eaten the entire thing there. While still very good, however, I'm not quite as enthusiastic about it as I once was.

We also sampled some chocolate-dipped macarons which sounded a lot better in theory than they actually tasted.

Fortified, we caught the escalator up to the next floor to visit the Pet Station, a pet boutique offering pet food, treats, outfits and – the reason I was there – spa services for dogs.  You can watch the dogs being clipped, manicured and blow-dried behind a glass wall.  Well, my gamble paid off.  As I walked in, two dogs were being walked out of the spa area – an English bulldog mix and a boxy French bulldog with who I instantly bonded!

We ended up running into Akemi and her mother who were spending some quality catch-up time together.  We said our hello's, then went our separate ways, they to enjoy a vegetarian meal at Yasaiya Mei, we to enjoy a sushi dinner in Ginza.

Akemi doing her own thing.

For dinner, Moro and I went to Harutaka.  The sushi was very good.  Rather than give you the blow by blow, why not just check out some snaps of the evening's offerings…

By the time we were done, it was still early.  I asked Moro-san if she wanted to grab a dessert and, not surprisingly, she declined.  And so, we went for dessert of another sort instead, heading over to my home away from home in Tokyo – no, not The Imperial Hotel…Star Bar.

We arrived early enough that we were the only ones at the bar.  We chatted with Yamasaki-san who made us our drinks (a Moscow Mule for me, natch).  About a half an hour later, Master Bartender Hisashi Kishi arrived.  He'd just come back from an event in Osaka where he'd been mixing drinks to accompany a special meal at one of the city's 3-star Michelin restaurants.  For my money, I couldn't think of a better person to do the honors.

Apparently, Kishi-san has been checking out my blog, on and off, since I lasted visited with Ivon (both he and Yamasaki-san say "hello to my tall friend" by the way).  Being a dog lover himself (he has a six year old Shiba who greets him without fail upon his late-night returns home – while the rest of the family sleeps) he asked about my brood.  I told him about Maximus and he was very sympathetic, passing along his condolences – and almost choking me up.

We stayed for two drinks and then called it a night.

Back at the hotel, I checked out some chocolates I picked up from a Kyoto-based chocolatier…

The chocolates are little edible works of art.  Much prettier than they were tasty.

Today, it's L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon for lunch and Ishikawa (third visit!) for dinner.  Wish me luck!

Tagged: Cacahouette, Harutaka, Hisashi Kishi, Kakinuma Susumu, Pizza Serinkan, Saduhara Aoki, Star Bar, ukiyo-e, Utawa Kuniyoshi

January 30, 2012: Tokyo Day #4! I discover the world's greatest pizza, check out some ukiyo-e, partake in more desserts than most eat in an entire week, do some sushi, then cap the night off Star Bars style!

I woke up from my previous night's sleep well-rested, with ten hours of uninterrupted snoozing under my zzzzz belt, ready for a big day.  The  great thing about traveling to Asia is that jet lag actually works to your benefit provided you're not a night owl looking to party.  By the time 10:00 p.m. rolls around, you're utterly exhausted but when the sun comes up at 7:00 a.m., you're ready to go!  Or, in  my case, update my blog!  One of these days, I'm going to take the aryl morning stroll down to the Tsukiji Market for a sushi breakfast or actually hit the hotel gym for a rare vacation work-out or, at the very least, put on my running shoes and sweat pants and walk down to find out where the gym is located.

Anyway, yesterday, following a leisurely morning lounge, I met up with my good friend Moro-san, my guide on this day…

We headed to Naka-Meguro - a first for me.

It was my first time visiting the Naka-Meguro neighborhood which, I suppose, I would have enjoyed more had it not been so damn cold outside.  And windy!  Moro-san was surprised, assuming I'd be used to this sort of weather coming from Canada and all.  I informed her that, while certain parts of Canada are certainly much colder, Vancouver is actually much more pleasant – minus the rain.

Moro was calling the shots on the day and suggested we go have pizza for lunch.  I'd had pizza for dinner the previous night so I wasn't as enthusiastic as I could have been but, hey, I'm just a guest.  And so, we wound our way through Naka-Meguro to find the unassuming little Pizza Serinkan…

We were greeted by a gentleman - the owner I presumed - presiding over a pizza oven who directed us up the spiral staircase to the second floor...

Our menu choices were simply: Margherita or Marinara.

Although the menu offered  host of starters, when it came down to the star of the show – the pizzas – there were only two choices: Margherita and/or Marinara.  No "pepperoni and cheese" or "well-dressed" or "with corn and mayonnaise", the topping I've heard the Japanese enjoy but that every Japanese person I've ever mentioned it to denies having ever eaten.  I needed some convincing…

Moro-san - also notoriously camera shy.

The Margherita

The Marinara

And boy, was I ever convinced.  I guess simple is best because the pizza at Pizza Serinkan was the best pizza I've ever had.  Fresh tomatoes, cheese, garlic, basil and olive oil topping an astoundingly tasty pizza dough.  It was all about that delicious, slightly chewy dough!  These pizzas were nothing short of revelatory and I vowed I'd be back!  Provided I could find the place again!

Chef and Owner Kakinuma Susumu

We headed downstairs to thank Chef and Owner Kakinuma Susumu.  I waited patiently while he manned the oven, carefully turning a pizza, eyeing it's progress, before pulling it out and depositing it onto a plate – then moving onto the next one.  He took a break to say hello.  On my second day in Tokyo, my French came in handy as most of the chefs I ended up speaking to – including Le Bourguignon's Japanese head chef – spoke French.  In this case, thank goodness for my Italian as Kakinuma-san had evidently spent some time in Italy and we were able to communicate just fine.

Anyway, there you have it: the greatest pizza in the world.  And it's in Tokyo.  You're job is to find it.  I leave you this clue: 聖林館 (せいりんかん)

After lunch, we ventured out into the Tokyo cold for dessert at Cacahouette, a tiny little patisserie on a side street in Naka-Meguro.

I didn't know the next time I'd be in the Naka-Meguro area so (as I often do when I'm on vacation) I made the most of our visit, ordering us two desserts each and a yuzu hot chocolate (which, in retrospect, sounded a lot better than it tasted. And it tasted VERY sour!). Unfortunately, I can't provide a thorough rundown of what we ate as none of the descriptions were in English - nevertheless "delicious" transcends many languages.On the left, a deconstructed/reconstructed Paris Brest and, on the right, a delicate, multilayered chocolate dessert with a praline base. Both of these were outstanding, especially the latter.

My chocolate cube filled with maple cream (left) and the Baba au Rhum (right). Both were very good - although I think Moro-san's selections were superior. That little plastic thing behind the strawberry actually contained a shot of rum. Once squeezed, the rum was released, injected into the cake and giving it a rum wallop!

We worked off our meal and dessert by grabbing the metro to Roppongi where we checked out a ukiyo-e (Japanese wood-block prints and paintings) collection by Utawa Kuniyoshi.

The place was packed!  We wound our was through the gallery, taking in the 420+ works on display.  A truly impressive body of work.

One of my favorite Tokyo landmarks: the Roppongi Spider!

Having worked up an appetite walking around the exhibit, we headed over to Tokyo Midtown for a quick pick-me-up at Sadaharu Aoki…

The Bamboo has long been my favorite Tokyo dessert. I loved it so much on my very first visit to Midtown that I actually considered buying a cake and transporting it back with me to Canada. Had customs stopped me, I would have happily sat down and eaten the entire thing there. While still very good, however, I'm not quite as enthusiastic about it as I once was.

We also sampled some chocolate-dipped macarons which sounded a lot better in theory than they actually tasted.

Fortified, we caught the escalator up to the next floor to visit the Pet Station, a pet boutique offering pet food, treats, outfits and – the reason I was there – spa services for dogs.  You can watch the dogs being clipped, manicured and blow-dried behind a glass wall.  Well, my gamble paid off.  As I walked in, two dogs were being walked out of the spa area – an English bulldog mix and a boxy French bulldog with who I instantly bonded!

We ended up running into Akemi and her mother who were spending some quality catch-up time together.  We said our hello's, then went our separate ways, they to enjoy a vegetarian meal at Yasaiya Mei, we to enjoy a sushi dinner in Ginza.

Akemi doing her own thing.

For dinner, Moro and I went to Harutaka.  The sushi was very good.  Rather than give you the blow by blow, why not just check out some snaps of the evening's offerings…

By the time we were done, it was still early.  I asked Moro-san if she wanted to grab a dessert and, not surprisingly, she declined.  And so, we went for dessert of another sort instead, heading over to my home away from home in Tokyo – no, not The Imperial Hotel…Star Bar.

We arrived early enough that we were the only ones at the bar.  We chatted with Yamasaki-san who made us our drinks (a Moscow Mule for me, natch).  About a half an hour later, Master Bartender Hisashi Kishi arrived.  He'd just come back from an event in Osaka where he'd been mixing drinks to accompany a special meal at one of the city's 3-star Michelin restaurants.  For my money, I couldn't think of a better person to do the honors.

Apparently, Kishi-san has been checking out my blog, on and off, since I lasted visited with Ivon (both he and Yamasaki-san say "hello to my tall friend" by the way).  Being a dog lover himself (he has a six year old Shiba who greets him without fail upon his late-night returns home – while the rest of the family sleeps) he asked about my brood.  I told him about Maximus and he was very sympathetic, passing along his condolences – and almost choking me up.

We stayed for two drinks and then called it a night.

Back at the hotel, I checked out some chocolates I picked up from a Kyoto-based chocolatier…

The chocolates are little edible works of art.  Much prettier than they were tasty.

Today, it's L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon for lunch and Ishikawa (third visit!) for dinner.  Wish me luck!

Tagged: Cacahouette, Harutaka, Hisashi Kishi, Kakinuma Susumu, Pizza Serinkan, Saduhara Aoki, Star Bar, ukiyo-e, Utawa Kuniyoshi

January 30, 2012: Tokyo Day #3! Testing my cranial limits, pizza over pasta, and feeling the burn!

Well, after being up for twenty-four hours straight, traveling halfway across the world, suffering two sleepless nights and two early wake-ups, and experiencing the most splendiferous sugar-high, I came crashing down last night halfway between the Pierre Herme pistachio macaroni and the Margherita pizza.

But I get ahead of myself.

I'm not much of a drinker, preferring to focus on the food, but I did have a couple of glasses of wine with dinner at Le Bourguignon followed by a couple of drinks at Star Bar the night before last.  The result?  Lots of tossing and turning and a seven a.m. wake-up.  I had a hell of a blog update to work on and so, rather than hit Tsukiji for breakfast, I uploaded photos and had breakfast in my hotel room:

Our favorite chocolate bar of the trip so smooth - an ultra-smooth white chocolate and green tea.

The Oriol Balaguer assortment included truffle and pop rocks! Wasn't a fan of the saffron. Never understood the attraction. To me, it tastes like public pool water.

A selection from Le Pommier: Frederic's chocolates are incredibly delicate, their shells remarkably thin yet nevertheless possessed of a satisfying snap. Tiny textural wonders!

 I had so much to cover from Day #2 that I didn't have time to upload my blog that morning.  We had to be in Daikanyama for our 10:00 a.m. head spa appointment.  Yes, you heard correctly.  Akemi booked us a head spa appointment, assuring me I'd love it and that she was sure they got plenty of male gaijin customers.  So, we hopped on the metro (I can't believe I took all those cabs the first couple of times I came to Tokyo) and headed west of the city.

This is how I would be feeling in about eight hours.

Akemi turned out to be right.  While I'm not exactly sure they get a lot of gaijin male customers, the head masseuse (masseur for Akemi) at ZACC Copain (ZACC copain(ザック コパン) 美容室ZACCの代官山店) provided exceptional service.  And a damn fine head massage.  Akemi and I were in separate rooms and only later was I informed that spa etiquette requires the customer to relax and sleep through the session – instead of yammering away like she could hear me doing.  I would later come to regret my missed opportunity at sleep but, at the time, I enjoyed a great hour chatting with my masseuse, Ikegami Yuka who spoke fluent English after spending a year and a half in what (Carl hates it when) some refer to it as "the O.C.".  Anyway, she was wonderful company – and incredibly strong.  I had to request a lighter touch on massage as I come from a line of notoriously weak-skullled men.

Yuka! She's very busy, so book now to avoid disappointment!

Following the massage, we enjoyed some tea while one of the salon's top stylists touched up Akemi's hair, then headed off to explore the Daikanyama neighborhood.  It's a really quaint little area, obviously popular with the young people – and their dogs!  For lunch, we ended up hitting some place called Aloha Table where we enjoyed  ate some Hawaiian(?)-themed dishes: a hamburg on rice with sauce for Akemi (she took two bites and left the rest) and the crispy fried chicken for me in habanero spice.

Yep. That about sums it up.

Only later did I learn that the heat simply masked the lingering aftertaste of bad oil.

We checked out an enormous bookstore, then headed back to Ginza where Akemi could shop while I finished updating my blog.

Later that afternoon, we met up for a stroll through the Mitsukoshi department store basement/food section where I made a mental note to pick up and sample about two dozen food items before my departure.  My buddy Ivon will be pleased to hear that the white strawberries are apparently in season!

From there, it was off to Omotesando for some more walking around .  It was at this point that I began to (as your hardcore gym rats like Carl like to say) "feel the burn".  I got a pistachio macaron from Pierre Herme, figuring that would give me the energy to get through the rest of the night but, surprisingly, even that exquisite little treat wasn't enough to stop my downward descent.

We ended up meeting our friend Keiko at an Italian restaurant called Napule.  I was ready for bed before our menus had even hit the table.  Still, I persevered.  After all, food WAS involved.  We ordered two pizzas and two pastas.

Simple is best. The Margherita was very good, topped with fresh tomatoes and Buffalo mozzarella. I was most impressed with the tomatoes. They were sweet and bursting with flavor, quite unlike the relatively tasteless version back in Canada. "Because we are in Japan,"Akemi offered by way of an explanation.

Also very good, this pizza was topped with spinach, spicy salami, and egg yolk. I think that more pizzerias need to start offering the egg yolk option!

At this point, I was ready for bed.  My fellow diners kept noting my increasingly narrowed eyes.  I was ready for bed.  Unfortunately, it took them about an hour to serve us our pasta from the time when we ordered them.  And, when they arrived, they weren't even very good.  I'm betting people don't go to Napule for the pasta.  After the pastas arrived – and after Akemi and Keiko had enjoyed their coffees – we headed back the hotel.

As we were heading into the metro, I couldn't resist stopping to say hi to this little Frenchie being pushed around in a stroller. HIs name, Umejiro translates into something like first born sour plum. Anyway, I can see why the owner would have wanted to keep him under wraps. He went nuts when we approached, happily squirming about and snatching the glove right off my hand. He was in a constant state of motion so this was the best snap I could get.

 Finally, back at the hotel, I turned in for the night.  At a little after 9:30 p.m.  But not before having a quick snack -

Akemi picked up these chocolates from the Shiseido Parlor. They were phenomenal and gave me the energy I would need to sleep through the night.

Well, I'm feeling much better following ten hours of sleep.  And, with this blog entry behind me, I'm now getting ready to meet my friend, Moro-san, for a play-it-by-ear lunch, perhaps a return visit to the Salon du Chocolat on its final day, maybe a trip to the Kiddyland toy store in Omotesando, a little Akihabara, and then we cap things off with sushi dinner at Harutaka.  Will have the full report for you in the morning!

Tagged: Ikegami Yuka, Napule Aoyama, ZACC Copain

January 29, 2012: Tokyo Day #2! Chocolate, Tonkatsu, Le Bourguignon, and a visit to The Master!

With my first full day in Tokyo behind me, I have a lot to cover here on the blog – and a lot to look forward to in the coming days.  The change of pace and location has provided a much-needed, greatly appreciated distraction.  Still, I think of Maximus often and wonder how the other dogs are going to adjust.  According to my dog-sitter, they're doing fine right now.  Bubba and Lulu are doing a lot of walking while Jelly is doing a lot of lying around, wrestling with her toys.  Christine forwarded the following pic of Lulu and Bubba rarin' to go…

And speaking of rarin' to go…

Akemi is absolutely thrilled to be back in Japan and has suggested, given my love for the place, that I may well want to consider moving here...or at least getting an apartment in Tokyo.

My trip to Tokyo happens to coincide with the what is billed as "the largest event dedicated to chocolate": Le Salon du Chocolat.  As some of you know, I' enjoy the occasional chocolate – and chocolate-related party (April 18, 2010: The Greatest Chocolate Party Ever!).  And so, yesterday, we met up with my friend Keiko and headed to Isestan Shinjuku which was playing host to some of the world's greatest chocolatiers – and, of course, their creations.

The plan was to do a tour of the place, then go to lunch after which we would make our purchases and start sampling.  Well, yes, that was the plan.  We were only steps inside when we happened across a little seated area in which diners were being served some of the most incredible-looking chocolate creations I've ever seen.  After hardly any consideration at all, we decided to line up and sample the chocolate masterpieces.  They certainly looked incredible, but would they be as delectable as they appeared?  I'll save you the suspense.  The answer is: yes!

Men (and women) at work - on the chocolate masterpieces.

The Kobe Kitano Hotel, igrekplus bakeries, with the help and coordination of Kobe Kitano Hotel General Manager and Executive Chef Hiroshi Yamaguchi, and accomplished restauranteur and International Vice-President of Relais & Châteaux Dominique Loiseau present…"les creations":

Incredibly delicate and utterly delicious. The ultra chocolate construction sits atop a chocolate brûlée.

A chilled chocolate and passionfruit sphere wrapped in edible gold nestled in a dark chocolate box with chocolate-saffron foam.

A white chocolate brûlée cup supports fresh strawberries and strawberry mousse, mint parfait topped with "barbe papa" and liquorice root.

Topped with warm chocolate and... bon appetit!

Hiroshi Yamaguchi and Dominique Loiseau.

I ended up chatting with Dominique Loiseau who owns several restaurants in France including the 3-star Michelin Relais Bernard Loiseau (named after her late husband, the famed Bernard Loiseau) and she discussed the challenges of creating something that not only looked beautiful, but tasted wonderful as well.  I assured her she and her team has succeeded.

With dessert out of the way, we headed to lunch at a Wako-owned tonkatsu chain restaurant…

The menu - for those who can't read Japanese. Just check out the plastic selections.

I went with the rich agu beef from Okinawa. I like my marbling to run through my meat and while there was plenty running, it also seemed to concentrate in certain areas.

Akemi had the mochi buta from Nigata. The leaner selection.

My favorite was Keiko's kurobuta from Kakoshima.  It struck the perfect balance.  Special mention should also be made to the killer wasabi seaweed served with the meal.  Akemi assured me we can find some before we head back to Vancouver.  Overall, a nice lunch – but, for my money, Butagumi is still the place to beat for tonkatsu.

After that, it was back downstairs for Desserts, Round #2.

At the Sadaharu Aoki booth - match-battered chocolate macarons.

Chocolate bears!

Chocolate art

Le chien au chocolat

Sebastien Bouillet's multi-flavored chocolate lipsticks. Unfortunately, sold out.

Bel Amer's white matcha chocolate with yuzu peel.

Building the chocolates, Japanese style.

Creepy chocolate art.

Frederic Madelaine (Le Pommier)

On this day, my high school French came into great use.  I stopped by one booth and ended up chatting with a Frederic Madelaine, chef/owner of Le Pommier in Kitazawa and Azabu-Juban (http://www.lepommier-patisserie.com/).  Incredible affable fellow.  Akemi loved his Japanese!  We purchased one of his nine-piece selections that we ended up enjoying this morning at the hotel!

Julien Gouzien of Henri Le Roux. Akemi picked up their wonderfully smooth white chocolate match bar.

Oh, I was tempted.

Spain's celebrated chocolatier, Oriol Balaguer (a Joe's chocolate party regular) has a shop in Tokyo as well. I picked up an assortment including which included his notorious pop rock chocolate.

Keko takes a break from the baby to take in some chocolate.

At the Pralus booth, an artist paints in chocolate.

The ultimate chocolate easter bunny.

The Salon offered a special commemorative assortment that included a piece from all of the event's top chocolatiers. Unfortunately, it had sold out by the time we got there.

Well into our chocolate high, we let the Salon and cut through the Isetan enroute to the metro…

We swung by the creepy baby department.

The basement of the Isetan, like most Japanese department stores, is a cornucopia of culinary marvels. If I hadn't had so much chocolate, I would have definitely picked up one of these striking pastries.

After returning to the hotel to unwind, I headed over to the Pierre Marcolini Cafe to say hi to my friend Moro.  And, since I was there, I couldn't well pass up one of these -

The Caramel Parfait. It comes with a side of sea salt that you can sprinkle over the ice cream as you see fit.

 With the Salon du Chocolat and that late afternoon parfait behind me, I was finally ready for dinner.  I headed off to Nishi-Azabu where I ended up dining with the lovely Tomomi at Le Bourguignon.  We enjoyed great service, cozy and quaint surroundings, and an excellent food.

Tomomi - a little camera shy.

Rice and veal foot galettes with trompettes de la mort (trumpets of death), aka black trumpet mushrooms. I decided to go with the most daring items on the menu and was rewarded with a marvelous dish layered with textural contrasts.

My main = the beef heart. Texturally very similar to calf liver but quite tender and surprisingly subtle in flavor.

For dessert - the red pepper creme brûlée. And it packed a surprising red pepper kick that married nicely with the brule.

The restaurant's signature Mont Blanc. It was nice to go back and forth between the intensity of the red pepper brûlée and the sweeter more neutral flavour of the Mont Blanc.

And, just in case we hadn't had enough - an extra little dessert they offered us. The uber-buttery madeleine was the standout.

Chef Kikuchi kindly stepped out of the kitchen as we were leaving to thank us for coming. I told him how much we'd enjoyed our meal in my best faltering Japanese. At one point, Iapsed into French and he perked up: "En francais?" Pourquoi pas? We ended up having a nice little conversation to conclude the evening. Boy, I practiced my French more today than I have since learning it in high school!

It was ticking past 10:00 p.m. and I was exhausted.  But I knew that I had to visit one more place in memory of my wingman Ivon who couldn't make the trip…

Yamasaki-san. Appropriately enough, he shares his name with a Japanese scotch.

Just like old times. The best Moscow Mule anywhere!

The Jack Rose - made with fresh pomegranate juice.

And the master himself - liquor legend Hisashi Kishi.

I was asked to put the word out regarding The Tokyo International Bar Show. It's where the world's top mixologists will gather!

Check out Star Bar here (スタア・バー・ギンザ) and info on the upcoming Tokyo International Bar Show here (Tokyo International BarShow – Info | Facebook).

By the time I got back to the hotel, I was exhausted and ready for bed.  Akemi presented me with a present from the friend she'd had dinner with.  Apparently, he knew I liked sushi and felt badly I'd missed out…

Needless to say after all I'd eaten, there was no way I could polish off another sushi meal. I ended up leaving the shrimp, some rice, and a half tamago.

Tagged: Chocolate, Le Bourguignon, Salon du Chocolat, Tokyo, travel

January 28, 2012: Tokyo Day #1! Earthquakes, interviews, and chicken butts!

When I woke up this morning, my eyeballs felt like desiccated husks swarming with fire ants.  Compounding the issue was the fact that "morning", in this case, was 3:37 a.m.  Following a series of travel-related delays, we didn't end up checking into our hotel until 9:00 p.m. local time.  After grabbing a quick meal, showering, and trying unsuccessfully  to get a wireless connection in my hotel room, I turned in for the night a little after 11:00 p.m. – which was a little after 6:00 a.m. Vancouver time, meaning I'd been up for approximately 24 hours.  Following an early start to my day, I was greeted this morning by my very first earthquake (apparently there have been three successive shakes today).  It was a weirdly disorienting experience. Even though it was more of a sway than a shake, I felt off-balance, as if I'd "caught a touch of the vapors" as they used to say in the old days.  Akemi shouted "Earthquake!".   I stepped out of the bathroom and insisted it was impossible.  I was sure I'd checked off the "no earthquakes" box when I checked in yesterday.

Anyway, here I sit in the business centre, updating today's entry.  In an hour, I'll be meeting my friend Keiko and heading out to Le Salon de Chocolat over at the Shinjuku Isetan.  Good times, but I miss my Tokyo wingman, Ivon Bartok.  Star Bar won't be the same without him.

Thank you again to everyone who has left comments and touched base with me re: Maximus.  I do read all the comments, once when I moderate them and later at night, and truly appreciate your taking the time to write.

I leave you today with some travel photos:

Hmmm. When I got on the plane, I found this sitting by my seat. P. 12: Window of seat 1A keeps coming loose and getting sucked into left engine along with occasional occupant. Double-check on next flight.

I always enjoy the "if this plane has to make an emergency landing on water" announcements. Yep. We'll just land on that nice patch of ice down there. The secret is too think warm thoughts when treading water, waiting for rescue.

Akemi gets right back into Japanese fashion. This is a look I'd love to see Ivon rock the next time he's in town.

They say that nothing quenches your thirst like a nice hot can of corn soup.

We had a late dinner at one of the hotel restaurants. Among the many terrific items we sampled were these two interesting grilled selections: Japanese shisito peppers on the left, and chicken butts on the right (what my father would fondly refer to as "the Pope's nose"). Thought the latter would be a little meatier.

When we got back from dinner, there were a couple of surprises awaiting me. One was a designer belt and cashmere scarf from Akemi's father (domo arigato gozaimasu!). The other were these Dark Matter Kit Kats Akemi created and ordered prior to our departure. Pretty cool, no?

Speaking of my comic book series, Dark Matter, I did an interview with Bloody Disgusting over here: http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/comics/1870

And the awesome Garry Brown makes the Best Covers of January list for his work on Dark Matter #1: http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/01/26/best-covers-ever-this-month-january-2012/

Tagged: Dark Matter, Tokyo