Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 66

December 18, 2023: Tokyo Day #11!

Major Motoko Kusanagi is on the case.

Good morning, Ginza!

Akemi and I headed to Tokyo Station today to do some Christmas shopping (snacks for sis).

Guys, we got Butter Butler!

After which we hit Sanshuya, a shokudo that offered a host of rustic dishes like fried oysters and yellowtail teriyaki –

I’ve always hated teriyaki and always assumed it to be a Western creation (sort of like General Tso Chicken), so imagine my surprise when I saw it on the menu.  Intrigued, I ordered it to see if the versions I’d tried in North America were culinary bastardizations of the original.  As it turned out, nope.  Both versions pretty equally awful.  The oysters were pretty good though.

A big walking day saw us leaving Ginza shortly after lunch for a full afternoon in Shibuya – where we would eventually have dinner.

But first, we hit the Shibuya location of I’m Donut?  that offered more of everything this place is known for: More delicious donuts!  More people waiting in line ahead of us!

Spoiler alert: I did the pistachio cream.  Again.

Then, we walked around the corner to Nanaya Aoyama for their famed matcha gelato that comes in seven different choices ranging from mildly to mucho…

Dr. Blackjack and I both had the delightfully bitter-sweet #7.  Akemi just had a tea.

This one packs a wallop.

A couple of buildings I never noticed the last time I visited.  Are they new?

A river runs through it.

Nightfall in Shibuya

This looks like a fun place to end the night

For dinner, we went to Sakai Shokai, an izakaya, where we sat at the counter, chatted with the chef, and ate…a lot…

Shirako tempura, grilled beltfish, stewed ankimo, grilled mentaiko, rice with bonito and cured egg yolk – and much more.  Definitely putting this one on our return list.

And THAT is pretty much a wrap on this Japan trip (minus whatever we can squeeze in before our 6:50 p.m. flight!).  Thanks for joining.  See you all in Toronto!

The post December 18, 2023: Tokyo Day #11! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

December 17, 2023: Tokyo Day #10!

Whether it’s because about eleven days into this trip, or because I’m feeling under the weather, or because I only got about four hours sleep last night, I feel like I’m running out of steam.  So it was the perfect day to take time for myself while Akemi was off to meet up with her old high school friend, Hikari.

The plan was to hit Akihabara, check out all the anime-related merch, enjoy a tasty lunch, take the subway to Shibuya and make a return visit to the farmer’s market, then over to Tokyo station to pick up an extra suitcase for all the Japanese goods Akemi is bringing back to Canada (everything from dog treats and teas to curry spices to pickles), then to Ginza’s Pierre Marcolini for a hot chocolate with Dr. Blackjack before retreating to the hotel for some R&R before tonight’s sushi dinner.

That was the plan.

My first stop in Akihabara was Yodobashi Camera.  Six floors of – well – everything.  Including lots of awesome toys.  Some bigger than others.  Much bigger.

I can guarantee you this is NOT a Japanese outpost of a beloved North American brand.

In the five years since the last time I came to Japan, I have lost all sense of direction.  As a result, I could not, for the life of me, find the awesome anime-themed shops I frequented on my last trip.  Fed up, and hungry, I decided to check out this place for lunch.

I placed my order, took a seat in the deserted dining area and then my food arrived.  Alarmingly quickly.  Approximately two minutes between the placing of my order and the burger hitting my table.  It was…not my favorite meal in Japan.  The chicken was good if not that warm or particularly well-seasoned.  The thickly cut onion was cold.  The less said about the bun the better.

I elected to cut my losses and abandon Akihabara in favor of Shibuya.  The plan was to retrace my (and Akemi’s) footsteps from yesterday’s outing and land back at the farmer’s market for another round of those dehydrated orange slices.

I think I may have gotten out at the wrong station.  I got turned out, slightly lost, double-backed, entered the wrong subway station,  double doubled back, found the right station, then took the subway one stop over to Ometesando – and more familiar territory.

Shibuya weekend madness.

Back at the farmer’s market.

The local rescue puts in another appearance, this time with some special guests.

The ladies at the orange stand recognized me from yesterday’s visit and, following my purchase of three more bags of desiccated orange slices, they gifted me a bunch of oranges and a fashionable apron (that I will model for you some day).

On the way back, I stopped off at this coffee ship and picked up a kouign amman and a mocha (that was really a hot chocolate).  I sat out on the patio, beside a woman who had a poodle on her lap.  “Nan-sai, desi ka?”, “How old?”I asked.  She was initially confused, wondering if I was making about her or the dog’s age, but when I made it clear I was referring to the dog, she warmed up.  People love it when you compliment their dogs.

The elusive Tokyo public trash can – a rare sighting.

Didn’t have time to hit Tokyo Station for that suitcase so went straight to Ginza where I met up with Akemi and Dr. Blackjack for hot chocolate at the Pierre Marcolini Cafe.  I took mine cold.

This was the little boutique coffee shop were I first met Akemi (and the half dozen other waitresses  I took out for lunches and dinners back in 2009 – but Akemi was special).  She reminisced about the hot chocolate (She claims her home version if slightly better), the chocolates (They’ve apparently gotten smaller), and the treacherous stairs (She once fell down a flight carrying a tray loaded with parfaits).  Ah, memories.

It’s been 14 years.  Can you believe it?

Dinner tonight was Sushi Ryo.  It was a block over from our hotel in an area of Ginza I’ve never visited that looked like an abandoned city set.  The streets were deserted and there were absolutely no lights on in any of the buildings.  We were told it was a business area and, it being Sunday, not all that busy on this night.

We were seated beside what I believe was the Cambodian delegation to the U.N., several of who really knew their sushi.

One of the menu items Akemi and I tried for the first time was sea cucumber.  It’s something…I don’t think we would ever order again.  According to one of our fellow diners, however, it possesses powerful anti-cancer properties.  Still, I don’t know…

On one of the previous nights, we went to a restauarant (Karin) where the waiter and Akemi ended up talking sushi.  Apparently, he was going to be visiting Sushi Ryo the night before us and promised to leave Akemi a little something – namely, a sample of his company rice (that supplies many of the restaurants in the area).  Akemi was thrilled to pick up her package.  Big thanks to Munekuro!

A Sunday stroll back to the hotel to drop off our rice.

And we ended our night at Bar Goya where master Yamazaki-san stirred and shaken up some unbelievable cocktails, all featuring fruit from his hometown.  Akemi’s favorite, the tomato cocktail that apparently makes use of almost ten tomatoes, and my favorite, the mikan, that makes use of two and a half oranges per glass.  Both absolutely wonderful.

And, as we said our goodbyes, Yamazaki-san presented me with my very own Bar Goya pin.

I am officially a member of the club!

And now the pre-packing begins!

The post December 17, 2023: Tokyo Day #10! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

December 16, 2023: Tokyo Day #9!

Every morning we wake up to photo and video updates from Sharky’s home-stay family.  I asked how he’s doing when left alone and they informed me that he is NEVER let alone.  They even take him grocery shopping…

The boy is so spoiled.  And yet, he seems to appreciate the simpler things in life as can be evidenced by the top pic of Sharky proudly showing off his box.  Yes, we can splurge on expensive dog beds but he is at his comfiest inside this shipping box which he has evidently claimed as his own.

Meanwhile, back on the Away front, it was a beautiful Saturday in Tokyo.  Maybe a little too beautiful as, by mid-afternoon, it was downright hot and I regretted having to sling my coat around with me.

This morning, we visited Shibuya and Omotesando.

Our first stop, the weekend farmer’s market.

Lots of fruits, fresh veggies, and a myriad of other foodstuffs for sale.

A local rescue was there, along with some needy dogs.

Akemi grabs some roasted Japanese sweet potata-to-go.

For some reason, I discovered a new appreciation for oranges on this trip.  Specifically Japanese oranges.

Picked up some oranges, then picked up a package of these assorted orange slices, tried them, then picked up a second pack along with a bottle of orange juice.

And a sample size of the raw pepper.

This city is home to some absolutely gorgeous building.

My pizza date

Even though I’d already had pizza on this trip, Akemi was feeling nostalgic for Napule, a pizza place she used to visit with her girlfriends back in the day.  And so, we went to Napule, lining up half an hour before opening so we could get an early seating.

Akemi is a big fan of the more “relaxed” style of pizza.  It was good.  But I still prefer Serinkan.

What’s this?  The Omotesando branch of I’m Donut?  Akemi was curious, as I’d proclaimed their pistachio cream the best donut I’ve ever head, but still dubious.

Akemi’s favorite was the plain powdered original that she likened to a giant beignet.

The raw French crueler was mighty tasty too.

But my favorite remains the pistachio cream.

I’m Donut? lived up to the hype.  Akemi is a convert!

Couldn’t resist snapping a pic of this, uh, interesting Jo Malone print ad.

Akemi: “Maybe we’re not smart enough to understand the message they’re trying to tell us.”

It got really hot, so we had to stop at The Matcha Tokyo so I could grab a cold matcha latte and cool down/soothe my fiery throat.

Only to spill some green tea on my white dress shirt, causing me to lose face and retreat back to my hotel.

Hoko-ten (Ginza, Tokyo)

More awesome Ginza building at night…

For dinner, we were back at Sushi Taichi for sake and…what else?

We got back to the hotel a little after 8:00 p.m. and had the apple and chestnut pies we picked up from Sembikya (Akemi had a hankering).

Hard to believe this trip is almost done!

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December 15, 2023: Tokyo Day #8!

I took Akemi up on her rather bizarre suggestion last night and lined my six pillows along my side of the bed and slept on them as a mini mattress, hoping for a more comfortable night’s rest.  Surprisingly, it worked.  Sort of.  While my back and shoulders weren’t as sore this morning as they were previous mornings, my throat felt like I had inadvertently swallowed a pack of razor bleeds.  A quick check by Akemi using her handy smart phone flashlight app confirmed the back of my throat resembled akagai sashimi.

Fortunately, I came prepared for any such eventuality and popped the Vitamin D and Magnesium (along with the Nattokwinase, Serrapeptase, Bromelin, and NAC) I brought with me.  In no time at all, I was feeling not at all different – but we were running late, so we stopped by a local Lawson and picked up some throat candy.

Wonder if this place has a Stargate?

Lunch on this day was Butagumi, one of my go-to spots for pork tonkatsu and their famed sammie (three day cooked) pork.  We arrived at opening on this rainy day, were seated, and checked the menu to discover…they had sold out of sammi pork the night before and wouldn’t have any on the lunch menu.  Strike one for me.  Hugely disappointed, I tried to make do by selecting a couple of alternate appetizers – only to be informed that the entire starter menu was unavailable.  Strike two.  Somewhat disappointed, I shifted focus to the rather abbreviated tonkatsu menu and chose a cut that the menu proclaimed the #1 choice of customers.  Only to be informed said cut was not available but I was free to choose from the remaining handful of selections.

It was that kind of meal – meaning really weird.  They seemed reluctant to give us tea when we asked, explaining that they usually only served tea at the end of the meal because they didn’t have enough.  We ended up getting our tea after assurances we would do our best to nurse to them the duration of our stay.

The complimentary grilled tomatoes were pretty good.

The pork tonkatsu was very good, but not as crispy as I expected.  It was served with pickles, miso soup, rice (that Akemi raved about), and endless shredded cabbage.

Overall a fine albeit underwhelming meal.  I think that I’ll scratch Butagumi off my go-to list and  look to check out Aoki on my next trip.

Always amazed by the offerings of Japanese vending machines.  Came across this one that carried dashi (not the whole dried fish) and crab hot pot with rice.

I drowned my post-lunch sorrows with chocolate – specifically, three types of chocolate cakes at Jean-Paul Hevin at their Roppongi Midtown location.  The portions have gotten smaller, the prices have gotten higher, but the cakes remain decadently delicious.

Celebrate the holidays with a couple of buckets of chicken and the gals from Twice.  Ooh-Ahh tasty!

Ginza at night

Wall art – Ginza, Tokyo

While visiting the Sanrio store, Akemi absolutely fell in love with this character who reminds her of our dog, Sharky.  Apparently he’s not a regular Sanrio character and is part of a recent collaboration, so if you know anything about him, Akemi needs to know.

For dinner, we went to a place Akemi had been looking forward to since discovering its owner on instagram.  She has brought her style of home-cooking to Ginza (and to our kitchen as Akemi has made a few of her recipes part of our regular rotation) at a restaurant that is at turns homey, charming, and downright festive as the drinks start flowing.

 

 

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December 14, 2023: Tokyo Day #7!

This hotel mattress is brutal. Every morning I wake up feeling like I’ve been worked over for failing to pay the vig on my loan.

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) December 14, 2023

Did some laundry at the hotel this morning.  While Akemi and Dr. Blackjack were finishing their coffees, I went down to retrieve the laundry only to find myself incapable of opening the damn thing, even after entering the code Akemi gave me.  After spending five full minutes pushing random buttons, the door finally popped open.  Later, while expressing my frustration to Akemi, she pointed out that it says “Press this button after entering code” clear as day.  In Japanese.

Then, at 10:30 a.m., Akemi saw me off, like a doting mother bidding adieu to her son on his first day of school – except that instead of school I was going to Pizza Serinkan in Naka-Meguro with my old friend Moro-san.

Naka-Meguro

There were about a dozen people already waiting for the place to open when we arrived.  Fortunately, there were plenty of seats.

At Akemi’s insistence, I finally got around to eating some vegetables on this trip – a plate of sautéed broccoli.  But the main show was, of course, the pizza.  They’ve added a third to the rotation.  In addition to the Margherita and the Marinara, you can also go Bianca.  I, however, elected to go with the class Margherita.  And it was as good as I remember it.  It’s the dough that makes this place special.

Moro-san and her new best friend, Victor.

Akemi tipped us off to a place called I’m Donuts that purportedly makes some unbelievable donuts, chiefest among them their pistachio cream.  And it was only a five minute walk from the station.  After a ten minute wait in line, we had our donuts – lemon for Moro-san, and pistachio for me.

Honestly?  The best donut I’ve had.  Fairly bursting with pistachio cream and the donut itself incredibly soft but possessed of a mochi springiness.  I have to go back.

Moro-san and donut.

We took the metro to Roppongi and, in no time at all, I was back in familiar territory – Roppongi Hills, where we headed to the Mori Art Museum for a very special exhibit…

Yes!  An exhibit dedicated to one of my favorite anime, Tokyo Revengers.

I regret to report neither of these outfits were available at the museum gift shop.

Alas, nothing caught my eye at the Marky Market tie-in shop, so will have to satisfy myself by resuming the manga at some point.

But I was tempted by this wood-carving that would have set me back a cool 14 G’s.

Tokyo skylineWe then took a walk up to Azabu Hills where we strolled through the high-end shops (Meh) and the Christmas Market before meeting Akemi in Shinjuku for dinner at Nakajima…

A comparatively smaller meal than we’ve had to date in Japan, but no less tasty.

We got in a little later than usual and had some of the sake chocolates we stored in the hotel room fridge.  Tomorrow, it’s tonkatsu at Butagumi and, if I’m feeling up to it, the triple threat chocolate dessert trio at Jean Paul-Hevin in Roppongi, Midtown.  Wish me luck!

 

 

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December 13, 2023: Tokyo Day #6!

Between this hotel room’s hard mattress, and its paper thin yet contradictorily lump pillows, I hardly slept a wink last night.  Finally, at 2:15 a.m., my back and shoulders sore, I had to get up and find the Tylenol I had packed away in my suitcase.  An hour later, I was sleeping – better, but not altogether comfortably.  As a result, I felt like a zombie for most of the day.  Akemi suggested we take it easy, but we only have less than a week to go before we wrap up this Japan trip.  And so…

The line up was too long at Glitch Coffee so we ended up at Costa for latte and the driest matcha cookie I’ve ever eaten.  The, we checked out a bookstore…

Thinking of checking out Book-Off, the second hand bookstore on Friday, so I can pick up some manga and practice my reading.

Another stroll through Ginza and then it was lunch at Uchiyama, an Akemi favorite.

A few of the dishes we enjoyed…

We wrapped up lunch at 2:30 and, on our way back, happened across this restaurant – San Bun – and made a reservation.  We could only book early, so ended up with a brief two and a half hour window between meals!  On the plus side, the bottarga air-drying outside the restaurant offered the promise of good things…

More walking…

Gojira!

A visit to our old haunt, the Imperial Hotel.

Award-winning cake displays…

Finally, dinner at San Bun where we were taken care of by the boisterous okami.  Lots of sake and small plates.  This place was a blast…

The first thing we were served: congee, three turmeric pills and some diluted vinegar to help prep our stomachs for the heavy night of drinking ahead.

The sake.

Giant oysters on the half shell, sashimi, shirako tempura and grilled shiitake and maitake mushrooms.

Grilled chicken, bottarga mochi, beef tendon curry, and chestnut pie for dessert.

By the time we got back to our hotel, we were ready for bed.

But it was only 7:30 p.m.

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December 12, 2023: Tokyo Day #5!

We woke up to rain and decided to stick close to the hotel that morning.

I felt like having breakfast and with Tsuikiji Market just a ten minute walk away, our decision was made.  There was the usual line-up for Kitsunaya, a place that serves horumon (offal) stew out of a giant simmering pot.  I do wonder if they clean out the pot at the end of the day or if it’s one of those kombucha mother cases where the ingredients keep getting added and there are remnants of the very first pot made decades earlier.  Anyway, it was delicious.

We had to wait in line for about twenty minutes to get into the Ginza location of Glitch Coffee.  The space is smaller and the vibe isn’t as cool, but the coffee was equally great…

Akemi was kind of bummed her cappuccino wasn’t served in one of the cool ceramic cups.

The Cartier Building, Ginza.

Some cool bookmarks at Ito-ya.

My favorite pens on display going for about $1500 a pop.

While these ones range from about 4-8k each.

To be honest, the only thing holding me back from buying these pens is my poor handwriting.

That and the fact that cost upwards of $8,000 a piece.

We had lunch at one of our old favorites, Esquisse.  Its chef, Lionel Beccat served us our first meal (on our first date) back in 2009.

Us, fourteen years later!

The house bread.  Nice and crusty, like Akemi likes it.

And a few of the dishes we enjoyed…

After which, we went for a stroll…

Akemi scores some complimentary wood chips.

In the Christmas spirit.

A visit to Omotesando.

Well, okay then.

Who wants me to pick them up an adorable baby-in-ramen-broth miniature?

Guys!  I need this!

For dinner tonight, we went for yakitori at Toriyoshi.  We sat at the bar, watched the grilling action, and ate way too much chicken…

I left that place so full, I couldn’t eat another bite.

Of savory food.

Ice cream, on the other hand…

Good ole Cremia.

Mind the Mesozoic gorilla.

All this walking around is catching up with us.  We’re averaging about 20 000 steps a day and we’re beginning to feel it.  Think I may need to book a massage.

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December 11, 2023: Tokyo Day #4!

And we’re back in Tokyo!

Akemi, who noted how much I love to sleep on the day I woke up at 7:00 a.m. woke up at 8:00 a.m. this morning!  We checked out of the Zentis, the boutique hotel Akemi absolutely fell in love with, then headed to Osaka station to purchase tickets for the shinkansen (bullet train) that proved a tad more complicated than expected.  BUT, Akemi figured it out and we eventually boarded and made the two and half hour trek back to Tokyo.

After checking into our hotel in Ginza, we made the short walk to Tsukiji market for a late lunch…

Akemi enjoying a fish cake thing on a stick.

Following up on a recommendation from Dr. Blackjack, we checked out Seagen, apparently owned by the biggest and most popular meguro.  And so I had – of course – meguro, while Akemi opted for the grilled fish.

Sometimes I think I’d like to move to Japan and open a business that offers English proofreading services to clients in the restaurant and retail business.

On the way back, I stopped to pick up these delectably bittersweet nama matcha chocolates.  I have a feeling I may need to pick up a few more for the trip back to Canada.

We met up with Dr. Blackjack (who babysit our big suitcase for us while we were in Osaka) and visited G-6, an uber upscale department store.

I thought this was interesting.  At first glance, it looks like a digital display but upon closer scrutiny, the movement and transformation is achieved by the simple flipping of the myriad surface points –

We were going to browse the Van Clef & Arpels but were informed we would need to make an appointment and the first available slot was 2-3 hours away.  As much as I would love to wait around for the opportunity to peruse some watches I won’t by, we passed and ended up going for cremia!

Delicious.

The Dior building in Ginza.

Dr. Blackjack informed us that our old haunt, Bar Goya, opens at 3:00 p.m.  It has been ages since I’ve seen my good friend Yamasaki-san, so we headed over for a few drinks.  Seven to be exact.

The day’s specials, most featuring fruit from Yamazaki-san’s hometown..  We sampled a Moscow Mule, an Irish Coffee cocktail, a pear gimlet, a strawberry cocktail, and a pomelo cocktail.  But our two favorites…

Akemi’s tomato cocktail – sweet, savory and full of umami flavor.

My incredibly refreshing orange cocktail.

Yamazaki-san.  Go visit him at Bar Goya (6 Chome-4-16 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061).  Except Wednesdays when he’s closed.

Then it was time to visit the local toy store!

I need these Disney shot glasses.

Passed this place that had some sort of immersive element.  Too tired to stop and check out on this day, but maybe later this week.

Ginza at night.

Akemi stops by Uniqlo for some late night shopping…

I love Ginza this time of year.

By the time 8:30 p.m. rolled around, I was ready to call it a night.  But an early night was not in the cards as we were scheduled for a late dinner at Tokihami, a place Akemi has been dying to check out (that only had late seatings available).  To be honest, I was exhausted and left the ordering to Akemi and Dr. Blackjack.  What I didn’t expect was that I would be served the best meal of this Japan trip so far (if not my favorite meal of the year)!

We started with a tofu mochi served grilled with a sesame sauce.  The flavors were as delightful as the texture.

Kabocha (Japanese pumpkin), uni (sea urchin) and yuba (tofu skin).  A surprisingly fantastic combination.

The foie gras wafer sandwich – with a holiday theme.

The cream crab croquette.  Akemi said she was only going to have a taste as she is allergic to shellfish – and ended up eating half, allergies be damned.

Fried fugu.  Holy smokes was this good.  In taste and texture, more akin to incredibly moist chicken than fish.

The horumon (offal) bowl with white miso was the dish of the night.  Outstanding.  I probably could have ordered another one.

Uni, ikura, caviar, and massago on rice.  What a way to end the meal!

We got back to the hotel for a little after eleven.  I was still exhausted, but very content.  A few chocolates later and I was ready for bed.

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December 10, 2023: Osaka Day #2!

Akemi: Wow. You really like to sleep in.

Me: it’s 7:00 am!!! pic.twitter.com/s70NOvIkJf

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) December 9, 2023

By the time I had dragged myself out of bed, brushed my teeth, and changed, it was 7:30 a.m. and Akemi had already worked out, gone for a walk, and researched and booked our day’s outing.  We walked around for a couple of hours, checking out the local Family Mart convenience stores (There seems to be one on every block) and the surrounding architecture…

Interesting mail box

The library looks closed.

The smoking fishbowl

Buy your curry here

I grab breakfast at venerable salary man-haunt Yoshinaya –

Beef Bowl

Then sample some of those sake chocolates…

Every one of them a delight.

Akemi was hankering for coffee so, after some research, found this place called Glitch in the Conrad Hotel.  A refined but relaxed space.  They take their coffee seriously.  Unlike me who was looking for a mocha or a latte.  They instead suggested one of their dozens of coffee selections, an Ethiopian brew.  It was excellent, probably the best coffee I’ve had in recent memory.

Pricey though.  The two coffees came out to a grand total of $25.

Akemi in her new dress and boots.

After that, still buzzed, we made a brief stop at the hotel to recharge my phone, then headed back out for lunch.  Today, it was sushi at the Osaka outpost of Yamashiro…

We walked off lunch with some more strolling (averaging about 20k steps/day on this trip).

Cat-themed teas (Ocha-chat?)

On Akemi’s insistence, we check out Mister Donut for the regular mochi donut and the double chocolate mochi donut.  The former was excellent and slightly less sweet than the version I’m used to back home.  The chocolate version was quite a bit less sweet.  Maybe a little too less sweet.

Of course it wouldn’t be a two week vacation without emails notifying me of immediate actions that need to be taken in relation to my finances, like sorting out the overpayment to my utility company, paying my tax installment prior to year end, and filling out the complex paperwork related to the delisting of one of my stocks owned on the LSE.

We had time to kill before dinner, so we did a lot of walking…

I checked out the uniquely customized Osaka manhole covers  –

Akemi stops off at the local Life grocery shop to stock up on essentials.

While I am drafted into basket duty.

Then, it was soba dinner with the in-laws…

I went with the roast duck broth despite this picture adorning the restaurant window…

Interesting choice.

By the time we got back to our hotel, night had fallen and the Christmas illuminations were on full  display.

Akemi and I ended our night with a couple of Dassai chocolates.  My favorites!

A great final day in Osaka, marred somewhat by the fact our pocket device abruptly stopped working.  Sent off an inquiry to the company to find out what’s up.  In the past, they’ve been great at responding quickly and general troubleshooting, so we’ll see how this goes…

Well, no sooner do I finish writing that sentence than an email pops into my inbox with instructions for a work-around.  GlocalMe has never let us down.

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December 9, 2023: Osaka Day #1!

Another fitful night’s rest, this one due to the stomach issues I experienced as a result of…

That greasy heat lamp fried chicken?

The “healthy” side salad with the pure red vinegar dressing I had for lunch?

The late night pistachio cake snack?

Whatever it was, I was NOT feeling great this morning.  But there was no time to wallow (or recover) as we had to catch an early morning train to Osaka!

We arrived at Tokyo Station with plenty of time to pick up something for the trip.  Originally, I had planned to pick up a medley of bentos and assorted treats but because I was feeling a little under the weather, I opted to go easy…

This Berkshire pork bento.

Deliciously rich and fatty.  Served on a bed of rice and accompanied by some ginger (I ignored) and a square of tamagotchi.  It was also nice of them to include that single tiny shishito pepper to help balance out all that meat with some veggie.

The bullet train was surprisingly smooth, roomy, and comfortable.  It stopped at Nagoya along the way, a place, according to Akemi, that is famed for its eel.  Thinking we should do a day trip the next time we come to Japan.

Upon our arrival to Osaka, we checked into the Zentis, a surprisingly nice (and relatively inexpensive) three-year-old boutique hotel.  Then, we took a stroll –

I was feeling munchy, so we stopped off for a beef tend curry pan –

Then we stopped by one of my favorite chocolate shops, Palet d’Or, where we picked up an assortment…

of mostly sake-flavored chocolates.  Akemi picked up her favorites, the dark chocolates flavored with honey and maple syrup instead of sugar, using soy milk over regular cream and sesame oil instead of butter.

Yes, that’s a Palet d’Or chocolate vending machine.

After picking up a black buta bun from the local 7-11, we relaxed in our hotel room (where I mostly updated this blog) before heading off for dinner with Akemi’s mom, sister, and brother…

This place looked promising.

Finally, we went for unagi dinner with Akemi’s mom, sister, and brother…

Akemi went with the crispy shiro unagi while I went with the classic mahogany lacquered.

The Aotas.

What follows up barbecued eel better than waffles and custard.  Just a peach tea for me though as I don’t want a repeat of last night.

And that’s a wrap on Japan Day #4 – Osaka Day #1!

The post December 9, 2023: Osaka Day #1! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.