Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 67
December 8, 2023
December 8, 2023: Tokyo Day #3!
This morning, we slept in, waking up at 7:00 a.m. and then heading over to nearby Tokyo Station to purchase tickets for the Saturday’s Shinkansen (bullet train) trip to Osaka. While there, we browsed the massive station and perused the seemingly endless food stalls offering everything from bento boxes to butter-themed sweets…
I really these exhibited minimal effort…
Tobacco-themed teas…
The works of local artists…
We arrived in Meguro two hours before our scheduled lunch. Having skipped breakfast, I was feeling a might peckish so stopped by local convenience store Family Mart so I could try their spicy fried heat lamp chicken…
Over-battered with pockets of fat and oil that fairly oozed out when squeezed, Akemi was grossed out, but I found it kinda tasty. I look forward to checking out the spicy fried heat lamp chicken versions of Family Mart competitors 7-11 and Lawson in the coming days.
Is your room drafty? Well why not pick up this “draft stopper” to stuff beneath your door.
Meguro
In retrospect, I should have had a couple of more of those greasy fried chicken things as lunch proved less than satisfying. For me anyway. Akemi and Dr. Blackjack enjoyed their sesame soy broth and chicken meatballs as well as their matcha-themed desserts. My pork tonkatsu and matcha desserts (not pictured) were underwhelming.
So I consoled with a melty white Starbucks pistachio.
Watch your step, drunk Japanese salaryman!
Maybe next time.
We then headed to dog-friendly Daikanyama where we picked up some fancy dog treats at Green Dog.
Dinner was sushi at Sushi Takumi Makoto in Shinjuku. Sadly, the quality of my pictures on my iPhone are craptastic and, while Dr. Blackjack was kind enough to forward her far better shots, I can’t seem to find a way to transfer them from the Line app so you’ll just have to trust me that the meal was spectacular.
No photos of the sushi, but here’s a photo of the Cremia soft ice cream I grabbed on the way back home. Apparently, it’s 25% cream and 15% fat. The remaining 60% is, I assume, pure deliciousness.
The post December 8, 2023: Tokyo Day #3! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
December 9, 2023: Tokyo Day #3!
This morning, we slept in, waking up at 7:00 a.m. and then heading over to nearby Tokyo Station to purchase tickets for the Saturday’s Shinkansen (bullet train) trip to Osaka. While there, we browsed the massive station and perused the seemingly endless food stalls offering everything from bento boxes to butter-themed sweets…
I really these exhibited minimal effort…
Tobacco-themed teas…
The works of local artists…
We arrived in Meguro two hours before our scheduled lunch. Having skipped breakfast, I was feeling a might peckish so stopped by local convenience store Family Mart so I could try their spicy fried heat lamp chicken…
Over-battered with pockets of fat and oil that fairly oozed out when squeezed, Akemi was grossed out, but I found it kinda tasty. I look forward to checking out the spicy fried heat lamp chicken versions of Family Mart competitors 7-11 and Lawson in the coming days.
Is your room drafty? Well why not pick up this “draft stopper” to stuff beneath your door.
Meguro
In retrospect, I should have had a couple of more of those greasy fried chicken things as lunch proved less than satisfying. For me anyway. Akemi and Dr. Blackjack enjoyed their sesame soy broth and chicken meatballs as well as their matcha-themed desserts. My pork tonkatsu and matcha desserts (not pictured) were underwhelming.
So I consoled with a melty white Starbucks pistachio.
Watch your step, drunk Japanese salaryman!
Maybe next time.
We then headed to dog-friendly Daikanyama where we picked up some fancy dog treats at Green Dog.
Dinner was sushi at Sushi Takumi Makoto in Shinjuku. Sadly, the quality of my pictures on my iPhone are craptastic and, while Dr. Blackjack was kind enough to forward her far better shots, I can’t seem to find a way to transfer them from the Line app so you’ll just have to trust me that the meal was spectacular.
No photos of the sushi, but here’s a photo of the Cremia soft ice cream I grabbed on the way back home. Apparently, it’s 25% cream and 15% fat. The remaining 60% is, I assume, pure deliciousness.
The post December 9, 2023: Tokyo Day #3! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
December 7, 2023
December 7, 2023: Tokyo Day #2!
As expected, a somewhat fitful night’s sleep on our first night in Tokyo. And, as expected, I slept better than Akemi who woke up at 2 am and stayed awake until 4 am before dozing off for another hour. In any case, we were both up and 5:30 a.m. and, by 6:00 a.m., heading to Tsukiji Market.
By the time we got there, at 6:30 a.m., there was already a line-up for my favorite breakfast place – a little shop that serves up, among other things, a horumon-gutsu bowl (aka offal stew on rice).
Dr. Blackjack had hers with an onsen tamago. Akemi went with the nikku-dofu bowl instead.
We spent the next couple of hours strolling through the relatively quiet fish market, Akemi taking note of all of the dried mushrooms, bonito, and sea kelp she wants to pick up before our return flight.
There’s a place that offers five different types of sea urchin. I wanted to check it out, but a tour group beat us to the seating. I didn’t feel like waiting so we ended up grabbing one of these instead, a milkshake made with egg yolk, white chocolate, and vanilla beans. Pretty tasty!
The shops wouldn’t open for another two hours, so we strolled back to our hotel, admiring the sights along the way.
We have discussed the possibility of moving to Japan for a few months. In that case, maybe I would get a part-time job. I wonder if Dandy House is hiring.
Check out the absolutely adorable Peanuts-themed luggage.
Alas, the carry-on case I have my eye on would set me back a cool 250 000 yen (roughly $2500) so I think I’ll stick with what I got.
Following a brief stop at the hotel so that Akemi could do her stretches while I started up dating this blog, we headed out for more shopping (Akemi has her eye on some dress which is a big deal as she rarely ever buys herself nice things) and lunch at Sushi Taichi.
But first, a quick stop to check out the Police Museum…
20 pieces of sushi at Sushi Taichi…
Followed by a double chocolate Mannekin pre-dessert…
Followed by dessert at Toshi Yoroizuki…
After heading back to our hotel for a little R&R, we set out once again as Akemi needed dress boots to go along with her new dresses. She picked them up at the nearby Takashimaya and then we grabbed dinner – oden for her, scallop tempura and soba for me.
We walked the Tokyo Station basement…
Came across this rice gallery that was, unfortunately, closed for the day…
Came across this ice cream shop that features five flavors of sake ice cream…
And finally headed back to the hotel for the night…where we sampled this rich pistachio dessert we purchased at Takashimaya’s Pista & Tokyo…
Sharky, meanwhile, has settled in nicely at his vacation home and is being all sorts of spoiled. He may went to extend his stay!
The post December 7, 2023: Tokyo Day #2! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
December 6, 2023
December 6, 2023: Tokyo Day #1!
It’s 9:00 p.m. here in Tokyo, 6:42 a.m. back home, and we are exhausted and heading to bed. But first, a quick blog update!
Checking out the doggy station at Pearson Airport
The 14 hour flight was fine. I slept on and off for a total of five hours. Akemi less so. AND, she was sick. My wife is NOT a good traveler. BUT…we’re here!
Our friend, Dr. Blackjack, is also visiting Tokyo at the same time, so we met up for yakitori dinner…
We enjoyed a medly of grilled skewers – chicken hearts, thighs, and butts – some pickled veggies, onigiri for Akemi, and two grapefruit sours for yours truly.
Then, we stopped by 7-11 to pick up a bottle of water and THIS frozen brulee dessert…
Its impenetrable caramelized top defied our flimsy plastic spoon’s best efforts, so we just picked it out of its container and ate it like an ice cream sandwich. It was delicious!
Can’t believe it’s been over five years since our last visit. It’s great to be back, especially this time of year…
The post December 6, 2023: Tokyo Day #1! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
December 5, 2023
December 5, 2023: Tokyo-bound!
And here are a few of the things I’m looking forward to checking out when we get there…
Cafes!
Our top 3 cafes in Azabudai Hills, Tokyo’s newest and possibly swankiest shopping complex
This whisky bar/bookstore…
There’s a Tokyo bar with Japanese whisky inside bookstore inside Japan’s tallest building
Some low-key sweets shops…
Hidden in plain sight, low-key sweets shop surviving in Tokyo’s street market is a tasty treasure
Lacquer-black cheesecake ice cream bars…
Japan’s lacquer-black cheesecake ice cream bars, shocking to see, but delicious to eat?【Photos】
This department store rooftop Monet oasis…
Hidden oasis on a Japanese department store rooftop is home to Monet’s Pond in Tokyo
The Tokyo Revengers exhibition…
https://tcv.roppongihills.com/en/exhibitions/tokyorevengers/
Christmas cakes…
https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/shopping/best-christmas-cakes-in-tokyo
The post December 5, 2023: Tokyo-bound! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
December 4, 2023
December 4, 2023: The Crime Binge continues!
Tokyo Vice (2022) Season 1
A Western journalist working for a publication in Tokyo takes on one of the city’s most powerful crime bosses.
My thoughts: The setting is interesting as is its true life source material, but this series is hampered by cliches, lethargic plotting, and the fact it is padded with too many uninteresting sub-plots.
3/5
The Night Of (2016)
After a night of partying with a woman he picked up, a man wakes up to find her stabbed to death and is charged with her murder.
My thoughts: A solid and compelling series that does a great job of exploring the notion of reasonable doubt, but it leaves us with a not wholly satisfying conclusion.
4/5
A Private Affair (2022 – ) Season 1
Marina Quiroga, a daring upper-class girl with a detective’s soul, sets off to catch the serial killer that has been terrorizing her town with her faithful butler Hector’s help.
My thoughts: Aura Garrido and Jean Reno are terrific in this fun high-adventure mystery series.
4/5
Kleo (2022)
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, a former spy killer is set free and embarks on a revenge spree against the people who conspired to betray her.
My thoughts: Too silly and self-aware. The moment two combatants face off like sumo wrestlers was the point where this show went from fun to dumb and I tuned out.
DNF
Lyckoviken/Hammarvik (2020 – ) Season 1
When police officer Johanna Strand returns to her hometown Hammarvik to attend her mother’s funeral, she expects to stay only for a few nights but the body of a young woman is found and she decides to stay and investigate what happened.
My thoughts: The plot developments are annoyingly contrived and it’s all too pat and perfunctory.
DNF
The post December 4, 2023: The Crime Binge continues! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
December 3, 2023
December 3, 2023: Sharky Sunday!
With two days to go before we leave for Tokyo, we can finally rest easy having finalized our plans for Sharky. During our time away, he will be spending time with friends of friends, in a home that has experience dealing with dogs suffering from separation anxiety whose owners are in most of the day . I think Sharky will have a great ole’ time.
Visiting the new local dog-friendly cafe.
In holiday mode.
Sharky getting used to his taxi…
Sharky appreciates strawberries too…
Bubbie came for a visit…
A California pug ready for his first Canadian winter…
Making his pitch for joining us on our trip to Japan…
He insists he won’t take up much room.
My nickname or him is Little Bear.
The post December 3, 2023: Sharky Sunday! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
December 2, 2023
December 2, 2023: The Crime Binge continues!
Blazing through these crime shows as our trip to Japan fast approaches. Five more for your consideration. Or not…
Unbelievable (2019)
A teenager is charged with lying about having been raped, but two detectives follow the path to the truth.
My thoughts: Perfectly fine but it really feels like a bit of a ho-hum M.O.W. stretched to its narrative breaking point. Would have made a better 90 minute movie over an 8 part miniseries.
3/5
High Season (2019-2020) Season 1
Two sisters discover disturbing family secrets after a string of mysterious deaths occur on a luxury ship traveling from Spain to Brazil in the 1940s.
My thoughts: Silly high seas melodrama.
2.5/5
In the Dark (2017)
As she deals with an unexpected pregnancy, D.I. Helen Weeks must return to the hometown she loathes, to help her childhood best friend who is in the centre of a media frenzy following the abduction of two teenage girls.
My thoughts: Not particularly compelling nor noteworthy.
3/5
ZeroZeroZero (2019 – 2020)
A cocaine shipment makes its way to Europe, starting from the moment a powerful cartel of Italian criminals decides to buy it, to its journeys through Mexico, to its shipment across the Atlantic Ocean.
My thoughts: One of those rare instances where the parallel storylines are equally gripping and compelling. Terrific.
4.5/5
The Missing (2014 – 2016) Season 1
Tony and Emily Hughes’ vacation turns into a nightmare when their 5-year-old son Oliver disappears from a large celebrating crowd in Northern France.
My thoughts: Sets up an intriguing mystery that devolves into a ridiculous denouement. The final sequence really hits home though.
3/5
The post December 2, 2023: The Crime Binge continues! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
December 1, 2023
December 1, 2023: Recent Yes/No’s! Best and Worst!
And a sneak peek at what I may be checking out in Japan next week…
Grilled Chicken Tails? Yes/No pic.twitter.com/NAFpv48DtF
— Joseph Mallozzi
(@BaronDestructo) November 17, 2023
Spicy Miso Fried Chicken? Yes/No
KFC releases first-ever spicy miso chicken in Japan https://t.co/Mw9Yk4HysY via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Grilled Cheese Nacho Fries? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/6OXnrSVjcq
— Joseph Mallozzi
Curry Pumpkin Pork Steak? Yes/No https://t.co/jF1dGlTz3D
— Joseph Mallozzi
Green Bean Casserole Sparkling Water? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/6RUER59xG6
— Joseph Mallozzi
Pistachio Frappuccino? Yes/No
Starbucks Japan gives us a pistachio Frappuccino for Christmas 2023 https://t.co/afN16vwflp via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Giant Strawberry Maritozzo? Yes/No
120-year-old sweets store keeps Japan’s maritozzo boom alive with a massive specimen https://t.co/92zE8vtkzw via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
Moist Matcha S'more Brownies? Yes/No https://t.co/619cWWdtdb
— Joseph Mallozzi
Sugar Butter Tree KitKats? Yes/No
New Japanese KitKat flavour, Sugar Butter Tree, is like cracking a chocolate tree branch https://t.co/n6zXclWm7R via @RocketNews24En
— Joseph Mallozzi
@BaronDestructo Nanaimo Bar Porter, Yes/No. pic.twitter.com/Kjq1QQ3idn
— eriq49@bsky social
(@eriq49) November 26, 2023
Best: The chicken tails (which will be my first meal upon landing in Tokyo). That said, a lot to look forward on this list including the Pistachio Frappuccino and Spicy Miso Fried Chicken.
Worst: Don’t love the look of that pumpkin curry cutlet, but would have to go with the green been casserole sparkling water.
The post December 1, 2023: Recent Yes/No’s! Best and Worst! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
November 30, 2023
November 30, 2023: The Crime Binge continues!
The Green Glove Gang (2022 – ) Season 1
After a failed robbery, three elderly female thieves hide out in a quiet nursing home. While the police are on their heels, they continue their activities at the center, giving its elderly residents a second youth.
My thoughts: At turns funny, incisive, and heartfelt in its commentary on growing older with dignity.
4/5
Lilyhammer (2012 – 2014) Season 1
A New York mobster goes into hiding in rural Lillehammer in Norway after testifying against his former associates.
My thoughts: Never have I looked forward to checking out a show more – and been so roundly disappointed. Paint by numbers plotting and dialogue. A disappointingly uninspired execution of a brilliant idea.
2/5
My Name/Undercover (2021)
The story about a woman who joins an organized crime ring and infiltrates the police as an undercover agent in order to find out the truth about her father’s death.
My thoughts: Action, violence, betrayals and plenty of melodrama in this solid Korean outing.
4/5
Babylon Berlin (2017 – ) Season 1
Colognian commissioner Gereon Rath moves to Berlin, the epicenter of political and social changes in the Golden Twenties.
My thoughts: Looks great but I had no idea what was going on.
DNF
Dirty John (2018-2020) Season 1
Tells the true story of how a romance between Debra Newell and the charismatic John Meehan spiraled into secrets, denial, manipulation, and ultimately, a fight for survival for an entire family.
My thoughts: The subject matter is maddening, but absolutely riveting. A pleasant surprise.
4/5
Not a bad stretch!
The post November 30, 2023: The Crime Binge continues! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
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